The community is encouraged to attend the scarecrow fest. Courtesy | Facebook

The Dawn Theater, Hillsdale Brewing Company, and Here’s to You Pub & Grub are working together to put on Hillsdale’s first Scarecrow Fest. 

The event will take place Friday, Oct. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Gianna Green, general manager of the Dawn Theater, said she and some other friends who own businesses in town wanted to do something to celebrate fall. It began with the idea for local businesses to decorate scarecrows and display them in front of their storefronts for October. 

Then they decided to expand it into a downtown party. 

“We used to have our little fall festival in downtown Hillsdale and that went by the wayside, and it was a lot of fun, but it was also a lot of work,” Pub & Grub co-owner Kevin Conant said. “We were just trying to make something fun a little more simplistic.”

Green said the party will shut down a section of North Howell Street.

“We have the downtown social district, so you can buy alcohol from established retailers and walk around with it in the social district,” Green said. “We’re going to have live music on the point right by the jewelry shop.” 

Russ Kendrick Martin, a Michigan-based songwriter, will be performing for the event.

Other local businesses have joined in, Green said. Smith’s Flowers is providing pumpkins for a paint-a-pumpkin activity, while Hillsdale Craft Supply is providing paint. 

Hillsdale Jewelers and The Filling Station will also be participating.

Some downtown businesses will be part of a scarecrow scavenger hunt. People can get a map from a participating business, and when they find the scarecrow in that business, an employee will initial their map. Completed maps can be turned in for prizes.

Green said there will also be games out on the sidewalk, including cornhole and sidewalk chalk. 

“It’s really going to be fun for all ages,” Green said. 

The event will incorporate Hillsdale’s newly-established social district, which will allow participants who are of age to walk through the festival with alcohol from local bars. 

“What you could do is buy a drink from the pub and walk around and enjoy the games and sample the food, do the scavenger hunt, all with a drink in your hand — if you’re of age, of course,” Green said.

Felicia Finch, co-owner of Hillsdale Brewing Company, said she is looking forward to bringing the social district and businesses together for a fun night for the community. She said she hopes the festival will start the process of more festivals and events coming to Hillsdale.

Green said she, Finch, and Conant are trying to help downtown be more active, serve the community better, inspire economic development, and help local businesses. 

“We all have our own businesses down here and we all want to see each other succeed,” Green said. “Especially in a small town, small businesses can’t stand alone. We have to stand together so that’s kind of what we’re doing, and also in a way of serving each other, we’re serving our community.”

Green said she is excited to be a bustling downtown. 

“We’ll just have a nice evening in town where the community can just get together and celebrate fall and enjoy our beautiful downtown,” she said.