‘MEGA Geocaching Event’ expected to bring 1000 people to Lennox & Addington

This weekend, geocachers from across North America and around the world are expected to descend upon Lennox and Addington (L&A) County. The Discover L&A MEGA Geocaching Event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, with pre-event activities beginning on Thursday, Aug. 18.

After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, this year’s event is once again classified as MEGA geocaching, meaning that it is expected to draw more than 500 participants, according to a press release from Lennox and Addington County. MEGA events typically garner the attention of geocachers from further distances that wish to take part in the festivities. The County said that many geocachers visiting the area stay for multiple days, searching for caches and taking in local attractions. This is Lennox and Addington’s eighth consecutive MEGA Event and is Canada’s only MEGA event held in the same location each year.

Not sure what geocaching is?

“It is a high-tech treasure hunting game played by adventure seekers using GPS devices or smartphones. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, and share the experience online,” L&A County explained.

“Geocaches can be found anywhere. They can be as small as your fingernail or as big as a toolbox. It’s an amazing way to discover places you’ve never been before.”

According to the release, to date, geocachers have logged their ‘will-attends’ on the L&A County event website from locations across Canada, as well as from several U.S. states and Europe. In addition to hundreds of local and regional participants, large groups of cachers from Ottawa, Brockville, Toronto, Barrie, and Windsor are also expected to attend, the County stated. This year’s attendance is expected to be about 1,000 participants.

The Lennox and Addington County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) released a statement, advising the public that they can expect to see an influx of people in the area as the event takes place.

“The L&A County OPP want to make the public aware that they can expect to see people out and about participating in the event, and that all geocaching sites are located on public property and have been verified by the County of Lennox & Addington,” OPP said.

Events begin on Thursday with the main event taking place on Saturday and concluding on Sunday. According to the release, a number of pre-event activities are available that appeal to both geocachers and the general public. A full listing of events is available on the Lennox and Addington County website.

The official kick-off party for the MEGA event is at the Museum of Lennox & Addington, located at 97 Thomas Street East in Napanee, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 19, 2022. According to the release, visitors will enjoy live music, free admission to the museum, geocaching vendors, and more. The community is invited (geocacher or not) to bring along their lawn chairs and enjoy the show.

According to the County, one of the main goals of the “Discover L&A County MEGA Geocaching Event” is to take both residents and visitors on a tour of Lennox and Addington County using geocaches as reference points.

“Since teaming up in 2011, the Lennox and Addington County Economic Development Department and the L&A Geocachers have hosted seven successful events and continue to make L&A County a year-round destination for geocaching enthusiasts,” the County said in the release. “In total, there are more than 1,500 geocaches found within the borders of Lennox & Addington, making the county one of the premiere locations for geocaching in Canada.”

Find out more on the Discover L&A MEGA Geocaching event page.