First scarecrow festival at Shropshire village is huge success
The first ever scarecrow festival at a village near Newport brought the community together while raising money for the local church.
Nearly 40 scarecrows of all shapes and sizes were on display in Edgmond over the weekend.
The idea started out as a way to raise funds for St Peter's Church but ended up becoming a real community event, according to one of the organisers, Phyllis Coats.
She said crowds of people turned out on Saturday to see the scarecrows and take part in a treasure hunt.
And while the donations are still being counted, Mrs Coats has hailed the inaugural event a huge success.
"We asked people in the village to put out a scarecrow and the response was absolutely amazing," she said.
"We had 38 scarecrows in total which I was really pleased with as it was our first attempt. The local schools, brownies and scouts also got involved so it was a real community event."
Together
Mrs Coats said the festival was the perfect opportunity to come together as a community and meet up with friends old and new.
She added: "It was amazing to see so many people walking around the village. So many people commented that it was a lovely event and brought everyone together.
"What started off as a church fundraiser turned into more of a community event. Everyone is so busy with their own lives and work these days, it was lovely to get everyone together."
Following on from the success of the festival, Mrs Coats said residents have suggested it should become an annual event.
"There has been so much positive feedback and ideas suggested to maybe expand on it next year, so watch this space," she said.
The winner of the best scarecrow competition, which was voted for by the public, has yet to be announced.
