MOSES LAKE — Entries are being solicited for a new contest to find the scariest – and most creative – scarecrows in Moses Lake. The contest is sponsored by the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, and is open to scarecrow artists of all ages.

Entries will be displayed at the museum, located at 401 S. Balsam St., from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4. Winners in the 11 categories will receive $50 gift cards. Winners will be announced at noon on Free Family Saturday Nov. 4.

There are individual categories for children (12 years of age and younger), teens (13 to 17 years of age) and adults (18 and older), and group categories for families, businesses and clubs or non-profit organizations.

Judging is by museum volunteers, except for the People’s Choice category. The volunteers will award the Volunteers Choice, and there’s a category for the creepiest scarecrow, the coolest scarecrow and the most creative.

Visitors to the exhibit will select the People’s Choice winner.

Entries will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 28 at the museum. Scarecrows must be handmade and 4 to 6 feet tall. They must be able to stand on their own or when propped against a wall. No separate props will be accepted; everything must be attached to the scarecrow. Real pumpkins or other foodstuffs are prohibited.

“The scarecrow contest exhibit area is family-friendly,” said a press release from the museum. “Entries can be creepy, but not gruesome or bloody. No advertising, defamatory content or political statements, please.”

On the other hand, “scarecrows can be whimsical, humorous, mischievous, lovable, sad, weird, disgusting, eerie, sinister, nerdy, etc. Use your imagination.”

Museum officials can reject any entries that don’t meet the criteria.

As long as there have been crops there have been scarecrows. According to the museum press release kids worked as live scarecrows (or “bird scarers”) in medieval Britain. Farmers in classical Japan armed their scarecrows, called kakashi, with bows and arrows. The word “bogeyman” may have its roots in the German “bootzaman,” which immigrants used to describe the figures they used in the fields. The technology has changed, but the concept is the same – modern farmers sometimes use reflective film ribbons to keep pests away.

People who want more information can contact the museum, 509-764-3830, or [email protected].