Most Scarecrows in one location-world record
set by the Hoschton Scarecrow Stampede
HOSCHTON, GA, USA -- Organizers of the Hoschton
Scarecrow Stampede
had documented proof of 5,441 scarecrows
-setting the new world record for the Most Scarecrows in
one location
.
Photo: The Hoschen "scarecrow-a-thon"
was the brainchild of local businesswoman Robbie Bettis, who
said the record is an attempt at boosting the town's profile.
( enlarge
photo
)
"They're in every subdivision, every nook and cranny," Bettis
said of the scarecrows. "I mean, they are everywhere."
...They are. Scarecrows line Ga. 53, the main
drag. They peep from porches and grin from garages. They’re
clad as children, old people, businessmen, church-goers, football
players, vamps, preachers, convicts, mechanics, carpenters,
superheroes and more. All, said Bettis, are a labor of civic
pride, made by children, old people, businessmen, church-goers
and more. -wrote "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution"
Mayor Bill Copenhaver set the town's goal
at 4,000 to ensure it would beat the Cincinnati Horticultural
Society's record for the most scarecrows in one location.
The group's 2003 Flower and Farm Fest had 3,311 of them in
2003.
Hoschton residents called on Georgia Insurance
and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxedine and Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce director Shane Short to verify the numbers
Tuesday afternoon.
Business owner Robbie Bettis hold daily scarecrow
making workshops to teach the town's 1,700 residents how to
make scarecrows.
As part of world records' requirements, scarecrows
must have a stand, be stuffed and "scare crows."
Part of the process required in competing
for the title was to photograph each scarecrow individually
before placing it in the ground and numbering each one.
In addition to Hoschton residents, people
from different towns helped, including Hiawassee, Loganville,
Monroe, Atlanta. There even was some out-of-state help from
residents of Tennessee.
Some of the scarecrows are pretty elaborate.But,
with so many styles and sizes, what exactly constitutes a
scarecrow?
“Who knows? Whatever you want it to be [...]
it can be a simple shirt on a pole in the middle of a field
or it can be something more elaborate,” Mayor Copenhaver tells
Newschannel 32.
Mayor Copenhaver says people, not just the
Hoschton residents, have enjoyed making the scarecrows. “We’ve
had people from out of state bringing in scarecrows wanting
to put them up in town,” says Mayor Copenhaver.
Hoschton
(properly pronounced like PUSH-ton, but with an H, according
to the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce) hosts the
annual Hoschton
Fall Festival
during the weekend of Sept. 26-27, and
visitors can catch a free event Sept. 27-28 at Château Élan’s
Equestrian Center.
Hoschton is located about an hour north of Atlanta
on Hwy 53 East.
Their reasons to set the world record for the Most
Scarecrows in one location
? According to their official
website, the reasons are:
* to gain a huge amount of positive publicity
& wonderful decorations for the Hoschton Fall Festival.
* to build excitement among citizens with a community-wide
project and to build pride in Hoschton.
*
to have an indirect economic impact on local businesses.
* to help the schools teach using scarecrows as examples.
* to put Hoschton “on the map.”
* to guard the festival from the crows who might gather
and cause trouble for the event, and to raise awareness of
the farming history of our area.
Sponsor of the event:
Noodlehead
Studios
: Your one stop creative firm for graphic design,
web design, video production, and new media marketing.
The previous world record for the Most Scarecrows in one location
was set in 2003
in Ohio with 3,311 scarecrows.
Although the cut-off date was September first,
some people say they plan to keep their scarecrows up through
Halloween. And, the mayor does not plan to do this again next
year.
"We thought if we gave people something fun
to do, then maybe they will forget about the difficult economy,"
said antique dealer Robbie Bettis, who is leading the effort
along with her husband Fred.
More photos:
2008
Scarecrow Stampede Web Album
Saturday, September 20, 2008
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