Middletown scarecrow contest puts creativity, small-town feel on display

Oct. 16—Erin Swann and her 9-year-old son, Jack Swann, knew they were up against a field of wildly creative scarecrow designs. But the Middletown mother-son duo was confident.

"I put it as the first one," Jack said, pointing to his ballot to vote in the 15th annual Middletown Scarecrow Contest. He voted for his family's creation.

The Swanns entered a scarecrow for the first time. It was a gamer, controller in hand, decorated with designs from different video games and a sign that read "I want to be a YouTuber."

Their creation was one of roughly 60 scarecrows lining both sides of Main Street through downtown Middletown on Saturday.

"We put a lot of work into it, so it was nice to see it hung up with everybody else's," Erin Swann, 40, said. "It's just a fun annual tradition and really a sense of small-town community, which I love."

More than 200 people voted in the scarecrow contest, according to a Facebook post from the Middletown Arts and Activities Council.

The "Diver Dan" scarecrow by Zoe and Robin Maliszewskyj won first place for the family/individual category. "Wild Kids" by the Hartner, Montgomery, Taylor and Greenwood families won the Burgess' Choice award.

"Rainbow Fish" by Middletown Library/Friends of the Library won for the business/organization category. "Safety Sam" by the Middletown Volunteer Fire Department won the Burgess' Choice award.

The scarecrows will remain hanging until Nov. 1.

The Middletown Branch Library hosted two scarecrow-themed story times and crafting next door to the Middletown Municipal Center as part of the event.

The scarecrow contest is one of several events that the Middletown Arts and Activities Council hosts each year, including a Memorial Day summer kickoff and movie nights in the local park, said Jean LaPadula, a town commissioner and co-chair of the Arts and Activities Council.

The scarecrow contest is the town favorite, LaPadula said. It's certainly her favorite.

LaPadula said the scarecrow contest was lining Main Street when she drove her two young daughters to the town because she and her family were considering moving from Frederick. The ambiance was exactly what she was looking for.

"I moved here for this event," she said. "I was like, I love this town."

The town of Middletown pays for the Arts and Activities Council budget, and the scarecrow contest costs around $100 or $200, LaPadula said.

Beginning on the Monday following Middletown Heritage Day each year, people who want to submit a scarecrow for the contest stop by the Middletown Municipal Center to get a free scarecrow-making kit.

They get materials including a bag of straw, a wooden post and a Ziploc bag with instructions and contest rules.

The scarecrows are due two weeks later.

Families, individuals, businesses and organizations submit scarecrows, LaPadula said. The Arts and Activities Council distributes 65 kits on a first-come, first-served basis.

The kits go fast. Erin Swann said she didn't get to the Municipal Center in time to get a kit last year because they were all claimed within a few days.

"We made a point of getting in there to get our kit before they ran out this year," she said.

LaPadula said a handful of people who collect a kit don't enter, so the contest generally features 55 to 65 scarecrows.

"Folks really do an amazing job. I mean, they put a lot of work into their scarecrows," LaPadula said.

So much work, in fact, that LaPadula said people sometimes get attached to their creations and are hesitant to hand them off.

"It's like, 'I'll take care of it. I promise. It's OK, give it to me. I promise I'll take care of it,'" LaPadula said, chuckling. "It's really cute. People really get into it."

Others stop by to take in the scarecrows lining Main Street.

Dennis Diehl, who lives in Stevensville, Montana, was in town visiting his girlfriend.

Diehl, 74, grew up in Loudoun County, Virginia, and lived in Frederick roughly 25 years ago. He left for cheaper living, beautiful scenery, a smaller population and something new.

He's been to the Middletown scarecrow contest a few times before. He said Stevensville has one, too.

"These are a different variety, but they're just as cool," Diehl said of the Middletown scarecrows.

"It's fun to look at them and view them to see what people have done," Diehl said. "And plus, it's a beautiful day."

Follow Jack Hogan on Twitter: @jckhogan