A Costa Mesa Park will be crow-free later this October, as hundreds of scarecrows will gather for an annual festival that dates back to the 1930s.
The Costa Mesa Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival will showcase creative scarecrows and also celebrate the autumn season with pumpkins, games for kids, and train rides.
Admission is free, and there is also no charge to register a scarecrow. The event is organized by Orange County Model Engineers Inc., which operates a model train and railroad at the festival location.
The Scarecrow Festival has a long tradition. The first festival happened in 1938. It ran every year but stopped when World War II started. The festival wasn’t rekindled until 2013, which coincided with the 60th anniversary of the founding of Costa Mesa. It was popular enough that it has become an annual event and has been expanded to two days.
Some scarecrows depict historical figures, others are ghoulish and created in the spirit of Halloween, and some are comical. They are created by residents, businesses, and organizations from the area, and there is a contest to determine the best scarecrow in a number of categories. There are also scarecrow making classes.
Events like these can be promoted in the community with poster printing and banner printing.
The Costa Mesa Scarecrow and Pumpkin Festival takes place Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. at Fairview Park Goat Hill Junction, 2500 Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa.
