2023-10-18
Annual scarecrow festival a big hit
STORIES AND PHOTOS BY KEVN MCBAIN
MAHONE BAY - The streets were bustling the last few weeks as people from across the province came to see the scarecrows scattered throughout the village during the popular Mahone Bay Scarecrow and Antiques Festival.
Many events were held for the young an old Sept. 23 through to Oct. 9 from colouring contests, scavenger hunt, Where's Waldo event, the Rum Runner's Ball production, food events and for the first time, the Nova Scotia Fruit Pie Baking contest held Sept. 30 at the Trinity United Church Hall.
The pie contest drew in 36 contestants who entered their baking in five categories.
Sylvia Jackson, president of the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival said the event went really smooth.
"You get a little nervous when planning a big event like this, but it was really wonderful. It was so much fun and things went smooth," she said. The pies were being judged while people were enjoying the church's baked beans and brown bread luncheon. Both the luncheon food and the pies sold out.
"So many people came out to support the church and the festival. It was a great two-fer. It was just perfect."
Winners of the contest were: Best in Show: Lisa Rhuland with her paper bag apple pie. Best Apple Pie: 1. Ann Byford, 2. Bonnie Zinck and 3. Joan Savory. Best Blueberry Pie: 1. Ceilidh Smith, 2. Cheryl Dyer, 3. Lindsay Brunt. Best Strawberry Pie: 1. Alice Craig. Best Tree Fruit Pie: 1. Sandy Barney, 2. Norah Adams, 3. Melanie Rush. Best Fall Harvest Pie: 1. Karen Dyke, 2. Kiri Laing, 3. Dawn Smeaton.
Celebrity judges were Mahone Bay's Jennah Barry, Mike Bishop and Halifax's Sachin Seth. Five prizes of $100 (winners of each category) and a top prize of $500 went to the best in show winner.
The scarecrows, numbering about 200, themselves are always a big hit with young and old getting their photos taken with them. A popular one this year was...a deer.
"We have a deer who sits in a chair and he has a real casual stance the way he is sitting. We put him across the street from the Irving at a table and every time I drove by there, there was someone sitting with him," said Jackson. "The best was, one day I saw a guy sitting with an open laptop and a coffee sitting facing each other. It was so perfect. I think he made a fine companion."
Planning has already started for next year's event and Jackson "is so excited for next year." She says they hope to build on some of the scarecrows they already have by making bigger vignettes.
However, next up for Mahone Bay is the Father Christmas Festival set for Nov. 24 to Dec. 24. Jackson describes it as being the same as the scarecrow festival, but instead with Father Christmases scattered all over town. This year, organizers are going to add an Elf on the Shelf contest, with the elf moving around town, making stops in various shop windows.
