3-D pickle ornaments created by WIU-QC

The annual holiday pickle hunt in downtown Davenport is creating memories for a family who moved here from Los Angeles in 2021. Kelly Valentine and Michael Wiebler have taken their daughter Celeste Wiebler, now 5, to find the ornament since the promotion’s first year. 

“It’s been a really great experience,” said Valentine. “It’s made memories for our daughter. She’ll see the holiday hunt signs and knows that’s a business she can find a pickle in.” In the process, the family has patronized the businesses, with purchases ranging from Taylor Swift wrapping paper at Raygun to desserts at Tiphanie’s, among several other buys. Valentine estimated the family made $225 to $250 in purchases in their quest to get their card filled. They redeemed it for an ornament at the Davenport Public Library. “It’s a fun way to be out and about downtown,” Valentine said. “And it’s a fun way to get in the Christmas spirit and get photos you can use for your holiday cards.” 

Michael Wiebler was raised in Davenport, and the couple decided to relocate from Los Angeles, feeling it would be a great place to raise their daughter. “We used the pickle hunt as a way to get to know the city and places we had never heard of,” Valentine said.  

The Davenport ornament promotion, sponsored by the Downtown Davenport Partnership and TBK Bank, represents a community effort with the goals of drawing people into downtown businesses, keeping dollars local, and having some fun in the process. The object of the ornament hunt is to visit participating businesses to spot the pickle hidden somewhere in the establishment. A filled card of 10 visits earns those in the hunt one of the ornaments when the cards are turned in at the German American Heritage Center or downtown Davenport Public Library. Participants will be put into a drawing for downtown gift cards and a grand prize basket. 

This is the third year for the pickle ornament hunt, reflecting a longstanding German tradition. But this year, the pickle ornaments have been crafted in a very modern way – on 3-D printers on the Western Illinois University - Quad Cities campus. 

“I really wanted to find a local supplier for these pickles,” said Alisha Espey, Director, Programs – Downtown Davenport Partnership. A connection with Ann Friederichs, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center WIU, led to a solution – 3-D pickles! 

“They brought us some of the pickles they had that were made previously; they were basically ordered from China,” said Justin Scott, laboratory supervisor for the School of Engineering and Technology at WIU Quad Cities. Within 30 minutes, the WIU students had a pickle design ready to go. 

“The pickles are made from the same type of plastic used in the production of milk jugs. The biggest discussion revolved around just the right color of green,” Scott said. “We used this as a hands-on part of the curriculum.” Four printers turned out 300-plus ornaments in 30 hours. 

Olivia Warren, Business Engagement Manager for the Downtown Davenport Partnership, judged the prototypes for the right color as they came out of the printers. “I probably have about 30 prototypes,” she laughed. “I’ll have a tree of just different color pickles.” 

Espey said the number of participating businesses in the holiday promotion has consistently grown, from 20 in the first year to almost 50 this year. 

Nicole Perez, one of the owners of Abernathy’s said she and co-owner Rebecca Nicke always enjoy being a part of the pickle hunt. “It gets new people in the door,” she said. Store traffic is up during the weekends, and the promotion attracts families. 

The Rock Island Downtown Alliance is sponsoring an ornament hunt as well – for a shiny green train ornament. The ornament hunts are the second major promotion under the Deck the Downtowns promotions going through Jan. 1. Now running in Davenport, Rock Island and Bettendorf is the Holiday Display Challenge, featuring window displays throughout the downtowns painted by local artists. People can vote online for their favorite displays and earn a chance to win prizes. 

Espey said running the two promotions at the same time gives families more opportunities to come downtown. “We've seen all ages participate in the hunts, and some people turn it into a food or bar crawl with friends. It's rewarding to see children, young adults and even grandparents enjoy this event. It's a great way to interact with downtown spaces in a away that's appealing to everyone," she said.