The 30th Annual Scarecrow Invasion starts its takeover of Meaford this month.
The festival isn’t until October, but organizers will be hosting scarecrow building workshops at the Meaford Rotary Harbour Pavilion in June ahead of this year’s event.
Festival chair Christine Pompeo says they’re expecting around 200 scarecrows to take over not just Meaford, but the surrounding area as well.
The Scarecrow Invasion first began in 1996, when the owners of Stedman’s department store, George and Janet Potopnyk, felt that they saw too many people passing through the town of Meaford without stopping to check out the local scene.
Within three years, the event had grown and become a popular event, and then it further developed a committee of volunteers with a focus on children and families.
Pompeo does say that the Scarecrow Invasion can catch people by surprise.
“I remember when we moved to the area three years ago, it was such a surprise for my husband and I,” Pompeo recalls. “We were here in the fall, checking things out, and we had never heard of the Scarecrow Invasion. They were everywhere – hanging from the lamp posts, hanging out in Market Square and other places, and we definitely hear that from a lot of people who really didn’t know that it was a thing.”
She says that she thinks that people like the event because it’s fun and whimsical, making it something worth stopping for.
Since its inception, the Scarecrow Invasion has not only grown into a community-wide initiative, but also features a parade through town, an apple pie competition, and the annual Family Festival, which will take place on October 2nd this year.
This year, the invasion has the theme of “Peace, Love, and Happiness”.
“That’s because when the decorating committee got together, they unanimously decided that that’s what everybody needs this year,” Pompeo laughs.
Scarecrow building workshops will be taking place starting in June, and anyone can help out.
“No experience necessary,” she says. “If you have an hour or two to spare, it would be really appreciated, because we’re looking for a total of at least 200 scarecrows to go up around town.”
The scarecrows will be on display between September 8th and October 26th.
For a full list of events, including building workshops, you can check out scarecrowinvasion.ca.