A host of scarecrows will help raise funds for St John's, Minskip, near Boroughbridge, on the weekend of August 31 and September 1.
The fun competition sees scarecrows line the main street in a blaze of colour throughout the weekend and this year’s theme is When I Grow Up, I Want To Be….and the winners will be picked by Radio York’s Elly Fiorentini.
One of the organisers Debbie Hargreaves explained: “As the main fundraiser for St John’s Church, the event has grown hugely since its inception four years ago. Winners will be announced in the church garden on the Sunday afternoon.
“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 in recent years of the village and the standard is incredibly high. It’s great fun and all proceeds from the competition go towards our little church, which, like so many rural churches, is desperately in need of money.
“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.
There will be delicious home-baked cakes and tea/coffee on offer on both days of the weekend (12-4pm) in the church garden, along with ice creams and hot dogs on Saturday. Then alongside the cakes, there will be ice creams, Pimms and a barbecue on Sunday (again 12-4pm). Other stalls on Sunday will include a tombola and a pre-loved stall.
The suggested entry fee is £10 and prizes have been donated by three Minskip businesses: The Wild Swan Inn, Peacock Brothers Haulage and Minskip Garage.
Robert Beaumont, churchwarden of St John’s, added: “I’d like to thank Debbie and her 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 and help to keep it as a vibrant part of our village community.”