By EVELYN CAIRNS
Scarecrow Building and Scarecrow Idol competitions will be among the family-fun highlights of the 13th annual Scarecrow Festival, to be held Friday through Sunday along West Jefferson in Trenton.
Additional attractions will include a carnival, food, free entertainment, an arts-and-crafts fair and other contests, including Highland games, strongman, a dog-costume competition and a pizza-eating challenge. Prizes will be awarded in all categories.
Wristbands for carnival rides will cost $15 on Friday and Saturday, and $17 on Sunday.
The Scarecrow Idol competition, for participants from 7 to 80 years old, is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday with Bill LeFevre of the Trenton Rotary Club as host.
On Saturday and Sunday, an Oktoberfest will be held from at 6 p.m. at the Roundhouse BBQ, 2760 W. Jefferson.
Tickets, $15 in advance, or $20 at the door, will include a beer mug, samples of seven craft beers, entertainment and food. For tickets or more information, call 734-671-6100.
The carnival, contests and entertainment by bands will continue on Saturday and Sunday, with the popular dog-costume competition planned for Sunday.
Among the bands performing during the weekend will be The Detroit Next Level Band, Arthurs Middle School Jazz Band, The Viceroys, No Pressure Band, Leah and The Troublemakers, Monroe Music Makers, Newgate Lane Band and Tiles.
In addition, the Trenton School of Dance will present a performance.
The Scarecrow Festival is presented by the Downtown Event Planners, a non-profit group of resident and business volunteers. Proceeds are donated to local charities and non-profit organizations. A festival spokesman said the event is not a project of the city of Trenton, nor does it use taxpayer money.
Among organizations benefiting from previous festivals, he said, are the Trenton Rotary Club, The Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center, Riverview Firefighters charities, Girl Scout troops, the McCarty Cancer Foundation St. Jude’s Hospital, the Muscular Dystrophy Foundation and the Trenton Blades Hockey Mites.
For additional information about the festival or the Downtown Event Planners, go to www.scarecrowfestival.net
Henry Ford dinners set
An Oktoberfest on Oct. 8, a wild game scholarship dinner on Nov. 6 and a holiday buffet on Nov. 19 are special events planned for this fall at the Fifty-One O One culinary-student-run restaurant of Henry Ford College.
In the meantime, weekly themed dinners are under way at the restaurant, which offers lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and dinner from 6 to 7:45 Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Reservations are suggested, especially for dinner, but are not required. Weekly menus and specials are listed at www.henryfordculinary.com. For reservations, call 313-206-5101.
The menu themes include “Premium Steakhouse,” Sept. 29; “Flavors of Key West,” Oct. 6; “Country French,” Oct. 13; “Polish/Central European,” Oct. 20; and “Cuisine of the Midwest,” Oct. 27.
More are “Northern Italian,” Nov. 3; “Contemporary French,” Nov. 10; “Cuisine of New England,” Nov. 17; “Greek Café,” Nov. 24; and “Cuisine of the Pacific Northwest,” Dec. 1.
The restaurant is on the college campus, 5101 Evergreen Road in Dearborn.
Coming up . . .
Oct. 2, 3, 4 — Open Book Theatre performances of “Sylvia”; 8 p.m. at Penelope’s Venue, 12219 Dix Toledo; tickets, $20 ($15 students and seniors), are available by going to www.openbooktc.com.
Oct. 5 — National Kidney Foundation of Michigan “Trick or Feet” 5K and 10K Run/Walk/Roll fundraiser at Maybury State Park in Northville; music, face painting, pumpkin painting, cider and donuts; to register, or for more information, go to www.nkfm.org or contact Kiel Porter at [email protected] or 734-222-9800, Ext. 208.
Oct. 9 — Information Center of Taylor’s 39th anniversary gala featuring singer-poet-musician Heywood Banks; dinner, entertainment and auction; for tickets, $100 ($125 after Oct. 1) or more information, go to www.theinfocenter.info or call Laurie Trueblood, 734-282-7171.