The beautiful fall weather brought the crowds out to enjoy this annual fall event sponsored by the Downtown LaGrange Development Authority, Downtown Partner’s and merchants.

Several prizes were awarded during this event. The Chili Cook Off portion of the event was judged by Chef Henry Menard of West Georgia Technical College and LaGrange College’s food service director, Jeremy McCosh. They selected Team Kyle, sponsored by Dr. Bill Miller, to be the best overall chili winner, based on color, consistency, aroma, spices, and flavor. The best overall second place winner was Emmaus Women’s Shelter, sponsored by Dr. Lisa Allardice and Gardner Newman Middle School. The third best overall winner was Twin Cedars Youth and Family services, sponsored by Jerry Cleaveland State Farm Agency.

There was also an opportunity for the public to select their favorite chili and the first place winner of the People’s Choice for Best Chili went to First Choice Women’s Center, sponsored by Beall’s Plumbing. The second-and-third-place winners of the People’s Choice for Best Chili went to Twin Cedars and The First Tee program that was sponsored by The Brickhouse Grille.

The Best Decorated Booth competition was won by Twin Cedars Youth and Family services which were sponsored by Jerry Cleaveland State Farm Agency. The second-and-third runners up in the best booth decoration contest were Lafayette Ballet Guild, sponsored by LaGrange Banking Company and Team Kyle, sponsored by Dr. Bill Miller.

The Scarecrow contest winners were decided by public votes on the Downtown LaGrange Face book page. The public had the opportunity to vote for their favorite Scarecrow in three categories. The winner of the Best Historical character went to Marketplace on LaFayette Square’s entry entitled “LaFayette goin’ to Market.” It depicted a scarecrow version of General Lafayette. The second and third place winners of the Best Historical category went to Whimzey for their scarecrow rendition of CoCo Chanel and to the Legacy Museum for their scarecrow creation of Nancy Hill Morgan, an historical hero of LaGrange from the Civil War era.

In the Most Original category, first place went to Whimzey for their Birthday Girl at a Spa party scarecrow. The second and third place winners went to the Chamber of Commerce’s owl themed entry entitled “Whooo knew?” and to Harmony House’s entry “Building Surviors”.

For the Best Representation of business category, Hair Studio 103 took the first place spot. Their “Scary Hair day” entry depicted a scarecrow version of a hairdresser and customer, complete with a barber chair. An entry from the City of LaGrange public works came in second place, while An Affair to Remember’s Autumn bride scarecrow captured third place.

Several LaGrange children participated in the annual costume contest held as part of the Chili Cook Off festivities on Saturday. The grand prize winners of the costume contest were Sadie Edwards as the Mad Hatter complete with a tea party and Trigger Osbahr as Colonel Sanders.

The other contest winners in each age category were as follows:

Infant: First Place: Boy - Luca Catalano as a chicken, Girl - Makenna Davison as a lamb. Second Place: Boy- Jasper Mathis as a sock monkey, Girl – Molly Love as a taco. Third Place: Boy – Carson Atkinson as a pea pod, Girl - Aaliyah Parks as a cat.

• 1-to-4 year old: First Place: Boy – Trigger Osbahr as Colonel Sanders; Girl – Jaley Johnson as a scarecrow. Second Place: Boy – Lane Gaddy as Bamm Bamm; Girl – Lilah Monteith as a ghost. Third Place: Boy – Colton Davis as a cowboy; Girl – Ava Leigh Adcock as an owl.

5-to-9 year old: First Place: Boy – Caden McMillan as an Indian, Girl - Anna Claire Dagenhart as a superhero. Second Place: Boy – Kyle King as a Zombie, Girl – Lylah Baumann as Toystory’s Jessie. Third Place: Boy – Avery Sheppard as a vampire, Girl – Rhyley Spradlin as Cookie Monster.

10-to-12 year old: First Place: Boy – Jones Dyleski as a clown, girl – Sadie Edwards as the Mad Hatter. Second Place: Boy – Jatlyn Fuller as Chuckie, Girl – Chelsea Cochran as Catniss Everdeen. Third Place: Boy – Dontie Yehman as a Power Ranger, Girl – Sydney Wilson as Katy Perry.