Witchstock mingles witches, zombies and monsters for downtown Halloween party

Witchstock mingles witches, zombies and monsters for downtown Halloween party

Monsters and zombies and witches, oh my!

Witchstock returns later this month, bringing all the fun and fright of Halloween to downtown Ogden.

Witchstock Festival 2019 is scheduled for 4-10 p.m. Oct 26 in and around the Ogden Amphitheater, 343 Historic 25th St., in Ogden. Most of the events are free and all are open to the public.

“Witchstock was the initial idea, but then it kind of became this three-part event,” said Haille Van Patten, assistant communications coordinator for the Ogden Downtown Alliance. “The umbrella event is Witchstock, but it’s made up of the Witches Tea, the Zombie Crawl and the Monster Bash.”

The event is hosted by the Ogden Downtown Alliance and Historic 25th Street.

Things kick off at 4 p.m. Saturday with the Witches Tea, held in the Ogden Amphitheater. This is the only event for which there is an admission cost.

The Witches Tea benefits the Jr. Junior League of Ogden, a group established for girls ages 10 to 16. Cost is $25, and it includes tea, light hors d’oeuvers, live entertainment, and dessert.

“It’s a time for people to come together and sit at tables with other community members and literally have a witches tea,” Van Patten said. “The Jr. Junior League of Ogden serves at the tables, and this event serves as a fundraiser for their group.”

Van Patten said the Witches Tea also features a number of contests, like best witch cackle, or best witch hat.

This event is usually a sellout; tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.

“We encourage people to dress up and go all out for the Witches Tea,” she said.

Following the Witches Tea, at 6 p.m. Van Patten said the amphitheater gates will be open to the public, and the space will “transition over more to like a fall market vibe.” Witchstock will feature vendor booths, food and drink for sale, roaming performances, art displays and more.

“The witch hat ladies will be there, creating and selling their witches hats,” Van Patten said. “They’re a staple of this event.”

DJ Johnny B will provide the music for the evening.

Also a 6 p.m. all zombies will gather at the amphitheater for the annual Zombie Crawl. Participants are encouraged to dress in zombie costumes and makeup, and join the throng as it slowly makes its way along Historic 25th Street.

“We expect more than a thousand zombies of all ages to gather,” Van Patten said. “They’ll walk down Historic 25th Street — moving at a glacial pace, of course — and then return to the amphitheater.”

When the zombies get back to the amphitheater, that’s when the Monster Bash begins. Van Patten said the ambiance will be a bit different for the Monster Bash, which runs from 8-10 p.m. in the amphitheater.

“It’ll be more like a dance, with some lights and a change in the mood and vibe,” she said. “We’re encouraging people to get spooky. The event ramps up a little bit, it’s like our grand finale.”

Van Patten said organizers are excited for the Witchstock event, and they’re excited to see how people will dress up and interpret the event.

“It feels like every year we get new people, and I’m excited to see what kind of crowd it draws this year,” she said. “… This is an event where you can dress up and have fun. There really is something for everyone at Witchstock. It’s just good, spooky, family-friendly fun — it’s Halloween, without being a scary haunted house.”

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