Wiscasset kicked off the Halloween season with the annual Scarecrow Festival hosted by the parks and recreation department. Saturday morning was a bit gray and damp but by afternoon the sun was shining on the Town Common where the popular event was held this year.

Allison Henderson and her son Jack, 3, and his sister Charlie, almost 2, were the first to arrive. The rain had stopped by 10 but Henderson had her children clad in their raincoats just in case. Working together they fashioned the morning’s first scarecrow. “This is our very first Scarecrow Festival,” said Henderson as she drew a face on a milk jug that would serve as their scarecrow’s head.

Chelsea Taylor, rec programmer, said she was thankful the rain stopped in time for the festival’s start. “It was just pouring earlier but the weather is predicted to improve as the day goes on. Hopefully we’ll get most of the scheduled events in,” she said.

By noon, people were lining up at the tent to buy tickets for the chili-chowder tasting and pumpkin desserts challenge. Pat Cloutier, manager of Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce, was manning the ticket table. Proceeds would be shared between St. Philip’s Episcopal Church to for its “Help Yourself Shelf Food Pantry” and the Outreach Program at First Congregational Church, she said. Both churches are in Wiscasset.

The tent alongside WACC’s featured a table of colorful autumn decorations made by members of tGarden Club of Wiscasset. Among those manning it were Betsey Kyle, Lisa Freeman, Canny Cahn and Selectman Terry Heller. Heller said she, Rhea Copening and Sally Gemmill made the grapevine wreaths that were for sale from vines pulled from pine trees in Gemmill’s backyard. “Canny Cahn made all of our decorated pumpkins,” she added.

Live music was provided by Wiscasset’s own Rob Bickford. He sat on the bandstand strumming popular tunes on his 12-string guitar including, “Free Bird” hollered from the window of a passing vehicle on Main Street. Other volunteers included parks and rec employees Bob MacDonald and Doris Gabrielle and L.J. Travis from public works. They had a busy morning helping set up the tables, tents and the items needed for scarecrow making.

Saturday’s program was to have concluded with the showing of a children’s film on the common, “Oz, the Great and Powerful.” Taylor said the event was cancelled because high winds were predicted. “It was to be shown on an inflatable screen which doesn’t work well in windy conditions,” she explained.