St. Charles Scarecrow Contest entry deadline extended to Sept. 22

Posted September 15, 2026 1:28 pm

By Nicholas Lowe, St. Charles Business Alliance

The St. Charles Business Alliance has extended the entry form for the Scarecrow Contest at 2026 Scarecrow Weekend, presented by St. Charles Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, which takes place in downtown St. Charles from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 9-11.

Businesses, clubs, not-for-profits and Individuals who are looking to enter a scarecrow in the Scarecrow Contest may submit a completed entry form by Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Individuals who wish to enter a scarecrow in the Scarecrow Contest can find an online entry form, as well as a printable PDF entry form at scarecrowfest.com/scarecrowcontestapplication.

Those who wish to print out and complete the Scarecrow Contest entry form PDF can mail it or drop it off at the St. Charles Business Alliance at 2 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174. It is free to enter a scarecrow into the Scarecrow Contest.

The categories for the Scarecrow Contest, sponsored by Teqworks, are as follows:

• Mega/mechanical category — Open to all.

• Clubs/not-for-profit/schools category — Open to all clubs, not-for-profits, and schools.

• Individual category — Open to all individuals and families not affiliated with a business or organization.

• Business category — Open to all businesses.

For the Mega/Mechanical Category, prizes are $500 for first place, $350 for second place, and $250 for third place.

For the other categories, prizes are $200 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place.

To find more information regarding 2026 Scarecrow Weekend, please visit scarecrowfest.com. For further inquiries, please contact the St. Charles Business Alliance at (630) 443-3967.

The Presenting Sponsor for 2026 St. Charles Scarecrow Weekend is St. Charles Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. Additional Sponsors include McNally’s Heating & Cooling, St. Charles Bank & Trust, Aquascape Construction, Art of the Heartland, Geico, Gerald Subaru of North Aurora, The Hairy Ant Screen Printing Embroidery & More, Hi-Lite Electric, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, Meijer, Mendel Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, Mercedes-Benz of St. Charles, MKFM Law, Napleton Chevrolet St. Charles, Smile Haven Dental Studio, Teqworks, T-Fiber, Theriault Booth LLC. Attorneys at Law, Goldfish Swim School, Grand Appliance, St. Charles Public Library, Encore Mt. Morris, Lakeshore Recycling Systems, M.K. Movers, Scouting America Three Fires Council, and Windy Acres Farm.

The mission of the St. Charles Business Alliance is to drive economic growth to make the St. Charles Community a destination where people, businesses and tourism thrive. The Alliance produces Restaurant Week, St. Patrick’s Parade, Spring Shop Crawl, Fine Art Show, STC Live!, Jazz Weekend, Scarecrow Weekend, and Holiday Homecoming. For more information about the Alliance, visit stcalliance.org.