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Library hosts first-ever puzzle competition

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Tuesday, November 4th 2025 at 19:35 GMT by Southern Minn

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Faribault Library Launches Community‑Building Puzzle Competition

The Faribault Public Library kicked off its very first puzzle competition on Thursday, March 15, drawing more than 120 participants from across the city and surrounding suburbs. Held in the library’s new “Puzzle Hall,” a bright, open space dedicated to games and brain teasers, the event was designed to spark friendly rivalry while promoting literacy, critical thinking, and community cohesion.

The competition featured six distinct categories that catered to a wide age range. Children aged 8 to 12 tackled age‑appropriate crossword puzzles and word‑search challenges. Teenagers between 13 and 18 faced a combination of Sudoku and logic puzzles, while adults and seniors competed in more complex crosswords, cryptic riddles, and “Jigsaw Word” puzzles. Each round lasted 45 minutes, with judges scoring accuracy and completion time. The event was divided into two halves, allowing participants to rest and mingle with their peers during the intermission.

“Our goal was to create a fun, low‑pressure environment where people of all ages could engage in activities that sharpen the mind,” said Library Director Linda McKenna during the opening ceremony. “Puzzles are a universal language, and we hoped to use them to bring the community together.”

The library’s event committee, headed by reference librarian Karen Lopez, spent months scouting out suitable puzzles, testing difficulty levels, and arranging prizes. Volunteers from local high schools and community groups assisted with scoring and logistics. The final night of the competition featured a “Grand Finale” round where the top performer from each category faced off in a rapid‑fire puzzle sprint for the coveted “Puzzle Champion” trophy—a bronze plaque engraved with the library’s seal.

Prizes were generous and community‑focused. The first‑place winner in each category received a $100 gift card to the Faribault Farmers Market, while runners‑up earned $50 vouchers to the local bookstore, The Book Nook. All participants were given a commemorative puzzle bookmark, and the top performer received a library card valued at $30, usable for books, movies, and other library resources.

The competition’s success is partly attributed to the library’s proactive outreach. The library’s website posted a “Puzzle Competition” page (https://faribaultlibrary.org/puzzles) detailing the rules, scoring guidelines, and registration instructions. The page also included a downloadable PDF of the puzzle bank used for the competition, allowing participants to practice ahead of time. According to the page, the library plans to make the puzzle bank available to the public in the coming months, encouraging residents to explore puzzles at home.

Community members echoed the library’s sentiment. “I love doing puzzles, and it was great to meet people who share that interest,” said 32‑year‑old teacher Maya Patel. “It’s not just about winning; it’s about learning new ways to think and meeting neighbors.” Meanwhile, 68‑year‑old retiree John Carlson praised the library’s efforts: “They’ve turned the library into a hub for the whole town. I’m proud to see this initiative.”

The event also showcased the library’s broader “Community Engagement” initiatives. In addition to the puzzle competition, the library hosts monthly “Brain‑Boost” workshops that cover topics from coding to creative writing. The puzzle competition will become an annual event, with the library planning to introduce a “Puzzle Relay” where teams solve puzzles in a relay format, adding an element of teamwork and strategy.

In a heartfelt closing statement, Director McKenna noted that the library’s new puzzle competition was “more than a game; it’s a celebration of the intellectual curiosity that defines our community.” She added that the library is grateful for the support of local businesses, schools, and volunteers, whose contributions were instrumental in making the event a reality.

As the final puzzle was solved and the trophy handed over, the library’s Puzzle Hall buzzed with laughter and congratulatory applause. The Faribault Public Library’s inaugural puzzle competition not only added a new tradition to the city’s cultural calendar but also reinforced the library’s mission as a center for learning, fellowship, and lifelong curiosity.