Second Annual Downtown Wayne Scarecrow Fest

Plenty of family fun to do at Scarecrow Fest.

By Sarah Shurge – Last year in the fall, scarecrows returned to the City of Wayne. This year – by popular request – scarecrows will be returning to Michigan Ave!
Rachel Botu, owner of Flowers in the Mitten, is hosting (for the second year in a row) Downtown Wayne Scarecrow Fest. The event will be Saturday, September 21st, from 11 a.m. through 6 p.m. at Goudy Park.
“Last year was amazing,” said Botu. “For my first festival, it was very overwhelming and awesome with such a great response from everyone. More than 1,000 people came out to the event.”
This year, the event will have music, face painting, crafts and games, four to five food trucks, a petting farm, cider and donuts, 50 vendors and crafters, a raffle tent, and a special performance by Allstar Patriots Dance and Gym.
Bluey and Bingo will be at the event to meet with the kids. DJ Lou will perform from noon – 5 p.m. From 2 – 6 p.m. will be horse and pony rides (two horses and ponies this year instead of one each). The scarecrow winners will be announced at 5 p.m.
“We’re trying to do it bigger this year,” said Botu.
Of course, Scarecrow Fest would not be complete without scarecrows. Instead of scarecrows being displayed throughout the park like last year, this year the scarecrows will be returning to Michigan Ave.
“I’m very excited for that because that was something people were upset about last year. They brought up how they remembered the scarecrows on Michigan Ave. and wanted to see them on Michigan Ave.,” said Botu. “I was able to work with the DDA and find a solution to get them back on Michigan Ave. for people to enjoy.”
If you’d like to get involved in the scarecrow competition, you can contact Botu at Flowers in the Mitten by email at flowersinthemittengmail-.com or call (734)992-8334. It costs $20 and you can pick up a scarecrow frame at the flower shop or reuse a previous frame.
Scarecrows are due by Friday, September 20th. There will be first and second place prizes for Best Overall Scarecrow, along with first and second place prizes for Most Creative Scarecrow.
You will get to vote for the scarecrow winners by scanning QR codes at the event.
Botu wanted to give a special shout out to the Wayne Public Library which will be hosting activities with kids, Lanterns Church for making kids games, as well as the Makers Market, Wayne-Westland Credit Union, Wayne Rotary Club, and the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) for sponsoring the event.
“Without the DDA this would not be possible,” said Botu.
Botu is still working on getting more sponsors (both business or individual) for the event. If you (individually) would like to help sponsor the event, contact Botu by email or phone call.
For more information about the Scarecrow Fest, you can check out the event Facebook page by searching “Downtown Wayne Scarecrow Fest”. There you will find announcements, posts introducing the food trucks, different games, photos from last year, and more.
Flowers in the Mitten was designed as a one-stop shop with customized items. Botu provides both custom work and items you can buy in store as well. You can purchase flower arrangements, stuffed animals for flower arrangements, angels and lanterns with LED candles, garden decor, sympathy stones, cement benches, standing stones on an easel, and more.
Botu’s husband, Paul, is a partner with the shop and does all the woodworking. You can order a custom sign for a wedding, wedding flowers, or custom pieces. The shop just needs a few days in advance to create them.
Botu also owns the Makers Market as well. There are 30 different crafters inside the shop. Botu tries to host two events/classes per month for either Flowers in the Mitten or the Makers Market. There will be a Disney Day in August, fall open-house in September, and so much more.
Flowers in the Mitten is located at 34852 W Michigan Ave in downtown Wayne. It’s open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. through 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.
Get creative and get creating a scarecrow to be displayed on Michigan Ave and be sure to come out and enjoy Downtown Wayne Scarecrow Fest!