The annual Burlington County Scarecrow Contest is ramping up this week.
Contestants will vie for prizes up to a $250 for first place and all participants will have their scarecrows on display at a central location at Smithville Park, a historic 340-acre county property in Easthampton.
The scarecrows will be on display beginning on Oct. 7 and park visitors will be able to vote online for their favorite. Winners will be announced during the Burlington County Parks System’s Autumn Lands Festival in Smithville Park on Nov. 2.
“It’s a fun tradition,” David Levinsky, a county spokesman, told NJ Advance Media this week. “It brings families, clubs and groups together.”
Levinsky did not immediately know how many years the annual contest has occurred, but suggested the origins could spring from the large agriculture footprint in the county. He said Burlington County, which stretches from a border with Pennsylvania to the Jersey Shore, has 6,300 acres of preserved farmland. Levinsky said that’s first in the state and seventh in the nation.
Farming has moved on from scarecrows to ward off birds but farm traditions still hold some lure in this county.
“The scarecrow contest is one of our longstanding Burlington County Parks events,” Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson said in a statement. “It brings together artists, families and organizations from across the county and provides them a showcase for their creativity and artistic talents.”
The registration deadline for the contest is Sept. 27.
Completed scarecrows must be mounted to light standards along Park Avenue in Smithville Park between Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. and should be made to withstand sun, wind and rain. Each scarecrow should also have a sign identifying the name of the entry, including name, group, business or club.
Voting will begin on Oct. 7 and continue until Nov. 2.
Scarecrows should be family-friendly and tasteful, officials said. Humorous, whimsical and spooky scarecrows are welcome, but political statements are not permitted.
Typical scarecrows begin with a 2-foot by 4-foot piece of lumber for the body and a dowel rod or broomstick for arms. They should not exceed 7 feet and props should not extend more than 3 feet on either side.
Smithville Park is located at 803 Smithville Road in Eastampton and includes the remains of the village of Smithville, a once thriving Victorian era industrial town where woodworking machines and the famed American Star Bicycle were manufactured.