smart social troll hunt
Find the trolls. Outsmart cyberbullying.
October 11–17, 2026 | Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Five trolls are hiding outdoors around Oshkosh. Follow the clues, find their locations and scan the QR code at each troll to enter the prize drawings.
Find one troll or hunt for all five. Every troll you find gives you another chance to win.
How the hunt works
Each troll you find earns:
One entry into that day’s prize drawing.
One entry into the grand-prize drawing.
Find all five trolls for five chances to win.
Solve the clues
All five trolls and their clues will be available beginning October 11.
Find the troll
Every troll is outdoors and visible from a public area. You will never need to enter a building, climb or search through anything.
Scan and enter
Scan the QR code on the troll display and complete the short form.
featured troll
Each day, we will spotlight one troll and the online behavior it represents.
You do not have to follow the daily schedule. All five trolls are available to find throughout the entire hunt.
Sunday, October 11, Blaze
Monday, October 12, Judge
Tuesday, October 13, Echo
Wednesday, October 14, Lurch
Thursday, October 15, Radiant
Friday, October 16, Catch-up day: Find any trolls you missed
Saturday, October 17, Final chance to find all five
Find the featured troll or choose your own route and hunt for several trolls at once.
what is an online troll?
Online trolls post or respond in ways that provoke, embarrass, mislead or upset other people.
Trolling can look like:
Posting while angry
Rushing to judge someone
Sharing rumors without checking the facts
Joining an online pile-on
Not every disagreement is trolling. People can disagree respectfully. Trolling becomes harmful when the goal or result is humiliation, fear or repeated conflict. The five SMART Social trolls represent different behaviors you may see online. Learn to recognize them and discover how to respond.
meet the trolls
BLAZE
The Hothead
Blaze reacts before thinking. One angry comment quickly becomes ten, and stopping to cool down never seems to cross his mind.
Known for: Heated replies, impulsive posts and making conflict spread
Best defense: Pause before posting
Power word: PAUSE
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Find the Oshkosh place where kids practice balance, patience and taking turns.
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Clue 2
Look near the playground beside the lake, not far from the zoo and the little train.
Judge
The Pile-On Starter
Judge reaches a verdict before hearing the whole story. Once Judge decides someone is wrong, everyone else is encouraged to join in.
Known for: Public shaming, assumptions and online pile-ons
Best defense: Look for context and hear the full story
Power word: CONTEXT
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Find the place where Winnebago County expects evidence before decisions.
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Look outside the building on Jackson Street where court is in session.
Echo
The Rumor Repeater
Echo shares first and checks later. The more often a rumor is repeated, the more Echo assumes it must be true.
Known for: Rumors, misinformation and unverified posts
Best defense: Check the source before sharing
Power word: VERIFY
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Find the public servants who use trusted information to protect community health.
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Look outside the county health office on a street named for a playful river animal.
Lurch
The Boundary Crosser
Lurch mistakes constant attention for connection. Watching, messaging and following someone online can cross a line when their boundaries are ignored.
Known for: Unwanted attention, repeated messages and online monitoring
Best defense: Respect boundaries and ask for help
Power word: BOUNDARIES
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Find the riverfront place built for a crowd to watch together.
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The stage is outdoors, the seats are grass and the Fox River is close by.
Radiant
The Reformed Troll
Radiant learned that being noticed is not as powerful as helping someone else feel seen. Now Radiant uses attention to encourage others instead of tearing them down.
Known for: Interrupting negativity and helping kindness spread
Best defense: Encourage, include and support others
Power word: ENCOURAGE
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Find where Oshkosh neighbors gather face to face on Saturday mornings.
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In warmer months, tents and tables fill several blocks of North Main Street.
enter to win
Every troll has a unique QR code.
When you find a troll:
Scan its QR code.
Learn more about its online behavior.
Complete the short entry form.
Receive one daily and one grand-prize entry.
daily drawings
Every valid troll submission is entered into the drawing for the day it was submitted.
Find more than one troll in a day and receive an entry for each one.
Daily prizes may include local gift cards, family activities and other Oshkosh treats.
grand-prize drawing
Every troll you find also earns one grand-prize entry.
Find 1 troll: 1 grand-prize entry
Find 3 trolls: 3 grand-prize entries
Find all 5 trolls: 5 grand-prize entries
The grand prize is a $500 Oshkosh family experience package.
Limit one entry per household for each troll. A household may earn a maximum of five grand-prize entries.
hunt safely
Please follow these rules:
Hunt during daylight hours.
Children should participate with an adult.
Stay on sidewalks, paths and publicly accessible areas.
Do not enter buildings.
Do not climb on playground equipment, structures, signs or landscaping to reach a troll.
Do not move, disturb or search through anything.
Follow posted parking, traffic and property rules.
Be respectful of other visitors and participants.
Do not share exact troll locations publicly while the hunt is underway.
If a troll or QR code appears damaged, missing or inaccessible, please let SMART Social know.
join the hunt
All five trolls are waiting.
Find one, find today’s featured troll or challenge your household to collect all five.
October 11–17, 2026
No purchase necessary. Entries must be submitted by an adult. See the official rules for eligibility, deadlines and prize details.
This is our moment, Oshkosh.
Let’s not scroll past it.
