Registration is now open for Park City’s annual Scarecrow Festival that will be held on Oct. 5 at McPolin Farm. The event will feature pumpkin painting, face painting, cider, cookies and live music. Credit: Courtesy of Friends of the McPolin FarmPark City’s annual Scarecrow Festival is a sure sign that autumn is on the way.The tradition, hosted by the Friends of the McPolin Farm, is scheduled to run from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the farm, said friends member Insa Riepen.“We will have scarecrow making, face painting, pumpkin painting, cookies, cider and live music from the Iron Canyons Echoes Band,” she said. “They are like our own house band, and they not only play at the Scarecrow Festival, they also play when we do our barn tours. They are wonderful.”The public can choose between two different Scarecrow Festival tickets, which are available by visiting tinyurl.com/nvhcf5f6. Event tickets are $45 for a group of four, and a non-event ticket is $25.“Event tickets include admission to the event, a scarecrow packet that includes a support, name tag, straw and corn stalks, so all you need to do is bring your own costumes to dress your scarecrows,” Riepen said. “They can pick those up from me on the day of the event at the farm and then put their scarecrows together.”The non-event ticket holders can pick up their packets at City Hall, 445 Marsac Ave., according to Riepen.“Non-event ticket holders will receive a support and a display packet, and they can make their scarecrows at home,” she said.Event-ticket holders will be able to set up their scarecrows along the McPolin Farm Trail that day, and non-event ticket holders can put up their creations a day later, or whenever they finish putting their scarecrows together, Riepen said.“We have a total of 50 scarecrow packets available,” Riepen said.The public can create their own scarecrows during Park City’s annual Scarecrow Festival on Oct. 5. Credit: Courtesy of Friends of McPolin FarmAll tickets must be purchased in advance, and the tickets are non-refundable. Families and individuals can name their scarecrows and put their names on tags to show who made them, but there are some restrictions, Riepen said.“We ask that there will be no commercial advertising whatsoever, and scarecrows may be attached with twine only,” she said. “No nails, glue or staple guns will be allowed.”The scarecrows will adorn the trail through Oct. 28, so families can pick them up and display them in their yards for Halloween, Riepen said.“The scarecrows that are not picked up will be recycled,” she said.Throughout the years, many Parkites have turned the Scarecrow Festival into an annual tradition, Riepen said. “We have a lot of repeat offenders,” she said with a laugh. “They know what they’re doing, and we love it.”Scarecrows have a history that reaches back to ancient Egypt, Riepen said.They were originally created to protect crops from birds and other animals, but have, over the years, transitioned into art installations and fodder for horror films and other spooky traditions, she said.“Scarecrows have been around for quite a long time,” she said.Holding the festival at the McPolin Farm is part of the mission of Friends of the Farm, which takes care of the property and raises awareness of the historical site, Riepen said.“The area we know as the McPolin Farm was originally part of the summering grounds of the Goshute, Shoshone and Ute peoples,” she said.In 1866, the Harrison McLane family homesteaded the area, about 160 acres, and Daniel and Isabelle McPolin purchased 80 acres from the McLane estate in 1897 to raise cattle and hogs to provide meat for Park City’s miner population, according to historical documents.In 1901 the McPolins purchased the remaining 80 acres, and from 1918-1920, the family transitioned to dairy farming.Pumpkin painting is one of the activities included when people purchase Scarecrow Festival event tickets. Non-event tickets are also available for those who just want to make scarecrows. Credit: Park Record file photo by Tanzi Propst“The interesting thing about the barn is that it was built from salvaged mine wood and put together without nails or bolts,” Riepen said.In 1947 the farm was sold to D.A. Osguthorpe, who added a fully automated milking parlor, and in 1990, Park City purchased the farm from the Osguthorpes for $4.4 million, according to Riepen.Park City Municipal completed a full renovation of the farm in 2017, which permitted tours and other events such as the Scarecrow Festival, she said.Since there is limited parking at McPolin Farm and no parking on S.R. 224, Riepen asks Scarecrow Festival goers to take advantage of public transit, ride bicycles or organize ways to be dropped off.“Some people get dropped off, and they are smart because they have carts or wagons that contain all of the stuff for their scarecrows — clothing, shoes, heads and all of that,” she said.The festival will be held rain or shine, Riepen said.“So, we hope people will dress accordingly,” she said. “We also ask everyone to leave their dogs at home.”Scarecrow FestivalWhen: 2-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5 Where: McPolin Farm, 3000 S.R. 224 Cost: $25 and $45 Registration: tinyurl.com/nvhcf5f6 Email: [email protected] post Scarecrow Festival paves a path to Halloween appeared first on Park Record.