Brooms Up, Downtown: Foley Witches Ride Returns Oct. 24 With After-Party at Heritage Park
The Foley Witches Ride returns to downtown Foley at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, ending with a music-and-food-truck after-party at Heritage Park, with proceeds going to local charities and schools.
FOLEY, Ala. — Pointy hats, flowing capes and plenty of cackling are headed back to downtown Foley. The Foley Witches Ride returns to the city’s historic district on Saturday, Oct. 24, setting off at 5 p.m. and finishing with an after-party at Heritage Park.
The Halloween-season tradition, organized through Foley Main Street, raises money for community betterment organizations, with all proceeds going to local charities and schools.
Who can ride
The ride itself is for women 21 and older. A $40 rider ticket includes race entry, an event T-shirt and admission to the after-party.
Everyone else is welcome to join the fun at the finish. Non-riders, men included, can enter the after-party for $20. The party features music, food trucks and, as organizers put it, lots of cackling. It is a bring-your-own-beverage event.
Event details
- What: Foley Witches Ride and after-party
- When: Saturday, Oct. 24; ride begins at 5 p.m.
- Where: Through downtown Foley, ending at Heritage Park, 125 E. Laurel Ave.
- Riders: Women 21 and older; $40, including race entry, T-shirt and after-party admission
- After-party only: $20, men welcome
- Extras: Music and food trucks; BYOB
- Tickets: Sold through the Foley Witches Ride Facebook page; RSVP required
Where the money goes
Foley Main Street’s event listing names a long list of beneficiaries, including:
- Family Promise
- Lighthouse of Baldwin County
- A Foley Scouts troop
- Turkey Take Out
- The Grand Witch’s charity of choice
- Foley High School, Foley Middle School, Foley Elementary, Magnolia Elementary and Florence B. Mathis Elementary
Family Promise works to help families experiencing homelessness get back into stable housing, while Lighthouse of Baldwin County supports survivors of domestic violence. Spreading the proceeds across several groups and every public school in the Foley area means a single night of costumed fun reaches a wide swath of the community.
A growing Gulf Coast tradition
Witches rides have become a popular fall fundraiser in towns across the country, where groups of women in costume parade through downtown streets, typically on bicycles, and finish with a party. The appeal is simple: it is a chance for friends to dress up, show off creative costumes and raise money for causes close to home. Organizers have not detailed the route for this year’s Foley ride, and riders should check with the organizers for start-line instructions.
Foley Main Street, the nonprofit that promotes the city’s historic downtown, helps put the ride on as part of a busy fall calendar that also includes the Third Thursday Prowl and its black cat hunt and the free Midday Melodies lunchtime concerts at Heritage Park.
Heritage Park as the finish line
Heritage Park, in the heart of downtown Foley, is anchored by the Centennial Clock Tower and has become one of Baldwin County’s busiest community gathering spots, hosting festivals, concerts and holiday events throughout the year. Free parking is available around the perimeter of the park and across the pedestrian bridge on Alabama 59.
Spectators who want to watch the witches roll through downtown should plan to arrive before 5 p.m. and find a spot along the downtown streets, then follow the crowd to Heritage Park for the party.
Questions can be directed to Foley Main Street at 251-270-0089 or by email at [email protected].
