The Witch Parade in Wickford is an exciting and unique event that takes place in the small coastal town of Wickford, Rhode Island. Each October, the town comes alive with the spirit of Halloween as locals and visitors gather to celebrate all things witchy. The parade, a highlight of the festivities, features participants dressed as witches, warlocks, and other mystical characters, parading through the streets of Wickford. The vibrant costumes, elaborate makeup, and theatrical props make for a visually stunning spectacle that captivates audiences of all ages. The origins of the Witch Parade can be traced back to the town's rich history and connection to witchcraft. Wickford has long been associated with witch trials and folklore, dating back to the late 17th century.

Witches of Wickford Paddle

Walpurgis Night, April 30, is a Christian holiday celebrating the canonization of Saint Walpurga and the movement of her relics to Eichstätt, Germany, both of which happened on May 1, 870 CE. St. Walpurga was an 8th century nun who was famous for fighting against disease and witchcraft.

In 2016 the women of the performing arts group Wolfshäger Hexenbrut (Wolfhunter’s Coven), interrupted the Walpurgis Night celebration with a flash mob performance. This was undoubtedly in direct response to St. Walpurga’s opposition to witchcraft.

Since then, Witch Dances have proliferated all over the world as a fun way for women (and some men) to celebrate.

Witches of Wickford Paddle

Every year around Halloween, the town of Wickford, RI hosts a Horribles Parade. The Dancing Witches of Wickford join the march with their own choreographed moves.

It’s a fun event, but for my money, the Witches of Wickford Paddle is quite the unique experience.

• Witches of Wickford Paddle (photo: Brent Petersen)
• Witch looking for her coven (photo: Brent Petersen)
• Witches of Wickford Paddle (photo: Brent Petersen)

Folks dress as witches (and warlocks) and bring their kayaks and paddleboards to Wickford Harbor for a paddle. Judges on shore rate the best costumes and prizes are awarded.

But, really, this isn’t about who gets an award. It’s about the spectacle of seeing folks dressed as sorceresses (and sorcerers) paddling around the harbor. I’m so happy I accidently stumbled on this fun procession.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Rhode Island. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.

‘We’re coming out of the broom closet.’ In Rhode Island, the season of the witch has arrived.

Wickford has long been associated with witch trials and folklore, dating back to the late 17th century. The parade serves as a reminder of the town's intriguing past, while also celebrating the fun and creative aspects of Halloween. In addition to the parade, the Witch Parade festival offers a variety of activities and attractions for attendees to enjoy.

The witches are having a party, but they’re also hoping to educate the public while they shake their broomsticks

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Witches carry broomsticks that range from basic to bedazzled while they parade through downtown Wickford, R.I. Jeff Newcum

W ICKFORD, R.I. — A few basics before we dive into our tale of the dancing witches of Wickford who kicked open the broom closet door and haven’t looked back since. They’ve won over this seaside village’s hearts with their choreography, and now these enchantresses hope their newfound popularity can also win over minds and educate people about witchcraft.

Let’s address the stereotypes first. Ditch the green face paint and poisoned apples. The witches say it’s offensive and hurtful. Disney has done them no favors. Pointy hats and brooms are OK, and “crone” is considered a compliment. Please remember that witches don’t fall into a single category. Some identify as clairvoyant. Some are herbalists, some connect with the sea or the earth, some identify as Christian or pagan, and others are empaths.

That’s a very abbreviated Whitman’s Sampler of witches.

“Let’s be honest, everyone’s a witch,” said Nancy Rafi, head witch of the Rhode Island Witches Guild. “If you go to a birthday party, make a wish, and blow out candles, that’s practicing the craft. It’s a spell-like manifestation. People do all types of things that are based in the craft that you don’t realize. Some people just tie into it a little bit more than others.”

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Not all witches wear traditional pointy black hats. Exotic headpieces were a staple at last year's witch parade in Wickford. Jeff Newcum

In the spirit of “everyone’s a witch,” Rafi, 65, who had been practicing her craft in private, decided to go public and quickly found compatriots in the region. In 2021, she put the word out on social media that she was looking for other witches to join her in Wickford’s annual Horribles Parade on Halloween. Rafi had seen a video on YouTube of witches in Germany performing a choreographed dance to a reggae-punk song, and decided to replicate it for the Wickford parade. She was shocked when 147 witches and non-witches decided to join her.

‘Let’s be honest. Everyone is a witch. Some people just tie into it a little bit more than others. ’

Nancy Rafi, Rhode Island Guild of Witches

That was 2021. In 2022, the number of participants ballooned to 482 witches and their allies. They came from 12 states and Canada, all of them ready to dance to Peter Fox’s “Schüttel deinen Speck” again. In a page borrowed from the LGBTQ+ handbook, it was essentially a witch Pride march.

“Downtown Wickford had never seen that many people,” she said. “The police estimated between 3,000 and 3,500 spectators. The whole town shut down. I was surprised, not shocked, but surprised.”

Members of the Rhode Island Witches Guild don’t know what to expect this year, but they’re predicting the number of witches participating, and the crowd watching, to swell significantly. They’ve already outgrown the town’s Horribles Parade. This year the witches will have their own parade. They’ll kick off at 2 p.m. on Oct. 21 in downtown Wickford. That night they’re holding a witches ball. Tickets for the ball sold out immediately.

It’s fitting that Wickford has become a popular epicenter for witches. John Updike’s 1984 book (and the 1987 film) “The Witches of Eastwick” was set in a fictionalized version of Wickford.

During a recent outdoor rehearsal in Newport, the witches, decked out in elaborate frocks and carrying brooms that ranged from basic to bedazzled, drew a sizable crowd. They danced to “Schüttel deinen Speck,” but also rehearsed new numbers, including an exotic dance to Lana Del Ray’s cover of “Season of the Witch.” Phones were high in the air as the audience excitedly took videos and photos. It was as if the Rhode Island witches managed to find a perfect way to show the world that witches are not malevolent harpies who roam the earth looking to cast evil spells. Just like the rest of us, these witches just want to have fun.

Sandra Lynn (center) leads a group from the Providence Drum Troupe, who came to the parade in 2022 to support the witches. Jeff Newcum

The dancing, the parade, and the upcoming witches ball are more than recreation for these women. For participants who are practicing witches, the guild has been a way to bond and make new friends. It’s also taken away the shame that many of them felt for being witches.

Susan Clements, who owns Earth & Ocean Herbals in North Kingston, said she faced scorn for years because she practices witchcraft. She’s an herbalist who began her profession in the early 1980s. She previously owned the Herb Wyfe in Wickford, where people called her “the town witch.” They didn’t say it as a compliment.

“There were parents who were telling their kids that they couldn’t come in my store,” Clements said. “I was just doing my thing, but I happened to be earth-based in my beliefs.”

Clements, 73, was named best witch at the 2022 parade, and said she was thrilled with the title. It was as if the work she has done for decades was finally acknowledged. The story is similar among members of the guild. They say they no longer feel alone, and there is strength in numbers.

A jubilant Susan Clements celebrates after being named best witch at the 2022 witches parade in Wickford, R.I. Wild Tea Photography

“It’s been such a blessing to find like-minded women,” said Katie-lyn Merolla, 49, of Warwick. She’s a medium and channeler who also uses crystal healing. “I mentioned I was in the guild to my family at a barbecue without even thinking about it. Immediately, my cousin looked at me and said, ‘Oh, we’re doing that now?’ There’s a lot of ignorance about what we do.”

That ignorance stretches back centuries. Long before the Salem witch trials, women were being accused of witchcraft, ostracized from their communities, murdered, or tortured. The stereotypical green face of witches can be traced back to when some women were tortured to the point that they became infected with gangrene or were beaten so badly that their faces and bodies were discolored with bruises. Burning at the stake may have been glamorized in “American Horror Story: Coven” (”Balenciaga!”) and became a symbol of the Salem Witch Trials, but it was a reality for women accused of witchcraft for hundreds of years.

Sadly, the witches of the guild are still facing scorn. Rafi said she gets emails and messages on social media with threats and slurs. Other witches in the guild say they’ve faced harassment and plenty of name-calling.

In 2022, nearly 500 witches came to participate in the Wickford Parade of Horribles. Police estimated that there were more than 3,000 spectators. This year, those numbers are expected to be much higher, and the witches are having a separate parade. Jeff Newcum

“In the 1980s, I had to make the decision: Do I make myself a public witch or do I stay in the broom closet?,” said Cheryl Solyma-Masson, a belly dance instructor, nurse, and head witch of the recently-formed Massachusetts Witches Guild, Southeast Chapter. “I decided that for my own children and future generations that I owed it to them to be a public witch. So I did put myself in a position where I would get a lot of insults and things like that, but it’s also given me a chance to educate.”

Several members of the witches guild are not witches. It’s a support group for witches, but also a social group for anyone. This year’s parade is dedicated to one member battling cancer. Anyone can participate in events (even men) as long as they come with good intentions, a kind heart, and an open mind. Susan St. Pierre of Warwick is a member of both the Providence and Southeastern Mass. guilds (there are currently six guilds), but is not a witch. She’s there for the dancing and friendship. She even helped the witches secure an outdoor performance space in Newport earlier this month.

Since the formation of the Rhode Island guild, women across the country have been contacting Rafi about starting their own chapters. At the moment she said the guild is adding three chapters per year. It’s understandable why there’s been demand. These witches and friends are all about doing good, having fun, and helping others. For the record, no evil spells have been cast on their detractors — so they say.

Ellie Lupo is not a witch, but the former professional dancer has joined the Rhode Island Witches Guild for an opportunity to participate in parades and socialize. Wild Tea Photography

“I think they’re absolutely wonderful,” said 83-year-old Ellie Lupo, a former ballerina, modern dancer, and choreographer. When her husband passed away, she found a new outlet for dancing with the witches, and also made many new friends in the process. “We just have a good time and laugh a lot. I think their special power is the positivity and smiles that they bring to everyone who sees them.”

How to see the witches this October

• The Rhode Island Witches Guild rehearse the witches dance on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. at 30 Beach St. in North Kingston. Anyone can join. Attendees are encouraged to bring a hat and broom. Immediately after the dancing, the witches are holding a “Bling up Your Broom” event.
• The witches parade takes place Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. in downtown Wickford. There will be shuttles downtown from municipal parking lots.
• For more information on events or joining a chapter, go to www.RIWitchesGuild.com.

Christopher Muther can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.

Witch parade wickford

“I’ve moved on from vaginas to witches,” jokes Nancy Rafi, who used to produce the long-running Valentine’s Day production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues before turning her attention to the Witches of Wickford. “It’s been weirdly serendipitous.” Rafi, a practicing witch since her teens, spent most of her life firmly in the broom closet. Struggling with the isolation of the pandemic, she decided to ask the Wickford Merchants Association if she and a few friends could participate in the annual Horribles Parade, a celebration of Halloween for the local kids that strolls through downtown during Wickford Wicked Week. Her idea was to gather a few like-minded women and do the “Witches Dance,” a fivestep romp created by a group of witches for Walpurgis Night, a sort of May Day festival, in Germany.

“I thought I’d be lucky if I got a dozen friends to do it,” she says. Instead, 147 women showed up to the rehearsal. What Rafi didn’t realize was Halloween is the second-largest holiday in the United States. “People love to dress up and be silly, act like a kid again,” she says, adding, “and we needed it last year.”

With well over 100 witches bringing up the rear, the parade route turned into a mini block party as the spectators cheered while the witches weaved their spell. Word of the spectacle spread like wildfire, and

With four chapters already established – Wickford, Newport, Providence, and Warwick – Rafi says even more are on the way. “Each chapter organizes their own events,” she says. “These can be flash mobs, or something more formal, and happen whenever. It’s all up to the chapters.”

The Wickford chapter is dancing again in the Halloween Horribles Parade. Joining the witches on the parade route this year are Circus Dynamics and the Providence Drum Troupe.

Anyone can attend the rehearsal, where the dance is taught, followed by a crafting session to bedazzle the brooms. “The ages are all over the map,” she says. “From six years to 82.” All gender spectrums are welcome as well, although women seem to have an affinity for the event. “Historically, Rhode Island was a sanctuary for witches,” Rafi explains, noting that part of the mission of the guild is to teach the history. “Twenty-seven people were hung during the trials,” she continues, referring to Salem. “There’s a responsibility to tell the history of it, to show what misogyny looks like. We dance in their memories.”

While acknowledging this tragic history, the purpose of the witches dance is to bring joy to both participants and spectators. “Everybody needs it,” says Rafi. “Palpable energy happens when women get together and dance.”

Witches of Wickford perform the Witches Dance at the Horribles Parade in Wickford on October 29 (rain date October 30). RIWitchesGuild.com

Witches Paddle 2023

Calling all witches, goblins and ghouls! Come join us for a fun paddle around Wickford Harbor! We are also offering a Costume Contest with some great prizes! The Witches Paddle is open to all! Kayaks, paddleboards, and pedal kayaks are all welcome!

Date & Time: Sunday, October 22 from 12-2pm Rain Date: Sunday, October 29 from 12-2pm

• Our event and costume contest officially ends at 2pm, but feel free to stay out on the water as long as you would like.

Launch Location: Public Access beach next to Gardner's Seafood Wharf & Wilson Park

• We recommend that kayakers launch from Wilson Park and paddleboarders launch from Gardner's Seafood Wharf.

Parking for Wilson Park: There is plenty of parking directly at the Wilson Park kayak launch.

Day of the Event

Bib Pick-Up and Registration Check-In: 10-11:45am (located between the parking lot and the launch site)

Optional Photo Op: We will be taking photos at check-in of the witches and warlocks that dressed up for the event. The photos are completely optional. By allowing the Kayak Centre to snap a photo, you are allowing us the ability to use it on future marketing materials.

Launch Times: 10-11:45am

• The paddling parade will be leaving the Gardner's launch area at 12pm and then paddling towards the town dock behind the village shops and parking lot, where the judges will be waiting. After the judges have scored you, you will then be able to fly away on your broomstick and stay out as long as you want.
• Make sure you're on the water and at the Gardner's launch area by 12pm (noon)!
• For those launching from Wilson Park, it takes about 10-15 minutes to paddle to the Gardner's launch area.

Costume Contest

There will be 4 categories for the costume contest with some great prizes for the winner in each category.

1. Best Witch
2. Best Warlock
3. Best Dressed Pet
4. Most Creative/Original

We will be giving out numbered race bibs at check-in for those that want to participate in the contest. The bib must be visibly pinned for the judges to see.

Safety Information

PFDs must be worn by all participants in order to be in accordance with Rhode Island law.

Please dress appropriately for the air and water temperature. We recommend neoprene/synthetic layers and neoprene booties since the temperatures are dropping.

Registration

Registration is required! There is a $10 registration fee (All funds will be donated to the North Kingstown Food Pantry).

Although registration is required for everyone, the costume contest is not mandatory and you can still dress up even if you don’t want to participate in the contest.

Registration is online only. We will not be accepting walk-ups for the costume contest. Virtual waivers must be signed upon arrival.

Donations

If you don't want to participate in the event, but still want to donate, please use this link:

• Online Registration Deadline: Saturday, October 21nd at 11:59PM
• Online Donation Deadline: Sunday, October 22rd at 11:59pm

*Please note that each participant is required to have their own SUP or kayak. The Kayak Centre will not be supplying nor renting SUPs or kayaks for use.

Local artisans and vendors set up booths to sell their witch-themed crafts, potions, and other Halloween-inspired goods. There are also food trucks serving up delicious treats, as well as live music performances and entertainment throughout the day. One of the unique aspects of the Witch Parade in Wickford is the community involvement. The event is organized and run by local volunteers who are passionate about preserving the town's history and promoting a sense of community. This grassroots approach helps to create an intimate and welcoming atmosphere that sets the Witch Parade apart from larger, commercialized Halloween events. The Witch Parade in Wickford has grown in popularity over the years, attracting visitors from near and far. It has become a beloved tradition for many residents and a must-see event for Halloween enthusiasts. The parade serves as a celebration of creativity, community, and the enchanting spirit of witchcraft. Overall, the Witch Parade in Wickford is a magical and enchanting event that brings the town together in celebration of Halloween. It showcases the unique history and character of Wickford while also providing a festive atmosphere for all to enjoy. Whether you're a fan of witches or simply looking for a fun and memorable way to celebrate the spooky season, the Witch Parade is an event not to be missed..

Reviews for "From Folklore to Reality: Exploring the Origins of the Witch Parade Wickford"

1. John - 2 stars - The Witch Parade in Wickford was a disappointment for me. The concept sounded interesting, with the promise of witches parading through the town and creating an otherworldly atmosphere, but it fell flat. The parade was poorly organized, with the witches just walking by without any synchrony or excitement. There were no elaborate costumes or impressive displays, which made the event feel lackluster. Overall, it was underwhelming and not worth the time or effort.

2. Sarah - 1 star - I was highly disappointed with the Witch Parade in Wickford. The event lacked any sort of magic or mystique that one would expect from a witch-themed parade. The participants were simply dressed in basic witch costumes, and there was nothing remarkable about the parade itself. It felt like a missed opportunity to create a truly memorable experience. I would not recommend attending this event if you are looking for an enchanting and immersive witch parade.

3. David - 2 stars - The Witch Parade in Wickford was a letdown. I had high hopes for this event, expecting a vibrant and energetic display of witchcraft, but it was far from that. The parade route was short, and the witches walked by in a haphazard manner. There was no coordination or grandeur in their performance. The lack of enthusiasm from the participants translated into a dull and uninteresting event. I was left feeling unsatisfied and wishing for more from this witch parade.

4. Emily - 2 stars - The Witch Parade in Wickford did not live up to the hype for me. The atmosphere was somewhat lackluster and failed to create the whimsical and magical ambiance I was anticipating. The parade felt disorganized and the witches seemed unenthusiastic, going through the motions without much zest. It lacked the creativity and excitement that should accompany an event like this. Overall, I left the parade feeling underwhelmed and I wouldn't recommend it to others seeking an enchanting witch-related experience.

5. Michael - 1 star - I was extremely disappointed with the Witch Parade in Wickford. The event felt like a half-hearted attempt at capitalizing on the witch theme without actually delivering anything of substance. The parade itself was lackluster, with no standout performances or creative displays. It was a missed opportunity to create a memorable and immersive experience. I would not recommend attending this event if you are looking for an enjoyable witch-themed activity.

Discover the Mystical World of the Witch Parade Wickford