FOOTBALL PLAYER RAFAEL MALDONADO / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS A Santa Ynez Valley Union High School quarterback welcomes visitors to the Solvang Bakery.
SKELETON A scarecrow sits in front of a long scroll warning crows to stay away, but a crow is determined to stay on the skeleton’s shoulder in front of The Giving Ink by Honey Paper in Solvang.
HERE’S JOHNNY Lifelong “Shining” fan Tommie Lintner recreated the “Here’s Johnny!” scene from “The Shining” (1980) at The Landsby, a Solvang hotel.
MINIONS Tori Gonzalez, the activities director at Flying Flags RV Resort & Campground in Buellton, added some humor for the Minions from the “Despicable Me” movies. There’s a spider on a Minion’s head!
Scarecrows of all kinds, from the funny to the frightening, are greeting visitors during the seventh annual Santa Ynez Valley Scarecrow Fest and Contest.
A hundred or so businesses are participating in the contest, which runs through Oct. 31 in Solvang, Buellton, Ballard, Los Olivos, Los Alamos and Santa Ynez. Visitors to the businesses have been casting ballots for their favorites.
The creations vary from witches to a scary skeleton to a Viking take on the Spice Girls.There are even recreations of famous movie scenes.
“Every year I try to do something related to the hotel,” front desk manager Tommie Lintner told the News-Press last week at The Landsby, the Solvang hotel that won the contest for the entire valley last year with a mad scientist mixing drinks.
This time, Mr. Lintner recreated Jack Nicholson’s “Here’s Johnny!” scene from “The Shining” (1980).
“A lot of people have mentioned how realistic his face looks,” Mr. Lintner said about the crazed head popping through a door. It has eyes that move and real hair donated by Mr. Lintner’s stepbrother Corey Williams, who shaved his black beard for the scarecrow. Mr. Lintner also took some black hair from Ra, his German shepherd/husky mix.
Mr. Lintner and other scarecrow creators talk about their contest entries in today’s Life section. Story and more photos, Page D1.
