The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

This festival scares up a good, old-fashioned time

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Hundreds of kids and adults used hay, old clothing and imagination to create scarecrows during The Florida Pioneer Village & Museum’s annual Scarecrow Festival.

Besides making their own seasonal Halloween decorations, event-goers could compete in costume contests, grab a bite to eat, watch blacksmith demonstrations, and do a bit of shopping, too.

Blaise Bubble Magic, of America’s Got Talent fame, put on a show, too.

The museum is located at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, in Dade City.

Published October 13, 2021

One year-old Vivienne McAleenan notices as her mom, Ariana McAleenan, take her and her 4-year-old brother Declan’s photo. They’re sitting on a bale of hay that soon would become scarecrow stuffing. They were in Dade City, visiting their grandmother, Lisa Simon. (Fred Bellet)
Isabell Ayala, of Dade City, center, gets three bags of scarecrow wardrobe for her 13-year-old son, Ruben, left, and her 7-year-old daughter, Benito.
Pioneer Florida Museum & Village volunteer Alex Larkin, of Dade City, replenishes piles of hay for those making scarecrows.
Christofher Perez, of San Antonio, and Rosa Salgado, of Dade City, work together to create a scarecrow for Perez’s yard.
Thirteen-year-old Kenli Sparrow, of Ridge Manor, gets comfortable, using her scarecrow as a cushion, while waiting for her aunt, Paula Lasher, of Zephyrhills. Her twin brother, Kyle Sparrow, and Lasher’s great-granddaughter, 2-year-old Jacqueline Rene, were at the event, too.
After the children stuffed scarecrows with hay, they also could enjoy bubbles and suds filling the air at the Pioneer Florida Museum & Village’s Scarecrow Festival.
Four-year-old Aaron Griffin, of Plant City, stuffs his scarecrow’s pants, one leg at a time. He and his grandfather, Randy Kreg, of Lithia, had fun at the festival.
With a serving of cotton candy that’s the size of a basketball, 11 year-old Lauren Kohl, of Riverview, prepares to enjoy it, one lick at a time. She came to the festival with her 9-year-old brother, Gavin. Their grandfather, George Wiggins, of Sun City Center, was treating them to a day of fun.
Six-year-old Myles Daley, of Zephyrhills, fervently gathers hay to stuff the pants of a scarecrow that’s being held by his dad, Alfred Daley. The pair was there with Myles’ older brother, 8-year-old Nolan, and the boys’ mom, Michele Daley. Myles named the scarecrow Gooseberg.
Scott Quick, owner of Cotton Kraze and maker of gourmet cotton candy, winds a cone with a huge globe of sweet stuff for a waiting customer.
Former Dade City resident, Nala Tookes, left, who now lives in Tampa, brought her 4-year-old daughter, Harmony Sylvester, “back home” to enjoy a Dade City seasonal celebration.
Four-year-old Aiden Trader patiently waits for a cup of lemonade, as his mom, Sabrienna Weldon, and friend Raymond Bouffier get beverages. They came to the festival from Inverness, to have some fun in the sun.
Dom Maug (in black T-shirt), of Dade City, stuffs the upper body of a scarecrow-to-be, as Billy Doty (grey T-shirt), of Zephyrhills, stuffs the head. The men planned to make scarecrows for their nieces and nephew.

 

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