BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The CT Beacon - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:The CT Beacon
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://thectbeacon.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The CT Beacon
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T180000
DTSTAMP:20261007T024150Z
CREATED:20261007T024150Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261007T024150Z
UID:10009301-1792245600-1792260000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Witches Take Over the Mystic River for an Eighth Annual Halloween Paddle and Coat Drive
DESCRIPTION: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. \nAdventure 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. \nAnd after eight years\, this isn’t simply a group of people deciding it would be funny to paddle around wearing pointy hats. \nThe Witch Paddle has become a genuine Mystic Halloween tradition. \nFrom a Few Witches to an Annual Mystic Spectacle\nAdventure Mystic traces its Witch Paddle back to 2019\, and photographs from the event’s early years show exactly why the idea caught on. \nA flotilla of witches moving along the Mystic River is difficult to ignore. \nBy 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. \nNow Adventure Mystic is preparing to launch the witches for an eighth time. \nThis year’s paddle runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday\, Oct. 17\, beginning at Adventure Mystic at 15 Holmes St. \nCostumes aren’t restricted to witches. Organizers are encouraging anything witchy\, spooky\, funny\, creepy\, creative or completely over the top. \nThere is some incentive to put in the effort: prizes will be awarded to the top three costumes. \nThis One Is for Experienced Paddlers\nThe costumes may be ridiculous. The water requirements aren’t. \nAdventure Mystic specifically describes this as an event for experienced paddlers only\, and participants need to bring their own equipment. \nKayaks\, 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. \nAnyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult. \nThat 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. \nThe 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. \nThe Coat Drive Gives the Witches a Mission\nThere’s another reason for gathering beyond the fun. \nParticipants 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. \nThe Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center has served the region since 1985 and provides assistance to residents of Mystic\, Stonington\, Pawcatuck\, North Stonington and Westerly. \nIts 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. \nThat 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. \nThe Party Continues Back on Land\nNobody has to immediately take off the witch hat once the boats come out of the water. \nAdventure 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. \nThat turns the afternoon into something closer to a Halloween gathering than simply a three-hour paddle. \nThe registration fee is $25 per person\, and advance registration is mandatory. There are no walk-ups or day-of registrations. \nAdventure Mystic’s current booking information says registration closes at 3 p.m. Friday\, Oct. 16\, the day before the event. \nIf Saturday’s weather refuses to cooperate with the witches\, the rain date is Sunday\, Oct. 18\, from 3 to 6 p.m. \nFor everyone else\, there is always the option of watching from dry land as a coven of witches paddles through Mystic. \nTo register\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: 8th Annual Witch Paddle & Coat Drive\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 17\, 2026\nTime: 3–6 p.m.\nLocation: Adventure Mystic\nAddress: 15 Holmes St.\, Mystic\, CT 06355\nPrice: $25 per person\nExperience: Experienced paddlers only\nBoats: Bring your own kayak\, paddleboard\, canoe or pedal kayak; no rentals are available\nRequired Equipment: Participants must bring their own PFD\, paddle and leash\nAge: Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by an adult\nRegistration: Required in advance; no walk-ups or day-of registration\nRegistration Deadline: 3 p.m. Friday\, Oct. 16\nCostumes: Halloween costumes strongly encouraged; prizes for the top three costumes\nCoat Drive: Bring a new or gently used coat for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center\nAfter Party: BBQ and DJ following the paddle; participants may bring a side dish or snack to share\nRain Date: Sunday\, Oct. 18\, 3–6 p.me \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/witches-take-over-the-mystic-river-for-an-eighth-annual-halloween-paddle-and-coat-drive/
LOCATION:Adventure Mystic\, 15 Holmes Street\, Mystic\, 06355\, United States
CATEGORIES:Adventure Mystic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Witches-Take-Over-the-Mystic-River-for-an-Eighth-Annual-Halloween-Paddle-and-Coat-Drive.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR