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Payson’s Onion Days treasure hunt drew more than 1,100 participants and boosted Main Street traffic, organizers say
Summary
Organizers reported roughly 1,100 participants and about 162 out-of-town entries for the Payson City Treasure Adventure held during Onion Days; a $3,000 grand prize was donated by Patterson Homes and the event involved more than 30 local businesses.
City staff and event organizers told the council on Sept. 3 that the Payson City Treasure Adventure, added to this year’s Onion Days programming, attracted significant participation and increased vendor sales on Main Street.
Organizers said the event ran over three days with a family hunt and a main hunt. “We had over 1,100 total participants, and a 162 of those weren't even from Payson,” said Gage Larson, one of the organizers, during a presentation to the council. Organizers said the hunt visited roughly 25 historical or relevant sites and involved 37 businesses as sponsors or puzzle partners. Social-media reach was reported at more than 15,000 people.
Organizers described two hunts (a family-friendly version and a main competition), with the main hunt including 12 puzzles that played out across the weekend. The grand prize, organizers said, was $3,000 donated by Patterson Homes; additional sponsors provided secondary prizes.
Staff and council praised the event for driving foot traffic and stimulating vendor sales; staff reported vendor sales on Friday were almost double compared with previous years, and the treasure hunt drew families into the park over multiple days. Organizers said they plan to expand sponsorship and the prize pool next year to attract more competitors and keep the event growing.
The presentation included a small slideshow and a request to the council to support future planning; council members thanked organizers and staff for the work on Onion Days.
Organizers and staff identified partners in the presentation and said they hope to run the treasure hunt again next year with more sponsors and a larger prize pool.
