Pre-Dig Gig

Kickoff Party
Fabulous Fern's
Saturday, March 1, 2008
In the bar area
400 Selby Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55102
(651) 225-9414

Well since you mentioned it, let me give the details on what will be the 9th annual (and original!) Mock Hunt (so named because it came between the Medallion Hunt and the Fitgers Bock Hunt, Medallion + Bock = Mock).

This year's Mock Hunt will start on Saturday, March 1st. Clues will come out daily at 6pm on the Allison Wonderland Yahoo group (and will likely be crossposted elsewhere). The rules are largely similar to the Pioneer Press Medallion Hunt with a few differences:

1. The treasure is definitely hidden in St. Paul.
2. The clues are released at 6pm.
3. You do not need to clip the clues or buy a button. However you do have the option to be a registered hunter. Registration is $10 and the money all goes towards the prize pool. If you are registered and you find it, you get all the money. You may also hunt if you are not registered, but you will only win $100 and any extra money in the prize pool will go towards the next mock hunt.
4. The hunt ends when it is found, however long that may take.

There will be a kickoff party at Fabulous Fern's from 5-8pm on Saturday the 1st in the bar area. You can register at that time. You can also register by Paypal or by check up until the time of the 4th clue. Send me a message if you wish to do so.

I anticipate good participation this year so face the challenge of going up against other hunters and see if you can be the one to claim the prize this year!

What: 2008 Pre-Dig Gig

Where: Matty B's - Downtown St. Paul, the Official Home of the Cooler Crew
354 North Wabasha Street
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651)291-0404

When: Saturday, January 19th, 2008 7pm till Close

Why: To Celebrate the Start of the St Paul Winter Carnival Treasure Hunt (and to celebrate a decade of the Cooler Crew)

Who: The Cooler Crew - Past, Present and Future - Everyone Welcome

Note the change of venue from McGovern's to Matty B's.

The 10th annual Pre-Dig gig will be held this year at Matty B's Supper Club, which is right around the corner from Ma Press. Join us at the official home of the Cooler Crew, from start to finish to kick off this year's medallion hunt. Rumor has it there will also be NTFCF DVD's available for sale.

After much pondering, debate, and negotiating we've finally settled on the details for the Pre-Dig Gig. It will be returning to Patrick McGovern's on West 7th on the evening of January 20th. We will have the downstairs, basement room reserved for us, but not until 8:00pm. You can show up to McGovern's before that and hang out if you wish. The thing to keep in mind is that there is a Wild Hockey game that night as well which not only means the place will be on the crowded side prior to 8pm, but parking will also be tricky. McGovern's does have their own lot, but it will probably fill up quickly. There is some free parking on the street and in the alley behind McGovern's, but that will also fill up quickly. Consequently you may either want to get there really early (I imagine the early arrivers will hang out in the 2nd floor bar), take a bus, or be prepared to spend $10 on parking. In the meantime, we're working on a plan to perhaps have it somewhere else next year to avoid the parking issue. There will be more details about that at the event. Otherwise everyone is invited to attend. There will be nametags so that you can hopefully identify people you've seen posting. if you don't know anyone, feel free to come look for me. I'll have a black hat on. You can tell me your hunting stories and I can introduce you to other people who are new there.

Jake and Mr. Med Hunter have put together a "midterm" mock hunt. the first clue will be released on Nov. 9 at 9PM at Matty B's downtown. Subsequent clues will be released at 3PM each day at Treasure Hunt Headquarters.

The base prize is $100. For a $10 fee, registered hunters will be eligible for an additional $100 in prize money, plus the registration fees collected. Good Luck!

Sunday, February 12, 2006
5pm Start
6pm Clue Release
Fablous Fern's
Western & Selby

by Allison Wonderland

So the hunt is over and you didn't even get to go out yet to look? Well you don't need to totally despair. The 7th Annual Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt will be coming up. Granted the prize is not as big, but it's still a fun chance to get out and search for some treasure with your fellow hunters!

We'll kick it off on Sunday, February 12th. The clues come out daily at 6pm. On the 12th we'll have a kickoff party at Fabulous Fern's in St. Paul starting at 5pm.

The hunt will work similar to what we did last year. You can pay $10 to be a registered hunter with the money going towards the pot. If you find it, you get a $500 prize. If you are not a registered hunter and you find it, you get a $100 prize. Any prize money that is left over will get rolled over into the pot for whoever runs the next mock hunt. The winner of the mock hunt also gets the option of being the person to run the next hunt, or they can designate someone else.

Clues will be posted on this Yahoo group, though I suppose I could post them elsewhere as well if people wanted. This hunt has been a lot of fun in the past and we've gotten some pretty good participation (especially in 2002 which was a year similar to this).

The easiest way to get me the money is to come to the kickoff party on the 12th. Also, it doesn't have to be cash. If you'd rather, you can contribute prizes worth $10 or more. If you can't make the party, you can send me an email and I'll give you an address to send a check to or you can use Paypal at my AllisonWondrland@yahoo email.

This could be a big year for the mock hunt so be sure to get involved!

Saturday, January 21, 2006
7:30pm-close
Patrick McGovern's (upstairs this year)
225 7th St. W. (at Chestnut St.)
(651)224-5821

Join the Cooler Crew at Patrick McGovern's for the 8th Annual Pre-Dig Gig. We'll be upstairs at McGovern's this year instead of in the basement. Be there to party, celebrate the beginning of the hunt, and speculate about the first clue.

With all the luck we've had this past year, finding the flag in Indian Mounds, and sweeping the minbin mouse hunt, Coolerheads will prevail!!

Fabulous Fern's
Western & Selby
Sunday, March 6, 2005
5pm start
6pm clue release

1. The Mock Hunt typically identifies what seemed like a bad aspect of that year's Medallion Hunt and tries to do the opposite.
2. You will almost certainly need a Treasure Hunter's Guide.
3. I believe this year, more so than any previous year, the winner will be the person that figures out the clues first/the best.

I don't know what the prize will be yet. I don't have a sponsor and I don't have much money myself, so it will likely be a far cry from $10,000. However, if anyone wants to contribute money to the prize pot to make it more interesting, that's always appreciated. But I think this year, rather than hoping a few people will chip in big amounts, I think I'm going to recommend everyone just chip in $10. If you can't afford $10, you won't be barred by any means, but I'm going to work on a special prize to give to someone if they win and they contributed (sort of like buying a button).

Clues will be posted online everyday at 6pm. They will be posted in my Yahoo group as well as The People's Forum. The first clue may be an exception as it may have to wait to be posted online until after the kickoff party is wrapped up. The clues will come out once a day with 12 clues in all. I will be hiding a casino coin this year from an out of state casino. So the clues this year might have a sort of gambling theme. It won't be hidden in a tree, underground, on top of a building, on a cliff, next to open water, inside anything electrical, or any other place that would involve destruction or risk risk to get to.

I think that pretty well sums up everything for now. I hope everyone gets a chance to participate!

In light of the fact that a reservation will likely be made, RSVP to allison(nospam)wondrland@yahoo.com

Saturday, January 22nd, 2005, 7pm
Downstairs At Patrick McGovern's

Join us on the eve of the 2005 Medallion Hunt! Catch up with old hunting pals, and make some new ones. Be there for the excitement of the first clue. Will it be in St. Paul this year or not???

Welcome to the 5th Annual Allison Wonderland Mock Hunt!

The hunt begins On Sunday, February 29th. Clues will be released at 6pm each night, once per day, for a total of up to 12 clues. The Allison Wonderland medallion will be hidden on public property in St. Paul. It will not be hidden underground, in a tree, on top of a building, on a body of water, down a manhole, inside anything electrical, or anywhere that would require you to damage or disturb anything other than perhaps some plants.

The first clue will be released at Fabulous Fern's on Sunday the 29th at 6pm. Clues will also be posted in this thread and on the Allison Wonderland Yahoo group.

The prize is as yet undetermined, but I will be accepting donations at the Rehash bash, the Mock Hunt pre-party at Fern's, or by Paypal at AllisonWondrland@yahoo.com

The point of this hunt, as it has generally been throughout it's history, is that one can find the precise location of the coin if they figure out all the clues right. Some are harder than others, but even if you don't get them all, some time searching may still yield up the treasure.

Stay tuned for more possible updates.