Downtown Alpharetta will fill with at least 150 scarecrow installations when the 21st Annual Scarecrow Harvest opens Sunday, Oct. 4.
The free, month-long display runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, turning sidewalks and storefronts into a walking gallery of handmade scarecrows. The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, which organizes the event, says the harvest has drawn a Travel+Leisure nod as the best fall festival in Georgia.
This year brings two changes. Participants can now choose their preferred "patch" location on a first-come, first-served basis through an online application that opened Aug. 21. The event is also adding an interactive hunt element to encourage visitors to walk the full route. The Alpharetta CVB's event page calls it a Scavenger Hunt, while a separate Patch listing describes a Scarecrow Puzzle Hunt. Whether those are the same activity or two separate offerings has not been confirmed.
Visitors can vote for their favorite scarecrow. Judges will evaluate entries in mid-October across six categories: Laugh Out Loud Crow, Spookiest Crow, SchCOOLest Crow, Best in Show Crow, Celebrity Crow and Recycle Crow.
Any family-friendly design is welcome.
Winners will be announced at the 5th Annual Boo Bash, scheduled for 3–7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Wills Park Grove, 175 Roswell St. According to a Patch listing for the Boo Bash, Alpharetta Recreation, Parks and Cultural Services expects more than 2,000 families. The event also features trick-or-treating, carnival games and a dance party. Winning scarecrow builders earn first pick of prime patch locations the following year.
Upcoming
- Sunday, Oct. 4 — Scarecrow Harvest opens, downtown Alpharetta
- Mid-October — Scarecrow judging across six categories
- Saturday, Oct. 17, 3–7 p.m. — Boo Bash and Scarecrow Harvest Awards, Wills Park Grove, 175 Roswell St.
- Sunday, Nov. 1 — Scarecrow Harvest closes
