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An unusual festival in a lovely Harrogate village which has really caught the public imagination in recent years is to return this weekend.

The popular annual Scarecrow Competition, which will take place this weekend August 31 and September 1, will sees almost the entire village if Minskip making scarecrows that line the main street in an exciting blaze of colour.

Previous Minskip Scarecrow Weekends have featured the Olympics, Pantomimes, Disney and Nursery Rhymes as themes.

This year’s is When I Grow Up, I Want To Be….and the competition will be judged by BBC Radio York’s Elly Fiorentini.

The Harrogate village of Minskip's popular annual Scarecrow Competition will take place this weekend August 31 and September 1. (Picture contributed)

One of the event’s main organisers Debbie Hargreaves said: “As the main fundraiser for St John’s Church, the event has grown hugely since its inception four years ago.

"I’m sure this special weekend will mean that Minskip will, once again, be the talking point of the local area, cementing our reputation as the one of the finest creators of scarecrows in all of North Yorkshire.”

Located just nine miles from Harrogate on the way to the A1 near Boroughbridge, the Minskip Scarecrow Weekend will also offer visitors the following:

Delicious home-baked cakes and tea/coffee on both days of the weekend, noon to 4pm, in the Church garden.

Ice creams and hot dogs on Saturday.

Pimms and a barbecue on Sunday, noon to 4pm.

Stalls on Sunday including a tombola and a pre-loved stall.

Car parking in the village field.

The winners of Scarecrow Competition will be announced in the church garden on the Sunday afternoon.

The suggested entry fee for a scarecrow is £10 and prizes have been donated by three Minskip businesses: The Wild Swan Inn, Peacock Brothers Haulage and Minskip Garage.

Debbie Hargreaves said: “Apart from raising money for the church, the Scarecrow Competition is a brilliant way of creating community spirit within Minskip.

"We pride ourselves on being a friendly and welcoming village and this weekend is a great example of this."

Robert Beaumont, churchwarden of Minskip Church, added: “I’d like to thank Debbie and her team for all their hard work, enthusiasm and imagination in creating this fantastic weekend."

Famous Scarecrow Weekend to return in Harrogate village known for its friendly welcome