Downtown Farmington Scarecrow Contest Goes Back to the '50s

Scarecrow builders should prepare to go back to the 1950s for the 8th Annual Scarecrow Stroll and Contest, held in downtown Farmington this fall. 

Scarecrow builders participating in this year’s contest will be asked to create a scarecrow reflecting the decade of the 1950s and its diverse culture, which helped create today’s modern America.

There are plenty of inspiring themes from that decade:

Heavily influenced by mass media, the 1950s saw the start of the Beat Generation movement. “Beatniks” believed in the philosophy of anti-materialism and soul searching which influenced and gave birth to the 1960s Hippie movement. 

The 1950s also saw the beginning of the space race with the launch of Sputnik, the Cold War and the Korean War.

One of the most influential events in the Fifties was the birth of rock and roll. As the teen music of choice, stars such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis emerged as leading figures in the newly popular sound.

Popular television shows in ‘50s included I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Leave It to Beaver, Adventures of Superman, Abbott and Costello and The Lone Ranger. Movies featured some of the biggest stars in Hollywood history including James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. 

The contest is open to individuals and groups, with categories for children 11 and under, teens 12-17 years, adults 18 and older, and merchant/business. 

Entry forms can be downloaded at DowntownFarmington.org or picked up at the Harvest Moon ticket/information booth every Saturday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. during the Farmington Farmers and Artisans Market at the .  

Contest forms should be returned to the information booth or mailed to the DDA Office at 33316 Grand River Ave., Farmington, MI 48336 by Sept. 29, 2012. 

Completed scarecrows are to be submitted to the “Scare-Force” Committee by Oct. 6 at the Scarecrow Booth in Riley Park. Scarecrows will be tagged and put on display in Scarecrow Village for the week prior to the judging on Oct. 13. 

Winners will be announced at the Market at 1 p.m. on Oct. 13. Applicants wishing to have their scarecrow included as part of the Harvest Moon Festival decorations must submit their scarecrow by Sept. 22, 2012.  

For more information on the Scarecrow contest, call Penny Oglesby at 248-478-0078.  For more information on all of the events in downtown Farmington, visit DowntownFarmington.org or find us on Facebook

--from a Downtown Farmington Press Corps press release