“Do the Gumshoe” is a popular refrain in Phinney Ridge and Greenwood every August, as hundreds of gumshoers take to the streets to follow a list of clues and a chance to win prizes from neighborhood businesses during the annual Gumshoe 5K Walk.

Mike Veitenhans, otherwise known as “The Gumshoe Guy,” created the Gumshoe six years ago as a fundraiser for neighborhood nonprofits. The 2011 Gumshoe raised $4,800 for the Greenwood Senior Center, Greenwood Food Bank and Greenwood Elementary School PTA.

Now, Veitenhans would like to partner with a few nonprofits for a Ballard Gumshoe.

“I’m giving it away!” Veitenhans said of the Gumshoe name and know-how.

But, he’d like the Ballard Gumshoe to happen at a different time of year from the Phinney-Greenwood event, and he encourages people to do both Gumshoes.

Here’s how it works: People buy a Gumshoe entry form for $20. Then they follow the list of 30 clues throughout the neighborhood, finding interesting artwork in people’s yards, identifying neighborhood landmarks, and making new friends as they try to help people who are stumped. Then turn in the completed entry form and be entered to win prizes from local merchants.

Gumshoers hit the streets of Greenwood-Phinney last year.

Ideally, Veitenhans would like to work with three Ballard non-profits. If interested, email him at mike.v@comcast.net.

The Sixth Annual Gumshoe 5K Walk raised a record $4,800 for three local nonprofits.

The neighborhood scavenger hunt sold 265 entry forms, and organizer Mike Veitenhans estimated that more than 500 people participated. The nearly $4,800 proceeds will be divided equally among the Greenwood Senior Center, Greenwood Food Bank and Greenwood Elementary School PTA.

A group of Gumshoers.

Prize winners were drawn from all completed ballots:

• Michaela Hutfles — $250 Fred Meyer gift card
• Doug Collins — $150 Fred Meyer gift card
• Bart Carroll — $100 Fred Meyer gift card
• Lee Harper — Breakfast at Mae’s Cafe and a Day at the Woodland Park Zoo for Four
• Elizabeth Farr — $25 gift certificates to nine local restaurants (Eatsy Street Game)
• Stephanie Magill — Two tickets to Taproot Theatre (the MiniGumshoe Contest built into this year’s Gumshoe)

Though the main event is over for this year, 23 MiniGumshoe Contests (other than Taproot’s) run through Wednesday, Aug. 17, at local businesses, so there’s still time to play and win prizes. Details at DoTheGumshoe.org.

Dates for the Seventh Annual Gumshoe 5K Walk are Aug. 3-12, 2012.

The sixth annual Gumshoe 5K Walk scavenger hunt around Phinney Ridge and Greenwood started last weekend, and we’ve seen several groups of people walking around the neighborhood, with their bright pink forms in hand.

In this photo by Gumshoe organizer (a.k.a. “The Gumshoe Guy”) Mike Veitenhans, a group of Gumshoes discovered the small rock “cairn” that guides them to the “squirrel-proof tree” in Clue #26 in this year’s event.

Purchase your $20 entry form (or $15 each for two) at Ken’s Market, the Phinney Neighborhood Association, the Phinney Ridge Starbucks, or Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe. Proceeds go to the Greenwood Senior Center, Greenwood Food Bank and Greenwood Elementary School PTA. Last year’s event raised $3,700 for the Greenwood Senior Center.

Return your completed entry form to Ken’s Market, Starbucks or Couth Buzzard by 6 p.m. Sunday, and be entered for a chance to win a $250, $150 or $100 Fred Meyer gift card, breakfast at Mae’s Cafe, or a day at the Woodland Park Zoo.

Each entry form also includes the Eatsy Street Game, where Gumshoes try to identify 10 restaurants from photos taken of just a tiny portion of their business sign (winner receives $225 in neighborhood dining certificates). And dozens of businesses have MiniGumshoes inside their stores, with the chance to win discounts and goods and services.

(Disclosure: The Gumshoe is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

Hundreds of people are getting ready to do the sixth annual Gumshoe scavenger hunt, looking for clues along a 5 kilometer walk throughout the neighborhood.

Purchase an entry form for $20 at the Phinney Ridge Starbucks, Ken’s Market, Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café, or Phinney Neighborhood Association. Then follow the clues to see interesting sights, yards and buildings. Turn in your entry form by 6 p.m. Aug. 14 for a chance to win a $250, $150 or $100 Fred Meyer gift card, breakfast at Mae’s Cafe or a day at Woodland Park Zoo.

Volunteers Kelly Walker and Judy Mirante assign GPS coordinates to one of the clues.

Many local stores are also participating in “MiniGumshoes” — find three special stickers inside those businesses, write down the words associated with each sticker on your entry form, and be entered to win other prizes.

The popular Eatsy Street game, also on the entry form, provides nine photographic clues of local restaurants. Correctly identify all nine and be entered to win $225 in gift certificates to neighborhood restaurants.

Entry forms go on sale Friday, Aug. 5. Proceeds go to the Greenwood Senior Center, Greenwood Food Bank and Greenwood Elementary School PTA. Last year’s Gumshoe raised almost $4,000 for the Greenwood Senior Center.

(Disclosure: The Gumshoe is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

The Sixth Annual Gumshoe 5K Walk, a fundraiser for Phinney-Greenwood nonprofits, will be Aug. 5-14. Buy a $20 entry form and follow the clues to interesting sights around the neighborhood. Turn in your completed form and be entered to win a Fred Meyer gift card.

One of the many quirky yards featured in past Gumshoes.

Proceeds will be divided equally among the Greenwood Senior Center, Greenwood Elementary School PTA and Volunteers of America Food Bank in Greenwood. (Last year’s Gumshoe raised $3,700 for the senior center.)

Entry forms will be available at Starbucks, Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café, and Ken’s Market. Ken’s Market is even designating a key on its cash registers so gumshoers can purchase entry forms with debit or credit cards instead of cash.

The Gumshoe also includes about 30 “MiniGumshoes.” Neighborhood stores will have micro scavenger hunts inside their businesses. Gumshoe organizer Mike Veitenhans says the MiniGumshoe map inside entry forms will double as discount coupons good for 10-20 percent at participating stores. The MiniGumshoes will run a little longer than the main Gumshoe event, from Aug. 3-17.

Veitenhans tells us that students from Greenwood Elementary will march in the Greenwood Seafair Parade on July 27 and pass out colorful Gumshoe bookmarks.

(Note: The Gumshoe website still has last year’s data; it will be updated in June.)

On Sunday, the Gumshoe 5K Walk wrapped up its 10-day run of amateur sleuths following clues around the neighborhood. The 5th annual Gumshoe raised more than $3,700 for the Greenwood Senior Center.

Participants who turned in their entry forms with correct answers to the clues were entered into a random drawing for three gift cards to Fred Meyer, in the amounts of $250, $150 and $100. One lucky winner received $25 gift certificates to each of nine neighborhood restaurants, by correctly identifying each restaurant from a photo of a tiny portion of their signs, for the Gumshoe’s Eatsy Street Game. And another 30 people won various prizes for playing the Mini Gumshoe Contest inside local businesses. (See the website for winners.)

Gumshoe coordinator Mike Veitenhans says he will ask participating Gumshoe business owners to help determine next year’s non-profit beneficiary.

The annual Gumshoe 5K Walk got underway last Friday, leading neighbors to follow a series of clues around the quirkier sites of the neighborhood for a chance to win restaurant and Fred Meyer gift certificates, while raising money for the Greenwood Senior Center.

This family appears to have wandered into a garden in search of a clue.

Hmmm. Where does this dragon reside?

Gumshoe entry forms are $20 at the Phinney Market (5918 Phinney Ave. N.), Phinney Neighborhood Center (6532 Phinney Ave. N.) and Ken’s Market, (7231 Greenwood Ave. N.) The Gumshoe runs through Sunday, Aug. 22.

(The Gumshoe is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

Friday is the kickoff for the fifth annual Gumshoe 5K Walk, a fundraiser for the Greenwood Senior Center that runs Aug. 13-22. Follow a series of clues that takes you on a three-mile walk around the neighborhood, getting you up close and personal with some of the quirky sights in Phinney and Greenwood.

Entry forms are $20 at the Phinney Market (5918 Phinney Ave. N.), Phinney Neighborhood Center (6532 Phinney Ave. N.) and Ken’s Market, (7231 Greenwood Ave. N.) You can purchase your entry form at any time during the 10-day event, and do the Gumshoe whenever you want to (although daylight hours are recommended).

After you turn in your completed entry form, contest organizers will randomly select a few questions for fact-checking. Then, forms with all those random questions answered correctly will be entered into a drawing for three Fred Meyer gift cards: $100, $150 and $250.

This year, organizers have added GPS coordinates to the clues (that’s Gumshoe volunteer Kelly Walker in the photo taking measurements of longitude and latitude), hidden a geocache along the route (more of Kelly’s handiwork) and started a Facebook group.

Last year 400 people participated, raising $4,000 for the senior center.

Besides the main Gumshoe, you have another chance to win with the Eatsy Street Game. Correctly identify the nine neighborhood restaurant signs from the small snippets shown on the Gumshoe entry form, and be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to each of those restaurants.

Also 31 businesses are holding MiniGumshoe Contests inside their stores.

To do a MiniGumshoe, stop by a participating business and ask for a MiniGumshoe Contest entry form. Find the three special Gumshoe stickers placed around the store, write the word associated with each sticker and the SPECIAL CONTEST WORD on your entry form, drop it into the MiniGumshoe Contest box and you’re entered for the store’s prize drawing.

What’s the SPECIAL CONTEST WORD? Here’s a not-so-subtle-hint: it’s MONK.

It costs nothing to enter a MiniGumshoe, but you can enter only once at each store. Sure, that limits your chances of winning at a particular store, but there are 31 stores for heaven’s sake! Do each store’s MiniGumshoe and, trust us, your odds of taking home a prize are significantly greater than winning the state’s Mega Millions jackpot!

Prize drawings will be held Tuesday, August 24. If your entry form is drawn and you’ve filled it out correctly, someone from the store will notify you of your good luck by close of business the following day.

For the list of participating stores, prizes and all the info you need, click here.

(Disclosure: the Gumshoe 5K Walk is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

This month’s Art Up Artwalk features a record 38 participating businesses, in conjunction with the annual Seattle Summer Streets program. Greenwood Avenue will be closed to vehicles from North 65th Street to North 87th Street from 6-9 p.m. Friday (65th, 80th and 85th streets will remain open to traffic).

Businesses are sponsoring a variety of fun things for everyone of all ages to do, from the always popular Bubbleman to dancing in the streets.

(Photo of last year’s Summer Streets by Brian Hart.)

The idea behind Summer Streets is for pedestrians and cyclists to better connect with one another and shop at their neighborhood businesses. Last year’s inaugural Summer Streets in Greenwood-Phinney drew plenty of people who drew with chalk in the middle of the street, held a guerrilla knitting party, played a wiffleball game and browsed neighborhood shops. Summer Streets is sponsored by the City of Seattle’s Department of Transportation and the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce.

(Novice and experienced knitters created a “river of yarn” at last year’s Summer Streets.)

Here’s a selection of fun happenings scheduled:

Metropolis & Rising Stars at 7321 Greenwood Ave. N. are hosting the Bubbleman from 6-7 p.m. and again from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Kids can get their face painted inside of Rising Stars from 6-8 p.m. And Greenwood resident Mayor Mike McGinn will be in front of the building at 7 p.m. to hand out prizes to those who participated in July’s Walk Bike Ride Challenge.

(The Bubbleman draws a crowd at last year’s event.)

The American Dance Institute at 8001 Greenwood Ave. N. is hosting Ballroom, Flamenco and Hip Hop Dance Classes in the street.

Tasty art gallery at 7513 Greenwood Ave. N. is hosting an outdoor tea party and live art.

The Defenders of Greenwood will let children (and excited parents) sit in their fire engine and learn more about fire safety at the temporary Fire Station 21 at 6801 Greenwood Ave. N.

There’ll be live music by The Shed Boys in front of the Phinney Neighborhood Center at 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

A group of folks are putting together a wiffle ball game at North 73rd Street and Greenwood Avenue North.

Sustainable Greenwood Phinney is hosting a ‘60s “Dancing in the Streets” party in front of Santoro’s Books at 7405 Greenwood Ave. N.

Naked City Brewery & Taphouse at 8564 Greenwood Ave. N. and Bleacher’s Pub at 8118 Greenwood Ave. N. are sponsoring a pub crawl.

Also, Maryhill Rats is sponsoring a skateboard slalom, and Seattle Children’s Hospital will have a kids’ obstacle course.

Friday is also the kick-off for the 5th annual Gumshoe 5K Walk, a fundraiser for the Greenwood Senior Center. Purchase an entry form for $20, then follow the clues on a three-mile walk around the neighborhood, discovering quirky garden art and interesting houses and businesses. Turn in your completed entry form and be eligible for a drawing for gift cards from Fred Meyer. (Stay tuned for a more detailed Gumshoe post in the next day or two.)

And stay tuned for a separate post on the Artwalk, with a list of participating businesses, artists, etc.

Every August is the Gumshoe 5K Walk, a fun scavenger hunt that leads you to discover quirky things around our neighborhood. A fundraiser for the Greenwood Senior Center and organized by Mike Veitenhans, it’s a great way to spend a few hours prowling around the ‘hood.

Veitenhans is currently putting together this year’s walk and he’s looking for interesting neighborhood spots to use as clues, such as last year’s house with bowling ball yard art…

Or this sidewalk strip full of words and art tiles.

Gumshoe Advance Scouts can send descriptions or photos, along with location information, to the AnswerMan@DoTheGumshoe.org.

Update: Mike tells us that he’s hoping to add a geocaching element to the Gumshoe this year. If you’ve got experience in geocaching and would like to help out, please email him.