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Pointy hats off to the witches who made Ohio history
Sandusky is already known for its Halloween spirit, and an annual event just made it official.
At the 14th Sandusky Witches Walk, a gathering of mostly women who don their pointy hats and walk the streets as crones, hags and other iterations of broom-riders, Guinness World Records certified two new records set by the group.
Sandusky Witches Walk sees hundreds of enthusiasts from Ohio (including the Crooked River Crones, profiled for Today from the Ohio Newsroom) and all over the world, gathering on the shores of Lake Erie for a parade and a massive line dance. They boogie to the witch dance anthem, “Schüttel deinen Speck,” which is German for “shake your bacon.”
Ygal Kaufman
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Ideastream Public Media
The Sandusky Witches Walk took the large group of pointy hat and broom enthusiasts on a parade through the historic district of Sandusky down to the banks of Lake Erie.
A Guinness adjudicator from New York came earlier this month to oversee how many witches were on hand this year to attempt to set two new world records for the largest witch costume contest and the most witches dancing in one place.
“What I love about this record attempt is it's not just something they came up with out of a hat, right? This is something they've been doing for 14 or 15 years. It's part of the Sandusky community,” said Michael Empric, Guinness adjudicator.
Ygal Kaufman
/
Ideastream Public Media
Michael Empric, an adjudicator with Guinness World Records, was the person in charge of keeping the integrity of the count and the rules of the contest.
The witches successfully set two new world records with 727 witches dancing and 970 witches in the costume contest, which will officially crown its winner after online voting ends on Halloween.
The event is a charity fundraiser, which has raised over $100,000 for local causes, but it’s also a large-scale public gathering of friends.
Courtney Yates, a witch from Michigan, came with her friends who call themselves the Whitmore Lake Coven.
“A lot of the girls from our group go every year,” said Yates. “Get together for a few days, make a lot of laughs and memories, and dress up and let your hair down. And forget about regular everyday life, and be a kid and have fun.”
1 of 15 — Courtney Yates
Courtney Yates came with her friends from Whitmore Lake, Michigan, for some bonding and carefree costumed fun.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
2 of 15 — Witches cauldron
The witches gathered around the cauldron after their dance to hear the results and share a moment as a group.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
3 of 15 — Witches dancing
The witches danced to their theme song, "Schüttel deinen Speck," under the watchful eyes of Guiness World Records stewards, who made sure everyone kept dancing, stayed in the containment area and was nominally keeping up with the basic moves.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
4 of 15 — DSC00618.jpg
Trisha Thompson (right) Carrie Schoonover (left) came from Findlay, Ohio, to show off their twin witch look.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
5 of 15 — Flying monkey
Some witches even brought their assistants to the event ...
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
6 of 15 — Robin Sprague
Robin Sprague used to dress up and join in the scares at nearby Cedar Point, but she says her job now makes that impossoble. She still makes a point of donning her best witch look– her witch name is Helena– and joining the walk in Sandusky.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
7 of 15 — Cora Higgins 2
Cora Higgins is the Supreme Witch in charge of the Witches Walk. She goes by the crone moniker IsaCora.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
8 of 15 — Sandusky State Theatre
Witches checked in for the competition and official count under the classic sign of the Sandusky State Theatre.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
9 of 15 — Witches hats
There was no shortage of pointy hats in Sandusky when the witches came to town.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
10 of 15 — Witches Dance drone
The Sandusky Witches Walk as seen from the sky over the historic district in Downtown Sandusky.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
11 of 15 — Michael empric 3
Michael Empric read the results of the Guinness counts at the end of the parade, flanked by Supreme Witch Cora Higgins, aka IsaCora.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
12 of 15 — Michael Empric 2
Michael Empric had to keep two separate counts straight as he checked in witches, some who were participating in both record attempts, and some who were just part of the costume contest, but not dancing. He said this is a standard part of his job and was no problem.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
13 of 15 — Marcia Shaw Tricia Gerhart
Tricia Gerhart (left) and Marcia Shaw (right) live near the Finger Lakes in New York. They came to join the walk with their coven, Witches of the Southern Tier.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
14 of 15 — Lois Arbogast
Lois Arbogast is a longtime lover of everything witchy. She's been a participant in the costume contest and dance in previous years, but came this year just to watch her friends in action. She still threw on a witchy outfit for the day.
Ygal Kaufman / Ideastream Public Media
15 of 15 — Witches
The Witches in Sandusky went all out for the costumes, some even employing some special apparati to float above the fray.
