SF's Chinese New Year Hunt

This urban adventure is San Francisco's longest-running, having puzzled and delighted over 40,000 participants since it was first created. The hunt was started in the early 1980s by Jayson Wechter, a private investigator who wanted to create a live film noir experience for his friends on the city's streets. The game unfolds across a one-square-mile area covering Chinatown, North Beach, Telegraph Hill, and the Financial District. Teams, which must stay together, receive a map and a set of up to 16 clues that involve wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, leading them to overlooked landmarks and architectural details. Four distinct competition levels are offered, catering to everyone from beginners new to the city to seasoned experts. There's even a "Thinks-Faster-Than-Walks" category that minimizes hills and running for those who want a more leisurely pace. The event is designed to be navigated entirely on foot, rain or shine. While solving puzzles, teams must also strategically navigate around the massive Chinese New Year Parade, as crossing the route can be nearly impossible. The hunt's base of operations, for both the start and the finish, is the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center gym on Chestnut Street. Teams race against the clock to turn in their answer sheets by the deadline to be eligible for prizes and bragging rights. Partial proceeds from the event benefit local non-profits. Organizations like Walk San Francisco have been named as charity partners, receiving a portion of ticket sales to support their advocacy work.