Hoffman Estates Park District holds Scarecrow Festival
From noon-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27, the Hoffman Estates Park District will host it's first ever Scarecrow Festival at Vogelei Park, 650 West Higgins Road, Hoffman Estates. The event, held in conjunction with the dedication of Vogelei Park and Worldwide Day of Play, includes a scarecrow contest, food, games, activities, entertainment, a harvest booth selling pumpkins and more!
"This event is a great opportunity for the community and local businesses to get involved in the dedication of Vogelei Park. The park has something to offer everyone and we hope to see a lot of people participating in all of the exciting activities we have planned," said Jason Hickman, superintendent of recreation for the Hoffman Estates Park District.
The festival will feature a scarecrow contest that is sure to bring out the best in creativity and creepiness with everything from the charmingly classic to the unimaginably ghoulish. There will be three categories of judging: Family/individual; business; and community organizations. The contest is free to enter and scarecrows will be judged on originality, creativity and presentation by the Hoffman Estates Arts Commission. The grand prize winners in each category will receive gift baskets that include everything from a one month membership to Prairie StoneTM Sports & Wellness Center and an 18-hole golf pass for Poplar Creek Country Club to a 30-minute massage and Pilates training session. The last day to enter is Friday, Sept. 19. Download a registration form from heparks.org.
To honor the location of this event, Vogelei Park, there will be a dedication ceremony that takes place at 1:30 p.m. Vogelei was developed by the Hoffman Estates Park District to provide hands-on, interactive learning experiences for all ages in a predominantly outdoor setting. The programs and events, play areas and even landscaping have been designed to provide visitors with an enriching selection of passive and active opportunities to foster awareness of the environment and park heritage.
There will be activities, food and entertainment throughout the day in addition to the scarecrow contest and park dedication. Barrington Pumpkin Patch will have a harvest booth selling pumpkins, gourds and more!
Sept. 27 is Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play, which is an international community event designed to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy active lifestyle. Healthy food will be served throughout the day. Festivities will include dodgeball, a climbing wall, scavenger hunt, safety town exploration, other "retro" backyard games and so much more. So turn off all things electronic, get off the couch, come to the park, and play. For information, visit heparks.org or call (847) 885-7500.