Halifax 
Every fall, Mahone Bay transforms into a whimsical showcase of scarecrows. From benches and balconies to shop windows, hundreds of handcrafted figures appear across town, each with its own quirky personality.
Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Hike Bike Travel / Leigh McAdam
Mahone Bay’s Scarecrow Festival is easiest to understand as a town-wide fall walk, not an event you enter through a gate.
More than 250 handmade, life-sized figures will appear along Main Street, Edgewater Street and nearby side streets from September 25 to October 12, turning shopfronts, gardens and public spaces into an outdoor gallery.
The scarecrow displays themselves are free, so the experience works equally well as a short stop or as the centrepiece of a South Shore day trip.
What is actually new in 2026?
This is the festival’s 30th edition. The clearest addition is the first Nova Scotia Pottery Market on Sunday, October 4, bringing more than 25 curated ceramic artists from Nova Scotia and the Maritimes to the Mahone Bay Centre. The festival will also feature a special 30th-anniversary display.
The festival still focuses on discovering the scarecrows on foot rather than watching a fixed program from one location.
Which weekend should you choose?
For families, September 25 to 27 has the deepest program. The Pumpkin Patch Gallery puts more than 100 carved pumpkins in Jubilee Park after dark on Friday and Saturday, while Saturday adds free toy-boat building, an Eye Spy trail and activities on the Bay to Bay Trail. The quilt show, giant book sale and Three Churches open house also run that weekend.
October 3 and 4 is the stronger choice for food and craft. Saturday brings the Nova Scotia Fruit Pie Baking Contest and Sale; Sunday adds the new pottery market and a free performance by the Shantymen of Mahone Bay.
If the scarecrows are your main interest, a weekday is the better bet. Organizers specifically recommend weekdays for a quieter stroll, while weekends have the markets and community events.
Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Jessica Emin
Make a road trip:
From Halifax, it works well as a day trip: Mahone Bay is about an hour away by road. Lunenburg is roughly 15 minutes farther, making the two towns an easy pairing.
Per the organisers, the full scarecrow route is about a 30-minute walk. For an unhurried visit with photos, shops or lunch, budget one to two hours; allow half a day if you are adding scheduled events.
Most of the scarecrow experience is outdoors. Dress for fall weather and walking. Free street and lot parking is available, but organizers advise arriving early on weekends.
Credit: Tourism Nova Scotia / Photographer: Jessica Emin
Trip Planning – Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival
What: Mahone Bay is once again filling its streets with hundreds of quirky scarecrows, from pop culture icons. Visitors can take a five-minute stroll through town and encounter puffins curling with pumpkins, or larger-than-life characters perched in shop windows.
When: September 25 to October 12, 2026
Where: Throughout Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, principally Main Street, Edgewater Street and surrounding streets
Scarecrow displays: More than 250 handmade, life-sized displays; available throughout the festival period
Admission: Free to see the scarecrows. Individual events may charge admission. Current examples include the quilt show at $6, Legion brunch at $13, Really Awesomely Bad Portraits at $10, and pie at $6 per slice.
Parking: Free street and lot parking around town and the waterfront. Arrive early on festival weekends.
Accessibility: Organizers describe the town centre as flat, walkable and accessible, but do not publish a detailed accessible route.
Pets: Well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome outdoors.
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