2025 Scarecrow Showdown

Create Dunwoody invites you to create an artistically decorated scarecrow for the third annual Dunwoody Scarecrow Showdown in the Greater Dunwoody Village Area throughout the month of October. Make your family friendly scarecrow funny, scary, crazy, or anything imaginative.

All are welcome to participate. Create Dunwoody will have workshops for the community to create master scarecrows to display in September.

2025 Scarecrows

Dunwoody Woman's Club - "Miss Sarah Heard"

Atlanta Academy - "The Spooky Gladiators"

Dentistry with a Difference - "Phil McCavity"

Scarecrow Locations

Cheek Spruill House

1. Atlanta Academy - The Spooky Gladiators
2. North Georgia School of Ballet
3. St Luke’s Presbyterian Tartan Trot - Scotty
4. Dunwoody Woman’s Club - Miss Sarah Heard
5. Lisa Torres
6. Vanderlyn Elementary PTO

Shops of Dunwoody
Vintage Pizzeria - Mario
Judy and Grace Boutique
The Whole Tooth - Grin Reaper

Dunwoody Village
The Little Gym
NFA Burger - Mr. B
Dunwoody Pediatric Dentistry - Flossy
Alloy Personal Training - ScareCoach

Dunwoody Plaza
Chupito’s Azteca Grill

Dunwoody Hall
Dentistry with a Difference

VOTE HERE for your favorite

Prizes: Most Creative and People’s Choice including Greater Perimeter Chamber Annual Memberships (up to $1250 value) and gift cards! Winners also receive a plaque with their name as the year’s winners of Scarecrow Showdown. Plaques are passed on to new winners annually.

Entry Fees: $25 for individual/community/non-profit; $50 for businesses; Free for Dunwoody Village Businesses. Entries for the Cheek Spruill Fence location are limited! To enter, complete this form and pay here.

Kits: $25 per kit. $30 per kit and workshop. Kits include wooden cross stakes - 1 vertical (approx. 4-5 ft), 1 horizontal (approx. 2-3 ft), zip ties for securing limbs and clothing, burlap sack for the head, 1/4 bale straw for stuffing.

Scarecrow Regulations

By signing up, you agree to the following:

• Signs on scarecrows are not allowed per City of Dunwoody sign ordinances.
• Scarecrow must be weather-resistant and sturdy in order to qualify for displaying and judging.
• Participants will provide a photo of the scarecrow to Create Dunwoody in advance for approval
• Participants will provide date/time for installation of the scarecrow at a location provided by Create Dunwoody. After installation, Create Dunwoody will inspect and provide make adjustment requests if needed. We strongly encourage entrants to visit their scarecrows for periodic check-ins. During the time that your entry is on display, you may make any necessary repairs to keep your scarecrow looking its very best. Create Dunwoody reserves the right to remove any scarecrows that deteriorate due to weather.
• No perishable goods may be used in the construction of your scarecrow, including pumpkins, squash and other plants.
• Scarecrow entries that are removed from Create Dunwoody prior to the close of the display will forfeit eligibility to win prizes. Eligibility to enter the Scarecrow Competition for the coming year will also be forfeited.
• Create Dunwoody has final approval based on votes, overall appearance/composition of the design, originality/imagination/use of materials, difficulty of design/design execution, and “fit” in category.
• Create Dunwoody, property owners, and other businesses in the Village are not responsible for any scarecrows on display.
•Scarecrows must be removed by Nov 8, 2025. Any scarecrows not removed by this date become property of Create Dunwoody and may be disposed.

TIPS

– Sometimes the best entries are the simplest, yet most recognizable.
– Craftsmanship can make or break the overall look of a project.
– Stuff your straw into pantyhose to keep it in one place!
– Weatherproofing: Scarecrows will have prolonged exposure to all kinds of weather. Make sure to seal porous materials, such as papier-mâché, with a water-repellent spray (3M or Scotchguard)

Sponsors

Atlanta Academy

Past Scarecrows

Basic Instructions to Make a Scarecrow

Build the frame

Attach the horizontal cross‑beam near the top of the vertical stake to form the “arms” support using the zip ties.

Dress the frame

Put a shirt or jacket over the cross‑beam so that the sleeves hang out as arms.
Attach pants at the bottom; tie or secure at the waist.
Use twine, string, or zip‑ties to fasten the shirt sleeves to the cross‑beam so the arms stay in position.

Stuff the body

Fill the shirt torso, sleeves, and pants with your stuffing material. (If you have tennis ball tubes, those work great! Plastic bags are another option.)
Be sure the stuffing is distributed so the scarecrow looks full but not overly tight.
Tie off the ends of sleeves and pant legs to keep stuffing from falling out.

Make the head

Use the burlap sack / pillowcase or fabric to cover your head form.
Stuff inside to fill shape.
Use markers, felt, buttons to create face (eyes, nose, mouth).
Tie or secure the head fabric around the neck opening of the shirt so it stays in place.
Add hat, scarf, etc. for personality and weather protection.

Final touches & securing

Use twine or string around the neck, waist, wrists, ankles as needed to help maintain shape.
If outdoors, consider adding stakes or tying down bottom of pants to keep legs from blowing in wind.
Add accessories you have: gloves, scarf, shoes, or anything fun to look festive.

Placement

If you are a business in the Greater Village Area and placing the scarecrow in front of your business, we’ll let you know where to place your creation after you register to be part of the Scarecrow Showdown. Register early to secure a spot on the fence at the Cheek Spruill Farmhouse. If it will get rain or wind, make sure stakes are secured and materials that soak up water are protected or considered.
Cheek Spruill Farmhouse Installation notes:
- Take a photo of your scarecrow and send it to rosemary@createdunwoody.org before placing it at the Cheek-Spruill House. Once it’s approved, you may install your scarecrow.
- Please use plastic zip ties to secure your scarecrow to the fence. If the zip ties are too short, feel free to link several together.
- Be sure to secure your scarecrow at multiple points along the vertical post (top, middle, and bottom) to help it withstand weather and wind. Do not use nails, screws or anything that will create holes in or damage the fence.
- Once your scarecrow is installed, please take a second photo and send it to rosemary@createdunwoody.org.

Here's a video tutorial. The stakes in the kit are not as long as the ones in the video, but you should be able to attach it to a fence using zip ties or string or some other pole instead of driving it into the ground. https://youtu.be/G7FxstwwAas