by Kenya Smith/Intern
kenya.smith@tidewaternews.com

FRANKLIN
For the fourth year in a row, the Downtown Divas and Dudes are doing a scarecrow contest. Downtown Divas and Dudes is made up of retailers and restaurants that promote local small businesses in downtown Franklin. Participants are asked to decorate a lamp post with a scarecrow that represents their business and what they do. One lucky winner will receive a free article in The Tidewater News about their business and a $25 Visa gift card.

According to Margaret Mackan, the idea of a scarecrow contest started when she and her daughter, Mary Morris, observed what other small towns were doing to celebrate the autumn season. As a result, the contest became a huge success in the city.

“Participation in the contest has really grown, and this will be our first year that we will be fully decorated in certain areas of downtown Franklin,” Mackan said.

Dan Howe, the executive director for the Downtown Franklin Association, believes that the scarecrow contest is a good kickoff for the fall season.

“It’s a nice tradition that we’ve been doing in the past few years,” said Howe, “Plus, it’s a nice way to decorate for our fall fest and for the fall shopping season.”

Contact Mary C. Morris at 562-2959 or sales@mackans.com by Tuesday, Sept. 25. All scarecrows must be up by Monday, Oct. 1.