LEXINGTON, S.C. — Some visitors for the spooky season are popping up early in one Midlands town. Driving down Main Street in Lexington just got a whole lot "scare"-ier.
This is because a brand new tradition involving a whole lot of straw and creativity is underway in Lexington: a downtown scarecrow contest.
"This is really all about community engagement and creativity and the spirit of Lexington and we're just trying to highlight and showcase our businesses," said Angelle LaBorde, president of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce.
Cindy Powell and her daughter Addy have been decorating their light post with "Santa Crow" all morning.
"We're all excited. I know several companies that are competing against each other, so we're excited to have a go at it," said Cindy Powell, co-owner of Grand Illuminations. "Nothing scary, it's family friendly. But other than that, we couldn't go off of the sidewalk and it was just, you're supposed to have a sign with the name of your scarecrow and your business. And then other than that, be as creative as possible and we'll see who wins."
32 other businesses along Main Street and members of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce are in on the fun, showcasing leprechauns, minions, and even a "Squatober" pumpkin man.
The chamber teamed up with the Town of Lexington for this contest idea that they've seen in other South Carolina towns.
Locals are loving the extra festive spirit downtown, going out of their way to see the displays.
"We're just out, enjoying our day, checking out the scarecrows, going to have some lunch," Beulah Butler, Lexington resident said.
The deadline for decorating is Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Now here's the fun part, even you can be involved in picking the winner! There's a people's choice scarecrow that will be picked by the most number of likes on the town of Lexington's Facebook page.
Voting starts Tuesday, October 11 and runs through October 31. A winner will be picked on November 1. Then the top three scarecrows will be chosen November 8 by three judges.