Look, if you’ve spent more than five minutes in Pelican Town, you know Lewis is a bit of a character. He’s the guy who somehow manages to run a whole town while also having enough time to commission gold statues of himself. But nothing—and I mean nothing—is more iconic or slightly awkward than the quest for the mayor's shorts Stardew Valley fans have been obsessing over for years.
It starts with a letter. Just a simple, slightly panicked note in your mailbox on the 3rd of Summer. Lewis lost his "lucky" purple shorts. He wants them back. Discreetly. It’s the "discreetly" part that usually tips people off that something weird is going on.
Where the Heck Are They?
Finding the shorts isn’t actually hard once you know the secret, but for a new player, it’s a total mystery. You can’t just go digging in the trash or looking behind the Stardrop Saloon. They are in Marnie’s bedroom. Yes, really.
This confirms what everyone basically suspected anyway: Marnie and Lewis are a thing. But here is the catch. You can’t just barge into Marnie’s room and grab them. You need to be friends with her first. Specifically, you need to reach a two-heart friendship level with Marnie before she’ll let you past the door.
If you’re in a rush, give her some Pink Cake, Farmer’s Lunch, or even just some Quartz. Honestly, Diamonds work too if you’re rich. Once you hit that two-heart threshold, walk into her room, pick up those bright purple boxers, and prepare for the real fun to begin.
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The Ethics of Returning the Shorts
You have a choice. You can be a "good" neighbor and just hand them over to Lewis for your 750 gold and a bit of friendship. Boring. Or, you can do what most of us do and use them to absolutely ruin his life.
There are several ways to use the mayor's shorts Stardew Valley provides to cause absolute chaos during town festivals.
- The Luau Disaster: If you drop the shorts into the communal soup during the Luau, the Governor will taste them. It’s gross. It’s hilarious. The Governor will pass out, and Lewis will be absolutely mortified. You won't get any friendship points with the townspeople, but the dialogue is gold.
- The Grange Display: Put them in your display at the Stardew Valley Fair in the Fall. Lewis will see them. He will get angry. He will basically bribe you with 750 Star Tokens to take them down and keep your mouth shut.
- The Tailoring Twist: If you have access to the sewing machine at Emily’s house, you can combine the shorts with a Gold Bar. This creates the "Trimmed Lucky Purple Shorts."
These trimmed shorts are special. You can actually wear them. If you walk around town wearing Lewis’s actual underwear, he’ll have a unique reaction—he usually gets startled and jumps. Marnie has a unique reaction too; she’ll giggle. It’s one of those tiny details that makes ConcernedApe’s world-building so incredible.
Why This Quest Actually Matters
Stardew Valley isn't just a farming sim. It's a soap opera. The mayor's shorts Stardew Valley questline is the first real hint that the NPCs have lives that don't revolve around you. Lewis is the town leader, but he’s terrified of people knowing about his relationship with Marnie. Why? Maybe he thinks it’s unprofessional. Maybe he’s just a private guy.
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But it adds a layer of hypocrisy to his character. He spends the town’s tax money on solid gold statues of himself while Marnie lives in a relatively modest ranch. Finding his shorts in her room makes the player feel like an insider. You’re not just the new kid on the farm anymore; you’re the person who knows the town’s biggest secret.
The Problem with Lewis
A lot of players actually end up disliking Lewis because of this quest. Think about it. He makes you do the dirty work of sneaking into his girlfriend's room to fetch his laundry because he's too ashamed to be seen there. It’s kind of a jerk move.
Actually, if you talk to Marnie at certain times, she hints at wanting to be more public with their relationship. Lewis is the one holding back. Seeing those shorts on the ground in her room is a constant reminder that he's prioritizing his "image" over her feelings. It’s deep for a game about planting parsnips.
A Few Technical Details You Should Know
If you lose the shorts or accidentally ship them, you used to be out of luck. However, in more recent updates, there are ways to get them back or even get multiples.
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If you put a staircase in your pants slot (yes, your clothing slot), it used to glitch and turn into the trimmed shorts. This was a legendary bug that many players used to mass-produce the Mayor's embarrassment. Also, if you’re on PC and feel like "cheating," you can use the name-code glitch or mods, but where's the fun in that?
Most people just wait for Summer 3, grind Marnie’s friendship, and then hold onto those shorts like a weapon of mass destruction until the Fair.
Maximizing the Chaos
If you want the "best" outcome for your save file, here is the move. Keep the shorts. Don't give them back. Use them in the Grange Display first to get the Star Tokens. Then, use them in the Luau the following year. Finally, tailors them into the trimmed version so you can wear them whenever you want to mess with Lewis.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Actionable Next Steps for Farmers
- Check your calendar: If it's before Summer 3, start hoarding Quartz or Flowers for Marnie now.
- Save a Gold Bar: You’ll need it for the sewing machine trick later if you want to wear the shorts.
- Don't click too fast: When you return the shorts normally, you lose them forever. If you want to keep the "evidence," make sure you've done everything else first.
- Visit the Fair: Ensure you have at least 8 other high-quality items for your Grange Display so the shorts are the "centerpiece" of your 9-item grid.
This quest is a rite of passage. You haven't truly played Stardew until you've publicly humiliated the local government with a pair of purple boxers. It’s basically the law of the valley.