Sign up now for Scarecrow Fest Contest
The Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced the 31st annual Scarecrow Fest Contest. From Oct. 7-9, the nationally recognized contest will utilize both Lincoln Park and the James Martin lot at Cedar and Third streets to display dozens of community-created scarecrows for public viewing. These entries are truly the heart of the fest.
The Mega Scarecrow category returns this year. This category will again allow 12 entrants to make a statement with an oversized display. Clubs, schools, individuals and businesses are encouraged to enter. Prizes of $450, $300, and $200 will be awarded to the three winners chosen by popular vote.
New this year, the Clubs/Nonprofit/Individual category will now award seven prizes, giving contest participants even more chances to win.
Also new this year, contest participates who submit an entry by Thursday, Sept. 15, will receive a pair of Scarecrow Fest finger puppets at check-in on Oct. 6. The final deadline for entry into the contest is Friday, Sept. 30.
The contest features three additional categories for participation: the Mechanical category, Family category, and Greater St. Charles Business category. Cash prizes for the winning entries range from $75 to $550 and are donated by St. Charles Bank & Trust Company.
Winners of the first- and second-place entries for the Greater St. Charles Business Category will receive a free advertisement in the Kane County Chronicle.
To enter the Scarecrow Contest, participants should visit the Scarecrow Fest website, scarecrowfest.com, where they can complete the entry form.
The form includes more information about the five contest categories, a detailed look at the official contest rules and regulations, important setup information, and new information about teardown procedures.
Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are still available for this year's fest. More information is available on scarecrowfest.com/sponsorship_opportunities.php.
The Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau is funded by the Illinois Office of Tourism and a portion of the hotel/motel tax collected by St. Charles hotels to promote Greater St. Charles as a destination for leisure tourists, meetings, conventions, sports events, and motor coach trips.