RAPID CITY - Judy Wagenaar is crazy about Halloween. She always has been.

In fact, several years ago, she used to put on her own haunted house on Elm Street. It was named, appropriately, the Nightmare on Elm Street.

"I love Halloween," she said Saturday afternoon as she photographed scarecrows on display at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

She and her husband, David, were among the people who attended Saturday's Octoberfest With Scarecrows event at the civic center.

It was part Halloween party with children and games all afternoon. Kids also had their faces painted and received balloon figures.

It was also part Octoberfest, with German food, polka music and beer in the evening.

And it was all fundraiser, a project to raise money for the Rapid City Christmas lights committee.

Outside the civic center entrance, a dozen scarecrows made by local businesses and groups were on display. There was a barbershop quartet scarecrow. Another was a motorhead - literally. It had a motorcycle cylinder for a face.

Inside the civic center, people could vote for their favorite scarecrow display. They could also bid on the scarecrows in a silent auction.

Winners among the dozen scarecrow entries were:

* Youth humorous: "Inspector Gadget," by St. Thomas More.

* Traditional: "Follow the Tradition," sponsored by Prairie Edge.

* Humorous: "The Cornfield Barbers Quartet," sponsored by the Shrine of Democracy Chorus.

* Peoples Choice: "The Cornfield Barbers Quartet."

In addition, there was a children's pumpkin-carving contest with several dozen entries arranged along the wall at LaCroix Hall.

The winner of the pumpkin carving contest was "Pumpkin Spider" by Suzette and Mason Ainsworth of Rapid City. Second place went to "Mophead" by Deanna Holy Eagle of Rapid City.

The Rapid City Christmas Lights Committee is raising money to add more nighttime holiday displays downtown and in other parts of the city.

Barb Ulmer of the Christmas Lights Committee said Saturday night it was too soon to know how much money the event had raised. The silent auction was still going on at 8 p.m.

But overall, she said, the Octoberfest With Scarecrows event was a success.

"We could always use more people," Ulmer said, but she was happy with the crowd that came to the civic center on Saturday.

She also predicted that the event would become an annual celebration.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com