Witches Take Over the Mystic River for an Eighth Annual Halloween Paddle and Coat Drive

Witches Take Over the Mystic River for an Eighth Annual Halloween Paddle and Coat Drive on Saturday, Oct. 17, when costumed paddlers trade broomsticks for kayaks and paddleboards for one of Mystic’s more unusual Halloween traditions.

Adventure Mystic’s annual Witch Paddle brings witches, warlocks, goblins, ghouls and whatever other creatures people can dream up onto the Mystic River for three hours of paddling, costumes and community fundraising.

And after eight years, this isn’t simply a group of people deciding it would be funny to paddle around wearing pointy hats.

The Witch Paddle has become a genuine Mystic Halloween tradition.

From a Few Witches to an Annual Mystic Spectacle

Adventure Mystic traces its Witch Paddle back to 2019, and photographs from the event’s early years show exactly why the idea caught on.

A flotilla of witches moving along the Mystic River is difficult to ignore.

By October 2020, the second annual paddle was already being documented as costumed participants gathered at Adventure Mystic before heading onto the river. The event continued growing, reaching its sixth year in 2024 and seventh in 2025.

Now Adventure Mystic is preparing to launch the witches for an eighth time.

This year’s paddle runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, beginning at Adventure Mystic at 15 Holmes St.

Costumes aren’t restricted to witches. Organizers are encouraging anything witchy, spooky, funny, creepy, creative or completely over the top.

There is some incentive to put in the effort: prizes will be awarded to the top three costumes.

This One Is for Experienced Paddlers

The costumes may be ridiculous. The water requirements aren’t.

Adventure Mystic specifically describes this as an event for experienced paddlers only, and participants need to bring their own equipment.

Kayaks, paddleboards, canoes and pedal kayaks are welcome, but there are no rentals for the event. Each paddler needs the appropriate equipment, including their own PFD, paddle and leash.

Anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

That experience requirement is worth taking seriously in October. Halloween costumes add another consideration when you’re balancing on a paddleboard or maneuvering a kayak, and Mystic River water temperatures are considerably less forgiving in fall than during the middle of summer.

The result should be a great spectacle from shore, but the people wearing the witch hats on the water need to know what they’re doing.

The Coat Drive Gives the Witches a Mission

There’s another reason for gathering beyond the fun.

Participants are asked to bring a new or gently used coat for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, continuing the charitable component that has accompanied the Witch Paddle for years.

The Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center has served the region since 1985 and provides assistance to residents of Mystic, Stonington, Pawcatuck, North Stonington and Westerly.

Its work extends well beyond clothing. The nonprofit provides food and household necessities, utility and housing assistance, senior transportation and other support for local residents experiencing financial hardship.

That makes the coat drive particularly local: coats collected during an afternoon on the Mystic River go to an organization serving people in the same communities surrounding it.

The Party Continues Back on Land

Nobody has to immediately take off the witch hat once the boats come out of the water.

Adventure Mystic is following the paddle with a BBQ and DJ after-party, and participants are invited to bring a side dish or snack to share.

That turns the afternoon into something closer to a Halloween gathering than simply a three-hour paddle.

The registration fee is $25 per person, and advance registration is mandatory. There are no walk-ups or day-of registrations.

Adventure Mystic’s current booking information says registration closes at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, the day before the event.

If Saturday’s weather refuses to cooperate with the witches, the rain date is Sunday, Oct. 18, from 3 to 6 p.m.

For everyone else, there is always the option of watching from dry land as a coven of witches paddles through Mystic.

To register, click the Event Ticketing link below.

Details

Event: 8th Annual Witch Paddle & Coat Drive
Date: Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
Time: 3–6 p.m.
Location: Adventure Mystic
Address: 15 Holmes St., Mystic, CT 06355
Price: $25 per person
Experience: Experienced paddlers only
Boats: Bring your own kayak, paddleboard, canoe or pedal kayak; no rentals are available
Required Equipment: Participants must bring their own PFD, paddle and leash
Age: Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult
Registration: Required in advance; no walk-ups or day-of registration
Registration Deadline: 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16
Costumes: Halloween costumes strongly encouraged; prizes for the top three costumes
Coat Drive: Bring a new or gently used coat for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center
After Party: BBQ and DJ following the paddle; participants may bring a side dish or snack to share
Rain Date: Sunday, Oct. 18, 3–6 p.me

Featured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people, location, or activities shown.