Gladstone’s Scarecrow Festival celebrates 25 years of scares next month.
Started in 1999 by the Gladstone Promotion Group [now the Gladstone Project] to attract people to the region, it has grown to become a firm fixture in the rural calendar.
It draws wild, weird and huge scarecrow entries each year, and this year will be no exception.
Gladstone Primary School students got the drive underway last week, working hard with parents and teachers to create a crowd of “creepy effigies which are now on display on the school fence”, Louise Thompson, a parent with children at the school, said.
The inaugural event saw more than 250 scarecrows across farms, gardens and gateways in the district.
Greg Lang, chair of the Gladstone Project, hopes to top that number this year.
“It’s always thrilling when a new scarecrow pops up overnight. The community really gets behind this and they throw everything at it,” he said.
“Gladstone is a small but mighty district in a major farming region and we want to showcase the creativity of our community, and to give them something fun to look forward to each year.”
The theme this year is ‘tradition’, “a suitable nod to the great farming tradition of designing a scary effigy to ward predators away from precious crops”, Lang said.
“Scarecrows will soon be seen popping up in paddocks and gateways around the region,” Thompson said.
“The drive is mapped out for fans to take a road trip through the countryside to see them.”
In previous years, scarecrows have included flying pigs, witches on broomsticks, E.T., a rocket ship to the moon, and, in 2017, a kiwi sporting a pair of Red Bands gumboots.
The festival is the major annual fundraiser for the school, principal Belinda Bunny said.
“A massive amount of work goes into organising what has become a much-anticipated community event that draws thousands. So many of our extended whānau travel far and wide to get behind the event.
“The day creates so many connections and we are always blown away by the support offered by so many local people and business groups.”
As well as scarecrows, the festival features food, stalls and games.
“The plant stall and school-run restaurant are famous locally and sell out quickly,” Thompson said. “There will be attractions for all ages, including cow-pat bingo, cake stalls, bouncy castles, face painting and pony rides.”
“It’s a great opportunity to get ahead of Christmas shopping,” Bunny said, with brands such as Charlie Road, the Wee Red Barn and MeloYelo ebikes taking part.
The Scarecrow Drive is throughout October to November 11 in Gladstone. Scarecrows Big Day Out, November 11, 2023, 9.30am-2pm.
