Great Scarecrow Showdown Registration - October 10, 2026

The Great Pleasants Valley Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow Showdown! At Morningsun Herb Farm The Great Pleasants Valley Pumpkin Patch Scarecrow Showdown Rules Join Morningsun in starting a great new tradition at our nursery. We are growing a beautiful pumpkin patch and fall cut flower patch and are so excited to be hosting this super fun and creative event. This is a great chance to get families, friends, companies and non profits involved to have some fun, be creative and leave your artistic mark on the world, at least for the month of October! This is a group-friendly hybrid live-build scarecrow contest with two divisions: Adult and Youth. Participants may bring a prebuilt base/frame, but the final scarecrow must be assembled on-site so the public can watch the final build process. You can be a single contestant, or a family group, friends, or group from a business or non-profit. Divisions Adult Division: ages 18 and older Youth Division: ages 17 and younger Youth entries must have a parent/guardian present during check-in and build time. Team Size: Each entry may have up to 6 builders at one station. At least one adult must be present for any youth team. Each team gets 90 minutes to complete the scarecrow on-site. Teams must check in at least 30 minutes early on Oct 10th. You can drop off your scarecrow ready for the final build starting at 9 am on Oct 10th. You can view your site the weekend before. A 30-minute extension for building may be granted if the schedule allows. What May Be Premade Allowed to be made off-site: frame, base, clothing, fabric, hats, signs, painted props, and accessories. Must be completed on-site: final assembly, stuffing, shaping, and all visible finishing details. The scarecrow must look like a finished entry when the build window ends. Materials Allowed: hay/straw, wood, fabric, rope, twine, clothing, zip ties, duct tape, paint, gardening implements, non-breakable decorations, pumpkins,. Materials Not allowed: real food/candy, glass, open flame, sharp exposed metal, or anything the organizers deem unsafe. Morningsun Herm Farm will provide plenty of loose straw for your build so you do not need to bring with you on the day of completion. We can also provide a 6 or 8 ft T post to affix into the ground for you to mount your base firmly into the ground. Please note there is no electricity where you will be completing the build so if you need tools you will want to bring battery operated and hand tools! Size and Display Rules Entries must be freestanding. Maximum footprint: 6 feet x 6 feet Maximum height: 7 feet, unless approved in advance. Each scarecrow must be able to withstand outdoor display conditions. Displays must be in good taste – they can be serious, scary or funny but should not be in poor taste or display foul language, or body parts. They should be non-political. If they are representing a non-profit or company, or a family, a small sign can be affixed to the scarecrow with social media information. Public Viewing The build area will be open for public viewing from designated spectator zones. Participants must keep pathways clear and follow staff directions at all times. Children not participating must remain in the spectator area unless invited into a supervised activity zone. Participants consent to being photographed or recorded during this event. Judging Entries will be judged on: creativity craftsmanship fall theme or Halloween theme overall appearance crowd appeal There will be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place award for the adult and youth section, and also a People’s Choice award. 1st place winners will win $200, 2nd place winners $100, and 3rd place winners $50. People's Choice will win $150. Display Period Completed scarecrows will remain on display for approximately 3 weeks after the contest, weather permitting, until November 1st. Participants are asked to remove all scarecrows by Nov 7th. The organizer may remove any entry that becomes unsafe or damaged. Safety and Removal The organizer reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is unsafe, offensive, or does not follow the rules. Scarecrows not picked up by the posted deadline may be discarded or donated. $10.00 - this registration fee will be donated to Paws For Life Canine Rescue; one sign up needed per group only. Time: 9:00 am sign in, 10:00 am - 11:30 am build Judging starts at 11:30 am Saturday, Oct 10th, 2026 HOW TO REGISTER 1. Please register early, to insure your space. 2. Pay in full when registering (including materials fees). We accept checks, cash, Visa, MasterCard and American Express. IMPORTANT NOTE: We are happy to add your name to the sign-up list for the event. However, until we have received payment, you ARE NOT OFFICIALLY ENROLLED IN THE EVENT. This means if we run out of space, sign-ups who have not yet paid will be dropped from the list to make room for paying registrants. 3. Only one registration per group is needed. 4. A 48-hour cancellation notice is required to receive a refund. 5. A $5.00 non-refundable fee will be retained on all cancellations. 6. We will email a participation waiver to be filled out before the event. 7. Please include your name, or name of your group if you have one, as well as your email and phone number. 8. Please phone the nursery or email roseloveall@morningsunherbfarm.com if you have any questions. Morningsun Herb Farm (707) 451-9406