CHICAGO (Aug. 10, 2020) – While COVID-19 has taken a significant toll on local restaurants and usual summer activities, NPR news station WBEZ Chicago is encouraging Chicagoans to spend the last days of summer exploring the city through food in a citywide, socially distanced, family-friendly event: The Curious City Scavenger Hunt: Chicago Eats Edition.

The scavenger hunt will run from Aug. 14 to Sept. 13. Participants will explore Chicago’s treasured culinary scene by receiving clues about restaurants and cuisine in all corners of the city. Clues will lead participants to nearly all 77 community areas and restaurants within them recommended by WBEZ staff. Participants will need to visit as many establishments they can, snap a photo, and submit their solved clues online to gain points, for a chance to win gift cards to the restaurant of their choice.

The scavenger hunt was inspired by WBEZ’s Curious City, a podcast that invites Chicago’s curious citizens to ask questions about and discover Chicago, the region and its people. WBEZ’s Curious City reporter and longtime foodie Monica Eng noted that the “eats edition” scavenger hunt is a terrific way for Chicagoans to get out of their comfort zone to discover hidden neighborhood gems in Chicago’s food scene.

“All too often we dig into the chow of familiar neighborhoods while missing out on some amazing stuff a few miles away,” Eng said. “This scavenger is certainly going to get me into places I’ve never been and I hope it will do the same with some of our participants.”

The scavenger hunt is intended to be inclusive for anyone interested in participating, whether it’s among friends, as a family activity, or for those who want to participate virtually.

Participants may choose to compete either in the “Team” division for participants 18+ in age; in the “Family” division for adults with minors, including parents or legal guardians; or in the “Virtual” division for participants of any age who can’t or choose not to physically travel to restaurants.

Additionally, while registrants may choose to eat a meal or snack at one of the restaurant spots, no purchase is necessary in order to qualify or participate beyond the WBEZ registration fee. Registration is now available for $10-$20 at wbez.org/hunt.

About Curious City

WBEZ’s Curious City podcast is an ongoing news experiment where listeners pose questions about Chicago, the region, its people and our history. Curious City reporters fan out across Chicagoland to answer those questions and take the public inside the reporting process.

About WBEZ Chicago

WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR news station, serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information. WBEZ’s award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. In addition to its local and national news programming, WBEZ Chicago is home to a growing portfolio of popular podcasts, including the “Making” series of Making Beyoncé, Making Obama and Making Oprah; an investigative podcast series, Motive; 16 Shots: A podcast about the fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald; Nerdette; and Sound Opinions. WBEZ Chicago has a legacy of innovation as the birthplace of nationally acclaimed programs such as This American Life, and Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and the ground-breaking podcast, Serial.

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