There are no crows in Granville! With the number of scarecrows lurking about in Granville, no self respecting crow would be caught near this place. The ancient tradition of placing scarecrows in the fields, the oldest form of bird control, is at work on the streets in Granville.
Scarecrows outnumber residents during the month of October!
In Historic Granville: Tennessee’s Mayberry Town, the scarecrows outnumber the residents during the month of October. This town’s Scarecrow Festival has become increasingly popular with about 400 hundred wildly creative designs and unique creations lining the streets. The highlights of this year’s 9th annual festival are Mayberry Characters on Parade. Meet Andy, Barney, and friends of Mayberry on the streets and tucked away in buildings. Mayberry Characters on Parade, the 2021 theme, allows you to walk the street of Mayberry, view the Morrison sisters flower cart, visit with Mayor Pike and take your picture with the Mayberry Police Car.
Faceless and unexpected faces, strawless and standing at attention, masked and laid-back, frightening and friendly scarecrows invade Granville again this October. Fabulous, weird, and funny scarecrows hide in unexpected places and sit in fall displays of straw, corn stalks, pumpkins, and mums. Folk-art characters are found inside buildings contributing to the history of the area.
These scarecrows invite you to step back in time to a simpler life. Many photo opportunities provided.
A Behind the Scene Glimpse at the Stories of the Scarecrows.
About ten years ago Cynthia Matthews, a talented California resident, moved to Granville. She shared information about a Scarecrow Festival that took place in California. With the help of Google and Cynthia's guidance, a few scarecrows were made and placed on the streets for the first Scarecrow Festival. Cynthia Matthews is the architect of the folk art characters which help tell the Granville story. You’ll find the riverboat captain in the museum, Diamond Lil at the Whistle Stop Saloon, and a young boy pumping gas at the service station. During the month of October, the characters hang out in the historical buildings and help the Granville story.
If this Scarecrow Festival was to continue and grow, we needed scarecrows. We needed a wide variety, all kinds of scarecrows, original creations, metal, wooden, small and large, funny and serious,and ways to display them. Bill Green and Kevin Morrow, a very artistic couple from Kentucky, moved the Granville and painted large fall background boards. They painted scarecrows and helped design displays. Many other volunteers came together on designated days and made scarecrows. These volunteers begin planning in July and begin construction of new scarecrows and fall decorations in early August.
Granville Today
During the month of October experience the colorful displays of yard art, children’s scarecrow section, unique life-like characters, and traditional scarecrows lurking about. Bring your camera to capture this charming town’s natural fall beauty.
Arrive about 10AM, go to T.B.Sutton General Store and purchase a town tour ticket for $5.00. Admission to all museums, historic buildings, and the Scarecrow Walk is included with the town tour ticket. Open Wednesday through Friday 10AM- 4PM and Saturday 10AM-5PM. Visit Granville Broom Shop, the Granville Whiskey Decanter Museum (It’s more like an art museum.), Mayberry and I Love Lucy Museum, Whistle Stop Saloon, Clemons Car Museum, Post Office and Barber Shop Museum, Granville Museum, Farm to Table Museum, Sutton Historic Home, Pioneer Village with Antique Car Museum, 1880’s cabin, and barns with antique farm equipment and tools. Craftsmen will be demonstrating in the Arts and Crafts Building in Pioneer Village.