CAPE MAY –Create your own scarecrow that will take up residence beside dozens of others along “Scarecrow Alley” this Halloween season, when the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., are transformed into a spectacle of scary and silly, all original, handmade specters, from Oct. 7 through Oct. 31.
The 8th Annual Scarecrow Contest sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is underway, and it’s time to rally friends, family, schoolmates and colleagues, or come up with your own idea, for creating a scarecrow. Registration is free. Register your entry and compete for prizes, with an overall prize of $200 earmarked for the People’s Choice Award given to the creator of the scarecrow that receives the most votes from visitors to the Estate.
Submit your registration form to Anna Marie Leeper at 609-884-5404 ext. 1-111 or aleeper@capemaymac.org. Contact Anna for more information. You can download an application form and rules from the Halloween page on MAC’s website at www.capemaymac.org. Go to Halloween Happenings/Scarecrow Alley.
The deadline to submit the completed registration form is Oct. 6. Participants choose to register in one of five categories: (1) Individuals or Families, (2) Businesses (3) Non-profit, Church, Club, or Scout Troop, (4) School Class or (5) Munchkin (Children ages 3-10). MAC will have straw and wooden cross stakes available for registrants, if needed, (small stakes available in the Munchkin category), which can be picked up at the Maintenance Barn on the Estate between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., You may pick up cross stakes and hay from Sept. 23 through Oct. 6 at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street, Cape May. All entrants receive a 4-feet-by-4-feet area to decorate, and larger spaces are available upon request. Multiple scarecrows, whimsical characters and miscellaneous props may be displayed. Scarecrows may reflect a special theme or promote your organization or business. Scarecrows may be dropped off the week of Oct. 3 through Oct. 6, between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All entries will be displayed from Oct. 7 through Oct. 30.
MAC will create signs for your scarecrow display that include your Scarecrow’s name, your name, business, school, organization or affiliation.
Visitors to the Physick Estate will be encouraged to vote for their favorite scarecrow by filling out a ballot in the Carriage House from Oct. 7 through Oct. 30. Friends and family members are encouraged to visit the Estate and vote for their favorites.
Winners will be notified Oct. 31. Prizes include a People’s Choice Award of $200 for the scarecrow with the most votes, $100 in the individual/family category, a display ad on MAC’s Web site in the business category, and a pizza party for the winning non-profit, community or scout group, the winning school group and the winning “munchkin” entry and 10 of his or her friends.
Here are some tips and guidelines for making your scarecrow:
- Scarecrows must be constructed to withstand severe wind and rainy weather conditions.
- Use care in choosing your materials. All decorations must be firmly attached to your scarecrow/display.
- Use staple guns, fishing line or string to secure your scarecrow.
- We recommend hay and do not recommend newspaper to stuff your scarecrow. Wet hay gets heavy; we recommend stuffing the hay in plastic bags to help the scarecrow last.
- Scarecrows must be in good taste; scarecrows or displays reflecting controversial, social, religious or political opinions or statements will not be accepted.
Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org.
