It might seem early to start thinking about Halloween season, but now’s the time to get geared up for the annual Scarecrow Fest Contest in St. Charles.

The Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau last week officially announced the 31st Annual Scarecrow Fest Contest, which will take place from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9 throughout the community. The nationally-recognized contest will use both Lincoln Park and the James Martin Lot (Cedar and Third streets) to display dozens of community-created scarecrows for public viewing.

Not only are the scarecrows the heart of the fest, but the competition is fierce, and the entries get more gorgeous and most complex every year.

Returning this year is the MEGA Scarecrow category, which allows 12 entrants to make a statement with an oversized display. Clubs, schools, individuals and businesses are encouraged to enter. Prizes of $450, $300 and $200 will be awarded to the three winners chosen by popular vote.

What’s new this year? Well, the Clubs/Not-for-profit/Individual category will now award seven prizes, giving contest participants even more chances to win! Also new this year, contest participates who submit an entry by Sept. 15 will receive a pair of Scarecrow Fest finger puppets at check-in on Oct. 6.  The final deadline for entry into the contest is Sept. 30, 2016.

The contest features three additional categories for participation: the Mechanical category, Family category, and Greater St. Charles Business category. Cash prizes for the winning entries range from $75 to $550 and are donated by St. Charles Bank & Trust Company. Winners of the first and second place entries for the Greater St. Charles Business Category will receive a free advertisement in the Kane County Chronicle.

To enter the Scarecrow Contest, participants should visit the Scarecrow Fest website (www.scarecrowfest.com), where you can complete the entry form. The form includes more information about the five contest categories, a detailed look at the official contest rules and regulations, important set up information, and new information about tear down procedures.

The GSCCVB asks residents and competitors to support the sponsors who make the festival possible. Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are still available for this year’s fest, and more information is available on www.scarecrowfest.com.

About the Greater St. Charles Convention and Visitors Bureau

The GSCCVB is funded by the Illinois Office of Tourism and a portion of the hotel/motel tax collected by St. Charles hotels to promote Greater St. Charles as a destination for leisure tourists, meetings, conventions, sports events, and motorcoach trips. For additional information regarding the bureau’s marketing and sales activities, contact the bureau at 630-377-6161 or www.visitstcharles.com.