Canby has a reputation of being friendly toward all, whether ye be man or beast. But come October, if you happen to be a crow — you’re going to want to stay away from downtown Canby.
That’s because the popular annual scarecrow contest is back for its fourth year — and organizer Shannon Allee, of Hot Rod Dreamworks, says it’s going to be bigger and better than ever.
“I think it’ll be bigger because I just announced and already have six entries signed up,” Allee explained Wednesday afternoon. “It’s also because it’s now the fourth year and people have really started to see the positive impact it’s had on the community. And I think businesses are actually excited to do something —especially since we’re in year 2 of Covid.”
Allee has never exactly had trouble finding businesses and other organizations to participate in the annual contest.
The entries are often extremely creative, with participants often seeking to capture some unique aspect of their business, like literary characters from The Book Nook, or this unfortunate fellow made by the Millar’s Point S Tire & Auto crew in 2019.
Allee admits she’s not exactly sure why the scarecrow competition and its sister snowmen contest (which is also returning this December) have so charmed the Canby community.
“I honestly never expected the contests to take off like they did,” she said. “But I think people like getting to do something creative that brings people out and about. I love that it brings smiles to people’s faces, and I think businesses like participating in something that’s just simple and fun without costing them a lot of money!
“And it makes downtown so festive,” she continued, then added with a chuckle, “though I guess it can be a little creepy at night.”
This year’s contest will likely feature between 30 and 35 entries. The snowmen showdown tends to be a little smaller, likely due to businesses being busier during the Christmas holiday season.
The contest is open to all businesses, organizations, schools and clubs, and there is no cost of entry. The deadline to register is Sept. 30.
Three winners are chosen by online voting, which will be open Oct. 18 through Halloween. For more information, ore to register, visit www.hotroddreamworks.com/Contest.aspx.
“I would love to have so many that I run out of spots!” Allee told The Canby Current. “How awesome would that be?”