Joe's Scarecrow Village facts for kids
Scarecrow children in a circle
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| Location | 11877 Cabot Trail, Cap LeMoine, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia |
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| Coordinates | 46°29′45″N 61°04′27″W / 46.49592°N 61.07427°W |
| Opened | 1984 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Owner | Chester Delaney |
| Theme | Scarecrows |
| Operating season | Late spring to early fall |
| Free admission (donations accepted) | |
Joe's Scarecrow Village was a unique roadside attraction in Cap LeMoine, Nova Scotia. It was located near Chéticamp on Cape Breton Island. This special village was full of scarecrows and was also known as Joe's Scarecrows. It was started in 1984 by Joe Delaney and later run by his son, Chester Delaney. The village closed in 2011.
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What Was Joe's Scarecrow Village?
Joe's Scarecrow Village was a large collection of scarecrows. These scarecrows were set up in a field right next to the Cabot Trail. The Cabot Trail is a famous highway in Cape Breton that many tourists use. The scarecrows wore all sorts of different outfits. You could see them dressed as fishermen, a wedding party, or even school children. Some scarecrows looked like famous people or politicians.
Scarecrow Costumes and Meanings
Joe Delaney, who created the village, said the costumes were like those worn by local Acadians. Acadians are a group of people with French heritage in Canada. They traditionally wore special costumes for their mi-carême celebrations. This is a mid-Lent festival. Each scarecrow had a name and a description. Some of them were even memorials to people from the local community.
Visiting the Village
The village also had a souvenir shop where you could buy gifts. There was a snack bar too. It was free to visit Joe's Scarecrow Village, but they accepted donations. These donations helped keep the project going. Joe Delaney received awards for his creative tourist site. He got an innovation award from the Cape Breton Tourist Association. He also received an honour roll award from the Tourist Industry Association of Nova Scotia.
How Joe's Scarecrow Village Started
Joe Delaney, a retired school janitor, started the village in 1984. He planted a vegetable garden on his land. To keep wild animals away, he and his sons built three scarecrows. They put these scarecrows in the garden at night. The next morning, they found many cars and even a bus parked nearby. Over 50 people were in the field, looking at the scarecrows and taking pictures!
An Idea Takes Root
A woman from California told Joe, "Joe, forget your garden! Make more scarecrows. That's what people want to see." This gave Joe the idea to create even more scarecrows. In 1984, he had 12 scarecrows. By 1985, there were about 30. In 1986, the number grew to 46 scarecrows. That year, about 18,000 visitors came from all over the world. By 1989, more than 27,000 people had visited. Joe even called his village "Joe's Drive-in Theatre of Scarecrows."
The 1986 "Massacre" and Rebuilding
At the end of the 1986 season, just before Armistice Day, Joe's Scarecrow Village was badly damaged. Joe Delaney called this event the "1986 Massacre." Almost all the scarecrows were destroyed. 45 out of 46 scarecrows were broken and cut apart. Only one scarecrow remained. Joe named him "Rory" and called him the lone survivor.
Community Support
Joe Delaney wrote an article from Rory's point of view. In the article, Rory asked people for help to fix the village. A local newspaper published the story. People responded with a huge amount of support. They sent old clothes and money to help. A teacher in British Columbia even put on a play about Joe's Scarecrows to raise money. The next season, Joe rebuilt the village. It grew to have over 100 scarecrows!
