Eureka, MO — Dogs and mice and mermaids, oh my! The family-friendly Eureka Scarecrow Festival is sure to bring smiles to the kids’ faces and you get to vote on your favorite part.
The best part? It's free and happening right now in Eureka.
Some are hairy, some are a little scary. A cast of homemade characters welcome you at every almost turn.
There's plenty for 8-year-old Abby Webster and her mom, Dawna to see in old town Eureka.
“It's the Little Mermaid,” Abby said with a smile as she looked up at a stuffed version of the red-haired movie character.
The stuffed strawmen gave the Websters a little spook when they got into town to visit family.
“We saw the first one when we were pulling into my sister-in-law's neighborhood. And at first, I thought someone was standing there. And then I was like ‘oh, it's a scarecrow.’”
Scarecrows like Finley the Fox, dressed in a shimmering green tuxedo and top hat, decorate the streets in town quite nicely.
“We kind of modeled it after my grandpa's dapper Irish style,” said Casey O’Dell, manager of O’Dell’s Irish Pub on South Central Avenue.
Finley and his fellow creations are competing for best in show. Visitors can click here to vote on their favorites.
“It's not fierce, it's friendly. It's a lot of fun,” said O’Dell. “The most important part is seeing the smiles on the faces of kids who come through.”
It's a Eureka tradition that's been catching on for the last four or five years.
“When we first started there were only a few scarecrows out here. Now they’re all over town. At the parks, in neighborhoods, along the outer road,” said O’Dell.
And the Websters said it's something they won't soon forget.
“It's a unique way of decorating for fall, yes” said Dawna.
The festival runs through Halloween and there are activities every weekend. So, come out, have some fun and don't forget to cast your vote for the best scarecrow.
