Hugely popular Wray Scarecrow Festival starts this weekend with 'Sci-fi' theme

Wray Scarecrow Festival and fair makes a welcome return to the village near Lancaster on April 27 until May 6 with plenty of entertainment and lots of scarecrows.

The 2024 theme is ‘Sci-fi’ and here are some key dates from the 10 day programme.

Saturday April 27: Scarecrow Festival starts, 10k road race (starts near The Old Bobbin Mill) 1.15pm

Sunday April 28: Car Boot Sale on the ‘School Field’ (LA2 8RG) 8am; 100k cycle ride (not a race, all ages welcome) 9am; Fantastical Quests 10am

Monday April 29 to Thursday May 2: Wray Primary School children will be maypole dancing and singing in the school playground 2.30pm

Tuesday April 30: Fell Race (starts at the Tea Rooms) 7pm

Friday May 3: Giant Scarecrow Parade (starts The Gars) 6.30pm; Scarecrow competition prize giving (Tea Rooms) 7.30pm; Batala Samba Reggae Band

Saturday May 4: Gravel Bikes - stop off (Home Farm Close) 11am; Local History Tours (walking - meet outside The George and Dragon) 11am and 2pm

Sunday May 5: Local History Tours (walking - meet outside The George and Dragon) 11am and 2pm

Monday May 6: Traditional May Fair (Samba Espirito – drumming band parading from Main Street to “School Field”) 10.45am; Great Ball Race at Wray Bridge 5pm

A major feature of the Festival is the Scarecrow Competition, keenly ‘fought’ by villagers.

Entries on display throughout the village provide a great selection for visitors to look at as they walk around.

There is an additional competition category this year, “Community Care”; the others are; Theme, Traditional, Topical, Animated and local Primary Schools.

There is also a “People’s Choice” prize; individuals can enter this by using the slip in their Festival Programme to list the numbers of their favourite three Scarecrows.

The £25 winner is drawn at random from those who included the highest overall winner in their entry.

The traditional May Fair will be held on Monday May 6 starting at 10.45am.

There are a range of performers and acts from 11am and throughout the afternoon, on three stages:

· A mix of ‘join in’ and entertainment acts on our Main Stage on the School Field,

· Entertainers on the Flood Gardens (lower Main Street)

· Live music on Main Street stage

Following the successful launch of Fantastical Quests in Wray last year, teams of up to six people can try to complete this year’s adventure - “The Time Thief” .

The Quest is to find Ursus Nebula, a time travelling picaroon - who has hidden his stolen treasures around Wrayopolis and whose temporal crimes must be stopped!

More information is available at https://www.fantasticalquests.co.uk/

More information on the Festival and Fair is available on the Facebook page called Wray Village Scarecrows and the website https://wrayscarecrows.wordpress.com/ and from John Gordon on 07799 624518 or [email protected].