INNISFAIL – The annual Scarecrow Festival has been cancelled.
However, it could still go on if volunteers step up to organize and run the event.
The fall tradition is usually held every Thanksgiving weekend and was cancelled this year due to a lack of volunteers, according to organizer Deb Stoski.
“Nobody wanted to volunteer to take over so it’s done,” said Stoski. “There’s no problem getting scarecrows, it’s just people don’t want to work it.
“The biggest thing is setup and takedown and they don’t want to do that,” she said.
For several reasons, including her health, Stoski needs to take a break from the event.
“I can’t do it because of physical reasons,” she said, noting a core group of volunteers that help her every year.
“We’ve done it for so long. It’s time for somebody else to step up,” added Stoski. “That’s the problem, you get a good core group that’s willing to do the work, and then when you want a break and you want to pass it on and move on, there’s nobody.”
Every year that small core group of people would do all the pre-planning, paperwork, meetings and setup and takedown on the day of the event, she said.
“I would prepare months in advance. There’s lots of things you got to do ahead of time,” said Stoski. “There’s a lot of pre-work and then the day of, you got to set up and be there early.
“There’s a lot of work to it,” she added.
The event also included hot chocolate, bounce houses for kids, concession stands and horse-drawn wagon rides.
Stoski said things are changing in the community when it comes to volunteers. She understands that parents are busy with other sports and extracurricular activities for their families.
“Most people are too busy. I’m not discounting anybody, that’s just the way it works,” she said. “People don’t zero in on community stuff anymore. It’s a dying entity I think. It’s not anybody’s fault it's just times are changing.”
A meeting was called for Sept. 13 but no one showed up for it.
“That tells me that there’s no interest,” Stoski concluded.
To step up and volunteer for the Scarecrow Festival, contact Deb Stoski at 403-505-6160.
