Colorado’s Witch Paddle Flies Into Chatfield State Park Saturday

If you see hundreds of witches gliding across the water at Chatfield State Park this weekend, no, you have not finally snapped. Probably.

Colorado’s Witch Paddle returns Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing a giant fleet of costumed paddlers to the Chatfield State Park Swim Beach in Littleton. The annual event has become one of the state’s more gloriously weird fall traditions, with witches, warlocks and assorted spooky overachievers trading broomsticks for paddleboards, kayaks and canoes.

Registration and vendors open at 7 a.m., with the official launch set for 9 a.m.

The event is hosted by the Sacred Sisterhood Collective, a nonprofit organization that uses the gathering to build community and support local causes. It is part paddle meetup, part Halloween party, part “how many pointy hats can fit on a reservoir?” science experiment.

Hundreds of paddlers are expected to hit the water in full costume, because apparently balancing on a paddleboard was not enough of a challenge without a cape, a wig and a hat large enough to be seen from space. Costume contests are also part of the fun, so this is not the morning to phone it in with cat ears from the back seat of your car.

The paddle takes place at the Chatfield State Park Swim Beach, located southwest of Denver near Littleton. Anyone planning to attend should expect normal state park entry requirements, possible parking delays and early-morning October temperatures that may feel like Colorado is personally testing your commitment to the bit.

Participants should bring their own paddleboard, kayak or canoe, along with all required safety gear, including a personal flotation device. Layers are also a smart move, because “witchy and hypothermic” is not the look.

Even for those who do not paddle, the shoreline scene is usually worth the trip. Between the costumes, vendors and the sheer number of witches casually launching into the reservoir, it is one of those Colorado events that makes you say, “Sure, why not,” which is basically the unofficial state motto.

Event details

What: Colorado’s Witch Paddle
When: Saturday, Oct. 17
Registration/vendors: 7 a.m.
Launch: 9 a.m.
Where: Chatfield State Park Swim Beach, Littleton
Hosted by: Sacred Sisterhood Collective
Highlights: Costumed paddlers, vendors, costume contests and community support

So grab your paddle, your warm layers and your most seaworthy spell-casting outfit. The witches are hitting the water, and honestly, Colorado has seen stranger.