2024 -13th Annual Saline Scarecrow Contest

2024 Theme :   "Superstitions & Traditions"

Theme is optional, but encouraged. You may choose to enter your scarecrow in one of four different categories: Individual, Group, Small Business or Large Business.

Show off your creative talents and win prizes in the process!!

Scarecrows will be displayed in Downtown Saline & other Saline businesses !!!!

Entry is FREE and open to individuals, business, organizations and clubs.

Register on this website.  Everyone who wants to participate in the contest must register.

If you would like to enter a scarecrow into the contest follow ALL these steps:

1.  Register your entry on this website.  Please include a "name" for you entry as well as an "inspirational message" that helps people understand the meaning and purpose of your entry better.  These will be included in all social media posts that will be shared as well as on our main website.

2.  Build your scarecrow.  Very important to participate!

Design considerations that will be very helpful:

A.  Free standing (using a design feature that allows your creation to stand on its own - think straw bale) vs. Attaching to a light pole, traffic pole or tree.  It is permissible to attach your scarecrow to anything between the sidewalk and street (within reason) as long as it doesn't interfere excessively with the business that your scarecrow is in front of (please be thoughtful and considerate).  Free standing usually allows more options for displaying your scarecrow.

B.  Do not use materials that can decompose!  Please consider plastic pumpkins for heads instead of ACTUAL pumpkins.  Your scarecrow will be out in bad weather for 30 days and is likely to not look very good within a matter of weeks if it is made up of organic materials.

C.  Harsh weather.  Your scarecrow will be bombarded by rain and strong winds for up to 30 days.  Sturdy and secure are good mantras to use in all construction and design considerations.  It WILL get wet, ... A LOT, so please design accordingly. 

3.   Arrange to have scarecrow displayed downtown.  

A.  Are you a downtown business owner?  If YES, you are allowed to display your scarecrow outside of YOUR business between the sidewalk and the street.  You may display your scarecrow outside of YOUR business without contacting Dr. Rob Borer ahead of time, but you still MUST register on the website.  Business Owners should notify Dr. Rob Borer as soon as they have displayed their scarecrows so that he may place the contest number sign and take photos for promotion in the contest.  Thanks for your help with this.  

B.  LARGE or HEAVY?  Is your scarecrow able to be picked up by ONE person and easily transported in a minivan?  

If YES - you must drop your scarecrow off at Scarecrow Headquarters located at Borer Family Chiropractic at 210 W. Michigan Ave., Saline, MI 48176.  There is a patio in the middle of the parking lot for the convenient dropping off of scarecrows.  Please leave some sort of temporary identification on the scarecrow so Dr. Rob knows to whom to give credit and recognition.

If NO - YOU must take your scarecrow downtown and set it in place yourself.  BUT NOT BEFORE contacting Dr. Rob Borer.  You must contact Dr. Rob Borer, Chief Scarecrow Curator at 734-649-5329 or [email protected] to arrange for a mutually agreeable location for the display of your scarecrow.  Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES may you display your scarecrow downtown without first registering on this website AND contacting Dr. Rob Borer by phone or email to work out the location for your scarecrow.  There are many considerations for the placement of scarecrows, which makes for the enjoyment of the contest for all people involved; participants, business owners, visitors, city ordinances, public safety, city pride, which Dr. Rob Borer is ultimately responsible for ensuring.  Your cooperation in making the contest a success is greatly appreciated.

4.  Creatively complicated scarecrows that are dropped off at Borer Family Chiropractic should be left with any necessary assembly/disassembly diagrams and instructions so that your amazing creation can be displayed in the way the creator has envisioned and so that Borer Family Chiropractic does not damage creator's creation in the transport process.

5.  Your scarecrow entry will be assigned an entry number, which will be attached either to your scarecrow or on an object nearby your scarecrow based on the order in which they arrive in the contest.  If it is truly important, tie breakers for entries that arrive on the same day will be based on who registered first.

6.  Monitor your scarecrow from time to time.  You may think your scarecrow can withstand all that mother nature throws at it, but your design features may not turn out to be as good as you originally thought.  Your scarecrow may over time not look just as amazing as you originally intended.  Stopping by occasionally to readjust it's appearance will be appreciated by the visitors who come down to enjoy your creation.

7.  Promote your scarecrow to family and friends.  Voting begins at the midway mark in the month.  Spread the word to boost your entries chances for success.  All entries will be photographed and posted to our website and to social media.  Feel free to follow the official contest channels and repost to promote your entry.  #salinescarecrows

All entries will be displayed from October 1st to October 31st.  Display of scarecrows will take place primarily downtown near the intersection of Ann Arbor Street and Michigan Ave., but also throughout the Saline business districts as businesses decide to participate.  Stay tuned for further updates on scarecrow locations.

Vote for your favorite entries to choose winners in four different categories; individual, group, small business and large business. Voting will begin October 14th and continue through October 24th, 2023 at midnight.

Voting may be done online. Voting is open to everyone. One vote per person per day.

Announcement will be made on the following web page: https://borerchiro.com/blog/blog.html

Announcements will also be made on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SalineScarecrowContest.

2023 - 12th Annual Scarecrow Contest - Key Dates:

Right Now! - planning your amazing scarecrow!

Sept 18th through Oct 18th - Scarecrows accepted at BFC

Oct 1 - Scarecrow begin display in downtown Saline, MI

Oct 14 - voting begins

Trunk or Treat Eve (Oct 24, 25ish) - voting ends at midnight

Trunk or Treat (Oct 25, 26ish) - winners announced at noon, ribbons placed on scarecrows.  Some winners displayed at Trunk or Treat.

Oct 30 - scarecrows may begin to be removed

Oct 31 - all scarecrows must be removed (by creator or event staff)