| Scarecrow contest new event
at fair
By Elane Dickenson of the Wallowa County Chieftain
The upcoming Wallowa County Fair (Aug. 2-9) is introducing a variety of new events to increase community participation this year, especially in the open class fair, and one of them is billed as the “First Annual Scarecrow Contest.” Residents are invited to pluck their old straw guardians from the garden or create brand new scarecrows just for the fair. Just to make the event enticing, in both the youth and adult divisions $50 will be awarded to best scarecrow entry, with $30 going to second place and $20 for third for the ‘crows judged to show the most originality, creativity and craftsmanship. “County Fair – A Slice of Life” is this year’s fair theme and scarecrow makers may want to use that theme as an inspiration. Speaking of “slice,” another new contest this year is the Watermelon Seed Spit-Off, scheduled to take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 near the food booth. How to make a scarecrow Straw Scarecrow Cyndy shares these suggestions for creating a scarecrow stuffed with straw. Materials Needed: * Straw
Instructions: Spread the plastic cloth on the ground. Break up the bale of straw. I do this before the children arrive. It helps keep the straw from becoming part of the yard. Tie the end of each sleeve, the bottom of the waist band and both legs with twine. This will help to keep the straw in the clothing. Have the children stuff straw into their clothing. When each article is stuffed, I use safety pins to attach the shirt and pants together. We make a ball with the straw and stuff the panty hose top to make the head. You can use markers, paper, or squiggly eyes for the eyes. I buy extra bales of straw and sit them on my porch until the parents arrive to pick up their children. This has been a hit with my parents they love it. Most keep them from year to year. © 2003 Wallowa County Chieftain |
