Happy Winterfest Syracuse!

Its that time of year again to celebrate Syracuse’s second favorite season (after March Madness, of course). From February 11 to Febuary 21st, the city will be abuzz with activities for all ages. For the kids, there is a Kids Karnival at the City Hall Commons complete with games, food, and the Winterfest Mascots. For the adults there is Martini, Cosmo, and Margarita mixing contests along with Chili and Chowder cookoff (all of which invite the public to sample and vote for their favorite). In addition, the human dog sled race, snowman convention, and the many free concerts make their traditional appearances as well.

With that said, for most people that have lived in Syracuse for any extended period of time equate Winterfest with one thing, the never-ending quest to find a 1.5 plastic disk, which just happens to be worth $1,000 (or $2,000 if you subscribe to the paper). Sure the prize money is nice, but the glory of joining the ranks of our smartest, most resourceful, and bravest (it is February in upstate New York) citizens is reward enough. If titles of nobility were not prohibited by the constitution, surely those who found the medallion would be made at least a Marquis.

For those who may be new to the hunt, below are some tips to get you started on your search.

If you think the medallion is in Onondaga Lake Park, it is not in Onondaga Lake Park.
Every year without fail thousands descend upon what just happens to be one of the largest and most attended (even in the middle of the winter) parks in the region that happens to have every park amenity known to mankind. Naturally you could interpret every clue in the paper (or the Da Vinci Code if you thought hard enough) to be pointing to some part of the park. Sure the medallion could be hidden there, but trust me if the medallion is not found after about a day or two into the hunt, it is not there.

If you see a kid holding up a hockey puck near the entrance of the “popular” search location, do not turn around, it is not the medallion.
What you have just witnessed is the common Winterfest technique known as the fake-out. Though on the surface, it may seem a bit of brilliant piece of strategy, much like Georgetown’s game plan against the zone at the Dome this year, it falls apart after further scrutiny. Think about it, would you let your kid hold up a 2.5” x 6” $100 bill for all to see, let alone trust him not to lose it? Now add a zero on to the bill and reduce it to the size of an Eisenhower dollar. Catch my drift? Besides any decent person would call the paper and provide the code on the back of the medallion (likely from their cell phone at the park) so the phone hotline can be promptly updated.

Do not rely upon word of mouth to confirm that the medallion has been found.
All it takes is for one person to find a poker chip, think they hit the lottery and to tell the world of their good fortune (or fall victim to the ever-popular fake-out) for the rumor mill to start. The only accurate source to determine if the medallion has been found is the paper, the paper’s website, or the medallion hotline.

Finally, have fun and enjoy the hunt.
I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually been in the correct place where the medallion was during the hunt. I need two abacuses to count all the incorrect places I have searched, one for Onondaga Lake Park, the other for the rest of the county. Though I have yet to join the ranks of the immortals, deciphering the true meaning of the cleverly worded clues and exploring some of our region’s hidden gems is some of the best fun you can have all year. See you on the hunt!