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Jersey Proud: Sussex County town filled with scarecrows as part of annual contest

The contest was started by Jeanne and Brad Heinke eight years ago.

Matt Trapani

and

Kurt Siegelin

Oct 26, 2023, 10:30 PM

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The small town of Branchville, Sussex County has not even 1,000 people living in it. But the town comes together every year for the annual scarecrow contest.

It was started by Jeanne and Brad Heinke eight years ago. The only requirement is that the scarecrow has a gourd for a head and is family friendly.

And now the town has taken the contest and ran with it. There are about 250 scarecrows in all, filling the local park and most front lawns.

Don Prout’s family won the contest three times and hopes that their Koko the Clown entry this year makes it a fourth.

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