May 1, 2023 
For Immediate Release
Contact: Director Christopher Holden, 860-638-4850 or Recycling Coordinator, Kim O'Rourke at 860-638-4855 

2023 Sustainable Middletown Scavenger Hunt

The City of Middletown, in collaboration with Eversource and the Russell Library, is excited to announce its first Sustainable Middletown Scavenger Hunt, taking place on Saturday, May 6^th, from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., starting at Russell Library and expanding throughout the City.  The event will include a wide range of activities for kids and adults, educational opportunities, free giveaways and a chance to win fun sustainable prizes.

The event will start at the Russell Library with a large selection of environmentally friendly vendors offering information on energy efficiency, solar power, heat pumps, recycling and composting, repairing and more.  Visit each booth and get entered into a free raffle for gift certificates to Middletown restaurants participating in the City’s food scrap composting program.   

Then, you can travel to different locations in Middletown to discover sustainable efforts happening right here in Middletown.  Below is a sampling of the Scavenger Hunt locations:

• Check out the heat pump, and play some ping pong, at King Pong on Court St;
• Visit the Chamber of Commerce for important information for small businesses and a kid's recycling craft; 
• Grab a free snack at Perk on Main and learn about their many sustainability efforts;
• There's several stops on the Wesleyan campus - shop at the WesThrift shop, visit the Science Center to learn how Wesleyan is making their new buildings more sustainable and explore the Wild Wes area and Long Lane Farm. 
• See Middletown's electric school bus and other electric vehicles from the EV Club of Connecticut; 
• Travel to Forest City Farm on River Road for some free plants; and
• Turn the compost pile and play with worms at the Middletown Compost Garden.

And so much more!   

Kids can have fun too! Many of the sites will have a designated kid’s activity.  Visit six locations and get entered into a free raffle for a $500 gift certificate for an energy star appliance at Gene’s TV and other great prizes.  A Scavenger Hunt Jr. will be offered, with its own prizes, including an electric scooter and gift certificates for King Pong and Back Again Game Room.  

The inaugural Scavenger Hunt is part of Middletown’s HeatSmart Round 2 program. Learn more about the campaign for our residents and how you can sign up to save energy and money. Visit the City’s booth or Eversource’s table to learn more.

The Estuary Transit Xtra Mile bus will be available to take people to most of the Scavenger Hunt sites.   You can download the app here.

Full details are posted on the City of Middletown website at https://www.middletownct.gov/1357/Sustainable-Middletown-Scavenger-Hunt.