You’re walking through Pelican Town, checking your mail, and there it is. A letter from Mayor Lewis. He’s sounding a bit desperate, honestly. He lost his "lucky purple shorts" and needs you to find them. Discreetly.
That last word is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Most players find this quest—Mayor Lewis shorts Stardew Valley—early in their first Summer. It seems like a simple "fetch and retrieve" task, but it’s basically the gateway drug to the town’s biggest, most poorly-kept secret. If you've ever wondered why the leader of a small town is so terrified of a pair of boxers, you aren't alone.
Where Are the Shorts?
Let's get the obvious part out of the way. If you haven't found them yet, stop looking in the bushes or behind the General Store. They are in Marnie’s bedroom.
Yes. Marnie.
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Specifically, they’re lying right there on her floor. To get them, you have to befriend her. You can’t just barge into a woman’s private quarters to grab the Mayor’s underwear; that’s a one-way ticket to a restraining order in the real world. In Stardew, it just requires two hearts of friendship.
Getting into Marnie’s Room
The easiest way to hit that two-heart threshold is through her stomach. Marnie loves Pink Cake, Farmer’s Lunch, and Pumpkin Pie. If you’re early in the game and don’t have a kitchen yet, just bring her Quartz or even simple Eggs. She’s at her ranch most days from 9 AM to 4 PM, except for Mondays and Tuesdays when she’s... somewhere else. Usually at the clinic or buying groceries.
Once you hit two hearts, you just walk in, snag the shorts, and the quest updates. But here is the thing: you don't have to give them back right away.
The Secret Basement and the 1.6 Update
The 1.6 update changed the game. Literally. Before, if you missed the chance to grab the shorts or wanted a second pair, you had to use a glitch involving a staircase in your pants slot.
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ConcernedApe, the developer, actually leaned into this.
Now, if you take a crafted staircase and place it on the floor inside Mayor Lewis’s own bedroom, a secret hatch opens. You descend into a basement that is basically a maze made of junk and barrels. At the end of the maze? Another pair of lucky purple shorts.
Watch out, though. The moment you pick them up, a "cursed" pair of flying purple shorts—which is an actual enemy—will start chasing you. It’s invincible. You can’t kill it. You just have to grab the loot and run for your life back to the ladder. You can do this infinitely, meaning you can have a chest full of the Mayor's laundry if you're into that sort of thing.
Why Does He Care So Much?
The drama here is better than a soap opera. Lewis and Marnie are clearly a thing. There’s the Secret Note #21 that shows them jumping out of a bush near the bridge at 12:40 AM. There’s the letter in Lewis's room where Marnie says she wants to be public about their relationship.
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Lewis says he wants to keep it secret to protect his "authority" or "reputation." Honestly, it feels like he’s just a bit of a coward. The whole town probably knows. I mean, we found his pants in her room.
How to Actually Use the Shorts (For Chaos)
If you give the shorts back to Lewis, you get 750g and a very awkward "thank you." That's the boring route. If you want to actually have fun with the Mayor Lewis shorts Stardew Valley quest, try these instead:
- The Luau Soup: Throw the shorts into the communal pot during the Luau. The Governor will taste it, realize something is... off, and Lewis will be absolutely mortified. You lose friendship points with Lewis, but the dialogue is worth it.
- The Stardew Valley Fair: Put the shorts in your Grange Display. You’ll be disqualified instantly. However, Lewis will basically bribe you with 750 Star Tokens to take them down and keep your mouth shut. It’s a great way to buy that Stardrop early.
- Tailoring: If you take the shorts to Emily’s sewing machine and add a Gold Bar, you get "Trimmed Lucky Purple Shorts." You can actually wear these. If you talk to Lewis or Marnie while wearing them, they have unique, hilarious reactions. Marnie giggles; Lewis gets incredibly angry.
- Ginger Island: If you give him the shorts while he's vacationing on the beach, he'll actually wear them as his swimwear for the rest of the season.
Actionable Next Steps for Farmers
If you’re currently holding those purple boxers and aren’t sure what to do, follow this checklist to maximize the chaos.
First, craft a staircase and hit that secret basement in Lewis's house. Getting a second (or third) pair means you can complete the quest and keep a pair for yourself. It’s the best of both worlds.
Next, head to Emily’s house. Use that gold bar. The "Trimmed" version is technically clothing, so you can wear them during the Luau or the Fair without "losing" the item permanently like you would if you just threw the regular ones in the soup.
Finally, wait for the Fair. Placing them in the Grange Display is the most efficient way to get those Star Tokens without actually having to put in the effort of growing high-quality crops. Once Lewis pays you off, you can still return them for the original 750g reward.