COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Colusa businesses and organizations that participated in the 2023 Scarecrow Contest out did themselves this year.
The contest, hosted for the first time by Stagehands Theater, was an opportunity for businesses not only to be involved in the community but to showcase their creativity and bring people together to enjoy the festive spirit of fall.
Thomas Roach, a member of the Stagehands Board of Directors, said the competition was fierce this year, which made narrowing the field down to three winners difficult.
“There was a sense of competition early,” said Roach said. “Everyone thought they had the best one.”
Of the 22 entries, the judges selected the “beauty of a scarecrow” at Richie’s Florists as the winner.
Thomas described the creation as a work of art by a master artist.
“It was spectacular,” Roach said.
was announced on Oct. 28 by The Stagehands Board of Directors.
The Colusa County District Attorney’s Office scarecrow came in second, and the Board of Supervisors, with a scarecrow replica of themselves, finished third.
Thomas said the top three winners received cash prizes, but the entries were so good this year that, ultimately, it was a contest for third place, which he said started out as a 12-way tie.
“It was almost an impossibility to pick third place,” Thomas said.
The Colusa Scarecrow Contest was originally a countywide competition started by the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce, organized by then Chamber Director Stephanie Ponciano.
After the Chamber discontinued the contest, Ponciano reorganized it this year as a Colusa contest.
“Stephanie did a phenomenal job of getting businesses to participate,” Roach said.
Most of the scarecrows were located on the main thoroughfare and the downtown.
“The main thing, when it started out, was to promote local businesses,” Roach said. ‘We have an immense amount of traffic, and it makes people stop and look. We are lucky, too, that we have so many people in our community that want to participate. It was fun. People really had an attitude this year…they wanted to win.”