Need inspiration? See 2023 scarecrow contest entries HERE.

The Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce is encouraging businesses to decorate the Bluffton downtown area with a scarecrow theme beginning the first week of October. The powerful color punch of petunias in pots and on lamp posts vanish at the end of September and provides a new opportunity for the community to decorate.

Scarecrow decorations should either be attached to lamp posts along Main Street or be storefront window decorations. They are required to be three-dimensional.Half bales of straw can be used as a base for a seated figure, placed on the brick part of the sidewalks (on Main St). 

The area to be decorated includes downtown from The Centre on N. Main to Hair Emporium on S. Main, plus any businesses on Cherry St., Jefferson St. and Elm St. that wish to participate. If your business is not located downtown, the chamber encourages you to adopt a lamppost downtown.

MATERIALS
Scarecrows/figures must be firmly secured, weather-resistant and able to withstand sun, wind and rain. Suggested materials are burlap, chicken wire, straw, corn husks and stalks and rubber foam, as these are all weather-resistant materials. Consider spraying Scotchgard on the inside and outside of any fabrics used, to prevent mildew. Please note, nylon and polyester fabrics are more weather resistant. Stuffing can be made from plastic bags or bubble wrap, for example. Not recommended: newspaper or water-soluble packing peanuts used in stuffing, as these do not hold up well once wet. 

DIMENSIONS
The minimum size is 4 ft. tall. The maximum height is 7 ft. Scarecrows and props to be placed in your window, on lamp posts areas. If you use the lamppost, the figure must fit in a 4x3 foot area (staying within the bricks on Main St., not encroaching on the sidewalk). This is basically a foot on either side of the lamp post. Please note, any scarecrow arms need to run parallel to the road, not sticking out across the sidewalk. Props may be used, if they stay within the required area, but please ensure they're securely fixed to scarecrow or base, and/or unlikely to move during inclement weather.

DURATION
Scarecrow/figures must be up on/by Friday, October 4 for photography. Decorations must be removed on/by November 1, 2023 by participating business. 

REQUIREMENTS
Participants should notify Liz Gordon-Hancock of their participation and location. Lampposts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis, but some consideration of location (to be near your business) will be given. 

Each scarecrow/decoration should have a waterproof sign, noting the name of the business responsible, to help identify it to voters/judges. No vulgar or inappropriate messages as well as scary, gruesome or bloody scarecrows please. Also, no political or religious issues. This is intended to be family friendly and fun. 

The Chamber reserves the right to disqualify entries they feel to be distasteful or not family friendly. Winner will be decided by community vote. Neither the Chamber nor the Village of Bluffton is responsible for maintaining your scarecrow decorations. Do not put anything of value or importance on your figure. The Chamber and its agents may use photographs of and stories about the scarecrows for publicity and promotion of the event.