John Coker had no idea that a family trip to Solvang, California during the fall of 2013 would plant the seed for a local Halloween tradition that’s now ten years in the making.
The retired dentist and Rappahannock Rotary Club member was walking through the downtown district of “the Danish Capital of America” with his wife when the pair stumbled upon scarecrows dressed and decorated differently outside the businesses. Coker had discovered participants in the Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest. That event first started in 2010 and has now expanded into five other townships and includes more than 100 participants each year.
Coker brought the scarecrow idea back as a souvenir and soon shared it with friends at the Rappahannock Rotary Club, as well as with Ann Grave, who was then serving as Executive Director with Fredericksburg Main Street. With their help and support from the Fredericksburg Police Department, Fredericksburg Parks, Recreation & Events, city staff and friends at Fredericksburg Parent and Family Magazine, the first Scarecrow Fest took place the following year in 2014.
The contest features four categories of scarecrows; Funniest, Spookiest, Most Historic and Best Use of Business Theme. Like the Santa Ynez Valley event, online and in-store voting begins October 1st and concludes on Halloween. The winner of each category, as well as Ultimate Scarecrow award, are announced at the Rappahannock Rotary Club’s November meeting the following week.
The month-long promotion launched with a fall-themed movie night in Hurkamp Park as well as a safe, supervised Treats On The Street trick-or-treating event the Saturday before Halloween with downtown businesses handing out the candy. After several successful years and steady increases in participation, organizers added a Scarecrow (now Family Costume) Stroll, which precedes Treats On The Street. That event begins at the VRE Parking Lot and concludes at Market Square after a costumed crawl down Caroline Street.
Coker’s fellow Rappahannock Rotary Club members also volunteer their time to assist in several ways; some decorate the downtown lamp posts and planters with scarecrows and straw while others serve as marshals for the Family Costume Stroll, where Coker himself wheels a wagoned scarecrow. Many pull double duty and do both. It’s also not uncommon to see a masked mayor and costumed city council members amongst the growing crowd each year.
“It’s hard to describe how it went from a small, downtown get-together to an even bigger downtown event with all the crafts and volunteers and sponsors…it’s grown beyond my expectations,” Coker says.
The Halloween celebrations haven’t been without hiccups.
In 2020, things shifted to a socially-distant Bats & Scarecrows event at the Fredericksburg Nationals stadium. That year included tables of candy spaced around the ballpark. Despite the circumstances, that event still gave away over 600 Halloween goodie bags and was able to provide families with a screening of “It’s a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on the baseball field.
This year, the city has added a Canal Quarter Walking Cat Tour and brought back its Haunted FXBGO! Bus, the latter of which is this Saturday during Treats On The Street. Nearly 40 participating around downtown Fredericksburg’s historic district are participating.
Coker singles out both Ann Glave and Fredericksburg Tourism Manager Danelle Rose for their help and support in organizing and promoting the event each year. He also thanked the 20 or so businesses that have participated in all ten Scarecrow Festivals and Treats On The Street events.
In addition to downtown’s fall festivities, Coker also kicked off the annual Letters To Santa Christmas promotion in 2017, complete with custom mailbox and responses to every child who drops in a letter. Also a Rappahannock Rotary Club initiative, that event begins in December and is traditionally stationed at the corner of Caroline and George Streets.
Learn more about this Saturday’s Family Costume Stroll, 10th annual Treats On The Street and ongoing Scarecrow Fest at www.fxbgscarecrows.com.
