For the fist time in nearly a decade, uniquely created scarecrows will not line the service road on 50th this Thanksgiving weekend.
The Scarecrow Festival will be taking a hiatus this year, confirmed Innisfail community facilitator Heather Fletcher.
“There might be some disappointment but hopefully it will be back next year,” she said.
For the past seven years a group of community members, backed with town administration support, has put on the event.
In the spring, Fletcher said town council realized there was a lot of support for the event through the existing committee and withdrew some previously committed support such as town administration staff time.
But without the town’s full support, the handful of committee members say they need more help to put it on.
“Unfortunately they don’t feel they have the capacity to do it,” Fletcher said.
The Scarecrow Festival has grown over the years, she said.
The main attraction is competition for best scarecrow in a variety of categories. There has been upwards of 80-some entries yearly.
The uniquely crafted, handmade creations, often completed with props around a theme, were displayed along the service road of 50th from Fourlane Ford to the Royal Canadian Legion.
Set up occurs of the Friday night of the event and judging is held Saturday, after which awards are handed out.
For the past couple of years Fletcher said the event has grown into a full day of family fun with hayride tours down the road where the scarecrows are displayed and children’s games set up.
“It’s pretty fun,” she said.
She emphasized that the community should look forward to the event coming back next year.
“It’s not the end of it,” she said.
