A fun way to explore Fair Lawn's small business community is back for another year.

The 5th annual Small Business Scavenger Hunt, created by Fair Lawn Main Street Inc., brings together more than 50 local businesses and gives residents and visitors a chance to discover new shops, restaurants and services while supporting the local economy and winning prizes.

Fair Lawn Mayor Cristina Cutrone says the event is about more than the chance to win.

"This scavenger hunt is really great because supporting our local businesses, shopping here, dining here, doing your business here not only helps us grow our local economy," she said. "It helps us to create a vibrant downtown, but something that makes Fairlawn really special is a lot of our businesses here are owned by residents."

Here’s how it works: Participants can visit any of the participating businesses and take a selfie at the location. If they make a purchase, they can also show a receipt as proof of their visit.

For every five destinations visited, participants are entered into a raffle to win one of 10 gift cards to local businesses.

Those who visit 10 destinations are also entered into the grand prize drawing for a 55-inch flat-screen TV.

For new businesses, the scavenger hunt can also provide valuable exposure.

Melinda Cheng, owner of Studio G Collective, says her business is only about a month old and is still in its pre-opening phase. The community space is designed to offer classes and activities focused on physical, mental, emotional and social wellness.

Cheng says participating in the scavenger hunt gives people a reason to walk around town and discover something new.

“As a new business, no one knows us yet,” Cheng said. “The scavenger hunt is a perfect opportunity to get people to wander around town and discover new things.”

Other businesses say the event has become an annual opportunity to introduce Fair Lawn to people who may not otherwise stop there.

Cameo Renee, owner of The Beauty Loft, Cozy Cafe and Better Days Cafe, says the scavenger hunt has helped people from outside Fair Lawn discover local businesses.

She says participants do not have to make a purchase at every stop, allowing them to explore without spending money at every destination.

“You don’t have to spend all of your money doing this, but at least you know where you can come back to,” she said.

For Cameo, the event also reflects what she loves about Fair Lawn — its welcoming atmosphere, diversity and strong sense of community.

“I feel like Fair Lawn is not like any other town that I know because we are so welcoming to all communities,” she said.

The scavenger hunt runs through August 21. The participating businesses are: