A 2024 senior prank by students at Northeast High School in Pasadena, MD is making waves again more than a year later after being featured on the viral Facebook page “Wasted.” The creative prank, which fooled hundreds of residents into believing a new Trader Joe’s was coming to town, originally spread across social media in the spring of 2024 and has once again captured national attention as people rediscover the story.
Back in May 2024, a group of Northeast High seniors pulled off what many called one of the best local pranks in recent memory. The students placed a large “Coming Soon: Trader Joe’s” sign in front of a vacant building in Pasadena, leading excited residents to share the news across neighborhood Facebook groups, community pages, and local apps. The rumor of a new grocery store spread rapidly, until someone decided to scan the QR code printed on the sign.
Instead of Trader Joe’s development plans, the code redirected viewers to the music video for Rick Astley’s 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up,” meaning the entire town had been Rickrolled. The prank combined clever design work, local humor, and internet culture, earning praise for its creativity.
While most residents took the joke in stride and applauded the students’ imagination, others admitted they were disappointed to learn that Trader Joe’s wasn’t actually coming to Pasadena. The stunt quickly went viral throughout Anne Arundel County at the time, and the new wave of attention on “Wasted” has brought it back into the spotlight for audiences far beyond Maryland.
Northeast’s prank wasn’t the only one to gain attention that year. In Montgomery County, Northwood High School seniors managed to access their school’s electronic sign and change it to say the building, which was set to be torn down for a new facility, was “for sale.” Both pranks drew laughs and admiration from fellow students and locals, showcasing a lighter side of senior year tradition.
Now, with the viral resurgence of the “Trader Joe’s” sign, the Northeast High prank is being rediscovered by a new audience… a reminder that Maryland students know how to pull off a harmless, well-executed joke that keeps the internet talking long after graduation.
