Sarnia witches will be trading in their broomsticks for paddles for Saturday evening's Witches in the Bay event.
Paddleboarders, kayakers and those with small watercrafts are invited to Sarnia Bay for an hour-long sunset paddle, and they're being encouraged to dress up like witches and warlocks.
Organizer Janka Liska said the inaugural event, in 2021, featured around 40 participants.
"And we were all just paddling around the bay and it was a pretty good turnout. This year, it says on my Facebook page that around 500 people are interested and I'm hoping that maybe 100 will come."
Liska said she started Witches in the Bay after seeing similar events in bigger cities. She feels it's a good way to grow the local paddle community.
"[Last year], a group of ladies came in witch costumes and they were dancing so we had a little bit of entertainment and everybody was happy and it was really fun so I brought it back this year," she said. "We had one witch who fell in but she was fine, she made it back to shore, it was all good."
The inaugural Witches in the Bay event at Sarnia Bay. October 2021. (Photo provided by Janka Liska)
The paddle gets going at around 6 p.m., weather permitting. Liska said safety is a big component of the event.
"Don't forget to bring your life jacket, your whistle, you can even bring lights to put on your board -- make sure that they're waterproof. And also don't forget to wear your costume."
Liska said Witches in the Bay is a great way to kick off the spookiest month of the year.
With files from Natalia Vega