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By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE | Special to the Reporter

COLUMBIANA – On the morning of Oct. 5, around 30 witches on bikes and golf carts paraded through downtown Columbiana during the annual Witches Ride.

Sara Catherine Pennington with Columbiana Main Street, said the event has grown each year since the beginning.

“The first year we probably had ten riders and we were happy to have that,” she said. “Last year, we had around 20 and this year around 30, so it’s grown by about 10 participants every year.”

Most of the participants live in Columbiana and women and children from age 5 to those in their 70s participated by dressing up as witches and riding on bicycles and golf carts decorated with broomsticks and spiderwebs.

Bystanders lined up along the parade route, which made a loop from Main Street to East College Street and Back.

“Afterward, people stayed and stopped in different shops on Main Street,” Pennington said. “Several of the business owners donated items for a gift basket drawing.”

A new event was added this year, a Witches Night Out, on the night before the ride. Pennington said the goal was to kick off October and the Halloween season. A scavenger hunt was held and the witches who participated enjoyed a witches flight at Just a Tish, a coffee flight at Leader’s Coffee, a margarita flight at Blue Agave and a beer flight at Provincial Pub.

“They had a checklist of things to do, and once completed, turned it in at the drawing on Saturday morning,” Pennington said. “It was a fun way to get people to shop on Main Street and the shops stayed open later until 7 p.m.

She said that the participants enjoyed both of the events, and there are plans to create more for other holidays, including Christmas and Valentine’s Day.