The Abridged version:
- Artists collaborated to sculpt over 500 ceramic “wormies” that will be available for free, if you can find them, during the Sacramento event at 9 a.m. Sunday.
- Participants are invited to search familiar landmarks in search of the art pieces and meet new friends.
- The event is in its second year celebrating “underappreciated” creatures and giving them an adorable spin.
Tucked behind the neat rows of roses and carefully trimmed grasses of the McKinley Rose Garden, a small creature smiles aimlessly into the park.
About 4 inches long and wormlike, a bright strawberry doughnut has been attached to its ceramic head and rainbow sprinkles dot its back.
The worm sits patiently near a metal plaque, waiting for someone to claim it. A handwritten note underneath it says: “Free Pet Wormie.” The creature will be swiped up within an hour.
Just a single worm sculpture was hidden at the rose garden in East Sacramento last Monday as a teaser for what’s to come.
500 worms expected to participate
By this Sunday, more than 500 wormies are expected to pop up their heads across Sacramento in the annual Wormie World scavenger hunt.
Sacramento-area artists have spent months twisting clay into small pieces of worm-inspired art that will be hidden in public parks, scattered across local businesses and tucked into the nooks and crannies of popular landmarks.
The idea is to create a citywide scavenger hunt for free pieces of art that celebrate the humble earthworm.
“It’s just to spread joy to the community,” said Brittany Clark, the creator of Wormie World.
The rules are simple. Short videos showing visual hints to the locations are posted to Instagram (available @wormieworld_official) every hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Decipher the hints and head to the location, where free wormies will be hidden.
If someone finds more than one piece at a spot, they’re encouraged to leave one behind to allow more people to participate. Everything is free; the organizer’s only ask is that if a wormie is found, let her know it’s been claimed so she knows it’s accounted for.
Why worms?
Writhing, scrunching, pink and eyeless, worms are often overlooked, compared to more “celebrated” creatures like ladybugs or butterflies, Clark said. As a kid, she used to rescue stray worms from sidewalks and place them back in the dirt. As an adult, she is looking to give back to the community with free art and an homage to these critters.
“I think they’re underappreciated,” Clark said. “Worms are so important for our world.”
The art pieces feature every shape and size of worm and are all united by the signature smile and small dotted eyes that give the creature a piece of friendliness.
Dinosaurs, bacon-and-egg, rainbows and more. Oh my!
Some have rainbows, some have flowers, some are plain pink with strawberries. There’s a breakfast-themed wormie, with bacon drawings on its back and a sunny-side up egg on its head. There’s a full series of food wormies, with pancake stacks, blocks of cheese and upside-down ice cream cones atop their heads.
There are “baby” wormies, which are short and squat, and extra-long wormies in winding poses that rise to about 6 inches high.
Dinosaur wormie is clad with a spiked spine. Bookworm wormie is carrying a tiny blue novel on its back titled “The Wiggle.”
Karen Chen, who self-describes as “Wormie World’s No. 1 fan,” was fast at work in early September to craft more worms, because she knew she wanted to participate in the hunt herself.
“It’s so creative what you can make, then you can costume them,” Chen said. “Every worm is unique.”
Now that the event is nearly here, Chen has crafted 200 worm pieces, plus a series of collectible stickers that will be available to find as well.
2024 Wormie event drew surprising interest
Clark single-handedly organized the event last year, scattering 190 wormies that she crafted across 90 locations.
“I was convinced no one would come find them,” Clark recalled.
Instead, she was met with a fleet of eager Sacramentans. All of the wormies found homes, and some seekers ended their scavenger hunts empty-handed.
This year Clark is going bigger, aiming for 200 locations. She has selected spots across East Sacramento, Midtown, Downtown, Old Sacramento, Curtis Park, Land Park, Oak Park, Tahoe Park and parts of West Sacramento.
“I hope you get to explore and find places you might not have been before,” Clark said.
To tuck away that many wormies, she is enlisting about a dozen friends and her parents to help deliver the worms.
Clark is an analyst in her day job, and she puts organizational skills to the test when she plans Wormie World.
“I make this crazy spreadsheet and label each of them by neighborhood,” Clark explained.
She then groups about 20 locations and sends out a driver and a person to hide them.
Hiding spots fit strict criteria
Clark has strict criteria for what makes a good hiding spot. No houses, no churches, no graveyards. Businesses that consent are great, and public places that are easy to access on foot are a plus.
This year, Clark is also partnering with the Strapping gift store in Oak Park for an accessibility-friendly event. That event will be held on Saturday and feature 20 to 30 worms hidden throughout the store in a wheelchair-accessible and quiet atmosphere.
“I don’t want anything in return,” Clark said. “I just want people to enjoy themselves.”
The full event begins at 9 a.m. sharp on Sunday, and remember, only early birdies will get the wormies.
Felicia Alvarez is a reporter at Abridged covering accountability. She has called Sacramento home since 2015 and has reported on government, health care and breaking news topics for both local and national news outlets.