A Bewitching Good Time Awaits You at North Park Lake This Saturday
Witches on the Water returns for the 4th year to benefit the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
THE 4TH ANNUAL WITCH AND WARLOCK PADDLE OUTING AND FOOD DRIVE TO BENEFIT THE GREATER PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY FOOD BANK WILL BE HELD AT NORTH PARK LAKE THIS SATURDAY. | PHOTOS BY MARY PEGHER
Double, double, toil and trouble.
Witches and warlocks will cast their spell on you at North Park Lake this Saturday during the 4th annual Witch and Warlock Paddle Outing and Food Drive, benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
This year’s event, which is hosted by L.L. Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Program, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. North Park Lake, also known as Marshall Lake, is located off of Pearce Mill Road and Babcock Boulevard in McCandless.
Participants are encouraged to dress in their best garb and bring their own kayak or stand-up paddleboard to dance along the lake, enchanting onlookers as they float by. Observers are also encouraged to wear costumes as they cheer paddlers on.
Don’t forget to bring a bag of non-perishables for the food bank. Check the list of most-needed items here. Donations may be dropped off at the L.L. Bean trailers at the intersection of Pearce Mill Road and Babcock Boulevard.
A table to support Be the Match for Jax, a local 8-year-old in need of a life-saving stem cell donor, will also be set up at the intersection from 11 a.m. to noon. Adults ages 18 to 40 can have a swab check to see if they are a match through the National Bone Marrow Registry.
Nancy Barnes, an L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Program kayak and paddleboard instructor, got the idea from a similar event held in the Pacific Northwest.
She told Pittsburgh Magazine in 2021 the event is a way to encourage people to get outdoors and assures the participants are friendly witches.
“It’s become a community event, where people just come and watch. It’s so cool. We just want to make it bigger and better each year,” she added.
The Outdoor Discovery Program will also hold a fall foliage kayak paddle at North Park Lake on Saturday, Oct. 14, and two spooky hikes along North Park’s Blue Mist Trail from 8 to 10 p.m. Oct. 28 and 30.
