Cambria Scarecrow Festival will feature a new ‘Fun and Games’ display

CAMBRIA — From Oct. 1 through 31, over 200 creative and animated scarecrows will take over the coastal towns of Cambria and San Simeon for the yearly Cambria Scarecrow Festival. These handcrafted and whimsical figures will be found along the streets and in vacant areas, offering a delightful sight for both residents and tourists to enjoy at their own pace during the entire month.

While many newly created scarecrows will be out in 2024, past year’s creations and displays will also be reimagined and repurposed to keep it new and exciting.

“This year’s festival will feature a new ‘Fun and Games’ display, showcasing scarecrows playing popular games in an environment perfect for fun and photo ops. Additionally, attendees can look forward to a large area in town devoted to more traditional scarecrows,” said Patty Wallace Rixman, Cambria Scarecrow Festival president. “But they won’t just be standing there in a field … these scarecrows will be lively and full of personality.”

“Watch for a lot of new scarecrows,” she added. But she assures that “favorites like the CambrAliens, El Encanto andthe Cambria Scarecrow Academy — with a new twist — will be coming back. So if you missed them last year, make sure to check them out this October.”

All of these unique works of art are made by a group of talented and dedicated community members.

In 2009, the scarecrow festival made its debut with 30 scarecrows and has since grown from a weekend event at the Cambria Historical Museum to a month-long celebration. 

“The festival was created in response to a slow October for businesses in Cambria,” Festival Vice President Stephanie Vassigh explained. “Now, they are enjoying a nice increase in tourists during this time.”

Rixman, also in charge of the Friends of the Cambria Scarecrow Festival program, added, “Last year, we almost doubled our business participation. Donations of $100 or more include a free scarecrow for your business. Give over $300 and business donors will get a special shoutout during the festival on our social media pages. This presents a great opportunity for increased foot traffic during the festival.”

The grand finale of the Cambria Scarecrow Festival is a culinary extravaganza at Cambria Nursery and Florist on Oct. 26. Known as “The Salute to Scarecrows! A Starlit Celebration of Cambria,” this event will showcase delicious dishes and wines from a select group of Cambria’s restaurants and wineries. 

“Not only does this celebration support the Cambria Scarecrow Festival, a charitable organization, but it is also a highly popular event that sells out quickly,” stated Vassigh.

The Festival has garnered attention from various media outlets including Woman’s Day, New York Times, Los AngelesTimes, Chicago Tribune, ABCNews.com, and Huffington Post. The Travel Channel even recognized it as one of the top 10 scarecrow festivals in the U.S. and Canada and USAToday proclaimed it to be one of the top fall festivals in the U.S. worth traveling to.

“We are thrilled about this year’s festival in scarecrow-land,” exclaimed Rixman. “It truly embodies the artistic spirit of our community.”

For more information, go to CambriaScarecrows.com

Feature Image: A Wednesday Addams scarecrow is displayed at a previous Cambria Scarecrow Festival. Photo provided by Cambria Scarecrow Festival