Get ready for the invasion of the scarecrows this weekend

Last year’s Scarecrow Festival was voted the best event ever organised by the community association and this year organisers say it will be even better.

There’s no special theme so entrants are again able to use their imaginations to the full, with two scarecrow trails on Saturday and Sunday, one each side of Barnsley Road.

The official start will be at 11am on Saturday at St Helen’s Church where there will be activities for youngsters, including scarecrow painting organised by Sandal Art Group.

There will also be scarecrows on display at West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club and at Sandal Cricket Club where there will be a Saturday barbecue.

Refreshments will be served at the church where Sandal Fundraising Group for Wakefield Hospice will run a stall selling soft toys.

Refreshments will also be available on both days at Sandal Castle Primary School, where pupils are entering seven scarecrows in the festival.

Sunday’s activities at West Yorkshire Sports and Social Club will start at noon and the closing ceremony, announcement of results and presentation of awards will take place at the club at 4pm, followed by a children’s ticket-only disco until 6pm.

The cost will be £2 per child to help defray costs.

Sandal Tennis Club, where a scarecrow will be on display, will be running free tennis taster sessions and fun games for both adults and youngsters between 1pm and 4pm on the Sunday when refreshments will be available.

One of the scarecrow trails will start at St Helen’s and end at the cricket club via Barnsley Road, Castle Road, South Drive, the castle, Manygates Lane and Pinfold Lane. The second will start and end at West Yorkshire Sports Club and will take in Sandal Hall Close, Walton Lane, Sandal Castle School and parts of Barnsley Road and the Mountbatten estate.

Entrants who are not on either of the trails will still have their scarecrows judged and have the option of displaying them at the cricket club or sports club.

SCA scarecrow committee co-ordinator Jean Chaplin said: “The event is going to be loads of fun again and we’re hoping other local groups will get involved by running activities over the weekend.”

For information on how to make a scarecrow, click HERE