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The 18th
Haxby and Wigginton Scarecrow Festival 2026
Saturday 2nd–Monday 4th May
Come and join the fun!
Cash-only on the day, please!
Make a Scarecrow! Join in the Fun!
It’s 20 years since we started the annual Haxby & Wigginton Scarecrow Festival, and our 18th Festival (thank you, COVID-19!). Each year we:
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Try to create a wonderful, good-value day out, bringing our local community together;
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Raise money for charities and good causes, many of them local.
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When is the Festival?
Early May Bank Holiday Weekend: Saturday 2nd–Monday 4th May
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Help us celebrate our 20th anniversary this year by joining in the fun!
(You might even win a prize if people vote for your scarecrow!)
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How To Join Inโ
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Get your Thinking Head on to come up with an idea for a scarecrow you can make and display.
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Register your scarecrow here
Please register by Friday, 10th April, so we can plan the routes.
(Registrations we receive after this date will need to be on a route we’ve planned out. Register early!) -
Create your masterpiece, ready to display throughout the Festival. (You’ll need to have it on show between 10am and 7pm each day.)โโ
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The Scarecrow Festival Planning Team
Did you know…?
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With your help, in 2025 we raised
£5,492
Thank you so much!
About the Festival
When is it?
Early May Bank Holiday Weekend: Saturday 2nd–Monday 4th May
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It’s a great day out!
All trails start at Haxby and Wigginton Methodist Church. We have a mix of long and short trails, suitable for long and short legs. Children (and adults!) feel like explorers: leading the way with a trail map and directions in hand!
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Trail Maps on sale 10am–4:30pm
Trail maps are only £3 each, or all five for £12 — the money raised goes to the great charities and good causes below.
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It’s good value — Your family only needs one map for a trail!
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Answer puzzle-clues as you go round to enter our competitions!
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Scarecrows on show 10am–7pm
Take your time and enjoy yourself! Perhaps do one or two routes a day, or maybe split the longest route over a couple of days if you like.
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Refreshments available 10am–5:30pm
Soup, sandwiches, cakes and toasted teacakes are available in our Church Hall, along with tea, coffee and squash. (And of course, toilets are here too!)
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Coming by bus or bike?
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Routes 1 and 20 stop right outside our church (ask for Haxby Pond).
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Routes 13 and 14 stop just around the corner (ask for Westfield Road).
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We have three ‘Sheffield’ bike stands (6 spaces) at the front of the church. You’re welcome to use these whilst in our building. Others are available in Haxby’s main shopping area.
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The Scarecrow Festival Planning Team
Join in the Fun!
Cash Only, Please!
Our Charities and Good Causes for 2026
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In 2026, we’ll be using the money we raise to support:
Candlelighters
When a child is diagnosed, lives are turned upside down instantly: not just for the child but the entire family. Getting well again can be a long and challenging journey, emotionally, physically, and financially.
Supporting children and families throughout that journey is why Candlelighters was formed 50 years ago. Our mission is to bring light to every family affected by childhood cancer across Yorkshire by providing emotional, practical and financial support, as well as bringing hope, by investing in vital research to improve the outcomes and lives of children with cancer.
Dementia Forward
Dementia Forward is the leading dementia charity for York and North Yorkshire. We provide support, advice and information to anybody affected by dementia across the county, and have developed a comprehensive range of services, all with people living with dementia at their heart.
Our vision is that when a person is concerned about their memory or has been diagnosed with dementia, they will continue to live well, along with the people they choose and their local communities. They will feel supported, informed and included.
Outreach EMR
Outreach EMR, founded by Dr Peter Smith of York, is a not-for-profit, non-sectarian, North Yorkshire-based charity in the UK, committed to empowering local people to achieve sustainable health care using an electronic medical records system. Outreach EMR is working in 23 clinics across nine of the world's poorest countries: Uganda, Haiti, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Zambia, India, Costa Rica, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Jordan.
Without proper medical records, doctors and clinicians are working in the dark. EMRs help to track diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia. Steps can then be taken to prevent the spread of disease.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
Our air ambulance helicopters fly seven days a week, 365 days a year. We operate three helicopters on a rotational basis, with two aircraft operational at any one time. The aircraft are based at our two airbases: Nostell Air Support Unit near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, and RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, North Yorkshire.
Our team is highly skilled and responds to those in urgent need of emergency care, starting specialised treatment at the scene of an incident before they are transported to an appropriate major trauma centre or another hospital for further medical care.
The Scarecrow Festival Planning Team