Witches gather in Monongahela
Jade Hertzog of Beaver County holds an umbrella to protect her witch costume from the rain Saturday afternoon, during the second annual Witch Festival in Monongahela.
On right, Nadine Crescini of Uniontown purchases a witch broom from a vendor at the second annual Witch Festival in Monongahela Saturday afternoon.
Lisa Lemley of Mt. Pleasant shops at a bottle design booth while dressed as a witch for the second annual Witch Festival in Monongahela Saturday afternoon.
MONONGAHELA – The cold rain wasn’t strong enough to melt the witches in Monongahela Saturday, during the second annual witch festival at the Noble J. Dick Aquatorium.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
From left, Valerie O’Hare of Pittsburgh, Tamara Waner of East Vandergrift and her daughter Ashley Waner of Pittsburgh, dressed as witches for the second annual Witch Festival in Monongahela Saturday afternoon.
“It’s my favorite show,” said one of the vendors, Jade Hertzog, of Beaver County. “With the costumes and the dancing, it’s just beautiful.”
Hertzog was one of many vendors dressed up in a witch costume for the second year of the growing festival.
Organizer Terry Sebben, president of the nonprofit Aquatorium Innovations, said although the weather was not as sunny this year, she still anticipated a good turnout.
“We wanted a fall festival, and this was something different,” she said.
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
A witch either melted from the rain, leaving only her hat in the street, or the wind blew the hat from her head Saturday afternoon during the second annual Witch Festival in Monongahela.
Sebben said the adults-only festival had 5,000 people come through the festival last year, a volume they were not expecting.
“People really got into it last year,” she said.
Some vendors, like Anisa Ward of McDonald, said the rain did put a damper on business, but not enough to keep her from participating with a bottle designs booth.
“It gives adults a chance to be a kid again,” she said.
April Sims, a crafter selling hats, brooms and other witch accessories, said this was her first craft show. She said she attended the event last year with a homemade witch costume that received so many compliments, she was asked to make them and become a vendor.
“I absolutely love this,” she said. “I love to decorate and make things for people.”
Along with crafters, the festival offered many food vendors and a 7 p.m. dance party.