Media Releases

Scarecrows supplying scary, spooky stroll through town

Some strange, scary, hair-raising creatures will be haunting the streets of Amherst during the month of October.

All without a brain, these spooky, funny, well-dressed scarecrows will be hanging out among the shops, restaurants, businesses and community groups participating in the town’s first ever Scarecrow Stroll.

“We’re inviting the public to take a stroll through town to view these one-of-a-kind scarecrows,” Cheryl Laliberté, the town’s community well-being manager, said.

“This is a great opportunity for entire families to participate in a great, safe family-friendly activity during the Halloween season.”

Along with the scarecrows, a playlist of seasonally appropriate songs will be played in Amherst’s downtown throughout the month.

Organizers are encouraging people to take selfies with their favourite scarecrow.

“They can post their selfies with the hashtag #2020amherstscarecrow for a chance to win a prize,” Laliberté said.

To aid folks on their stroll, the town has developed a map detailing the location of the scarecrows, which can be found at https://amherst.ca/events.html or on the town’s social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

There are 37 participating businesses and community groups participating in the stroll. Each will be competing for prizes in several categories such as best dressed, scariest, funniest, best overall and people’s choice.

The town will be posting pictures all of the scarecrows on the Amherst Recreation Department Facebook page. People can vote by commenting on the page, telling the town which scarecrow they believe is the best. The scarecrow with the largest number of votes will be declared the winner of the people’s choice award. The other categories will be judged by a panel of judges.

Developed by the town in conjunction with the businesses, the Scarecrow Stroll is an initiative to draw visitors and citizens to Amherst, Laliberté said.

“We also hope to make it an annual event and help put Amherst on the map as an October destination.”