Fallbrook Scarecrow Days runs from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 this year, its 14th season, and it is spread across the whole town rather than a single block or a single afternoon. The Harvest Faire lands on Main Avenue on Sunday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free admission. Today is Oct. 11, so the Faire is a week out, and Scarecrow Days still has nearly three weeks to run. The scavenger hunt keeps going for almost two weeks after the Faire.
The scarecrows started showing up at the beginning of the month, they will stay up after the vendor booths are packed away, and the Chamber's location list puts them well beyond downtown.
The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce's Harvest Faire page tells the origin story. In April 2012, Jackie Heyneman brought together a group of volunteers, Bev DeVilbiss, LaNita Hague and Judie Erickson, after seeing a town that displayed handmade scarecrows every October. The goal was to build interest in downtown Fallbrook businesses. By the Chamber's account, the first year was "not received well," and the persistence of the volunteer "ScareCrew" is what made the event last. The Chamber still describes the mission the same way: "to promote tourism for the economic stability of businesses and garner strong community support and spirit as well."
Because Scarecrow Days began as a way to support local businesses, the scarecrows stand in front of shops, salons, restaurants and nonprofits, so finding them means walking past those storefronts. The Chamber lists the Angel Society of Fallbrook, Brandon St. Mini Storage, the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club and the Fallbrook Woman's Club among the event's donors. This month, Village News reported that the car club contributed a "Hay Ride" car and made a donation to the ScareCREW.
The Chamber publishes a location list with more than 60 entries. Some addresses hold more than one scarecrow and at least one business appears twice, so the list is a map of stops, not a headcount. Main Avenue has the densest stretch, but nearly half the list is elsewhere.
| Zone | Sample stops from the Chamber list | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| North Main | Sharon's on Main at 100 N. Main, The Jewelry Connection at 101, Grove Pilates at 110, Rexy's at 116, Bakin' It Up at 118, Pink Poppy at 127, Village Roots at 136, AEKOS at 211, Main Ave Skateshop at 217, Hair Lounge at 219, Mission Theatre at 231 | A short, walkable cluster near Village Square |
| South Main | Fallbrook Art Center at 103 S. Main, the Chamber at 111, Salon Ana at 113, Harry's at 125, Yogurt Palace at 130, The Main Exchange at 132, Happy Jug at 138, Kettle on Main at 139, the Caboose at Main and Elder | The downtown core, then a longer stretch south |
| Lower South Main | B Tech at 413, Sun Realty at 431, Main Street Café at 507-C, Ace Hardware at 640, Whiskers and Tails at 746, California Cuts at 855, 127 West Social House at 945, Firehouse Que & Brew at 1019, Daily Blooms at 1050, Kahoots at 1101, Fallbrook Animal Hospital at 1216 | Spread out, easier to cover by car |
| Mission Road | 11 sites | A separate driving loop |
| Around town | 13 sites on Alvarado, Ash, Elder, Vine, Pico, Fig, Elbrook, Fallbrook and Aviation roads and Alturas Road | Scattered side-street finds |
| Residential | 8 home addresses on Lakemont, Woodthrush, Alta Vista, Fig, Oak Glade, Willow Glen, View and Dallas roads | Neighborhood displays |
Eight households built scarecrows and registered their addresses so people could come see them.
The Scarecrow Days scavenger hunt takes advantage of how spread out the scarecrows are. For each of nine clues, you find one scarecrow that matches it and write down where it is:
More than one scarecrow may fit a given clue. Forms are available online or at the Chamber. Completed forms can be emailed in or dropped off at the Chamber at 111 S. Main, with one entry per person. Every entry goes into a drawing for an "All Things Fallbrook" gift basket filled with donations from local businesses. Entries are due by 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, and the Chamber says it will notify winners on Nov. 3.
The hunt ends 12 days after the Faire, which means the clues can't all be finished in one Sunday downtown. A "villain" or a "group of scarecrows" could just as easily be on Mission Road or at a house on Willow Glen as on Main Avenue.
Each scarecrow is entered in one of nine contest categories: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; Funniest/Humor; WOW Factor; Promoting Business; Artistic Merit; POP Culture; Traditional Scarecrow; Kids, for a youth group or family; and Iconic. Entry was free and closed Oct. 1. Past winners can't compete again, but they can still be displayed. That rule pushes new builds into the contest each year while favorites from earlier years can stay on display.
The categories match last year's. In October 2025, Village News reported that the ScareCREW announced the winners "in the winner's circle at Harvest Faire." The winners came from all over town:
That list includes a community center, a residents' group, a nonprofit, a health district, an arts school, a local business, a family and an individual builder. The Chamber hasn't published a 2026 judging or announcement date. Last year's Faire announcement shows how it has worked before, not what will happen this year.
On Oct. 18, the Faire runs along Main Avenue in downtown Fallbrook. According to the Chamber's page, the Beer & Wine Garden is at Village Square, at the corner of Main Avenue and Alvarado Street, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Everyone 21 or older needs a government-issued ID and a wristband to enter, even if they aren't drinking. Balboa Draft Co. is listed as a featured partner, and Cody Carter Music is on the entertainment lineup.
The Chamber also lists $5 pony rides, a Kid's Corner, a "Hello Autumn" art contest, and pumpkin, pie and costume contests. The pumpkin booth is with the Chamber's booth at Main and Alvarado. The Faire also made the San Diego Union-Tribune's regional Halloween roundup, and that listing adds tractors, vintage trucks and cars, and scarecrow stilt walkers.
For a sense of size, The Coast News counted 114 booths at the 2025 Faire. No 2026 vendor count has been published, and neither have the street-closure limits.
The Chamber's practical notes:
If you're working on the hunt, the Faire is a good day to cover North and South Main on foot. The clues you can't find downtown can wait for a Mission Road drive later in the month.
Downtown events keep going after the scarecrows come down. The Chamber and Village News calendars list:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Farmers market | Downtown Main Avenue |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 3–6 p.m. | Halloween Festival | Fallbrook Community Center, 341 Heald Lane |
| Fri., Oct. 30, from 5 p.m. | Third annual Fallbrook Halloween Bash | 127 West Social House, 127 W. Elder St. |
| Sat., Nov. 7, 5–8 p.m. | Shared Harvest on Main | Downtown Main Avenue |
| Wed., Nov. 11, 10 a.m.–noon | Veterans Day Parade | Per Chamber calendar |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. | Village Artisan Faire | Downtown Main Avenue |
| Sat., Dec. 5, 5–8 p.m. | 45th Annual Fallbrook Christmas Parade | Main Avenue |
| Fri., Dec. 11, 5–8 p.m. | Holiday Wine & A Bite Art Walk | Downtown Main Avenue |
Some details on the Oct. 30 Halloween Bash: Village News reports that Faith Romo and Mason Rygh open for Dance Revolution. Tickets are $65 through Oct. 26 and $75 at the door if any are left. The Bash is on the same day as the scavenger hunt deadline, and 127 West Social House is also one of the scarecrow stops at 945 S. Main.
The scarecrows come down after Oct. 31, and hunt forms are due at the Chamber, 111 S. Main, by 3 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Ken Follis and Sharon Robinson have spent decades in North County real estate, and the team is based right here in Fallbrook. If you're thinking about a move to Fallbrook or nearby, or about selling a home here, Ken Follis & Sharon Robinson Group is glad to talk it through. Contact Us.
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