Scarecrows Sightings Abound in These Quaint California Towns

What to Know

The SYV Scarecrow Fest happens at several Santa Ynez Valley towns from Oct. 1 through 31; vote via the web site for your favorite scarecrows
Cambria Scarecrow Festival will take place from Oct. 1 through 31
The scarecrows are free to see while a special Salute to Scarecrows celebration in Cambria is $50 (Saturday, Oct. 29)

SCARECROWS OF THE GOLDEN STATE: Wherever you roam in the fall, whether you're calling upon a mountain-top hamlet, a beach-close community, or a picturesque part of wine country, you're likely to see a straw-filled figure placed near a mailbox, by a door, or at the entrance of a building. The figure may be rocking a top hat or waving hello or engaged in some sort of everyday activity, but your next step is clear: You need to take a quick picture of this autumn-inspired adorableness. Because the scarecrow? It remains one of the enduring icons of fall, a sweet and homespun symbol of the season. But finding a playful profusion of scarecrows clustered in one town, or at least festooning the fronts of several businesses in a single city, is a rather rarer event, unless, of course, you're calling upon some special California spots: Cambria and the towns of the Santa Ynez Valley.

THESE LOVELY LOCATIONS... have become synonymous with scarecrows in the fall, and not just the fanciful figures we know, the kind that rock denim outfits and burlap heads. Rather, there are creatively fashioned scarecrows inspired by movie characters, cute animals, local pastimes, and a certain regional spirit, meaning you might come across a scarecrow cow — or do we mean a "scarecow"? — serving cheese or a vino-sipping scarecrow. These figures play an important part in both areas throughout October each year, with online voting happening in the Santa Ynez Valley and a special scarecrow-centered celebration sprouting in Cambria on Oct. 29, 2022 (tickets are on sale now). Buellton and Solvang will be Scarecrow Central in 2022 for the SYV Scarecrow Fest while scarecrows will dot the heart of Cambria (though you can definitely cast your scarecrow search further afield).

ONE WHIMSICAL WEEKEND: Adventuring around both charming areas over the course of a single, scarecrow-packed day? That would be a lot, truly, but a whole weekend of scarecrow searching could happen: Cambria and Solvang are about an hour and 45 minutes apart.