SEBASTIAN — Lined up along a fence, seven scarecrows stood watch, waiting for the judges to deliberate and choose the winner at LaPorte Farms.
The contestants’ entries ranged from a cute, perfect scarecrow to an oversized behemoth with two bloodied owls perched atop its shoulders.
The scarecrow was enough it scare at least one young boy while his mom tried to get him to take a photo near it.
“We’ve got some good ones,” judge Commissioner Joe Flescher said while walking the line to determine a winner.
He and Tanya Goldsmith with Jim Sunnycalb served as the three judges to decide the top three scarecrows.
Work involved, creativity and scare value were among the judging criteria.
“This was a tough decision folks,” Flescher announced to a crowd of more than 100.
In third was the Sebastian River High School’s entry – a traditional take on a scarecrow with a bit of a twist. The head was made of what appeared to be dodgeball with a scary face drawn on.
The second place finisher was Sebastian Fishin’ Chics with “Sally the Scarecrow” – a pink-overalled scarecrow with a fish for a head.
But the top prize went to the Kulynych family for what Flescher called “the goriest” scarecrow.
The scarecrow looked like it could have walked right out of a horror movie director’s nightmare, with snakes oozing out the eyes, mouth and gut.
Black horns adorned the top of the head, while the owls roost on the outstretched arms.
“We worked really hard on that,” Sarah Kulynych said of their family’s scarecrow, noting it took them about three days to pull together.
She said that nothing but her “crazy imagination” served as the inspiration for the scarecrow.
Eight-year-old Aiden Kulynych said he thought the scarecrow was cool and that he helped stuff it with hay.
“Sally” the Sebastian Fishin’ Chics scarecrow was the brainchild of Donna Maness, who said she had this vision of a scarecrow with a fish for its head and in overalls.
“We just rolled with it,” she said.
“A little bit classy,” said the organization’s president, Nan Burke.
“A little bit sassy,” Maness finished the group’s motto.
Grandma Omi Kidd represented for her grandsons’ scarecrows after they became tired and were sent home for their nap.
Rylan, 2 1/2, and Rylee, 1 1/2, dressed their scarecrows as their Halloween characters, Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper.
“That’s boys,” Kidd said.
Laura LaPorte appeared happy with her annual Fall Festival and first ever Scarecrow Contest.
“There are a lot of smilin’ faces here today,” she said. “It’s awesome.”
Next year, she hopes to have even more scarecrows entered into the contest so she can stake them around the farm.
“This just keeps growing and getting better,” LaPorte said.
{igallery 280}
