At Cluefest, Googling Helps The Clueless

I expected a crowd of New Haven know-it-alls, not a rehearsal for Burning Man. 

At this weekend’s ClueFest, the annual New Haven-wide scavenger hunt produced by The Group With No Name, I encountered a delightful combination of both.

Part citywide scavenger hunt, part poetry festival (read on for the clues), part costume-addled ​“spirit competition,” ClueFest is whatever its participants want it to be — except tame.

Over 150 people participated in this year’s dash through New Haven’s neighborhoods. And an amazing race it was. Embedded in the action, on assignment for the Independent, I had assembled a team comprised of my favorite New Haven whiz kids, Joe Satran, Ethan Kuperberg, Molly Zielenbach and Ben Flores.

Arriving at registration in Pitkin Plaza (renamed ​“Cluefest Drive”), we were surprised to see teams dressed in ​“I

<3 New Haven Non-Profits” stickers, teams dressed as bandits, teams dressed (in trash) as dinosaurs, and teams dressed as old ladies. By my calculations, most participants were under 40, with an average age of 29.

We needed a team name and some spirit fast.

The minutes of name selection pow-wow are as follows: The Beatles. No. Beatles Rock Band. No. Jimmy Carter. No. Richard Nixon. No. Watergate. No. Gift of the Maji. Maybe…

MAGIC: THE GATHERING … Yes!

So,“Magic: The Gathering” it was. As the rest of our team turned in the registration forms, Joe and I sprinted back to his apartment and retrieved a deck of Magic card. (For those unfamiliar, 

Magic: the Gathering is a game played with collectible cards, a cross between Dungeons and Dragons and Pokemon cards. )

By the time we returned, it was 2 p.m. The clues were being distributed, and the game was beginning. First clue:

Even when the economy fails,
This group bring in high sails.
After they rope in such great earnings,
They use profits to fulfill children’s yearnings.
As you go out, please keep in mind
Not to slip and fall on your behind.

Do you know where this is? We could only deduce that it had something to do with sailing, yachts maybe, and charity. Someone in the backseat furiously started Googling ​“New Haven yacht charity,” which yielded no results. But we stayed focused and started looking at the other clues, which yielded one immediate recognition:

A place that built metal toys
That delighted many young boys
In one town that’s Fair
You’ll find an art lair
Where you can hear lots of train noise

Molly, our team member who had spent last summer working at a Fair Haven non-profit, immediately recognized this as Erector Square, and we dashed away (respectful of traffic laws, always). The challenge there was to ​“Create a piece of art that represents your perspective of New Haven,” the proctor commanded.

Food. Bypassing our fond feelings for New Haven’s architecture, industries, art, or education we decided to draw and paint that part of the Elm City that had made our tummies happiest. I concentrated on visions of soul food while my cohorts drew pizza, Mexican, Aladin’s Feast at Istanbul Cafe. I recall hearing high praise for the Cluefest volunteers.

We moved on and climbed Science Hill. The clue led us to Albertus Magnus (“On this hill, a unique learning place / Over 800 books this great man’s pen raced”), where we filled out a Madlib. Everyone was in a serious mood after contemplating art at Erector Plaza, so I would guess that our Madlib was probably one of the solemnest of the day.

After picking up a Bonus Point (worth 5 point against Activity Stop’s 10) at the Foote School, we landed at the New Haven Museum, where our team made probably its best showing of the day. Here (inside this absolutely gorgeous building!) our attention was directed to paintings on the wall of the ​“Great Shippe” leaving New Haven’s harbor bound for the Old World filled with commercial goods (never to return). (See an explanation of the historically significant event appears here.) So, in honor of that disastrous voyage, we dressed up as colonials awaiting the return of the vessel.

The day merrily sped along. We visited The Study, Deja Brew on West Rock Avenue, Schooner Inc (the first clue above) on Long Wharf Pier, and a bottle recycling plant (favorite clue: ​“where vessels go after sorrows they’ve drowned”) near the border with North Haven. We had no idea that so much of Middletown Avenue is part of New Haven!

Unquestionably, we never could have done it without access to Google on our phones.

Five p.m. found us racing towards Dixwell Avenue for a youth center we thought was opening soon. But without being entirely sure where that was, we were forced to turn around as the 5:30 deadline approached.

The race ended in a huge party in the Shubert Theater! Organizers served Modern Apizza and Bentara. Everyone was euphoric as volunteers taliled scores.

The winners were… not Magic: the Gathering. I was crushed. Fourth prize for most points collected went to the Pundits, the freaks who had dressed like bandits and written popsicle jokes on their T‑shirts. Third and second prizes went to less outrageously dressed teams. First place went to the team covered in ​“I <3 New Haven Non-Profits” stickers. They were so sincere! I had thought their sincerity would blind them.

Oh how wrong I was.

Afterwards, I was told that the winning team, I <3 New Haven, earned every single possible point, deciphering every possible clue, bonus clues, and racking up a considerable amount of New Haven Preservation Trust historical plaques along the way. These are the go-getters of New Haven. I learned afterward that they had utilized a system of code words to win. ​“Lawnmower” was their word for whenever one member of the team was grinding the gears of another team member for bad driving or irritating sleuthing. They had even had to switch drivers in the middle of the game.

I guess this is exactly the sort of thing you learn after years and years of Cluefest competition. Our team could have used a ​“Lawnmower” or two.

There was other awards to be announce. Best participation at Activity Stop #3. Best #cluefest Tweet. Best artwork — we were robbed! Most Spirited Award went to ​“The Golden Girls,” three ladies and a man dressed in matching T‑shirts and fine wigs.

Then, at the last possible moment, a miracle happened: A final volunteer stepped forward and announced one, last prize.

“This is an unusual prize. We only added it because the situation demanded it,” she said, ​“But one team had a name so dorky that we had to honor them.”

I think I blacked out at this point; the rest of what happened is mostly a blur. It was an out-of-body experience.

“The prize for ​‘Dorkiest Team Name’ goes to ​‘Magic: The Gathering!’”

With such stiff competition, how could it be? We won? It happened. I am sure it did. We hugged, cheered, stumbled forward to accept our ​“prize,” which included actual prizes: Martinis for two at Basta, a free breakfast at Claire’s, and tickets to ​“Stomp” … in April, 2011! Those we gave to Ethan!

Cluefest proved to be a valuable opportunity to feel pride in our vast and historic city, to meet new people, and to do something dorky for an afternoon without self-consciousness. While only a few teams may have gone home with prizes, eternal glory – of this I am sure – is bestowed on everyone who participated.

My tip for winning next year: Start making your costumes today, and read the Independent for news about New Haven. This year’s locations were education heavy. Maybe next year comic book shops will be all the rage.