DeMello Elementary student Desmond Waite scribbled a jack-o-lantern-style face for the scarecrow he’d built with his family at the school’s Fall Fest on October 16.

“I wanted to make my scarecrow scary,” Waite said. “I did the face like a pumpkin. It was my favorite part because on other parts I just stuffed, but for the face, I got to draw.”

Nearby, student Lizzy O’Niell’s scarecrow donned a Dartmouth Fire District No. 1 sweatshirt and drew a face to resemble her father, who is a firefighter.

“My scarecrow looks a lot like my dad,” O’Niell said.

The DeMello parent-teacher organization supplied wooden scarecrow frames for the more than 120 kids who attended the school’s first ever Fall Fest, as well as pumpkins, paint, cider, and treats. Families brought clothing and accessories for their scarecrows, as well as old pillowcases to use as a face.

“It’s a great event,” said PTO President Mary Waite. “It’s a fun way for classmates and families to do something unique.”

Waite said the festival idea stemmed from teacher Rachel Dyer’s previous work in Greater Boston, where one of the schools hosted a similar event. Waite agreed that it was a perfect addition to the school’s Superhero Carnival in the spring and “Winter Wonderland” event in the winter.