For the fourth year, the Wilton Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Town of Wilton and Trackside Teen Center, is once again hosting Wilton’s Annual Scarecrow Fest! The contest, open to Wilton based businesses, organizations, clubs and families, will challenge participants to construct creative scarecrows to be displayed during the last two weeks of October in Wilton Center.
New this year, entries will be centered around the Chamber’s ‘movie and television character’ theme. The scarecrows will be attached to seventy-five town lampposts beginning Oct. 17. A panel of judges will award top honors to five entries.
The scarecrow project was originally proposed by First Selectman Bill Brennan in 2011 as a means to attract retail shoppers and visitors to Wilton Center to stroll along the sidewalks with family and friends to view the imaginative straw men (and women) during the last half of October.
“With the overwhelming success of previous years Scarecrow Fest, we look forward with great anticipation to this year’s themed entries,” Brennan said.
Wilton’s Fourth Annual Scarecrow Fest will run in tandem with the Chamber’s Pumpkin Parade and Trick-or-Treat Walk on Saturday, Oct. 25, and the annual Halloween Hustle 5K and Scarecrow Scamper Kids’ Run on Sunday, Oct. 26. The October “Hallo-weekend” trifecta promotes Wilton Center as a vibrant destination to shop and dine, while participating in family-friendly community events.
Official rules and entry forms can be downloaded from the Wilton Chamber’s website and will be limited to the first seventy-five entries postmarked by Oct. 3. Scarecrow kits will be available at Trackside Teen Center Oct. 8-10 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The kits, which will sell for $30, include wooden post frames and hay. Scarecrows may represent a business or group’s identity or be decorated just for fun. Scarecrows will be installed on Wilton Center lampposts on or about Oct. 17 and will remain through Oct. 31. Judging will be completed and winners announced at the Pumpkin Parade on Saturday, Oct. 25.
The Scarecrow Fest, Pumpkin Parade, and Halloween Hustle 5K + Scarecrow Scamper Kids’ Run events are sponsored by the Wilton Chamber of Commerce.
The Wilton Chamber of Commerce engages its members in the pursuit of excellence and economic growth by fostering an innovative business environment through education, advocacy, and promoting commerce. The Chamber’s mission is to advance the commercial and civic interests of the Town of Wilton. For more information about Chamber membership or events, call 203.762.0567 or visit www.wiltonchamber.com.