Registration is open until Sept. 23 for both competitions.
Project Scare-A-Crow allows entrants to create a unique scarecrow that will hang in National Road Commons Park from Oct. 3-24 with this year’s theme Folklore and Fantasy: Legendary Creatures.
“We felt the theme would allow participants to use their imaginations and this encourages ingenuity,” said Kristi Limes, Project Jericho success coordinator. “We also loved the connection these creatures have with culture and storytelling.”
People passing by the park can spot Big Foot, or at least the scarecrow version of him, to promote the contest. As always, the public is invited to vote for their favorite scarecrows.
The contest has come a long way in that Project Jericho families did the entire display and in 2016 added businesses and organizations in a competition. It has since expanded again to include other families and individuals.
“We hope that some of the families who have voted over the years for their favorite scarecrow will be inspired to create their own this year,” said Limes.
ChalkFest will be 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and offer amateur artists of all ages the chance to put their skills on display. Spots are limited and this year’s categories are Folklore & Fantasy: Legendary Creatures, Spooky Season and original artwork.
Project Jericho has sought feedback from competitors and attendees to build on the family-friendly event and make it more accessible and exciting according to Erin Ellis, Project Jericho outreach specialist.
This means a new categories has been added to the competition: for teens ages 13-17, which along with the ages 12-under category, introduced in 2022, allows artists of all ages and skillsets to be celebrated, Ellis said.
There will also be new food trucks, live music from local funk band Larry Humphrey and Friends and a host of free activities such as art projects, balloon animals, face painting and caricature drawings. Admission is free.
Ellis said there are some families that have attended every ChalkFest since 2017 and become an autumn ritual.
“The heart of ChalkFest has always centered on simply bringing the community together to celebrate the arts and create culture,” said Ellis. “We hope that it will continue to be a staple of the fall season in downtown Springfield so that families can lean on this to create their own fall traditions.”
MORE DETAILS
Rules and information on entering the contests and how to vote on the scarecrows are available at ntprd.org.
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