Saddle up for Queensland’s ‘scariest’ event – the Mary Valley Scarecrow Festival 11 Sept – 2 October

The Mary Valley’s Village People from the 2022 festival.

The Gympie/Mary Valley region of Queensland has its fair share of weird and wonderful festivals such as the Great Australian Pumpkin Roll at Goomeri and Gympie Ute Muster, but the Mary Valley Scarecrow Festival is undoubtedly the most visually bizarre.

This year, the Festival has a Wild West theme and locals are currently yeehaw-ing and cracking the whip to come up with their remarkable creations.

Scarecrows come out of the hills on September 11 and will be on display until October 2, throughout the Mary Valley (one hour north of the Sunshine Coast).

This year, you might see scarecrows resembling Wild Bill Hickok or Annie Oakley on display – and one supporter is creating Woody the Cowboy for a scarecrow hunt competition.

Organisers want visitors to track down Woody and snap a photo with him, and if they share it on the Scarecrow Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/maryvalleyscarecrowfestival/) using the handle #Woody, they could win $150.

For the scarecrow 'artists', there are prizes of up to $500 for the grand champion, with prize winners announced on 13 September.

Visitors will be able to download a Google map from the website (https://www.maryvalleyartslink.com.au/mary-valley-scarecrow-festival/) and enjoy scarecrow spotting as they drive around the lush Mary Valley and its historic villages such as Brooloo, Imbil, Ridgewood, Kandanga, Amamoor, and Dagun. There are plenty of pubs, restaurants, and picnic spots to enjoy the superb local Mary Valley produce.

The Festival started in the hinterland in 1998, to herald the region’s spring growing season and has been held almost every year since then. It is one of two festivals – the other is the Mary Valley Art Festival - hosted by the community group, Mary Valley Artslink.

The creators of Stair Crow recycled old stair
components to build an immense statue

The Mary Valley is located one hour north of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and is a perfect weekend getaway, with misty hills, rolling valleys, charming towns, and infectiously unaffected characters at every turn. A favourite for adventurers, the region offers outstanding trekking, cycling, horse riding and kayaking, including the rare chance to see platypus in their natural habitat. There is a wide variety of accommodation available, and visitors can enjoy an authentic country experience, with local markets, farm-gate experiences and opportunities to meet the makers, producers and artists at work.

Further information: https://www.maryvalleyartslink.com.au/mary-valley-scarecrow-festival/

* Media Contacts: Heinke Butt 0419 024291 or Kaili Parker-Price kpriceless@bigpond.com

* Peter Hook peter.hook@visitsunshinecoast.com