St. Charles Scarecrow Festival Continues Through Sunday

ST. CHARLES, IL – Thousands of people are expected to flock to downtown St. Charles this weekend to take in the sights and sounds of the 2017 Scarecrow Festival. The festivities will get underway Friday, Oct. 6, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 8. Over 100 handmade and mechanical scarecrows will be on display at the festival.

A map to the festival can be found here.

The heart of the festival centers around the annual scarecrow contest. Visitors can vote for their favorite displays in various categories from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Other popular activities at the festival include a petting zoo, a "make-your-own scarecrow" area, an arts and craft show, carnival rides and musical entertainment.

A full schedule of events and activities can be found here.

New this year, the festival will include a Greater St. Charles Farm Tour where visitors can tour up to six diverse farms over the festival weekend.

The festival is expected to produce heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the downtown area and parking will be limited, according to city officials. Festival attendees are encouraged to carpool and use the Remote Park and Shuttle Lots.

The Park and Shuttle Lots are at:

West Side

• Haines Middle School – 9th St. and Indiana St.
• CUSD #303 Administration Lot – 7th St. and Illinois St. (Friday 5 to 9:30 p.m. only)
• Thompson Middle School – 7th St. and W. Main St.

East Side

• The Quad (formerly Charlestowne Mall), parking lot “G” – 3800 E. Main St.

During the festival, several muncipal parking lots will be closed, including the:

• River Plaza Lot – N. 2nd St. (Rt. 31) & Cedar St./State St., closed Wednesday through Sunday
• VFW Lot – N. 3rd St. & Cedar St./State St., closed Wednesday through Monday
• Old St. Charles Court Lot – Cedar St. & N. 3rd St./4th St., closed Thursday through Sunday
• Municipal Center Lot – 100 block N. Riverside Ave., closed Thursday through Sunday
• North Riverside Lot – Riverside Ave. north of State Ave. and adjacent to the Police Department, closed Thursday through Sunday

The following street closures will be in effect on the days listed below:

• N. 3rd St. between Cedar St. and State St., Wednesday-Sunday
• N. 3rd St. between Main St. and Cedar St., Friday-Sunday
• N. 4th St. between W. Main St. and Cedar St., Thursday-Sunday
• N. 5th St. between W. Main St. and Cedar St., Thursday-Sunday

Parking will be restricted or prohibited on a number of city streets. Additional Handicap parking will be posted on N. 5th St., N. 4th St., and N. Riverside Ave., according to a news release from the city of St. Charles Motorists are encouraged to check for signs before parking. Handicap parking areas will be strictly enforced with a $250.00 fine.

St. Charles Police Department and Emergency Management Personnel will be providing pedestrian assistance/traffic control at key intersections. Motorists should expect delays and are reminded to use caution due to the increased amount of pedestrian traffic.

Photo credit: Submitted/MICHELLE CIANFERRI