SCARECROWS, as a general rule, have held a single pose for decades upon decades (or even centuries upon centuries, if you want to go back further). The crop-close figures were meant to send suspicious birdies off to another patch o' land, but, in time, scarecrows became a commonly seen domestic decoration, even in places far from fields brimming with bird-delectable vegetables. And the pose typically held by the scarecrow of yore — standing straight up, with arms partially or fully outstretched — wasn't quite as necessary when a scarecrow was enlivening a front porch or yard with autumnal cheer. This transmogrification of the scarecrow, from upright sentry to a character that participates in a host of poses and scenarios, is very much on merry display in a few California towns each fall. These are the villages that hold scarecrow-themed contests and displays, and Cambria, that ocean-close charmer, is one of the best-known of the lively lot. The 2017 dates are coming up, and they're a snap to remember: Oct. 1 through 31. That's when the...
CAMBRIA SCARECROW FESTIVAL... returns, with "hundreds of scarecrows" in tow, scarecrows that are whimsical and funny and interesting and up to all sorts of high jinks. The festival, which has almost been around for a decade (one more year to go), is free to see, as the scarecrows may be found in front of businesses and other venues throughout town. There is a ticketed kick-off party, but if you're driving into town on a road trip on any October day, you can absolutely get your scarecrow on sans any admission-fee fuss. Eager to see the creativity that goes into these quintessentially October-ish icons? Check out what artists, locals, and everyone with a fun idea have put together in years gone by. The theme you see quite often? Action of sort, rather than a standing-still scarecrow, meaning we've definitely entered a new era for the classic, field-close figure.
