The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

The Scarecrow Festival at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will take place from October 18 through November 12, 2011. Scarecrows from various local businesses, schools, organizations, families and individuals will be on display along the pathways of Shangri La.

Michael Hoke, director of the Shangri La Gardens, said that they have received 90 entries, accounting for over 300 scarecrows. Those who have entered will be able to set up their scarecrows on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. and on Monday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors during the Scarecrow Festival will be able to vote for a favorite entry and prizes will be awarded in several categories. The festival concludes during Shangri La’s Autumn Fair on November 12, at which time winners of the Scarecrow Festival will be announced.

Last year over a hundred scarecrows were made and about the same number of scarecrows were expected this year, making Shangri La’s Scarecrow Festival one of the largest in Texas. Children and adults of all ages will enjoy walking through the gardens and seeing various scarecrows on display that were created by members of the community.

“The Scarecrow Festival is a great way for families to welcome the fall season. This family-friendly event is quickly becoming a favorite and we hope to see everyone out taking a stroll through the gardens with the scarecrows,” Hoke said. “Because we encourage participants to make their scarecrows with recycled, repurposed or reused items, the scarecrow designs are very creative and reflect our mission of teaching children of all ages to Be Kind to Their World.”

Located at 2111 West Park Avenue in Orange, Texas, Shangri La is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sundays, noon - 5 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.shangrilagardens.org.