Autumn is not complete without Halloween, and Halloween is not complete without jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treaters and scarecrows.

Scarecrows have become to Halloween what Christmas Trees have become to Christmas: An essential part of the celebration.

Scarecrows have become so integral to Halloween that scarecrow festivals are held all across the country, in places as varied as St. Charles, Illinois, Thanksgiving Point, Utah, and Augustine, Florida.

What about our Central Coast? We have scarecrow festivals in Cambria and the Santa Ynez Valley.

The word scarecrow was first recorded in 1545 C.E., but their use began long before that. Scarecrows are one of the oldest agricultural tools known in human history, dating back 4,500 years to ancient Egypt.

At the time Pharoah Khufu was buildin

See Full Page