Scarecrows take over downtown Camilla | PHOTOS

CAMILLA — Finally, a straw vote that actually matters.

Folks in Camilla have noticed over the past week some 65 unusual new residents haunting downtown at all hours of the day and night. But far from a concern, the community is planning to invite these visitors back every October. On Tuesday, residents in the community will even turn out and vote for their favorite visitors, who all have one thing in common.

They’re all scarecrows.

Mobile users can view photos of the Camilla scarecrows here.

Jenny Bostick, Camilla’s Main Street coordinator, said Thursday that the scarecrows were born from an effort to get people visiting the town’s downtown businesses. “We’re having events to get people shopping in our quaint little downtown area,” she said, adding that when local business leaders were looking for an idea for October, the mention of a scarecrow contest caught fire.

While that’s something that can be hazardous for creatures made from straw, it’s been a winner for the town.

“It’s led to a lot of great teamwork,” Bostick said. “I have heard so many funny stories about the scarecrows. It’s just been a great experience for our merchants downtown.”

The big event associated with the scarecrows will be 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday — the City Stroll. Downtown businesses will be open late, including city restaurants. Bostick and contest organizers are hoping folks will turn out and enjoy the evening.

“This should be a fun-filled evening, similar to the recent Southern Sip ‘N See and Summer Sale event,” she said. “We hope everybody will come out and enjoy the festivities and celebrate fall in our beautiful downtown.”

Those who go on the City Stroll also will be able to vote for their favorites scarecrows. Also. anyone who visits a participating business can votes once per day for a favorites from among the four dozen official candidates. The contest is set up with four categories — kids 14 and younger, families, businesses and community/nonprofits. Voting concludes Friday, though the scarecrows will continue to hang out downtown through Halloween.

“My intent was to get people in these doors and shops,” Bostick said, “so we were successful with that. Any merchant in Mitchell County can participate.”

Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three scarecrows in each of the four categories. Prizes are $100 for first place, $50 for second and $25 for third.

“We ended up with 48 entries,” she said. “We had businesses that called up after the deadline and we had to tell them that we already had the ballots printed, but they said they wanted to have one anyway. We ended up probably with 65 scarecrow displays.”

And businesses and organizations are having fun with them. Mitchell EMC, which has a display away from the downtown district, has a scene in which a scarecrow witch has had an unfortunate collision with the top of a power pole, while a lineman scarecrow at the base of the pole prepares to go up and rescue her. Ichabod has emerged from a Washington Irving tale to hang out at the library. And at least one scarecrow downtown has his holidays confused and apparently thinks he’s an Elf on the Shelf — he moves to a new spot every night.

Most of the businesses have found clever ways to incorporate what they do into their scarecrows.

“I laughed and I told some of the merchants, you know, in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ the scarecrow didn’t have a brain. You really used yours in getting these out front,” Bostick said.

Bank of Camilla, P&C Bank, Family Bank and Farm Credit of Southwest Georgia are sponsoring the contest, which is being coordinated by the city.

Bostick has no doubt that the scarecrows will be back in October 2016 for what officials envision to be an annual event.

“It’s fun, but it’s great advertising for the businesses as well,” she said. “It’s been really great for the community. It’s created a lot of chatter.”