A new kind of fox hunt has arrived in Aiken. Kitfox Pediatric Dentistry, in partnership with the City of Aiken, unveiled “Kitting Around Aiken,” a permanent public art project and scavenger-style hunt for sleuths of all ages, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, January 24 at the Aiken County Public Library Park.

Six bronze baby foxes, or kits, have been installed in some of Aiken’s most popular destinations to encourage locals and tourists to stay and play downtown. The project was inspired by Greenville’s “Mice on Main,” a similar hunt to find nine bronze mice along the city’s Main Street, and Kitfox Pediatric Dentistry enlisted the help of Greenville artist Charles Pate Jr to create the bronze kits.

“The city of Aiken welcomed my family and my practice when we relocated from Atlanta seven years ago,” said Dr. Thom Akins of Kitfox Pediatric Dentistry. “We have loved raising our children here and all that the city has to offer. This project is our way of saying ‘thank you’ and giving back to the community. We hope this fun hunt will encourage more families to enjoy downtown and all it has to offer.”  

Mayor Rick Osbon, present for the ribbon cutting, told the crowd, “We’ve long been envious of Greenville’s mice, but now Aiken has its own bronze statues to add character to our city. This will be so entertaining for families as they find each fox and learn something about the locations along the way.”

The bronze foxes – Freight, Fender, Flora, Franklin, Flo, and Fable – can be found respectively at The City of Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum, The Alley, Teague Parkway, The Willcox, the Laurens Street fountain near First Presbyterian Church, and at the Aiken County Public Library Park. 

Maps with clues to find the kits will be available at various downtown locations and can be downloaded from the Kitfox Pediatric Dentistry website at www.kitfoxdental.com.