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By Lynn J. Richardson

As October draws to a close, visitors to downtown Elizabethton have just a few more days to view an array of whimsical scarecrows dotting the sidewalks of Elk Avenue.

The annual Downtown Scarecrow competition, sponsored by Main Street Elizabethton, was a big success this year, says Director Courtney Bean.

“Sixteen downtown businesses participated, this year,” Bean said. “We invited the downtown community to set up decorative scarecrows throughout the month of October to engage the community and bring some festive fun and joy to the streets of downtown.

“Last year, all the voting was done in downtown restaurants,” Bean explained, “and in years before that we used judges. This year, for the first time, all judging was done by the public and we went fully online for voting, on the Downtown Elizabethton Facebook page. Each ‘like’ was a vote. We also put up signs next to each scarecrow with QR codes, asking people to scan and vote.” 

Voting was open from October 11-25, giving people a full two weeks to cast their votes. With all the tallies in, a total of 1,070 voters weighed in to choose their favorite scarecrow entries. 

And the winners are:

1st Place — Simple Blessings, 197 votes, “Pumpkin Wishes and Candy Corn Kisses” — Two little candy corn scarecrows, with friendly faces, and a pleasant little fall scene are on Elk Avenue ready for fall and adding some color to the downtown street.

2nd Place – Coffee Company, 164 votes, “Cartwheeling for Coffee” —Coffee Company’s entry featured a scarecrow girl with a pumpkin head — made from a trick-or-treat bucket — and overalls doing a cartwheel to celebrate fall and perhaps the thought of getting a great cup of coffee.

3rd Place – Eagle Center Co-Op, 114 votes, “Curly Sue” — Eagle Center Co-op’s entry featured a scarecrow woman whose head was made from a vintage wooden barrel. There are curlers in her hair, and she is decked out with lipstick, eyelashes and blush, as if she is getting ready to shop in downtown Elizabethton.

Bean said her hope is that the contest will draw people downtown to see all the entries, and says that seems to be happening quite a bit, as families are bringing their children down to make photos with the scarecrow displays and then posting them on social media.

“The beauty of social media is to show the community what is going on in Elizabethton and let them see what they are missing if they don’t come downtown,” Bean said.  “We are trying to create a warm and inviting environment, and through social media we are letting them know what wonderful things they can expect when they come downtown to visit us.”