Mr Calamari gazed out over the rows of his comrades in straw – lined up smartly in front of the newly restored Worthington mansion in Quilcene. There were Big Bad Wolf and Crazy Cowgirl hoping to steal the show and Spider-Kraken and Reaper going for the kill. But it would fall to others in this wildly colorful and creative crowd of scarecrows to garner enough votes to win the coveted Worthington Park contest prizes.
Event Manager, Sheryl Stich, declared, “Our fourth annual scarecrow contest produced a record 21 fabulous entries – attracting over 300 votes!” She added, “It was almost eerie watching the wind bring them to life as they swayed back and forth. Like they were waving to people passing by. Scary!”
What began as a few lonely scarecrows staked out over the Linger Longer meadow in 2018, has become a tremendously popular community event at Worthington Park. Hosted by the Quilcene Historical Museum, participation has increased every year, showcasing the creativity and fun spirit of this small North Hood Canal community. Last year during the height of the pandemic it was one of the few community events that could be hosted safely.
Worthington Park’s Event Coordinator, Talia Munn, who created this very popular contest noted, “The love and care put into each entry was very apparent. Not surprising, there were some very tight races in each of the three categories.” She added, “Each scarecrow deserved to win, but the votes are in and we have three winners. New for this year and to accommodate the growth and diversity of entries, we increased the number of categories to three: general, expert, and elementary school.”
2021 Winners
Elementary School Category
Seven lively entries in this category. The winner is Jelly Fish which was entered by Quilcene Elementary’s Mrs. Knudson’s 2nd grade class. Love those pink glasses. Congratulations!

General Category
Eight entries were competing this year. The Mayor of Quilcene was entered by the Suiter family. This entry not only won in its category but had more votes than any other scarecrow this year. This was a dear testament to Quilcene’s George Farris, who sadly passed away this year. George was considered by many as an ambassador of the close-knit community, often waving at the 1.2 million vehicles that pass through the town annually on Route 101, and always ready with a smile. This entry honored him.
In 2019 Fox 13 Seattle’s Driver on the Street featured George – Click Here to Watch the Video on YouTube. (Link opens in a new tab.)

Expert Category
Six entries stood together, hoping to win! The proud winner, Guardian of the Woods, belongs to Richard and Christine Chadwick. It was delightful to see the lights on this entry from the street! The Chadwicks won the very first year of the competition, and they have been a driving force in keeping the tradition alive.

A photo of the Elementary Classroom category winner is coming, please check back later! Click the gallery image to view a larger photo.
Thank You to Our Donors

Our Expert and General category winners will enjoy impressive baskets of goodies from the event’s generous donors:
Richard & Christina Chadwick, Midori Farms, Sugar Hill Farms, Central Market Poulsbo, Quilcene Historic Museum and Paul Kaiser.
Elementary School Classroom category winners will enjoy a pizza party and a basket of treats and prizes from Costco and the Food Co-op Port Townsend.
The scarecrows made a special shout-out to Linda Radka for her crucial donation of stuffing hay, without which they would have only been a shadow of themselves.
Much more than just straw on stakes, this autumn event has become a highlight of the season and a chance for the Quilcene community to gather together and celebrate this special time of year. Plans are already underway for next year’s competition, and perhaps a resumption of Worthington Park’s Harvest Festival!
Read Article in the News
- Registration now open for Quilcene Scarecrow Contest – Peninsula Daily News
(Link opens in a new tab.)

2021 Entry Photo Galleries
Elementary School
General
Expert
Voting Results Slideshow
The slideshow will advance automatically, and pause if you hover your mouse over the images or interact with the gallery. Images are large, look for the arrows at the sides halfway down the images to toggle between categories.


