BERNARDSTON — When Scarecrow in the Park returns for its 21st year on Saturday, Oct. 18, and Sunday, Oct. 19, it will feature 10 new vendors and a new Business category for the beloved scarecrow contest.
The yearly fall festival in Cushman Park offers a range of activities, such as live music, food trucks, vendors, a tractor parade, hay rides, the scarecrow contest, a demonstration by K-9 officers and games for children. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, in addition to a Friday night kick-off event from 6 to 9 p.m.
Brandon Grover, a member of the Bernardston Kiwanis Club who helped found the event in 2004, noted that entering a scarecrow into the design contest through the new Business category is a great way for local businesses to gain exposure.
“To me, it’s basically a no-brainer for a business to pop out a scarecrow when you’ve got 5,000 people coming through the park,” he said.
The traditional categories of Scariest, Funniest, Prettiest and Most Interesting Use of Materials continue, each offering a $100 prize. The scarecrow contest also has a rotating theme for schools to participate in, with this year’s theme being math.
Scarecrow in the Park began as a one-day event, but according to Grover, once vendors got involved a few years later, the event grew into the popular weekend event it is now. Most of the money raised during Scarecrow in the Park goes toward college scholarships offered by the Bernardston Kiwanis Club for graduating seniors from Pioneer Valley Regional School and Franklin County Technical School.
“It can be overwhelming at times,” Grover said of organizing the event. “There’s a lot of moving parts. … It’s all hands on deck for this weekend.”
The hard work that goes into organizing the event makes Scarecrow in the Park a memorable event for all involved, vendors say.
“Scarecrow is very organized,” commented Ellen Johnson, a quilter from New Hampshire who has been a longtime vendor at Scarecrow in the Park. “It has a wonderful life of its own and identity.”
Johnson mentioned how event organizers provide “runners” who fetch the vendors food or other things they need, ensuring they don’t have to leave their booths.
“Having food brought to us without having to leave is very helpful,” she said, “and they’re just great people to work with. They consider our needs as well as the public’s needs.”
Johnson also expressed appreciation for the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts who help vendors move their items in and out of their booths at Cushman Park. The Scouts also camp out in the park on Saturday night, enabling the vendors to leave their items overnight.
Another vendor, Bernardston crafter Tina Hickey, echoed many of Johnson’s sentiments, noting that Scarecrow in the Park is well-organized and she appreciates opportunities for the Scouts to get involved.
“It’s a great community gathering,” Hickey said.
Though the bulk of events are set for Saturday and Sunday, a Friday night kick-off event from 6 to 9 p.m. includes music by Chick ‘n’ Wire, beer, wine and food. Presented by the Bernardston Fire Department, tickets to the Friday night event are $25.
The music lineup continues on Saturday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hay rides will be available on Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The popular tractor parade is scheduled for noon on Saturday.
Over more than two decades, the event has grown into an attraction that draws attendees back year after year for family-friendly entertainment.
“I mean, you say ‘Scarecrow in the Park’ and people know what you’re talking about,” Johnson commented.
“It’s a win for the community,” Grover added.
The full lineup of events can be viewed at bernardstonkiwanis.org/scarecrow. The Facebook event page is available at facebook.com/scarecrowinthepark.