ONE of the town’s best-loved fixtures in the calendar is set to return this weekend.

The annual Scarecrow Festival, organised by the Rotary Club of Wilmslow Dean in association with the Wilmslow Business Group and the Wilmslow Show, will take place from Saturday, June 17, to Saturday, July 8.

Since its launch in 2010, the festival has become one of the most popular events in Wilmslow and Rotarian Geoff Shelmerdine believes it will benefit the town.

“This event is fun with a purpose,” he said.

“We attract visitors to the town, which generates additional revenues for the businesses, plus we raise money for our local good causes.

“But best of all we have a lot of fun and put a smile on everyone’s face. This is Rotary at its best – working for the community.”

From this weekend, scarecrows will begin to appear in shop doorways, peep through windows or hang from window ledges.

This year’s festival has a movie theme, and with a £100 prize available for the best scarecrow, a host of cinema stars are expected to be depicted across town.

The scarecrow parade will take place in the town centre at 11am on Saturday, July 1, and again at 2pm, with the award-winning Co-operative Brass Band.

A children’s competition will also take place on the day, while a display of the scarecrows will be featured in the Rotary Club tent at the Wilmslow Show on Sunday, July 9, in Carnival Fields.

For more information on this year’s festival, visit wilmslowdeanrotary.org.uk Meanwhile, work on the Rotary Club’s Rota-Gym is moving forwards, with groundwork expected to start in the Carrs today, June 15.

Rotarians hope the £21,000 project, which will feature freeto-use outdoor gym equipment, will be complete by the end of the month.