GLOCESTER – From life-saving straw men dressed as firefighter/EMTs, to a pumpkin-headed Mr. Monopoly carrying a bag of cash, the Glocester Scarecrow Festival showcased the diverse talents of the creators; local businesses, organizations and area residents, when it kicked off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The event was set to continue until 5 p.m., with visitors strolling the village to check out the many creations. In addition to the “scarecrows” – a term loosely interpreted by organizers of the annual contest – the festival features live music, food trucks, demonstrations, vendors and activities throughout the day.
A couple in their 80s, local resident Bev Daignault and her fiancé Bobby Shaw of Providence were kidding around while taking in the scarecrow displays and stopped at the giant reddish octopus.
Daignault said the festival has “something for everyone” including food and apple cider, as well as a monstrous – but maybe friendly – sea animal scarecrow created by Assados restaurant.
Her fiancé came from the city where, he said, there is nothing like the scarecrow festival.
Michaela Frederickson said such events make Glocester “a fun small town.”
“You feel like you’re in a movie,” said Frederickson, comparing the event to something one might see on the Hallmark channel, while putting final touches on her scarecrow of Ursila. “It’s amazing and I love it.”
All eyes were on the scarecrows in Chepachet – and plenty were also attracted to the display of an actual police car with flashing lights, as two scarecrow criminals were up against the vehicle, under arrest by a scarecrow police officer.
Glocester Officer Andrew Uriati was keeping an eye on the scarecrows and also watching over K9 Tate, the department’s narcotics and tracking dog.
“The Scarecrow Festival gets a lot of people to Glocester,” said Urati, who noted the foot traffic is good for the town and benefits the police canine program through the sale of jams. “We Be Jammin” sells for $10 a jar and supports the Tate Fund.
Another eye-catching display was a tableaux of a Colonial American encampment. Partly in preparing for the nation’s 250 birthday coming up next year, the town’s Gloucester Light Infantry was attired in uniforms or other costumes of the era and greeting the public at their tent, beside a cannon, and two colonial uniformed scarecrows.
Col. Joshua Heywood said he encourages those with “love for history, the United States, patriotic people” to get involved.
Gloucester Light Infantry member Mike Giangiulio, a relative newcomer to RI having moved here a few years ago from Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and Delaware, said he was so impressed with the group when meeting them for the first time last year at the scarecrow festival that he joined.
In front of the Kent Pavilion full of vendors, Lew Pryeor was costumed like a scarecrow, with the scarecrows in his display representing Friends Helping Friends, an organization through which he and others provide food and clothing for those in need.
“My husband and grandson pass out food, and now more people are getting involved,” said Pryeor, who seemed surprised that Rhode Islanders are generously helping by donating and volunteering. “The response we get is crazy.”
For example, Pryeor noted that some vendors and volunteers from the largely rained out Scituate Arts Festival of the previous weekend brought donations to him. At Scarecrow Festival time, Pryeor unexpectedly received twelve bags of donated clothes.
Local Dave DeCost and his one year old child Winona seemed all smiles perusing the scarecrow displays. He called the festival “a great thing for the town that gets people out here at the right time of year, cool weather.”
The festival benefits small businesses, and emphasizes that small town “vibe,” said another man from the area, Jon Dupre, who was walking with DeCost and enjoying the family-oriented festival that he said “puts Glocester on the map.”
Along the route were face and pumpkin painting, dancing, a petting zoo, and other attractions including music.
Singer Lainey Dionne entertained the crowd performing among her repertoire at least one song she herself had penned, as appreciative listeners dropped money into her suitcase “tip jar.”
The Glocester Scarecrow Festival was established 2017 by Mark Rechter, Chepachet Grange #38, and the Glocester Libraries, and later Friendship Masonic Lodge #7 gave support.
Among the dozens of sponsors of this year’s festival were Chepachet Village Wine & Spirits, Dino’s, Mind Your Dog, Aegean Pizza, Barnes Concrete, Assados, Mulberry Vineyards, Trish Hampton, J.R. Vinagro, Echo Septic Services, Complete Concrete Cutting and Navigant Credit Union.
More than 40 vendors were along the route along including food trucks. Food bank donation drop-offs were at Chepachet Fire Department, which offered clam cakes and chowder, and the Friendship Lodge served up Friendship Fries, as well as offering festival t-shirts.
Night fell and the Monopoly man, the Bob Ross scarecrow, the scarecrow representing Jesus Christ and all the others stayed on the street in Chepachet, where they will remain for the next couple of weeks.
