La Jolla's Storytime Scavenger Hunt Is Back March 7, 2027 — in the Village Dr. Seuss Called Home

Overview

The La Jolla Storytime Scavenger Hunt returns on Sunday, March 7, 2027, according to the La Jolla Village Merchants Association's 2027 calendar.

That's the date. It's the only detail published so far, and it's worth writing down anyway.

Here's why this one is more charming than a standard family event.

Theodor Geisel — Dr. Seuss — lived in La Jolla for more than fifty years.

He wrote most of the books you can recite from memory while living on a hilltop above this village. And every spring, the shops at the bottom of that hill run a scavenger hunt for children, timed to his birthday.

The association's description of the event in previous years is simply "a family affair" — and the format has been: children hunt for clues hidden in local shops, solve a word game with what they find, and collect prizes and snacks along the way, with storytimes and activities running at the same time.

It's free-spirited, it's walkable, and it gets small children into actual shops talking to actual shopkeepers — which in 2027 is its own kind of novelty.

What We Know About 2027

Confirmed on the association's own 2027 calendar:

• Sunday, March 7, 2027
• In La Jolla Village

Not yet published:

• The start and finish time
• The meeting point or check-in location
• Cost, if any
• The registration link

The association describes its 2027 calendar as "a living document" that will be updated through the year — so these details should fill in as spring approaches.

How It Has Worked Before

Important: the details below are from previous editions, not confirmed for 2027. They're here to tell you what kind of morning to expect, not what to plan around.

The 2025 hunt ran on a Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in La Jolla Village, and in that year:

• Registration was required in advance. Their words: "Please register in advance to secure your family's spot in the hunt" — spaces have been limited in past years
• Children hunted for clues at local shops to solve a word game
• There were prizes, snacks, drinks and "surprises"
• Storytimes and activities ran at Legends Gallery, which showed original Dr. Seuss artwork
• "All ages are welcome"

An earlier autumn edition was run jointly by the Merchants Association, the La Jolla Riford Library and Warwick's — the independent bookshop on Girard Avenue, which is the oldest family-owned bookstore in the United States still run by its founding family. If the library and Warwick's are involved again, that's a good sign for the quality of the storytimes.

How to Plan For It

• Put Sunday, March 7, 2027 in your calendar now
• Watch for registration to open — if past years are a guide, it opens in January and places are limited
• Plan on late morning, based on the 11 a.m.–2 p.m. window used previously
• Park once and walk. The hunt moves between village shops, so you won't need the car again
• Make a morning of it — the Cove is a few minutes' walk from the village

Good to Know

• March 7, 2027 is a Sunday, and it's the only confirmed detail so far.
• Registration has been required in advance in past years, with limited places. Don't assume you can turn up.
• It's built for children but has been billed as all ages.
• The Dr. Seuss connection is real — he lived in La Jolla for over fifty years, and the hunt is timed to his birthday, March 2.
• Check back in the new year for times, the meeting point and registration.
• It's in the village itself, which means shops, lunch and the Cove are all within a few blocks.

Why It's Worth It

A scavenger hunt through a seaside village's shops, on a Sunday morning in March, in the neighborhood where the most-read children's author in the English language spent most of his life.

You could do worse with a Sunday. And the fact that it's run by the merchants themselves — not a promoter — is the reason it's stayed small and good.

Mark March 7 and watch for registration in the new year.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the La Jolla Storytime Scavenger Hunt? Sunday, March 7, 2027, according to the La Jolla Village Merchants Association's 2027 calendar.

What time does it start? Not yet published for 2027. The 2025 edition ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where is it? In La Jolla Village. A specific meeting point hasn't been published for 2027.

How much does it cost? No cost is published for 2027, and none was stated in previous years either.

Do I need to register? Registration has been required in advance in past years, with limited spaces. The 2027 registration link isn't live yet.

What age is it for? Past editions have been billed as all ages welcome, with activities aimed at children.

What's the Dr. Seuss connection? Theodor Geisel lived in La Jolla for more than fifty years, and the hunt is timed to his birthday, March 2.

Who organises it? The La Jolla Village Merchants Association. Earlier editions were run jointly with the La Jolla Riford Library and Warwick's bookshop.