Lots planned for Scarecrow Fest, but volunteers needed

The 2008 Scarecrow Festival promises to offer fun activities for people of all ages and will offer many events for people to participate in what will take place throughout the whole DDA district.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, from noon until 6 p.m. the festivities will take place. There are three areas that the activities will be located within the DDA district ? the Oxford Marketplace, Oxford Farm and Gardens and the downtown area.
At each location, visitors will enjoy FREE cider and donuts and the first 100 people at each location will receive a FREE pumpkin. In addition, each location will offer several fun activities.
There will be Trick-or-Treating going on throughout the whole district. If your business wants to pass out treats, call Meghann Snow at the DDA office and she will send you a pumpkin face to display in your store window letting the public know you have treats to give out.
You can get your face painted or visit the petting farm that will be set in the parking lot at Oxford Marketplace.
In the parking lot at Oxford Farm and Garden, the Oxford Chamber will hold its annual Chili Cook-Off. There will also be a hay maze set for people to wander through and the ABC Tumblebus.
At Centennial Park, you will find scarecrows that were created by groups of students and other people around town on display. The businesses located downtown will have their scarecrows displayed in front of their stores. The scarecrows will be judged by the public, so if you want to be a judge simply pick up a ballot in the park and take the ‘walking tour? around the park and downtown to look at all the entries. As you take the tour, listed on the ballots will be interesting fun facts about the people and/or the businesses that created these scarecrows. When you have chosen your winner, mark the ballot and drop it in the ballot box that will be located in the park.
Also on display in the park will be all the entries in the Decorated Pumpkin Contest. Everyone is invited to join in this fun event. Simply decorate your pumpkin and bring it to Centennial Park by 10 a.m. They will be on display and be judged by a preselected panel of judges.
In addition to the displays, there will be a Business Tent set up where you can pick up information from some of the businesses not located downtown. This will be FREE for any business that registers with the DDA.
What about music? There’s got to be music! And there will be so. As fun as this day will be, we need you! We need volunteers to help and we need your business to sponsor and we need you to attend.
If you would like to help, please contact Meghann Snow, our Events Director at 248-210-0919 or events@downtownoxford.org.