A large coven of witches appeared under the Samoa Bridge on Saturday for the fourth annual Witches Paddle organized by Jody Himango and Patty Costanzo. The Dancing Magickal Witches of Humboldt County offered their lively performance first, before more than 40 witches entered the water on their stand-up paddleboards, kayaks, canoes and an inflatable raft.
The flotilla of paddling witches headed west against a stiff breeze past the Bonnie Gool dock, the Adorni Center and the Woodley Island Marina before their wind-assisted return to the Samoa Bridge boat ramp.
Himango, who lives on the Samoa Peninsula, was pleased with the number of paddlers this year. Four years ago, her local-event poster for the nation-wide Paddle event invited participants to “Take to the streets and the water. Let’s demonstrate our strength and solidarity in a fun, beautiful way.” Mission accomplished again in 2023, based on the turnout and the smiles on the participants’ faces. See the slideshow below for highlights of the day.
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This article appears in Ghosts on the Tracks.