This year marks the 10th anniversary of the eagerly-anticipated Leap Scarecrow Festival, which will run from October 20 to November 1. Renowned for its one-of-a-kind scarecrow competition, this annual event will be bigger and better than ever before this year to celebrate its milestone birthday.
Attracting visitors annually from far and wide who come to enjoy the weekend of Halloween-themed fun and creativity, Leap Scarecrow Festival has evolved from humble origins, first started by Rita Ryan in 2015, to one of the most popular attractions in Cork County during the Halloween break.
“Every year we have grown and learned from the previous year, making every subsequent year better than the last,” shares festival committee member, Deirdre.
“Initially we just thought it might be nice to have a festival of fun for Halloween, in our quiet little village of Leap, and hoped that maybe a few people from the surrounding areas might find it amusing and come join us,” says Deirdre. “Coming into 2025 we can look back in wonder at how the festival has grown legs, how people travel from all over the country to see Leap for Halloween.”
The scarecrow displays, ranging from hilarious to horrifying, give a spooky spirit to this otherwise quaint village and the 2025 scarecrow competition promises to be the most exciting and ‘spooktacular’ yet. “We encourage all to get involved. Making a scarecrow is a lot easier than you think!”
Along with the scarecrows there are plenty of family-friendly events to enjoy, from parades, puppet shows and storytelling to fun activities.
This year the Church of Ireland on Leap’s Main Street will host two music gigs. The legendary Seán Keane, with support from Skibbereen’s Aoibhe Daly, will perform on Thursday, October 23, and West Cork’s very own LOWmountain, the alt-folk trio of Alan Daniel Tobin, Niall O’Driscoll and Deirdre Hayes Archibold, supported by Leap’s own Ukulele group, will play on Friday, October 24.
Behind-the-scene preparations for the festival begin early, with planning by the committee starting in March and meetings held regularly throughout the year. Volunteers are always welcome. “We are very lucky to have support from the parish in Leap every year and we really appreciate it,” says Deirdre. “As this year is such a huge year for us, we would really love to see more competition entries. All proceeds raised as usual will go towards local charities.”
Committee member Toddy Hogan reflects on the sense of belonging the festival fosters: “When I moved to Leap 18 months ago, it was a great opportunity to get involved as a volunteer and help out, as well as getting to know people in the community.”
For Deirdre some of the standout moments over the years include the old hag with the fag, as it was so intricately made and also the festival’s first stand-up coffin, which doubled as a cool photo booth. Last year the camouflaged moving scarecrow in a hedge offered a fun scare to all who passed by.
The combination of fun and supernatural creativity makes the Leap Scarecrow Festival an otherworldly event that everyone should experience. Don’t miss out!
Anyone interested in getting involved in this year’s festival can email leapvillagefestivals@gmail.com or make contact through social media – Facebook (Leap Scarecrow Festival) and Instagram (leap.scarecrowfestival).
For the full festival schedule go to www.leapscarecrowfestival.com.