Winchester Launches Free Christmas Scavenger Hunt

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A brand-new hol­i­day tra­di­tion has offi­cial­ly arrived in Winchester, and it comes with wag­ging tails, com­mu­ni­ty spir­it, and near­ly 50 par­tic­i­pat­ing busi­ness­es. The Winchester Christmas Scavenger Hunt, inspired by the jour­ney of long-term FairyTails fos­ter dogs Uno and Henry, runs now through December 31, and it is free for the pub­lic to play. Prize pick­up will remain open until January 10.

The inter­ac­tive hunt was cre­at­ed by local author and busi­ness own­er Heather Carter, whose upcom­ing children’s book fol­lows the real-life adven­tures of Uno and Henry — two FairyTails dogs who have been wait­ing over a year to be adopt­ed. Her book cel­e­brates every­thing Winchester, show­cas­ing its land­marks, peo­ple, and the heart of the community.

“This project was born from the sto­ry of two dogs who kept wait­ing for their hap­py end­ing,” Carter explains. “But it also grew into a way to help our down­town busi­ness­es that have strug­gled through con­struc­tion and eco­nom­ic chal­lenges, while pulling our com­mu­ni­ty together.”

Using a dig­i­tal app, fam­i­lies, indi­vid­u­als, and vis­i­tors are guid­ed on a hol­i­day-themed adven­ture with Uno and Henry lead­ing the way. Participants earn points, dis­cov­er local shops, meet busi­ness own­ers, and unlock sur­pris­es through­out Winchester. Thanks to local spon­sors, play­ers have the chance to win prizes — includ­ing themed gift bags and shirts — sim­ply for explor­ing their com­mu­ni­ty. Uno and Henry were also pre­sent­ed the Key to the City by Mayor Reed.

Nearly 50 busi­ness­es across Winchester have joined as scav­enger hunt stops, show­cas­ing what makes the town excep­tion­al. Organizers ask par­tic­i­pants to show their sup­port by vis­it­ing these shops while playing.

The event is host­ed in part­ner­ship between FairyTails Pet Adoptions and Winchester-Clark County Tourism, with Premier Sponsors includ­ing Hamilton Brooks Design, Eve’s Uniques, Lucy Martin Jenkins (United Real Estate Lexington), Birdie’s Attic, Winchester-Clark County Tourism, and High Speed Collectibles.

“Our hope is sim­ple,” Carter adds. “We want to dri­ve traf­fic to local busi­ness­es, remind peo­ple how spe­cial Winchester is, spark joy — and yes, final­ly help Uno and Henry find their for­ev­er homes.”

✨ The scav­enger hunt runs November 15 through December 31.

✨ Prizes must be claimed by January 10.

✨ It is com­plete­ly free and open to the public.

To join the hunt, vis­it: visitwinchesterky.com/henry-and-uno-pass/

Go explore, sup­port local, dis­cov­er hid­den gems — and maybe fall in love with two dogs who have cap­tured the heart of Winchester.