Updated July 30, 2024

Of all the interesting things to do in Nova Scotia, the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival and Antique Fair is a favourite with the host of visitors who descend on the picturesque south shore town each autumn.

Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival

The 2024 festival is from September 28 to October 14. Take a leisurely stroll or cycle around Mahone Bay in search of your favourite scarecrows. Drivers move slowly and are courteous and considerate, a perfect combination for pedestrians and cyclists. Police presence may also be on two wheels in the form of a friendly and helpful officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Over 120 volunteers help make the event a success. This is an amazing accomplishment for a town of only 1,000 residents. Activities are varied, with something for everyone. A pumpkin walking path, pie baking contest and sale, live music, a book sale, yard sales, a Legion breakfast, children’s activities including a scavenger hunt and face painting, and much more. The three-venue antique fair features booths displaying the wares of 27 vendors.

Scarecrows are the stars of the show

The 250 or so life-sized scarecrows created by volunteers grace storefronts, sidewalks, and residential lawns.

Photo credit: Mahone Bay Facebook Page

If you bring a camera, expect to return home with a huge collection of photographs. Many of the displays invite visitors to insert themselves into the frame.

I found the word ‘scarecrow’ to be somewhat deceptive. These handmade creations are works of art, prepared by talented volunteers who work with a variety of media.

The clay shaped into the face of Maud Lewis bore an uncanny resemblance to the Nova Scotian artist.

Costumes materialized from metres of colourful fabric.

Other figures evolve from an eclectic collection – in this case, a washtub, garbage can, furnace ducts, buckets, and pots fastened together with duct tape.

Some scarecrows were arranged individually like this one of Astronaut Chris Hatfield.

Others are arranged in collections of recognizable figures – actors, musicians, the royal family, cartoon characters, and Canadian icons.

The collection by the Bank of Montreal paid tribute to the founding families of Mahone Bay. Mahone Bay was founded in 1754.

Many enterprises flaunt business-related displays. Recardo’s Pizza included a replica of its signature dish with two life-sized scarecrows representing restaurant workers.

Buchanans House of Music features a rock band.

A dental practice displays a youngster proudly sporting orthodontic braces.

Mahone Bay has some grand old houses. These provide a perfect backdrop for scarecrow displays.

Logistics

Mahone Bay is 85 kilometres from Halifax, a one-hour drive on Highway 103. A slower, more scenic option is to travel on Highway 3. Nova Scotia’s South Shore offers stunning coastal views and picturesque communities.

For visitors coming from the USA, a seasonal ferry crosses the Bay of Fundy from Bar Harbor, Maine to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. From Yarmouth, take the coastal route using a combination of Highways 3 and 103. Or, choose from several routes crossing the province.

Parking spaces are available in the large waterfront parking lot bordering Edgewater Street. It tends to be more crowded in the afternoon, and more difficult to find parking spaces near festival venues.

For more information, visit the festival website and the community Facebook page.

See you at the next Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival and Antique Fair? Scarecrows aside, come and see for yourself why Mahone Bay has been voted as one of the best small town destinations in Canada.

If you’re heading to Nova Scotia, you may be interested in another post from my home province: Off the beaten path in Nova Scotia at Bramber Weir.

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