Pendleton Scarecrows Deck the Town for Fall Festival
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
The scarecrows are up in Pendleton as heralds of the new season to announce the upcoming Fall Harvest Festival set for Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The scarecrows are also decked out to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, dressed and arranged around town in red, white and blue.
“It’s been really fun to see all the red, white and blue around town,” said Lindsey Watley, Pendleton’s community engagement manager.
The annual competition is just the opening act for Pendleton’s Fall Festival, which will fill the Village Green and surrounding downtown Saturday. Approximately 100 craft vendors are expected, along with food trucks, food vendors, live music, community performances and an expanded emphasis on making art rather than merely looking at it.
The scarecrows offer businesses, nonprofits, neighborhoods and individuals a chance to contribute something of their own before the festival tents go up. Participants register with the town and create displays around a shared theme. Visitors can vote online and suggest themes for future competitions — a small act of public participation with consequences that may eventually appear on a street corner.
For Saturday’s festival, Pendleton is giving visitors more opportunities to become participants.
Two demonstration areas will feature artists working in different media. On the Village Green, an art tent will house a community project built around a 4-foot-by-4-foot canvas and three smaller canvases. Visitors will be invited to contribute to the work, which is intended for display at Town Hall.
“We’re going to work as a community to build that beautiful art piece,” Watley said.
The resulting artwork will carry a record of the day into a building where the town conducts its less festive business.
The art store Michaels will provide fall-themed craft activities beneath the tent for children, families and adults throughout the day. A separate children’s zone will add to the festival’s offerings.
The performance schedule will include live bands and other artists, as well as local dance and martial arts groups. Together with the craft booths and food vendors, the program is designed to make the Green a place where visitors can spend an afternoon rather than simply make a circuit of the tents.
Vendor setup will begin Friday, Oct. 9, when downtown road closures will start.
The festival is scheduled to proceed rain or shine, although organizers may close early if weather requires it. The town will post updates on Facebook and on its website, where a banner provides information about both the festival and the scarecrow competition, including online voting.
Pendleton’s next fall gathering is planned for Oct. 29, when the Pendleton Area Business Association will hold trick-or-treating on the Square. A community screening of “Hocus Pocus 2” at Heritage Park will follow, adding a movie to the town’s Halloween programming.
The screening is being organized by the town in partnership with its local historical foundations. Further event details are still to come.
