What to Know
- Ventura Witches Paddle
- Friday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m.
- The free-to-join paddle is expected to "materialize" for around an hour to 90 minutes
- Paddling witches and warlocks will need to arrive with their own gear or rent it nearby; observing the charming rite is free
- The event was founded by friends Christie Moorehouse and Susan Stuart
SAVORING A ROAD TRIP, the kind that takes you from Ventura Harbor to Morro Bay? You might plan on around three hours or so, which should be enough time to stop for snacks in Buellton or Los Alamos or another awesome 101-close town. Of course, if you are a witch and you have your broomstick in hand, meaning that you plan to make the journey by air, you'll likely fly at a faster pace. Water-loving witches may want to consider both routes as a pair of prominent Witch Paddles, those ethereal ocean-adjacent traditions, will materialize on the final Friday and Saturday of October. Morro Bay will be the Saturday celebration in 2024 — supernatural beings will float, fantastically, on their paddleboards and kayaks near the big rock come Saturday, Oct. 26 — while Ventura Harbor's yearly lark will take merry form on Friday, Oct. 25.
HAPPY YEAR SIX: The lighthearted gathering is free to join or to observe, and plenty of enchanted types gather to do both. In fact, "over 60 witches and warlocks" convened at the last paddle, a heartening sign that revelers are eager to celebrate the Halloween season in all sorts of offbeat and uplifting ways. Life vests are a must, of course, and staying to enjoy a sip or supper around Ventura Harbor Village is encouraged. Perhaps you and another witch or two will become lifelong besties, sharing spells and secrets? It's a time of year when the most magical things can occur. Maybe you'll even see them the following day in Morro Bay, where witches will again gleefully gather to summon grins and good times.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
