Bragg Creek residents hope to scare up support for their community with a month-long festival celebrating the best fall has to offer.
The inaugural Bragg Creek Scarecrow Festival will be held from Oct. 4 to Nov. 3, and organizer Stacia Hemmett said she hopes everyone in her community will jump on board to compete and create dozens of scarecrows to be displayed in and around the hamlet over the five weeks.
Hemmett said since the June flood, the festival has become a more meaningful event to support the hamlet’s business community.
“We are moving out of the mourning phase and are moving into the getting-on-with-our-lives phase,” said Hemmett, who added the festival is about celebrating her community’s spirit.
The festival kicks off at noon Friday, Oct. 4 with a five-day contest ending at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
Participants will compete in five categories: cutest scarecrow, scariest scarecrow, best human shaped scarecrow, best animal scarecrow and best multiple display scarecrow.
Bragg Creek is a vibrant and artistic community, according to Hemmett, and she has put out a challenge to residents and business owners to participate and show off their creativity by making scarecrows for tourists and residents to enjoy.
“We want to bring a little something extra to Bragg Creek this fall,” said Hemmett. “Come out and see how artistic our community really is.”
Hemmett said tourists and local residents would judge the contest after going on walking tours in the community to view the scarecrows on display.
The scarecrows will be displayed along White and Balsam Avenues, the main streets in Bragg Creek, Bragg Creek Shopping Mall, Bragg Creek Steak Pit, Bavarian Inn, Bragg Creek Community Centre and some residential streets in the hamlet.
Judging maps will be available at Bragg Creek businesses My Favorite Store and Moose Mountain General Store.
Community “judges” can make their picks for top scarecrows and return the judging maps to those locations.
Winners will be announced Oct. 11 when Hemmett will pin the first place ribbons on the top creations in each category.
Brooke Sabourin, Bragg Creek Community Centre facility manager, said she and her staff are up for the challenge and are going to compete in the multiple scarecrow categories by creating a skating scene to be placed in the community centre rink for tourists to see as they drive north on Highway 22.
“We’re in it to win it,” said Sabourin. “The festival is a fun way for local business owners and residents to come together as they try to recuperate from the summer’s events and gives tourists another reason to come out and check out what our community has to offer.”
Hemmett, who owns My Favorite Store, began organizing the festival in April to support the business community in Bragg Creek and she said many of the hamlet’s business owners, as well as Bragg Creek and Redwood Meadows residents, are going to participate.
Banded Peak School and Easter Seals Camp Horizon are also participating.
Anna Garcia, director of Operations at Easter Seals Camp Horizon, said her staff and her campers, who are children with special needs, would make scarecrows throughout October. Their creations will be for sale through the Bragg Creek Community Centre to support her organization.
“We’re excited to be part of this great local festival that is celebrating our community,” said Garcia.
Hemmett said she plans to continue the festival next year.
“I hope it becomes an annual tradition that continues to grow.”
For more information visit facebook.com/Braggscarecrows
