Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival

Remember previous ex-STRAW-dinary Fleetwood Scarecrow Festivals?! It started before the covid pandemic. The organisers had a vision that Fleetwood would, in time, become well known for its annual Scarecrow Festival. For several years it took place for the two weeks prior to Tram Sunday.

And now it’s BACK! Build your own scarecrow and enjoy finding all the others around town during the Festival on 11 & 12 July 2026!

This year’s theme for Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival is Heroes and Villains from film and tv! Build your own scarecrow and enjoy finding all the others.

Use your imagination to make your creative design! And think about where it will be so people can see it on the weekend of 11th & 12th July. If you are working from home… put it in the front garden or on the doorstep; if you’re a business, in a window or on your forecourt? Anywhere it can be seen by passers-by.

Watch out for details on how to get involved in the Festival including tips on making your scarecrow, where to get some of the materials you’ll need and the community groups and local businesses involved in this years event. It’s going to be fun … hang on to your (straw) hats!

More details and LOADS of entries on their Facebook page

This amazing entry is by Fleet Farm on Rossall Lane in 2016 –

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Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival – Year 1

In the first year word quickly got around and the organising team worked hard to kick start the campaign.

Shaun MacNeill was the original driving force behind the project, and members of Fleetwood Rotary volunteered to keep in touch with participants and help them through the first year.

The original coordinating group was made up of James Parr and Sophie from Farmer Parr’s, Robert Brown and Emma Anderton (WBC/lights committee, etc). Gordon Oates, Danny O’Neil, Sandra Foulkes, Carol Pilling (Rotary) and Shaun MacNeill – with others joining in as and when.

This Cod Army man is Steve and Tracey Penwarden’s entry for 2017!

It’s really simple to join in. All you had to do is make a scarecrow and display it outside your business or home (or in the window).

Let’s make Fleetwood Ex-STRAW-dinary!

Find out More

Join Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival on Facebook

And Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival on Twitter @FWscarecrows

How to Make a Scarecrow

It’s very simple to make a scarecrow. It can be made from a wide variety of materials. Let your imagination run riot – ones with humour work really well.

They don’t need to be stuffed with straw, newspaper stuffed into plastic bags works well, as they don’t hold water, so rain is less of a problem.

They can be made from various shaped templates – from a simple cross to more intricate designs. Old unwanted clothes can be put to good use. You can keep your scarecrow for future years, but he may need a bit of a spruce up. Buckets filled with concrete (with the pole set in it) – can act as a sturdy base.

GET STUFFING!

Top Scarecrow Making Tips!

A few top tips from the Blackpool Civic Trust. They have learned a fair bit about Scarecrows over the years. They also used to organise a big scarecrow event in Salisbury Woodlands. When it finished they kindly donated their scarecrows to the Fleetwood event.

Betty’s Top Tips are as follows:-

• Start off with a wooden cross (+) frame first of all. This will give your creation real backbone!
• Find old clothes for free or go to a charity shop.
• If you plan to stuff with newspaper – do this by stuffing the paper into plastic bags first – so that your Scarecrow is more weatherproof.
• Think of a theme, person or joke to base your scarecrow around.
• What props could you use to bring your scarecrow to life.
• Think of where you are going to put your scarecrow carefully – as it will need attaching to something solid/supportive.
• The Scarecrows of Fleetwood will need to withstand the elements for about 2 weeks – so keep this in mind.
• You can save the frame and other bits for following years.
• The internet is full of tips and images to inspire you too!
• GET STUFFING FLEETWOOD!

Previous Entries

This is just a small selection of photos from past years to inspire you – see them all on the Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival Facebook page. Which is your favourite?

Fleet Farm on Rossall Lane

Green Giant at Freeport Fleetwood

Gypsy caravan and ponies at Fleet Farm

Pipe man at Builders Supplies

Lindsay Burrows decorator

Balfour Beatty Scarecrows building the Rossall Sea Defences

More about Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival

Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival started for the first time in the summer of 2014. It was originally intended to be something novel, fun and interesting to support the local business community. The idea was to get people into the town centre shops, as they completed the scarecrow hunt.

However, the people of Fleetwood were really inspired with the idea and it grew like topsy. In the two weeks of the event there literally were scarecrows all over the place, with upwards of 150 scarecrows popping up!

The display was boosted by the donation of a large number of exhibits from the Salisbury Woodlands Scarecrow Festival. Farmer Parr’s assumed it’s rightful place as scarecrow HQ!

WWI Mine Sweeper at Fleetwood Museum

Jain Dough’s entry

Jean Laithwaite’s Johnny Depp and Mermaid

Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival – July 2014

They were on roundabouts and buildings, peeping out from shop doorways, and behind displays in windows. Scarecrows of all shapes and sizes appeared, as the Fleetwood Scarecrow Festival began its first year!

Everyone got into the spirit, with creations in shops, businesses and schools!

The fabulous folk of Fleetwood have gone to town and scores of local businesses, schools and groups had ‘Got Stuffing’. Well over 100 scarecrows were on display around the town centre for the two weeks prior to Tram Sunday.

The organisers hoped it would evolve into a big annual event and get bigger year after year. It’s got off to a flying start.

Thanks to Jeff Eker for these photos

The folk of Fleetwood have really been ex-STRAW-dinary!

Look at the monster made at Farmer Parr’s! You can see Tony stood at its side to get an idea of scale. Where will they find clothes to fit him? They’ll have to get sewing!