Guest column: The Fort’s Quest-a-Thon an epic adventure

In August, my friends and I competed in The Fort Game Café's 24-hour “Quest-a-thon.” The series of quests we undertook challenged us to explore, create, compete, collaborate, and engage with the community. Looking back at this wild adventure, I could never have expected the delightful surprises we experienced along the way… 
 
The Fort Game Café (known as The Fort) is a communal space for playing board games, enjoying drinks and snacks, and spending time together. The Fort's annual Quest-a-thon event is a 24-hour team challenge full of miscellaneous tasks to complete. The comprehensive quest list includes more than 150 tasks, divided into categories such as "Adventure & Fitness," "Community & Culture," "Puzzles & Competition," "For the Fun of It," and more. Quests are worth different point values, and teams are free to complete (or skip) whichever ones they choose. In the end, the team with the most points claims the top prize. 
 
Our journey began at 9 a.m. on Saturday and led us to the Duncan Farmer’s Market. At the Market, we earned points by purchasing baked goods and iced cream, petting dogs (with consent, of course), and eating a hot dog from both ends à la Lady and the Tramp. My favourite Market moment was Quest #31: "Partner dance with a stranger in public for at least 1 minute." As luck would have it,  the wonderful Beverley McKeen and her band were performing in City Square. So, with the sun as our spotlight and the square as our dance floor, I danced with a stranger. As we laughed and twirled, I was reminded of the simple joys in life that can flow from such wholesome experiences. 
 
Next, because my teammates share a love for the water, around midday we took a trip to Skutz Falls to tackle some high-point quests. Skutz Falls is an enchanting tree-lined river featuring opportunities to take a refreshing dip along the way. Here, we earned some major points by swimming to an island and posing as seals, recreating our best impression of an Olympic dive, and showering under a (miniature) waterfall.

My highlight here was Quest #12: "Demonstrate your best synchronized swimming routine — bonus point for coordinated swimwear." Donning our matching shiny shower caps and pink goggles, we performed our original choreography to 'Pink Pony Club' (by summer standout Chappell Roan) and it was peak silliness and frivolity. 

Nightfall brought on two delightful events, each worth highlighting. First, all the teams were invited to gather for a special quest: locating one of the Quest-a-thon Organizers and the hidden "Quest Chest" in a park (think hide and seek in the dark). This activity was amusing because it united the teams in a common quest — while also fuelling our competitive spirits. Moreover, the organizer and the treasure were hidden so thoroughly that each team was determined to be the one to finally discover them and claim their bonus points. The difficulty level, the amusing banter, and the entertaining rivalries in this multi-team task made this quest a standout. 
 
Finally, nothing could have prepared us for the thrill of the evening's final chance encounter. Now, there are a few quests that require you to recruit non-quest-a-thon participants to complete a combined task. At this point, we had numerous such quests to complete. But then we hit the jackpot: we encountered a bachelor party, keen to participate in any quest where help was needed. And so, towards the final hours of the night, we completed jump rope duals, sidewalk chalk battles, metal musical challenges, and more, with our enthusiastic collaborators. Our new friends even spelled out "The Fort" with their bodies (one person per letter) and I wrote one of them an original 10-line love poem (quest #66). The randomness of this chance encounter, combined with the participants’ enthusiasm, made this phase of the challenge unforgettable.  
 
And I think that's my main takeaway from The Fort's Quest-a-thon: it brought people together. We went to the market, we bonded with our fellow questers, and we engaged with the community. We danced with strangers, we visited beautiful parks, and we befriended a bachelor party. At the event’s conclusion, we all went for Sunday brunch together at the York Street Diner and shared tales from our quests. Looking back at the weekend makes me smile because of all the fun, silly, and random interactions that you can't plan — but you can certainly enjoy. It was a thrilling day unlike any other…and I can't wait to play again next year.