| Details for event | Entry: Free Open: The festival is open daily from 9am to 9pm Dates: 29th July- 6th August Venue: Muston, Scarborough Road, Filey |
The so-called ‘guardians of the crops’ have turned up in force at Muston for the annual Scarecrow festival. And so have the visitors, by the bus load. These are strange times in the beautiful sleepy village just outside of Filey. The narrow colourful streets are turning into a scarecrow playground, with over 100 popping up in gardens, open spaces, rooftops and hidden corners. Celebrity visitors
 | | Rolf at work |
Many important visitors have arrived in Muston, from Rolf Harris to Aladdin, Chicken Little and Mickey Mouse. The Dingles from Emmerdale farm have settled in for a beer, Harry Potter is fighting off the ghouls and even the Queen, all the way from Buckingham Palace, has turned up in papier-mâché form. The festival held for the eighth time is a hugely popular event that involves lots of hard work by the local community. And they certainly do work hard as the wide range of scarecrows in unexpected nooks and crannies is staggering. | "The wide range of scarecrows in unexpected nooks and crannies is staggering. " | |
Many that are mystical, some unusual and a few known characters are thrown into the mix that all highlight the eccentricities of a traditional North Yorkshire village. All of which will be entered into a competition in order to choose the best scarecrow. Warm Welcome The welcome visitors receive is superb and refreshing as villagers prepare food and drink, organise the parking and traffic and even host a merchandise stand testament to the success of this festival. Despite the rain and miserable weather spirits are high and children are quite frankly in dreamland as the fun never ends here.
 | | Royal Visit |
Scarecrows have been around for 3000 years all over the world and can be discovered throughout time in literature, art and festivals. The scarecrow was created to frighten off crows and have been used as threatening, often scary characters in horror stories. However there’s no sign of this in Muston, where all scarecrows offer a smile and a hand shake in the vein of the good old Wizard of Oz scarecrow. For the more informed scarecrow enthusiasts (scarecrowologists-sounds a good name) out there these terms will be familiar. Scarecrows are known as many different things all over the UK such as a tattybogle, shoy-hoy, jack-of-straw or maybe even a hodmedod. Church Time
 | | Satisfied Customers |
Once you’ve seen all the scarecrows outside there’s always another festival in All Saint’s Church to wet your appetite. Based on the theme Once Upon A Time, Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh and company are all present to see a papier-mâché wedding take place, so watch out and try not to interrupt. Also the local children’s art work surrounds the church walls making for a colourful and intriguing festival in the warmth. So if you fancy a change from your everyday festival you can’t go wrong with Muston’s eccentrically quirky festivities. It’s free, fun for all the family and you’ll be guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face. Well it’s the least the villagers’ efforts deserve. | 
