Scarecrow Winners!

905 Circle: Mark Borough, President of the HSFP, presenting first prize of the Forest Park Pride to Kimberly Adami-Hasegawa for Silvia, Ferrara’s Friendliest Face. 531 Circle: Jessica Voogd’s husband Dan with Belle Gunness, first prize winner of the most historical category. 825 Beloit: Some of the creators of Harry Potter, first prize winner of the most artistic category.

2024 was the 4th year for the Invasion of the Scarecrows fundraiser for the Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park, and once again the event was a smashing success. Forest Park residents who were part of the “Invasion” displayed scarecrows in front of their homes or businesses and showed off their creativity, talents and pride in Forest Park. Some scarecrows were funny, some were scary, some were very clever, and all were very unique. Chappell Roan and Beetlejuice were very popular this year, with three different scarecrows depicting each. A property tax bill was the scariest, something every home owner can relate to. There was an astronaut stuck in space, there were super heroes, and there were -- of course – cicadas. And there was so much more!! The scarecrow committee feels that everyone who participated is a winner. 

Prizes for the top vote getters in each category were awarded as follows:
Most Artistic:       First Prize: Harry Potter – 825 Beloit – Gabrielle Groener
                                Runner-up: Little Shop of Horrors - 7612 Harrison - Heather Gould
 
Most Historic:       First Prize: Belle Gunness – 531 Circle – Jessica Voogd
                                Runner-up: The Ghost of Alice Paul - 7651 Adams - Betsy Homan
 
People’s Choice: First Prize: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce - 7706 Monroe – Megan Roach
                                Runner-up: The Ghost of Skipped Leg Day – 7511 Madison – John Hayley
 
Forest Park Pride: First Prize: Silvia, Ferrara's Friendliest Face – 905 Circle – Kimberly Adami-Hasegawa
                                  Runner-up: The Ghost of Skipped Leg Day – 7511 Madison – John Hayley
 
All four first prize winners received gift bags with merchandise and/or gift certificates from local businesses. Each runner-up received a bottle of prosecco to help them celebrate their success. And all four participants from the 900 block of Circle received prizes for being the most involved block.

The Historical Society of Forest Park and the Forest Park Arts Alliance are grateful for merchandise, services and gift card donations by the following local businesses and individuals, and would like to say THANK YOU to:

Lin Beribak, Loyola Center for Fitness, Mark Boroughf, Brown Cow, Circle Lanes, Elements Massage, Famous Liquors, Fat Duck, Jimmy’s Place, Kribi Coffee, Maison de Bonbon, Scratch Public House, Starship Subs, Twisted Cookie and Rick Wagner. The Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park also donated prizes.
100 new scarecrow kits will be available for purchase again next year. The Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park hope that this year’s “invaders” will want to be involved again in 2025, along with many new participants.

Photo of Megan Roach with her creations Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce who won first prize in the People’s Choice category is not included, because Taylor is currently on tour, performing at Fiber Flash on Constitution Court. However, photos of Taylor, Travis, and all other 2024 scarecrows can be found at http://www.forestparkhistory.org.
A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who participated this year and supported our two organizations!
Uli Leib
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On behalf of the 2024 Scarecrow Committee of the HSFP and the AAFP