Kimmel Scarecrow Festival

Kimmel Orchard and Vineyard, a nonprofit in Nebraska City at 5995 G Road, builds its Scarecrow Festival around four family activities in the orchard. U-pick starts at the U-Pick Barn, then a hayrack ride carries visitors into the trees for Ambrosia, Fuji, Jonathan, Gala, Ginger Gold, Winecrisp, and Summerset apples, with pumpkins also for sale. Handmade scarecrows, set on a T-post frame with straw the orchard supplies, stay on display in the fields, and commercially made entries are not eligible. A no-carve pumpkin workshop with Morton-James Public Library adds floral and animal categories. Scarecrow-field hayrack rides run on select Saturdays, and pre-registration holds a seat.

Our take: Register a handmade scarecrow if you want it in the orchard display, then use a Saturday hayrack ride to see the finished fields.