Blog Entries (please see rules below).
February 3, 2025 — Congratulations to Julie Peters with sister Bekki Ziemer for finding the 2025 Saint Peter Winterfest Medallion on Monday, February 3 in Gault Park after clue #4!
Leave it to a former book publisher to make sense of alphabet soup, thereby deciphering the clues and finding the coveted puck.
“I saw the black and thought there it is,” said Peters, who was by the lighted tunnel shuffling through leaves. “I started screaming, ‘Bekki!’”
Peters was excited to get to the park, because she had seen slightly odd capital letters spelling GAU in clues 1, 2 and 3. If a capital L was in clue #4, she knew her theory had to be correct. That’s exactly what she saw with the 5:01 p.m. clue release.
“We searched the entire outfield and around the fence, but we were not going to give up tonight until we found it,” said Ziemer, in the falling temps of 23 degrees chilled by the stiff north wind. Her furry companion, Duke, could have passed for a Beargrease sled-dog.
The sisters had been knocking at the door the past four years of the medallion hunt. They were just steps away from finders Tom and Montana Weisgerber in Jefferson Park last year, Trae Swehla at Minnesota Square in 2023 and Cole McCarthy and Gavin Grochow in Levee in 2021.
“We’ve been so close, right there,” said Peters, who like her sister sported snow pants and puffy parkas. “We’re just stunned right now.”
Peters works at Saint Peter Eyecare and Ziemer at the Alma property Trellis in Mankato.
They don’t have plans for the loot, but they were hoping to thaw out over dinner somewhere after their big find.
Sponsoring the hunt this year was the David Detlefsen Agency for $250 in Chamber Bucks. The Chamber kicked in $100, an anonymous giver ponied up $100 and several business threw swag and gift certificates into the traditional vat of “stone soup” for the finders.
A few other searchers were in the finders’ midst, meaning, presumably, the clues did their job to put sleuths on the scent.
“There were other cars, and a guy and gal with a poking stick along the fence,” Peters said.
These ladies were not even going to search this year, but on Sunday night as Peters’ literary brain grew restless with its revealing of the capital letters in the clues, their path was defined.
“It was 12:30 a.m.; I couldn’t sleep,” said Peters, a former Capstone wordsmith who didn’t look at the clues the first two nights. She united with Ziemer in Gault Park on Monday after work. Their find tripped the timestamp at 6:42 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., the temperature dipped to 17 degrees.
The medallion, a hockey puck with the Detlefsen logo, was positioned upside-down under weeds and leaves. That’s why only black was showing.
“I saw it and thought it had to be it,” said Peters, who got a new flashlight for this year’s endeavor.
This was the 21st annual hunt and the second time the hiding place was Gault Park, where — get this — Peters’ sister-in-law Lisa Schultz found it the first time.
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February 3, 2025 — This new Rapscallion. What do you think? Today’s clue said the medallion is NOT in Levee Park and NOT in the dog park, if you and I are interpreting the clues the same way. In 20 years, I don’t recall the old Rapscallion saying where the medallion wasn’t. These rapscallions’ maniacal minds work in many and varied ways, it seems. So, the Rapscallion mentioned the names of two parks, basically — Stones and Ramsey. What do you make of that? Both have ballfields to round out the homerun reference. Just to reach a little, “bark” could mean tree bark. Find it tonight; end this madness haha.
February 2, 2025 — These clues still seem pretty vague, but that’s uniform in all medallion hunts. They want the suspense to build. Do you suppose, though, that when the hunt is over, peeps will look back at Clue #3 and scream, “How did I miss that?”
February 1, 2025 — Will the medallion be found quickly this year? I mean, with no snow whatsoever, one would surmise the hiding places are significantly limited. It’s not the first year this has been the case, though. Thanks for coming to this blog, where we’re probably not telling you anything you don’t know. We love love and attention, so we’re glad you are here. To make it worth your time, we will remind that the medallion has been hidden in litter like cookie bags, fast food bags, envelopes and brown cotton gloves, especially in the snow-challenged years. Go fetch it (that DOES NOT mean it’s at the dog park, btw. So be barking up the right tree.)
January 30, 2025 — The medallion has been hidden theses places in past years. Just sayin’: Veteran’s Park, Mill Pond Park (2), Jefferson Park (4), Stones Park (2), Minnesota Square Park (2), Gorman Park, Ramsey Park, Gault Park (2), McGill Park (2), Levee Park and Warren Park (2). Let’s go!
January 29, 2025 — Whee! Here we go, everyone, with the 2025 Winterfest Medallion Hunt. This is the 21st year of the hunt, and the hot news so far has to do with the absence of snow. This would seem to favor the searchers, right? Well, the Medallion Rapscallion, who hides the medallion and writes the clues, is both clever and creative. Who knows what the lack of snows will mean on a scene which in moonlight glows. With any luck, moon beams will dance off the medallion, and the glean will reveal its unmistakable sheen. We’ll see you out there!
November 27, 2024 — We’re looking forward to the 2025 Medallion Hunt starting with the first clue posted at 5:01 p.m. on January 31, 2025! Check back as the event’s launch gets closer.
2025 Winterfest Medallion Hunt Rules. Please call Ed at 507-766-4560 immediately if you find it!
21th Annual Winterfest Medallion Hunt Rules. Thank you to the David Detlefsen Agency – State Farm Insurance for sponsoring this event!
Find the Medallion somewhere in St Peter, and you will win $350 in St. Peter Chamber Bucks plus a big vat of Stone Soup.
There are a few simple rules to remember when searching for the St. Peter Winter Medallion:
The Medallion is located within the St. Peter city limits and on public property.
-Do NOT dig in the soil.
-Please respect other people’s property and DO NOT search for the Medallion on private property (never search Treaty Site History Center, adjacent properties, or cemeteries).
-Please DO NOT climb over any fences when looking for the Medallion. The Medallion is NOT located in a restricted area.
Clues will be posted at 5:01 p.m. each day, until the Medallion is found, on the following websites:
St. Peter Herald
St. Peter Chamber
If you find the Medallion, you can turn it in at the St. Peter Area Chamber of Commerce office located at 101 S. Front Street in St. Peter. If you find the Medallion outside of the normal Chamber of Commerce business hours, please call Ed at 507-766-4560 so, as a courtesy to all Medallion hunters, we can report via the Chamber Facebook Page that it has been found. An e-mail also will go immediately to the St. Peter Herald and Mankato Free Press.