DeLand Rocks! We mean that figuratively and literally. If you haven’t heard about #DeLandrocks or have been living under a proverbial rock somewhere, this is the latest craze that has taken over the city.
DeLand Rocks is a Facebook page started by a local artist named Cassie Thomas. The page features pictures of small hidden rocks throughout the city with one side painted with a picture and the other side bearing the hashtag #Delandrocks.
The rules of the game are simple and flexible for anyone to take part. Anyone can be a rock painter and anyone can be a rock hunter. Some people hunt for rocks and place them in a new location. Many people will take a rock and replace wit with one that they have painted. Either way, hunters are encouraged to take a picture of their find and post on the #DeLandRocks Facebook group with a brief comment.
The craze has caught on, and the Facebook group has well over 2,000 members. Businesses love it also! It not only encourages families to get outside, but it also provides foot traffic in the Downtown DeLand area. The businesses that may have seen the most direct impact from the craze are local companies such as West Volusia Shed that sell rocks for landscaping purposes.
DeLand is not the first city to have a rocks program. Other cities in Florida such as Lakeland and St. Augustine have seen similar success in their area. Like these other cities, the goal is to “make somebody smile,” as is displayed on the description of the group’s Facebook page. In that case, it has been a total success!