Don't be afraid, the scarecrows along Main Street and Onset Avenue are not meant to ward anyone off, but are a part of the Wareham Village Associations annual scarecrow competition.

This year, the competition began on Oct. 23 and will run until Oct. 31, when members of the Wareham Village Association, Onset Bay Beautification Committee and the Wareham Garden Club will choose a winner.

Wareham Village Association President Tracy Mcgraw said the competition has been going on for over a decade but it did not start as a competition.

"It started as a fun way to make the two village main streets festive," said Mcgraw. "Now it's very competitive and whoever put together the winning scarecrow gets [a] Wareham Village Association sweatshirts."

According to Mcgraw, the competition is not just about spreading holiday cheer and seeing who can make the best scarecrow, it also serves as an outlet for people to get involved in the community.

"People like to see others doing stuff in the community that they live in," said Mcgraw. "It's why I run the Wareham Village Association events. It keeps people involved and I think it's a simple thing that can bring a lot of people some joy."

While many of the scarecrows are put up by local businesses outside their Main Street or Onset Avenue store fronts, Mcgraw added the schools often get involved and make their own scarecrows.

"One of the special needs groups at the middle school always puts a scarecrow up and it is just a huge deal for these kiddos to create something in their classroom, put it out, [and] sign it up for the competition, said McGraw, adding that “ ”They've won a few times.".

Mcgraw added not all of the scarecrows she expects to see are currently out but she is looking forward to seeing what people create.

"It's fun, it's good for the community, it's festive and it's a little competition," she noted.