The Morton Arboretum’s Meadow Lake is well prepared for Halloween, with its fall tradition, the Scarecrow Trail, which will last throughout October.
Almost every culture has a version of a scarecrow which dates back to the Egyptians over 3,000 years ago.
The Scarecrow Trail features 45 creative designs drawn from a variety of inspirations.
Created by local scout troops
The event is done in collaboration with local scout troops.
“We have boy scouts and girl scouts in the local area create these [and] bring them back. They spend their own time with their scouts [and] with their groups creating these wonderful scarecrows,” said Kate Fitzgerald, the Special Event Planner at the Morton Arboretum.
The straw-filled friends range from spooky to flowery, and everything in between.
Guests can say hi to Barbie, and other fictional characters like Wednesday Addams, Smokey the Bear, and a Star Wars Resistance pilot.
Some scarecrows took inspiration from home supplies, like tins cans, and garbage bags.
“We asked them that they use durable materials that can withstand any weather conditions here, it’s sort of up to them how creative they want to get,” said Fitzgerald.
Generational creations
Some designs even come from family generations.
“This one is called Once a Scout Always a Scout. This one was created by Cub Scout Pack 355 who has generational scouts in their family,” said Fitzgerald.
Vote for your favorite scarecrow
Each scarecrow also has a sign with a QR code that guests can scan to vote for their favorite creation.
This is an opportunity to show appreciation to the scout troops who dedicated time to create and share their work with the community.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
