Hold your breath, horror lovers. It’s that time of year again when everyone tries to frighten away the ever-increasing darker nights with Halloween games and bonfires.
This year, however, Sandymount Green is the place to be, where the Christchurch Harvest Festival, with its impressive seasonal display, forms the backdrop to the Scarecrow and Pumpkin competition.
James Bailie from Sandymount Tidy Towns told NewsFour, “The Green itself will be decorated from 23rd October, adding to the exciting Halloween atmosphere.”
The competition is sectioned off as follows: The pumpkin competition invites entrants from every local community organisation at a cost of €3 per pumpkin. “Last year’s standard was very high,” says Bailie. “There was a carriage carved from a pumpkin complete with Cinderella. The creativity shown was amazing.”
Then there is the scarecrow display, which accommodates the residential, community and business sectors and costs €5 to enter. Last year saw scarecrows popping up in the gardens, hedges and windows of Sandymount.
Memorable business entrants from last year included a butcher’s, complete with blood-stained cleaver, and a dog and cat at the entrance to the vets.
The event is sponsored by local businesses and Dublin City Council. Entrants are invited to register from 13th October at Bennetts Auctioneers and from then photographs will be taken of the individual displays.
Pumpkin judging takes place at Christchurch market on 24th October at 6pm, while all sections of the scarecrow competition will be judged. Bailie says, “We are expecting it to be even bigger than last year.”
By Maria Shields O’Kelly
