Geneseo Scarecrow Festival 2025
Photo courtesy of Copy Editor Nina Avallone-Serra
Lined with straw-filled creations of every shape and size, Main Street was flooded this past Friday, Oct. 3 with students, families, and vendors welcoming fall by way of Geneseo’s very own Scarecrow Festival. Flaunting the creativity of Geneseo and Livingston County residents, this free community event featured 30 different customized scarecrows from some of the most beloved Main Street businesses and organizations, as well as some beautiful handcrafting from a host of artisans and other small businesses.
The event naturally revolved around the scarecrow contest, pitting the Main Street scarecrows against each other in spooky, fall-themed pageantry. Having witnessed the gradual construction of these scarecrows in the weeks leading up to the event, my friends and I could not resist the chance to exercise our civic duty and vote for our favorites.
The tour of the contestants kicked off in front of St. Michael’s Church, where a lovely volunteer dressed as a scarecrow supplied us with a map of all the stops on Main Street with an attached ballot. Starting on the odd side of the street, we made our way past some of our favorite village staples, including Max Ink Tattoos and Piercings, Kelly’s, the Gallery in the Valley, and, of course, the Not Dot Shop.
Along the way, we were accompanied by a wagon-load of visitors catching a free ride, cruising the length of the festival with a pair of horses leading. We stopped to browse the tables set up by various local creatives, artisans, and craftspeople showcasing their products. Weaving through crowds of folks feeling the fall spirit, I (as one of several crochet enthusiasts here at The Lamron) was especially delighted to see the abundance of crocheters offering up their hard work to the masses.
Although the crochet excited me the most, there was a wide range of locally-made products to capture anyone’s attention— all-natural skin care products, jewelry, 3D printed figurines and knickknacks, and a plethora of sweet treats, to name a few.
Armed with our maps/ballots, we dutifully made the rounds to assess each of the 30 scarecrows. Some of my personal favorites included the Kelly’s scarecrow incarnation of Bob Ross, sporting his signature ‘fro and a palette, the Alien (1979) reference in the entry titled “In Space Crow One Can Hear You Scream,” the “Minecraft Chicken Jockey” found on the corner in front of Main Moon, and Aunt Cookie’s Sub Shop’s “Vampire Sub,” whose buggy eyes and sandwich-shaped head I can best describe as enchanting.
After carefully reviewing the contestants, festival attendees were encouraged to cast their votes at the ballot box on Chestnut Street and reward themselves with a party. Stocked with food, drink, ambient lighting, and live music performed by the Neil Van Doren Band, everyone was in a festive mood. Kids enjoyed the seemingly unlimited supply of sidewalk chalk and adults got to mingle and unwind with some craft beverages.
This year’s Scarecrow Festival certainly takes the cake for me as far as village events go, but the fun does not end here. The festival map informs us of more exciting activities to look forward to this fall and winter, including the traditional Geneseo hunt races on Oct. 11; Main Street trick-or-treating and Halloween parade on Oct. 31. There are also some cozy events coming up in December, such as the Wadsworth Homestead’s Christmas Fair on Dec. 5, the Cookie Stroll on Dec. 13, and the Holiday Market at the Big Tree Inn Dec. 11-13, with just enough time for some holiday revelry before winter break.
Be sure to check out Visit Geneseo’s events page for more information on what’s to come. Get out there and support your local businesses!