Scarecrow festival to raise funds for YMCA
Published 11:32 am Friday, October 7, 2016
The Beech Springs Farm Market, 4776 Old Boonesborough Road, will be hosting the 11th annual scarecrow festival beginning 11 a.m. Saturday to benefit the Winchester YMCA.
Admission is $2 per person, and hot dogs will be available for visitors while they last, according to market owner Mary Beth Hendricks.
The event will include pumpkin decorating and live music by local musician Donnie Reed.
“That may bring out some people who normally would not come to a scarecrow festival,” Hendricks said.
However, the main event of the afternoon will be an auction of several scarecrows donated for the event.
YMCA board member Gina Lang said that in addition to being a fundraiser, the festival is a “friend raiser” meant to give people more information about the services the Y offers.
Hendricks said that some of the scarecrows are made each year by local artists who plan them as far as a year in advance. Others are donated by businesses and other organizations, and they act as creative advertisements after the event.
“One of my favorite things about the festival is after it’s over, driving around town and seeing the scarecrows in people’s yards and gardens,” Hendricks said.
She said that sometimes organizations will purchase their own scarecrows back, bringing them to future events or using them to decorate their offices.
Contact Seth Littrell at seth.littrell@winchestersun.com.
