Scarecrow Days celebrates Steven Spielberg on Sept. 22-24

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/09/2023 (853 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Festive, colourful scarecrows of all shapes and sizes will line the streets of Souris again this year as it celebrates Scarecrow Days 2023.

This year will mark the 32nd that the festival has run in Souris, located 47 kilometres southwest of Brandon. Every year has its own theme, and 2023’s is Steven Spielberg. The theme will be interwoven into many parts of the festival, which takes place from Sept. 22 to 24.

The idea of a theme celebrating the famous director came from event organizer and movie buff Mia Toews.

“I had other ideas, but everyone was like, ‘No, that’s a good idea.’ Everyone always came back to that one, so I thought yes, that’s what we’re going to do this year, and everyone is really excited about it.”

Spielberg, an American film director, producer, and screenwriter, is the most commercially successful director in history, according to the Worldwide Box Office. He has directed classics such as E.T., Jaws, Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park and more. Seven of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the American Library of Congress as “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

“People are excited about it, when you start listening off films like Indiana Jones, Gremlins, Goonies, Jurassic Park,” Toews said. “We’re going full force with that theme this year.”

One of the most enjoyable parts of Scarecrow Days, Toews says, is the scarecrow decorating contest. Everyone — including residents, local businesses, schools, and daycares — are encouraged to tap into their creativity and put up a scarecrow for the chance to win prizes in the form of “Souris Bucks.”

“It’s like a gift certificate that can be used at any local chamber of commerce businesses,” Toews said. “Scarecrow Days is a chamber event, so we really want to support out local businesses that way.”

The event will also feature kids’ games and a town-wide yard sale of up to around 40 to 50 sales, Toews said. Returning favourite events will include potato sack races, face painting, a touch-a-truck event, bouncy castles, a fireman’s barbecue, barrel rides and more.

“We just have a lot of little events going on in town that can cater to the adult population and the children as well,” Toews said.

Local restaurants have come on board offering specials, and new this year will be a karaoke event on Friday evening.

“If anyone’s interested in being part of that, come on down to Woodfire Deli,” she said.

Toews, who is relatively new to Souris, said she has been blown away by the amount of people from outside of the community that have reached out to inquire about Scarecrow Days this year.

“I’ve been getting phone calls from people in B.C., Aberta and Ontario asking me if we’re still holding the townwide yard sales this year, who are coming in from tout of town,” she said. “There’s businesses and restaurants that will be open later just to accommodate the people coming into town.”

Scarecrow Days is just one element of Souris that makes the community stand out from others, Toews believes. From its swinging bridge to its famous peacocks, everyday life in the area can feel quite magical, she said, and she hopes Scarecrow Days will encourage more people to visit and see what the area has to offer.

“For someone that doesn’t belong to Souris or the Westman area, it’s just a nice attraction to come and see what we have,” she said. “It’s just a great, wholesome community.”

Souris Scarecrow Days also points to just how much the local chamber of commerce, which Toews is a part of, does for the community, she said.

“We’re 32 years this year, and I just feel like it’s just going to get bigger and better as the years go on. I really love what the chamber is doing to help their community.”

» mleybourne@brandonsun.com

» X: @miraleybourne