BERNARDSTON — For the past 20 years, residents of Bernardston and neighboring communities have looked forward to the various activities planned for Scarecrow in the Park. From the scarecrow contest to the antique tractor parade, the center of town features something for everyone.

The event will be held at Cushman Park on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The festival was originally brought into existence by the Bernardston Kiwanis Club in 2004. Brandon Grover, who has been a member of the club since Scarecrow in the Park’s inception, said the annual scarecrow contest is the highlight of the festival because it encourages everyone of all ages to get involved.

Participants can aim to make their scarecrows align with a few consistent categories such as Scariest, Funniest and Prettiest. Winners in each category get $100. Grover mentioned his favorite category is Most Interesting Use of Materials due to the brilliant ways people use everyday items in their creations.

“There was a rooster made from a chicken wire frame with cornstalks, hay and sticks for the body,” Grover said when asked about some of the most interesting entries he’s seen over the years.

To make things more interesting for returning scarecrow makers, there’s also a rotating category every year, with this year’s category being Science.

Grover added that people even incorporate the landscape of the park. He recounted how one year, there were kayaking and surfing scarecrows next to the small brook that divides the park. Some people are so dedicated that they win titles back to back, he said, even during years when rain puts a damper on outdoor activities.

“One woman would come the night before the festival for three years in a row and make just the scariest looking scarecrows,” he said. “When I asked her about it, she said she wasn’t doing it for the [prize] money, she just loved it.”

Last year, even though it rained, there were 36 scarecrows set up in Cushman Park. Grover hopes the sunny forecast for this weekend will translate to more participation and an increased number of spectators, with some festivals having seen as many as 86 scarecrows.

The local schools get involved, too, with most of the money raised during Scarecrow in the Park going toward college scholarships offered by the Bernardston Kiwanis Club for graduating seniors from Pioneer Valley Regional School and Franklin County Technical School. Although scholarships are the main priority, a portion of the funds also go to local Scouts and recreation departments.

Aside from scarecrows, the event will also feature vendors set up throughout the park, a raffle that has accumulated more than 100 prizes and the antique tractor parade, set for Saturday at noon. Food vendors include All Things Maple, Holyoke Hummus Co., Groovy Grill and Caravan Kitchen.

“It’s basically a festival like no other,” Grover said. “We have something for everyone.”

The parade starts at the United Church of Bernardston, then heads west on Church Street, south on South Street and loops around at Country Estates before heading back in the opposite direction. The parade, which draws at least 40 tractors on average, will also include the Pioneer Marching Band, the Bernardston Recreation Department cheerleaders and Cub Scouts Pack 3.

Finally, a giant pumpkin-carving demonstration and a chainsaw wood-carving demonstration will attract spectators throughout the weekend. There will also be live music, hay rides, balloon animals and face painting.

For more information, visit facebook.com/scarecrowinthepark.