Scarecrows are standing along the walkways of Stony Brook Village Center for the 36th Annual Scarecrow Competition, and residents have until Sunday, October 25 to cast a vote. The contest is run by the Ward Melville Heritage Organization (WMHO), the nonprofit that operates the village center at 111 Main Street. Voting is free and open to anyone, and the winners will be named on Halloween afternoon during the organization's 36th Annual Halloween Festival.

That same Saturday, October 31, opens with something new for the village: the Stony Brook Fire Department is moving its Monster Dash 5K and Fun Run to Stony Brook Village for the race's 10th year. Put together, the last week of October offers a full Halloween stretch in one walkable spot, from a ballot in a shop window to a costumed run to an afternoon of trick-or-treating.

How the scarecrow vote works

Ballots have been available in every shop in Stony Brook Village Center since October 3. Visitors walk the center, look over the entries, fill out a ballot and drop it off at any shop to be counted. There is no charge to vote.

Entries compete in three categories. Category A is for previous first prize winners and professionals. Category B covers individual adults or families, with adults taking the lead. Category C is for individuals or groups of children 12 and under. Winning scarecrows receive cash prizes.

The final day to vote is October 25. WMHO will announce the winners at 2 p.m. on October 31 as part of the Halloween Festival.

Halloween morning: the Monster Dash

The Stony Brook Fire Department's Monster Dash starts and finishes at the firehouse at 147 Main Street. A one-mile fun run, which is untimed, begins at 9 a.m., and the 5K run and walk follows at 9:30 a.m. The race goes on rain or shine, and costumes are encouraged. Proceeds benefit the fire department.

Registration is handled online through the race timing company. The listed base price is $35 for the 5K and $20 for the fun run, with a processing fee added at checkout. Bibs are handed out by event staff starting one hour before the start, and people who sign up within 24 hours of the race receive their bib number by text. Age group awards run from 14 and under up to 60 and over. Runners can stay after the finish for trick-or-treating in the village.

Halloween afternoon: the festival

WMHO's Halloween Festival runs from noon to 4 p.m. on October 31, and admission is free. Shops and eateries throughout the village center will hand out treats for the full four hours, and games for kids will be set up in the Inner Court during the same window. WalkFM and Walkie Bear are scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m., and Monster Merlin will be on hand for photos. The scarecrow awards are set for 2 p.m.

Sponsors of the festival and scarecrow competition include Long Island Speech, Green Towers Group, Renewal by Andersen, Apple Bank, Leaf Filter Gutter Protection, Goldfish Swim School of Centereach, News 12 Long Island and Dr. Robert Quilty.

Before the big day: a ghost story walking tour

For older kids and adults, WMHO is bringing back its Hidden Beneath the Floorboards walking tour in the days before Halloween. The tour moves through the village and covers stories of piracy, the Long Island witch trials, the history behind the reported haunting at the Country House Restaurant, a link between spiritualism and the start of the suffrage movement, and a local legend about a pair of star-crossed lovers said to meet each Halloween.

Tours run Thursday, October 29 at 3:30 p.m. and Friday, October 30 at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person.

Plan your visit

To vote, stop by any shop in Stony Brook Village Center, 111 Main Street, Stony Brook, pick up a ballot and return it to any shop by Sunday, October 25. The Halloween Festival is Saturday, October 31 from noon to 4 p.m. and is free, with scarecrow winners announced at 2 p.m. Monster Dash registration is open at events.elitefeats.com/26sbfd, with the fun run at 9 a.m. and the 5K at 9:30 a.m. from the firehouse at 147 Main Street. For questions about the scarecrows, the festival or the walking tour, call WMHO at 631-751-2244.

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