This weekend brings the 26th year of the Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 7-9. Join generations of moms and dads, grandmas & grandpas, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors who flock to the annual Fall event. (click at bottom for more info)Â The heart of our festival is on the West side of the Fox River in Lincoln Park – where hundreds of hand-crafted scarecrows are on display, 
and YOU get to vote for your favorite – winners are chosen from attendee votes throughout the weekend! Enjoy the carnival! Make your own scarecrow! Browse the huge Autumn on the Fox Arts and Crafts Show! Check out the FREE live entertainment! And of course, munch on plenty of delicious food! Choose from food vendors throughout the fest or many “unique to St. Charles” restaurants. The possibilities are endless! Best of all….admission, parking, trolleys and parking shuttles are all FREE! Youngsters will love the Petting Zoo; Make Your Own Scarecrow; the carnival; storytelling; the popular Meijer Kids Zone, where kids can make and take crafts; and an irresistible ice cream eating contest hosted by Colonial Cafe. Fun on First (First Street) offers pony rides, and interactive sports demos and performances including yoga, Zumbatomics for Kids, soccer and baseball.
Recognized in 2009 by MSN as one of the country’s Top Spots for Autumn, the St. Charles Scarecrow Festival is a natural choice for a weekend getaway.  Food is always a welcome part of any festival, and this year offers a new addition of Great Tastes of St. Charles, with literally something for everyone, including pizza, burgers and even sushi. Last year’s event brought record crowds of 120,000 attendees from 14 states to St. Charles. Avoid festival traffic by parking at Charlestowne Mall, east of town, and ride the free festival shuttle directly to First Street, from where all festival activities are within easy walking distance. Free trolley rides will also be offered at the trolley stop located on First Street between Main and Illinois streets. On the west side of town, park at Thompson Junior High and Haines Middle School and ride the free shuttle to and from Lincoln Park.
Friday and Saturday  9am-9pm, – Sunday  9am-6pm
St. Charles Visitors Bureau
311 N. Second Street,
St. Charles, IL 60174
