A sad start to this weekend's HarvestFest.

What was supposed to be the celebration of the harvest has turned into a spree of vandalism.

Famous with the event is "Scarecrow Alley" where a number of the fall figures line up along the roadway beside the library have been decimated.

Community Events Coordinator for the Town of Okotoks Mark Doherty says the scarecrows are unrecognizable now and a ton of work was put into them.

"The worst thing about those particular scarecrows is a number of those were made by the Girl Guides, they helped me out on Wednesday night," he says. "I just can't believe somebody would do that and the whole idea behind the scarecrows was to showcase our community."

Doherty says it was sad to get the phone call this morning about the destroyed scarecrows.

"I feel for those girls. I got such a kick out of them coming in on Wednesday night and helping me make those scarecrows and they're all talking to their parents that were picking them up and said 'Oh we got to go by and see my scarecrow and when you putting them up?' and now I got to say 'you know what guys good effort but somebody out there wasn't mature enough to leave them alone.'"

He believes a small crowd was behind the scarecrow vandalism.

"I must say I'm absolutely convinced it's a very, very small crowd that did this... we take a lot pride within our community."

HarvestFest is still set to go Saturday morning and into the afternoon.

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