Bradenton's Village of the Arts hosts scavenger hunt

Nov. 27 is "Black Friday," when shoppers across the country stampede into malls and box stores, trampling over each other to try to get the best holiday bargains.

The next day, Bradenton's Village of the Arts is hosting its first scavenger hunt. The artists, crafts people and business owners in area are hoping you'll take a leisurely stroll through the quaint and distinctive neighborhood, discover the charms of the village and maybe cross a few names off of your Christmas shopping list in the process. You can win some prizes, too.

Here's how it works: You stop at Fun Girl Art, a gallery on 12th Avenue, anytime after 11 a.m. and you'll get a sheet with a list of items around the village. Then you can stroll around the neighborhood and take pictures of them with your phone. Some will be on the streets, some will be in shops, restaurants, galleries and other businesses. You might need to get a picture of someone walking a dog backwards (you'll have to happen across someone walking a dog and ask him or her to walk backwards) or it may be some image hanging on the wall of a gallery. You get points for each one you get a picture of.

You can hunt individually, but it's probably more fun if you get a team together. That'll give you a competitive edge, too.

You'll end up at 11th St. Gallery at 1412 11th St. W. Points will be tallied, and the top finishers will get prizes from village merchants.

The hunt runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., but it takes about an hour, so you'll need to get started by 3 p.m.

Details: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 28, Fun Girl Art, 1001 12th Ave. W., Bradenton. Admission: Free. Information: 941-448-7485, villageofthearts.com.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Bradenton's Village of the Arts hosts scavenger hunt ."