‘What a beautiful day’ for Wiscasset Scarecrowfest
Kathleen Gullo of Newcastle and granddaughters Evie Herrick, 5, center, and Alexandra, 4, work on a scarecrow on the Wiscasset municipal building lawn during Scarecrowfest Oct .15. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Ashley Barter of Dresden and daughter Naytalia, 4, take in Scarecrowfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Corbin Burdick, 2, of Wiscasset checks out a tractor. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Kimberly Dodge’s dogs Duffy, left, as a pumpkin, and Bailey, as a shark, make the rounds at Scarecrowfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Josh Bailey of Wiscasset props up the scarecrow he said daughters Gabby, 14, and Emma, 7, made. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Valerie and Bob Macdonald of Wiscasset model a scarecrow after their dog Chief, who also attended. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Children have fun at the door and on the slide of the bounce house. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Louise Speece of Westport Island greets Route One motorists. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Tiffany Loyola, 10, of Wiscasset and sister Natalie, 4, paint a pumpkin together. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Miniature horse Wind Dancer is sharply dressed as always for his latest Scarecrowfest appearance. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Susan Zimmerman prepares to take Wiscasset’s Connor Huston a cart ride with her miniature horse Wind Dancer. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Kathleen Gullo of Newcastle and granddaughters Evie Herrick, 5, center, and Alexandra, 4, work on a scarecrow on the Wiscasset municipal building lawn during Scarecrowfest Oct .15. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Ashley Barter of Dresden and daughter Naytalia, 4, take in Scarecrowfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Corbin Burdick, 2, of Wiscasset checks out a tractor. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Kimberly Dodge’s dogs Duffy, left, as a pumpkin, and Bailey, as a shark, make the rounds at Scarecrowfest. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Josh Bailey of Wiscasset props up the scarecrow he said daughters Gabby, 14, and Emma, 7, made. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Valerie and Bob Macdonald of Wiscasset model a scarecrow after their dog Chief, who also attended. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Children have fun at the door and on the slide of the bounce house. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Louise Speece of Westport Island greets Route One motorists. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Tiffany Loyola, 10, of Wiscasset and sister Natalie, 4, paint a pumpkin together. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Miniature horse Wind Dancer is sharply dressed as always for his latest Scarecrowfest appearance. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Susan Zimmerman prepares to take Wiscasset’s Connor Huston a cart ride with her miniature horse Wind Dancer. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper
Brian and Ashley Barter of Dresden were nearing the turn onto Route 27 Saturday, taking daughter Naytalia, 4, and son Elijah, 2, to the Wiscasset Community Playground. But as they were about to get off Route One, a big bounce house in front of the municipal building caught their attention.
That looked liked more fun, Brian Barter said. So the family stopped at the Parks and Recreation Department’s annual Scarecrowfest and found other features to enjoy, including the touch-the-truck portion of the event. They checked out a fire truck.
The trucks were part of Scarecrowfest’s appeal for the Wiscasset family of Alex and Ashley Burdick. Twins Corbin and Austin, 2, love fire trucks and were also enjoying the tractors, their mother said. She stood by with the stroller son Holden, 4 months, was napping in while the twins, with their father, took to the steering wheels of side-by-side tractors.
The appearance by the Maine Antique Tractors Association was a Scarecrowfest first, and the group definitely plans to return, members said. In addition to sharing the tractor display, they were selling tickets on a tractor raffle benefiting a scholarship the group awards. Bill Clark traveled from Skowhegan; Bob Clark, from Madison. Members Chris and Emily Folsom live in Wiscasset but had never been to Scarecrowfest. “It’s pretty great,” Emily Folsom, the group’s secretary said of the event. She liked that the Wiscasset All-Sports Boosters were also there raising money, she added.
While Kimberly Dodge helped man the boosters’ table of candy, chips and other items, Wiscasset Middle High School student Corey Campbell walked Dodge’s dogs, who were dressed for the occasion — Duffy as a pumpkin; Bailey as a shark. The costumes matched their personalities, Dodge said.
Another dog in attendance, Bob and Valerie Macdonald’s golden retriever Chief, is a Scarecrowfest regular and had a special honor Saturday. The Macdonalds made a scarecrow version of him.
An event volunteer, Westport Island’s Louise Speece, dressed as a scarecrow again this year, standing next to Route One with straw sticking out her sleeves as she smiled and waved to motorists and held a sign inviting them to make a scarecrow. Asked what it takes to get in scarecrow mode, Speece said: “You’ve got to be jolly. And I love the kids,” she added.
Parks and Recreation staff commented they were seeing a lot of new faces at this year’s installment. An hour into the event, the department’s director Todd Souza said he was noticing more people this year were choosing to take their scarecrows home rather than include it in the roadside display. Asked how plans were shaping up for the Halloween egg hunt, parade and new block party, Souza said, so far, so good.
Saturday’s crisp, sunny weather weather drew good reviews. “It’s nice. A little chilly, but it’s fall,” Ashley Burdick said.
“What a beautiful day it is,” said Newcastle’s Kathleen Gullo, making a scarecrow on the lawn with grandchildren Evie Herrick, 5, Alexandra Herrick, 4, and Charlie Herrick, 2, all of Wiscasset.
Our Scarecrowfest photo gallery has more scenes from Saturday; our “Fall into the holiday season” page has more on all the ongoing and upcoming October events in Wiscasset.
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