Nearly 700 handmade ceramic worms will be hidden in Sacramento neighborhoods on Saturday, October 17, for the free third annual Wormie World scavenger hunt. The search starts at 8 a.m. and continues through the day. The hand-painted pieces include designs shaped like pickles, crayons and rainbow dinosaurs; finders can keep them.
The hunt has grown fast. According to The Sacramento Bee, ceramicist Brittany Clark Espitia launched the project in 2024 with just 150 custom earthworms, advertising the first hunt entirely on social media. By 2025 the count had climbed past 500 pieces, and for 2026 organizers produced roughly 700 ceramic worms, according to CapRadio.
From a Solo Project to a Two-Person Studio
Clark Espitia and Sacramento muralist Karen Chen are now the event's co-hosts. The Bee reports that Chen joined the project after its 2024 debut and became its second host in 2025. The two artists make and finish the ceramic pieces by hand.
Chen told the Bee that making each worm takes at least an hour. Clark Espitia has described the project as reflecting shared priorities that include art, accessibility, community groups and small businesses.
A Global Art-and-Seek Movement Comes to Sacramento
Wormie World traces its roots to Game of Shrooms, the international art-and-seek event created in 2019 by Richmond, California artist Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert as a way to cope with depression by hiding mushroom-themed art in public spaces, according to Richmondside. That event now draws thousands of global artists hiding free handmade artwork every June, and its ethos of accessible, no-strings public art clearly carried over into Sacramento's worm hunt.
Local businesses and institutions also take part in Wormie World. The Bee reported support from more than a dozen area businesses, while Wormie World's Instagram lists 20 official passport-stamp locations, including the Sacramento Zoo, Front Street Animal Shelter, Sacramento History Museum and Wild Sisters Book Co. Participants collect stamps at participating small businesses and redeem their passport prize at Strapping's Oak Park shop. Strapping consolidated its operations there in September 2025 after closing its Midtown storefront, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. The shop first opened in Oak Park in 2017.
Other neighborhood arts programs
A separate example of recurring neighborhood arts programming is Midtown Second Saturday. The Midtown Association describes it as a May-through-October program featuring art markets, art walks, live music and gallery exhibitions, and lists October 10, 2026, as a program date. The listing documents the format, but does not establish the event's origins or measure its effect on local businesses. In Oak Park, a separate public-art project addressed access and community features. Alchemist Community Development Corporation said in a December 2021 announcement that a state grant would support improvements to the Oak Park Art Garden, including ADA-compliant pathways and an artistic gateway.
Museum Presses and Zoo Goodies Join the Fun
The Sacramento Zoo and Sacramento History Museum are among this year's institutional partners. The Bee reports that both will offer special items to participants, including a free worm-themed print from the museum's historic 19th-century printmaking press. Some participating coffee shops and restaurants may offer a worm with a purchase, while other businesses are selling custom worms or worm-themed merchandise.
Yelp Sacramento is preparing a map of worm locations. The search area includes Arden Arcade, downtown and Midtown Sacramento, as well as adjoining neighborhoods. Organizers plan to post hints on Wormie World's Instagram after placing the pieces.
How to Actually Find One
For real-time clues, Wormie World's social accounts say short hint videos will appear on Instagram and TikTok about once an hour, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The week's festivities began last Saturday with a launch party at Flower Fist Art Market, a community gallery and makers' space on E Street that opened in June 2024. Guests saw an early preview of worms planned for the hunt. On Saturday, participants can use the posted clues and passport stops to explore the search area and look for a ceramic keepsake.
