Second annual Scarecrows in the Garden offers fun Saturday – LaGrange Daily News

Dozens of scarecrows, from fun and inspiring to scary and scary, and everything in between filled the Corso and Soil Community Garden on Saturday for the second annual Hogansville Active Life Scarecrows in the Garden Fall Festival.

The fall festival is sponsored by the Hogansville Regional Arts Association (HRAA), the Hogansville Active Life and Visit Hogansville.

This year’s event featured several live musical performances by local artists, including local favorites Eddie Bo Robinson, Nick Mayfield, Joel Taylor Murphy and Chattahoochee Rhythm Keepers.

The event started at 10:30 am Rev. Dr. Pam H. Long (Former Professor in AUM, Hispanic Ministry) who gives a short talk about the month of Hispanic Culture and the meaning of “Dias de Los Muertos” (the “Day of the Dead”) which is celebrated l ‘1 and 2 November. in Mexico and Latin America, as a traditional holiday that celebrates their dead loved ones.

The annual scarecrow contest and fall festival helps promote local organizations and nonprofits by allowing them to create unique scarecrows to display in the garden for Halloween. Organizations are encouraged to theme their scarecrows based on the services they offer.

It allows them some publicity to share what they’re doing and it also allows non-profits to do some “FUNraising,” Stephanie Culver said. Culver has helped organize the event in Hogansville since its inception.

The event also helps raise money to maintain the garden, Culver said.

Culver explained that nonprofits and businesses receive two benefits from their participation. It allows them to introduce themselves to the community and the services they offer and if they are creative enough, they can win a cash prize.

Eagle River Forge won first place with its “TINacious Slayer of Evil Pumpkins” scarecrow created by owner/metallurgist Mitch Kernodle and his assistant Leah Jeffrey.

Second place is gone The Grand Barber Barber Shoppe on Main Street created by Taylor Vold.

Middle Chattahoochee Sierra Club won third place with a recycling-inspired scarecrow created by Travis Towns. Towns is also a drummer with the Chattahoochee Rhythm Keepers who performed during the event.

The Sierra Club also won the Best Representation of the Organization award and the Grand Barber took home the Scariest and Funniest Scarecrow awards.

Culver said they are already working on the 2024 Scarecrows in the Garden, so join them next year for a fun, family-friendly day at the Heart & Soil garden.