People and organisations across Sandwell are being encouraged to take part in the Big Sandwell Scarecrow Festival which runs for a week from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November.

There are lots of different ways for households, schools, businesses and community groups to take part in this fun half term event. Start by creating your own scarecrow and displaying it for others to find. There’s a ‘how to’ video on the festival website if you’ve never made a scarecrow before, plus a form to submit your scarecrow’s location and to enter it in the Best Scarecrow competition.

Once you’ve made your own stuffed creation, you can head out on a hunt to see how many others you can find, using the online map and sharing your photos on social media using the hashtag #SandwellScarecrows. Intrepid scarecrow hunters will also be able to download and print certificates of achievement.

The other way to take part is to vote for your favourite scarecrows via the Discover Sandwell Facebook page. Take your voting responsibility seriously – there are prizes up for grabs for the best scarecrow by an individual, school and organisation.

For updates, follow the Facebook event page or visit the Scarecrow Festival website. Entries must be submitted to the website by 5pm on Sunday 25 October.

To see what other Covid-safe events are going ahead in Sandwell this autumn, read this article.