The village of Minskip, near Boroughbridge, is holding its popular annual Scarecrow Competition on the weekend of September 2-3.
The competition, which has established a fine reputation during the past three years, sees almost the entire village making scarecrows which then line the main street in a blaze of colour throughout the weekend.
The competition will be judged by Radio York presenter Elly Fiorentini.
This year’s theme is 100 Years of Walt Disney.
One of the main organisers Debbie Hargreaves explained: “It’s absolutely wonderful how so many villagers have made scarecrows in the past and I expect the same this year. The competition has really caught the imagination of the village and the standard is incredibly high.
“It’s great fun and all proceeds from the competition go towards our lovely little church, which, like so many rural churches, is desperately in need of money.
“We can’t wait to see everyone’s Disney princes and princesses, cartoon characters and everything else Disney, all fighting it out to win our prestigious competition.
“Apart from raising money for the church, the Scarecrow Competition is a brilliant way of creating and enhancing community spirit within Minskip. We pride ourselves on being a friendly and welcoming village and this weekend is a great example of this,” said Debbie.
“The suggested entry fee is £10, but you can donate more or less than this. We are thrilled that BBC Radio York’s popular presenter Elly Fiorentini is this year’s judge and we are grateful to four Minskip businesses The Wild Swan public house and restaurant, Peacock Brothers, Minskip Garage and the Yolk Farm Shop for their generous support, together with Morrisons and the Crown Hotel of Boroughbridge.
The winners of the competition will be announced on Sunday afternoon (September 3) at 3.00pm in the garden in front of the church.
There will be a Pop-Up Barbecue, Pimms, Tea and Coffee, Tombola and various stalls from 12 noon to 4.00pm in the church garden on Sunday. Everyone is welcome. On Saturday, there will be a “mini shop” for refreshments in the church garden.
Debbie concluded: “I’m sure that this special weekend will mean that Minskip, once again, will be the talking point of the local area, cementing our reputation as the finest creators of scarecrows in the whole of North Yorkshire.”
Robert Beaumont, senior churchwarden of Minskip Church, added: “I’d like to thank Debbie and the rest of my church council team for all their hard work, enthusiasm and imagination in creating this fantastic weekend. It will raise much-needed money for our lovely little church.”
Previous Minskip Scarecrow Weekends have featured the Olympics, Nursery Rhymes and Pantomimes as themes.
For further information about the weekend, please contact Robert Beaumont on 01423 323139 or 07710 127713
