Businesses, schools, individuals, and community organizations are invited to build a scarecrow for the Annual Scarecrow Festival & Contest at the Historic 1916 Court House on Saturday, October 22. The family event also features arts and crafts, live music, food, agriculture booths, and free tours of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum within the courthouse, where a new exhibit is open, For the Love of the Game: Baseball in the Palm Beaches. New to the festival this year is the WaterVentures Learning Lab, a 53-foot traveling science center with hands-on, state-of-the-art exhibits focused on Florida’s water resources.
The deadline to enter this year’s scarecrow competition is October 19. Entry forms are available online at hspbc.org. Cash prizes to be awarded to non-businesses are People’s Choice ($300), first place ($200), and second place ($100). Local businesses that join in the fun will vie for the top prize of a trophy plus one year’s corporate membership in the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, recognition in the Society News with an online distribution of over 3,500 subscribers, and bragging rights.
All-inclusive admission to the festival is $10 per person (children under 3 are free). Group rates are available to all contest entrants by contacting Jillian Markwith, Director of Marketing & Events, at jmarkwith@hspbc.org or 561-832-4164 ext. 103. Event proceeds support free education programs and field trip transportation for our county’s school children. Holding with tradition, the courthouse lawn will be filled with fall activities such as mini pumpkin decorating, a haystack hunt for treats, face painting, corn shucking, and crafts tents. This year’s agriculture displays will be bigger and better than ever, and the bake sale always ensures delicious classic and creative treats. For the competitive eaters out there, don’t miss the pie-eating contest!
WHEN: Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WHERE: Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum | Historic Court House in downtown West Palm Beach, Corner of 3rd St. & N. Dixie Hwy
Free event parking in the public lot on 4th Street
TICKETS: $10.00 per person (free under 3) all-inclusive | Tickets available at the door and in advance at www.hspbc.org | Discounted group rates are available to all contest entrants.
INFORMATION: Visit www.hspbc.org, or call 561.832.4164 ext. 2
Volunteers on the Festival Planning Committee include Abby Beebe, Victoria Day, Elizabeth DeBrule, Jillian Doerr Forrest, Mary Freitas, Sunni Johnson, Jamie Murray, Liza Smith, and Sophia Stone.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Americana Jones, sponsored by the West Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District. The Agricultural Displays are sponsored by Florida Crystals and the Bake Sale is sponsored by the Florida Sugar Cane League. The 2016 Scarecrow Festival and Contest Major Sponsors include; Blue Ocean Capital; Capehart Photography; Cheney Brothers, Inc.; Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Benevolent Fund of Palm Beach County; Wilmington Trust Bank; Mark Edward Partners; Cool Beans Play Cafe – Downtown at the Gardens; Corporate Property Services, Inc.; Edward Jones | James Smeenge; McCranels Orthodontics; Murray Guari Trial Attorneys P.L.; OpenClose; Palm Beach Kennel Club; Erneston & Sons Produce; picnic fashion; and Sloan’s Ice Cream. For sponsorship information, please contact Holly Finch, Director of Advancement and Communications, hfinch@historicalsocietypbc.org | 561.832.4164 ext. 106.