The Beaver County Chamber and Underground Beaver will offer families “stay-cation” fun with a countywide scavenger hunt.

Organizers of Beaver County’s inaugural Hometown Scavenger Hunt say it will bring socially distanced fun for all ages.

The July 31 and Aug. 1 event, a collaboration between the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce and Underground Beaver, fits the mode of families seeking “stay-cation” activity.

Participants can sign up at beavercountychamber.com/events with the choice of two routes — Food and Fun North, or Food and Fun South. Both are drive-able within just over an hour and less than a 40-mile round-trip. This isn’t a race, so people can take their time.

Registration is $20 per day — yes, you can do both days — which comes with a course map with six unique stops, a card featuring specials from participating businesses to use that day of or within the month, “staycation swag,” a photo opp and prizes (for best-decorated car or team costume.)

Hometown Scavenger Hunt hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with check-in between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., across the street from the Beaver County Chamber, in Quay Park in downtown Beaver.

Both routes feature nibbles, noshes and a chance to play and explore an eclectic variety of Beaver County small businesses. All stops also will include a question or challenge to keep the surprises coming.

With the COVID-19 pandemic placing an incredible burden on the county’s locally owned small businesses, Helen Kissick, president of the Beaver County Chamber of Commerce, found this idea to be not only fun, but an appropriately responsible way to support the local economy.

“A drive-able scavenger hunt seemed like the perfect combination of continuing our mission: to support local businesses while also providing fun events for our community,” Kissick said in a press release. “While we’ve pivoted the execution from strolling to driving, our participants will still get to experience the uniqueness of what our small businesses have to offer. They need our support now more than ever.

“COVID-19 threw our county an enormous curve ball. We thought hard about how to give our great local retail and service community a boost in its fight to regain footing and build business resilience.”

Cassie Brkich said she and Joline Atkins, the two driving forces behind Underground Beaver, known for its downtown Beaver events, jumped at the chance to collaborate with the chamber on an event that would help support small businesses throughout the county “and get people out of their comfort zone, traveling to places they haven’t been before.

“We have highlighted some new businesses, more than a few best-kept secrets and a couple Beaver County originals,” Brkich said.

While organizers want to keep most of the destinations a secret until hunt day, some participating businesses, according to the chamber, include The Windmill in Hopewell Township, Bowser’s Restaurant in Center Township, Valley Vintage Motorworks in Monaca and Artsy Doodle Craft Studio in Beaver.