Student’s project proposal lives on in Scarecrow Festival

VALKENSWAARD – This southern Dutch town has a stand-alone festival, the International Scarecrow Festival, which held its seventh biannual edition in October 2011. So far, organizers operated on a shoestring budget and plenty of enthusiasm. Municipal leaders recognized the festival’s potential as a tourism attraction because they have added a budget line, worth €5,000 for this festival. The decision proves a point, actually. It is twelve years ago, that National College for Tourisme and Traffic student Petra Verbeek was required to develop a project proposal for her final grades. When searching for an idea, it was suggested to go for a Scarecrow Festival. The idea struck home with townsmen and fellow students volunteering to turn a theoretical proposition into a live project. With numerous interesting entries, the Scarecrow Festival became such a success that a second edition was held, then a third, a fourth etc. With municipal support, the Internationaal Vogelverschrikker Festival has taken on a life of its own. It answers the municipality’s criteria for support since it is culture historic and artistic. Unfortunately, the event’s history leaves unanswered what grade Petra Verbeek received for her efforts.