The festival that’s outstanding in its field …

The Funky Zone

Where: On the Abbeyleix Road out of Durrow on the left hand side, within walking distance from the village centre. (Formerly The Ranch)
When: 11am to 6pm each day
Admission Fees:  Adults €3 – Children €1 (pay at entrance with cash or card accepted – some optional charges will apply inside)

Children can get lost in the Scarecrow Maze whilst parents enjoy a sit down with an ice-cream, tea or coffee, younger children will enjoy the Mud Kitchen and Sand Play Area

Tom Dunne Agri-Aware Pet Farm will be in the Funky Zone on Sunday 30th July, Saturday 5th August and Sunday 6th August, with an adorable collection of farmyard pets.

Lego fans will enjoy browsing the huge collection of models and frames with the brilliant Lego Miniatures, who will be with us for all nine days of this year’s festival.

Laois Archery will also be with us on Sunday 30th July, Saturday 5th, Sunday 6th and Bank Holiday Monday 7th August!

Durrow & District Pipe Band – Memories & Memorabilia Display

Lastly but by no means least, the Funky Zone will also have Europe’s largest bouncy castle – The Miami Slide.  The Miami Slide is available for all nine days of this year’s Scarecrow festival from 11am until 6.00pm!!

The Scarecrow Village

Where: The Square, Durrow, Co. Laois – Enclosed Festival Area
When: Please Note 2pm to 7pm
Admission Fees:  Adults €5 – Children €1. Pay at entrance, with cash or card accepted – some optional charges will apply inside.

Arts, Crafts & Colouring – Scarecrow Colouring Competition – Sheets available for colouring all day!

Glitter Art and Tattoos
Skin safe, temporary ink & glitter tattoos for children

Face Painting
Have fun and why not get painted like a Scarecrow.

Also situated in the Scarecrow Village every day, we have lots to keep kids amused and entertained including Sand Art, optional Bouncy Castles, Pick ‘n’ Paint, Games, Workshops for all age groups, some of the best Scarecrows from this, and previous year’s All Ireland Scarecrow Championship will also be on display. 

Tempt your taste buds whilst visiting some high quality Food Stalls, as you soak in the sounds of all this year’s Live Music and Entertainment, including acts such as The Finns, Brinda Irani, and Drops Of Green, throughout the week.

Summer Camp

10am to 1pm – Durrow Scarecrow Festival Summer Camp takes place in the Scarecrow Village.
Please note the Scarecrow Village is closed during Summer Camp hours and opens at 2pm on all days July 31st to August 4th.

Laser Wars

11am to 6pm – Laser Wars takes place in the small Green opposite the Scarecrow Village

Wood Turning Demonstrations

2pm to 5pm – Woodturning Demonstration with Padraic Phelan, in the Scarecrow Village 

Julie Rose McCormack Puppeteer

2pm to 6pm – Puppeteer Julie Rose McCormack brings her amazing Puppet Show to Durrow Scarecrow Festival

A Caws for Concern by Spooky Beore

2:30pm to 4pm – Prop and Costume Making Workshop (For: 9-12 Year Olds. 10-12 Participants Max) 
5pm – 5:40pm – Interactive mini eco-musical “A Caws For Concern” (Suitable for all ages + parents and families) 
 
About Spooky Beore: Spooky Beore are a pair of art witches who make interactive performance work involving storytelling, games and acts of participatory magic. They aim to inspire a sense of awe and wonder of nature and develop a sense of connection between people and our shared world. 
 
Workshop Description: Join Spooky Beore on Thursday the 3rd of August at 14:30 for a creative workshop where you will make props and costumes for their interactive mini-eco play “A Caws For Concern.” Working together using recycled materials, second-hand clothing and natural materials, participants will learn about sustainability, folk wisdom and how to be creative with limited resources. 
 
A Caws for Concern : They say all the crows in Durrow go on holidays while the Scarecrow festival is on, but this year unfortunately three supernatural crows, Babh, Macha and Anand, didn’t get that message. Ancient spirits of the Earth and MAJOR celebrities of the crow world, they have come to watch over the fields, take their share of the crops and impart their otherworldly wisdom on, well anyone that will hear it now that the other crows are gone for the week – even a pair of scarecrows and an audience of good for nothing children and their parents will do. 
 
A Caws for Concern is an interactive mini-eco musical which will run for 30-40 minuets featuring games, storytelling, music and non-stop crow puns. 

Scarecrow Story Time

3pm to 4pm – Scarecrow Story Time, in the Scarecrow Village with Sarah Gaughan, for children aged 3 to 7.

Live Music

All live music takes place in the Scarecrow Village!

2pm – 4pm – Music by Billy White
4:30pm – 6:30pm – Live Music with Johnny Keegan