Preston – Organizers of the annual fall Scarecrow Festival have an answer this year to those who say they’d like to enter the contest but have no idea how to build one that can compete with the creative submissions displayed annually by local businesses, families and children.

The committee will host two scarecrow building sessions in the coming weeks, providing the building blocks for creating a scarecrow, minus the creative touches individuals must provide, in an effort to boost the number of entries for this year’s festival slated for Sept. 22.

The first of the scarecrow workshops, which are designed as a family night out, will be at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Preston Ridge Vineyard, 100 Miller Road. Adults will be able to purchase wine produced by the vineyard while constructing scarecrows outside. The second session will be at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at Hart’s Greenhouse, 99 Poquetanuck Road. Scarecrow building lessons are free, and for $30 per person, participants can build a colorful fall patio arrangement with instructions from Hart’s staff.

First-year festival committee volunteer Leigh Pappas, the town building official, came up with the idea for the scarecrow building sessions. She said she asked veteran committee member Linda Farinha what are the biggest challenges to getting more entries in the free scarecrow contest.

“She felt people just didn’t know how to build a scarecrow, and I actually don’t know how to build a scarecrow either,” Pappas said. “I want to get more people involved. I know that many parents like to drink wine and to garden. We will be supplying the foundation of the scarecrow and they can bring whatever decorations they want to add.”

Participants must sign up for the sessions one week prior, by Monday, Aug. 27, for the Preston Ridge Vineyard workshop, and by Monday, Sept. 3, for the Hart’s Greenhouse workshop. To register, contact Pappas at leighpappas722@gmail.com or call (860) 885-9584.

The 13th annual Scarecrow Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at Preston City Congregational Church at the corner of routes 164 and 165, Preston. The accompanying barbecue will run from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Entering the scarecrow contest is free, and prizes will be awarded in various categories.

c.bessette@theday.com