COVINGTON, Ga. - During the month of October, downtown Covington will be filled with scarecrows as the first-ever Scarecrow Contest and Showcase, spearheaded by the Main Street Covington office, takes shape.
The contest is open to all individuals/families, civic clubs, non-profit organizations, schools, churches, clubs, businesses and governments.
Participants must pre-register no later than Sept. 23 and entry forms can be submitted in person or mailed to Main Street Covington, at 2102 Clark St., Covington, GA 30014.
“It's only $25 to enter the contest,” Main Street Director Lauren Singleton said. “Contestants can pick up a registration packet at the Visitor Information Center or they can go online to https://downtowncovington.wixsite.com/scarecrows. Contestants can fill out the entry form and mail it along with the entry fee the Main Street office or they can drop it off at the Visitor Information Center.”
Once registered, set-up dates for the contest are Sept. 25 through Sept. 30. Participants will check in between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center before setting up to obtain their location and sign. Scarecrows must remain on display during the entire month of October. Removal dates are Nov. 1 through Nov. 3.
Prizes in the contest are broken down into two categories: non-business and business.
Non-business prizes are as follows:
• $750 cash – first place
• $500 cash – second place
• $250 cash – third place
Business prizes are as follows:
• $1,800 in advertising with Alcovy Media ($1,500) and The Covington News (300) – first place
• $1150 in advertising with Alcovy Media ($1,000) and The Covington News ($150) – second place
• $599 in Advertising with Alcovy Media ($500) and The Covington News ($99) – third place
Voting will be conducted at the Visitor Information Center and at participating merchants and restaurants during normal business hours. Only one vote per location is permitted. Winners will be announced via Facebook Live on Oct. 31.
Singleton recommends being creative when building the perfect scarecrow.
“The more creative you are, the bigger chance you have to win,” she said. “I've seen scarecrows that were animated, that lit up and that even spoke. But contests also need to make sure to adhere to the official contest guidelines.”
Singleton said she knew she had to do a scarecrow contest as soon as she accepted her position as Main Street Director in May of this year.
“I've seen them done in similar cities, and I've actually run a Scarecrow Contest in a previous job,” she said. “I looked at the Main Street calendar of events and saw that there wasn't much going on between 4th of July and Christmas. The Scarecrow Contest is a perfect fit.”
