Solvang Farmer Pumpkin Patch – It’s an authentic agricultural experience for the whole family with pumpkins and the famous corn maze on Alamo Pintado Road next to Sunny Fields Park in Solvang. The pumpkin patch is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  through Oct. 31.

To reserve a time for a group visit, go to their Facebook page or call 805-350-8335.

SYV Presbyterian Preschool Harvest Festival – 4:30 – 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 at the Presbyterian Church Family Center. There will be carnival games, bounce houses, petting zoo, face painting and more. Dinner will be available for purchase and please no scary costumes. Contact syvpp.parentclub@gmail.com for more info.

Summerset Farm has experiences for the whole family, including train rides, bounce house, pumpkins and gourds of all sizes.

Summerset Farm – The farm’s October pumpkin patch display includes large decorative pumpkins, pumpkins for cooking pies and soup, jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, and decorative turban squash and fancy gourds. It is one of the largest pumpkin patches in the valley, growing more than 28 varieties of pumpkin, squash and gourds. They offer train rides through the farm, for both adults and children, and have a bounce house for the little ones offering numerous photo opportunities. For more information, call 805-245-0989 or find them on Facebook.

Santa Barbara Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” is a thrill for the whole family and a rare opportunity to be at the zoo at night.

“Boo at the Zoo” – The Santa Barbara Zoo transforms for three nights of safe, traffic-free trick-or-treating Oct. 18 to 20. Expect monster-ous thrills and chills from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Activities include the Trick-or-Treat Trail, Boo-Choo-Choo train rides, Creepy Crawly encounters, Spooky Storytelling, Goblin Games, and more.

For tickets and more information, go to sbzoo.org.

Rancho San Julian Pumpkin Patch – Open every weekend in October, the historic ranch offers 15 varieties of pumpkins to pick yourself! A great event for the whole family. Visit www.theranchtable.com for details.

Día de los Muertos Craft Day – From noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 27, celebrate Día de los Muertos, “Day of the Dead,” with a free family craft workshop at Casa De la Guerra. Discover the fascinating history of this special holiday while decorating sugar skulls, creating block prints and tin art, and more.

Traditional Día de los Muertos refreshments will be served, including pan de muerto and Mexican hot chocolate, at 15 E. De La Guerra St.

For more information, call 965-0093 or go to sbthp.org/dia-de-los-muertos.

Hundreds of “zombies” will come to life at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden to dance to a Halloween medley.

“Thrills and Chills Dance Fest” – From 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Garden. Hundreds of zombies will come to life to dance to a Halloween medley of Ghostbusters, This is Halloween, Superstition, Witchy Woman, Killer Queen. For other events occurring around Santa Barbara County, go to www.worlddanceforhumanity.org/halloween-dance-fest/. 

El Dia De Los Muertos at Santa Barbara Museum of Art – 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 27,

Santa Barbara Museum of Art honors the Mexican tradition of remembering the dead with a variety of family festivities in the galleries, Family Resource Center, and back plaza, including music, dance performances, art-making activities, bilingual storytelling, a special display of altars created by school and community groups, and traditional refreshments. For more information, go to sbma.net.

Dia de los Muertos: Community Celebration – 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Oct. 31, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History – Learn about the cultural importance of the Mexican festival Día de los Muertos. Enjoy activities over three days including a Monarch Migration Quest, face painting, crafts, altars, and more. 11 a.m. is Ghost Wings storytime in the library, Noon is the marigolds and papel picado craft and 3 p.m. is the planitarium show. Visit www.sbnature.org for details.

There will be screams at the annual haunted house put on the by Solvang and Buellton Parks and Recreation departments.

Fright Farm Haunted House– 6 to 9:30 p.m. Oct 30-31 at Solvang Festival Theatre. The city of Solvang and Buellton Parks and Rec Department host the 26th annual Halloween Haunted House and Street Fest. Thrills and chills await all those brave enough to enter. A kid-friendly version is held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.cityofsolvang.com/310/Hauted-House

Halloween Street Faire – Santa Ynez Chamber hosts this annual event where businesses get into the spirit of the holiday by welcoming hundreds of costumed children with treats, stickers, coupons or other Halloween goodies from 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. There will be games, food, bounce houses and live music by the Agin Brothers and Territorial Law Band. Visit www.santaynezchamber.org for details.

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Send us your favorite scarecrows by email at news@santaynezvalleystar.com or tag #syvstar on your social media! Your photo might make the November issue! 

Star Report

The Santa Ynez Valley has kicked off the Annual Santa Ynez Valley (SYV) Scarecrow Fest and Contest starting on Friday, October 7, and will run until November 7, with people encouraged to vote for their favorite entries. This year’s Scarecrow Fest is sponsored in part by Visit Santa Ynez Valley, and include the “SYV” communities of Ballard, Buellton, Los Alamos, Los Olivos and Solvang.

The Valley will boast nearly 200 scarecrows this year, on which the public is invited to judge and vote for their favorites in the “field”. The SYV Scarecrows, crafted by local businesses, individuals and organizations, will be showcased throughout the and the winning scarecrows from each town will be eligible for the “2016 Harvest Cup: Best in the Valley” title and trophy, the winner of which will be announced at a November 16 ceremony in Buellton. Los Olivos business, Honey Paper, was awarded the 2015 Harvest Cup due to their mastery of scarecrow crafting.

Each of the Santa Ynez Valley towns holds their own, individual Scarecrow Fest and associated Contest; the rules vary slightly from town to town, but all have the ultimate goal of appointing a “Best Scarecrow” to represent each respective town in the quest for the Valley-wide Harvest Cup trophy.

One new facet of the 2016 SYV Scarecrow Fest, is the revived effort that the SYV town of Los Alamos is putting forth, for this year’s contest. Los Alamos’ Scarecrow Fest – coordinated by Vanessa Price, Tasting Room Manager at the Los Alamos outpost of Municipal Winemakers, at The Alamo Motel – will boast scarecrow entries this year from the likes of Municipal Winemakers and Shelter Social Club (owners of The Alamo Motel), Bell Street Farm, Bob’s Well Bread Bakery, Pico at the Los Alamos General Store, Casa Dumetz Wines + Babi’s Beer Emporium, Bedford Winery, Full of Life Flatbread, Plenty on Bell, The C Gallery, and the 1880 Union Hotel.

Not to be outdone, the Solvang Scarecrow Fest will include more than 100 scarecrow entries this year, all coordinated by Marisa Yott of Social Buzz SYV, while Los Olivos’ Scarecrow Fest, coordinated by Kelley Lucia, and Buellton’s Scarecrow Fest, put together by Kathy Vreeland, Executive Director of the Buellton Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, will also contribute dozens of scarecrows to this year’s “Fest”.

The Valley’s first Scarecrow Fest was held in Solvang, in 2010, initiated by the Solvang Third Wednesday committee. The original contest was created to drive business to each of the participating companies, storefronts, merchants and organizations, as well as to the town and the surrounding Santa Ynez Valley locales, in general. Past years’ Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fests have received far-reaching publicity, drawing increased visitor activity to the region and inspiring other California towns to host a Scarecrow Fest of their own, such as the Big Bear Village Scarecrow Festival.

More information about this year’s Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest is available at www.syvscarecrows.com. Scarecrow seekers may also follow the Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest happenings on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, at facebook.com/SYVScarecrowFest, twitter.com/SYVscarecrows, and instagram.com/syvscarecrows. Scarecrow voters and visitors are encouraged to use the hashtag #syvscarecrows in on-line discussions of the SYV Scarecrow Fest.

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