Oceanside Library celebrates National Gnome Day with family scavenger hunt

Posted Friday, June 26, 2026 8:04 am

Carlo Mastrandrea , Technology Librarian, brought the Gnome Scavenger Hunt to life at Oceanside Library on June 21.

Melissa Baptiste/Herald

Lucky the gnome was hidden within the book shelves.

Melissa Baptiste/Herald

Miner the gnome was created, amongst the others, with help from Oceanside Library teens.

Melissa Baptiste/Herald

Glimmer was hidden amongst the décor, waiting to be found by participants.

Melissa Baptiste/Herald

30 gnomes were decorated and hidden throughout Oceanside Library, with a checklist for those wishing to find them all.

Melissa Baptiste/Herald

By Alyssa R. Griffin

Visitors of all ages searched high and low throughout the Oceanside Library during a gnome-themed scavenger hunt celebrating National Gnome Day.

Inspired by the success of a previous rubber duck hunt, the event featured handcrafted gnomes hidden throughout the building.

Carlo Mastrandrea , Technology Librarian, brought the Gnome Scavenger Hunt to life on June 21. Local teens helped create the colorful characters as part of a community service project, decorating them with materials including pom-poms, pipe cleaners, puzzle pieces and recycled items.

Participants used scavenger hunt sheets to locate the gnomes, encouraging exploration of the library while bringing families, children and teens together for a day of creativity and fun.

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