The Flavors of Fall festival will be held in downtown Aiken from 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 26.

"It really is about the community," said Carla Cloud, the executive director of the Aiken Downtown Development Association, which is sponsoring the second annual event.

Most of the association's events are designed to bring people downtown to patronize the shops and restaurants in the area; however, many downtown businesses are closed Sundays.

"This is more a family event," she said.

There will be a chili cook-off, games for children, a casserole bake sale and the culmination of a scarecrow contest.

About seven scarecrows will be placed outside area businesses from Monday through Saturday. Downtown visitors can vote on their favorite by dropping coins in the boxes near the scarecrows. The winner -- the one with the most money -- will be announced during the event. The money will be donated to Area Churches Together Serving.

The children's games will have a fall theme. Last year's games included a football toss and finding knitting needles in a haystack.

The Aiken Horsepower Association will have an antique car show in conjunction with the event.

A few downtown businesses will be open and will provide complementary activities. The Art of Motion dance studio will provide make-overs for young girls and give them a hairstyle like that of ballerinas preparing to go on stage. Employees from Power Cuts will give holiday makeup tips, and the Aiken Center for the Arts will be open for a craft activity.

Also, Plum Pudding will have pumpkin-related foods in a test kitchen, and there will be pumpkin carvings.

For more information, call (803) 649-2221.

Reach Charmain Brackett at charmain.brackett@augustachronicle.com.