Celebrate the first day of autumn by participating in a scarecrow building contest at the Elkhart County Historical Museum.  The contest will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:00 p.m.  The theme will be “historical figures” so participants should dress up their scarecrow as their favorite person from history.  Several prizes will be awarded.

The contest works as follows: Participants will design and build their scarecrows at home.  The scarecrows, along with a stake to secure them to the ground, are to be brought to the museum for set-up on Monday, September 21st between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.  The judging will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 22nd.  There will be 2 divisions – an adult division and a child division (for children under 12).

The public is invited to attend the judging to view the finished scarecrows.  There will be cider and treats to eat.  Plus, a scarecrow building station will be available for those who want to make a scarecrow on-site for $3.  These scarecrows won’t be included in the contest, but you can choose to either exhibit them at the museum or take them home.

“All the scarecrows will be on display in front of the museum until mid-October,” says Curator of Education Rebecca Oestreich.   Builders should pick up their scarecrows the week of October 18-24.  “We are having people pick up their scarecrows before Halloween so they can take them home and display them in their own front yard for the holiday,” says Oestreich.

Specific contest rules can be found on the ECHM museum’s blog. Pre-registration is preferred.  To register, or for more information, please contact Rebecca Oestreich at 574-848-4322 or Rebecca@ elkhartcountyparks.org.

Contest Rules:
-One entry per category per person.
-Scarecrows should be attached to a stake that can be inserted into the ground for stability.
-Scarecrows must be in good taste & constructed to withstand the weather.  We reserve the right to remove any scarecrow that does not meet these standards.
-The Elkhart County Historical Museum is not responsible for any loss or damage to entries.
-Scarecrows not picked up will be disposed of.