Ever since the first known scarecrows flopped over Egyptian wheat fields lining the Nile River, they’ve been linked to the harvest season. Now their scarecrow descendants come to life at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds, created by anyone who wants to stuff some hay and assemble a wacky wardrobe.

A whole lot of hay makes its way from Sherman Farms in Coupeville to the fairgrounds this Saturday afternoon, Oct. 5, for the annual scarecrow-making event put on by the Fair Association. Kids of all ages can roll up their sleeves and create a masterpiece to take home at the end of the day.

Whidbey Island Fair Administrator Carol Coble notes that the event is not a contest and that anyone can join in.

“Everyone is a winner,” she says. “It’s all about participating in a community event.”

Last year, 125 scarecrows sprang to life at the fairgrounds, and this year is on track to see at least that many hanging around the haystacks. All the necessary materials come with the relatively small fee, along with instructions and some helping hands.

The scarecrow-making shenanigans coincide this year with Langley’s first Whidbey Island Harvest Festival, which runs through the weekend with loads of entertainment, live music, arts and crafts, wine tasting, demonstrations and food from local chefs.

Kids activities at the festival include free pumpkin decorating on Saturday and Sunday in a dedicated tent. Youngsters can make their pumpkin buddies onsite or just pick up a free pumpkin to take home.

The fun spills over into the South Whidbey Community Center on Saturday, which is also hosting pumpkin decorating along with face painting, marimba lessons, yoga for preschoolers and a Halloween costume exchange.

The scarecrow-making extravaganza starts at noon on Oct. 5 and lasts until 4 p.m. It comes with a cost of $10 per scarecrow and two cans of food for the Good Cheer Food Bank.