Witches and warlocks take part in ‘magical’ day on Fredericton lake for Halloween

Costumed paddlers are seen on the water as they gathered at Killarney Lake in Fredericton, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. The event brought together about 50 people with shared interests in paddling and Halloween. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Hina Alam

FREDERICTON — Jane Ostrovsky glided on Fredericton’s Killarney Lake, her paddle board barely rippling the surface of the water. A skeleton and the carcass of its feline friend along with a fuzzy spider accompanied her on her purple paddle board, the Aurora Borealis.

Ostrovsky was one of the nearly 50 witches — and warlocks — who traded in their brooms for kayaks and paddle boards to ride the water Saturday morning. The event — Witches & Warlocks Paddle, organized for a second year by Radical Edge in partnership with Canoe Kayak New Brunswick — was a chance to bring together a favourite water sport and a fun holiday, Halloween.

Mist rose from the surface of the water as the coven, capes trailing, paddled and kayaked for nearly an hour on a sunny and warm day. The water shimmered like broken glass.

The event was also a chance to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

“We’ve known each other for about 30 seconds,” said Kate Van Rooyen, pointing toward Karen Grotterod. Next to them was Gretta Goodine.

“I’ve known Greta for quite a while, because she and I worked together. And she was actually the one who reminded me that the event was on.”

Their kayaks were decorated with all sorts of skeletons -- a cat, a vulture, two owls and a dog -- as well as skulls in glittering, pointy hats and spider webs.

It was the first time that the three women participated in the event. They described the day as a chance to have fun.

“Just the whole concept, getting dressed up, putting your decorations on your kayak or canoe or paddle board, just having fun with it, and being a witch for a day, right? And it’s OK to be a witch for a day,” said Van Rooyen, laughing. She was dressed as a wood witch, her hat adorned with flowers.

Grotterod said her favourite memory of Halloween was going trick-or-treating with her father. “And him bringing a wine glass, so he could get a glass of wine when we got our treats.”

Kaylee Hopkins, event coordinator at Backtrails by Radical Edge, said she had seen a similar event in Halifax a few years ago and thought it was “super cool.”

Such paddling and kayaking events for Halloween are seen in several places across North America, including Rhode Island, Oregon, Massachusetts and Florida. They are even held as far away as Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

“We have such a great body of water here, why not use it?” Hopkins said, looking at Killarney Lake.

“It’s nice to see people get out and recreate and just kind of enjoy the season.”

While the morning started out chilly, the sun helped the day become warm, setting the stage for a “perfect” Halloween event, Hopkins said.

“It was quite misty,” she said. “It was so very spooky.”

All participants were dressed in black, some with capes trailing, some with glittering black, pointy hats and others in purple or green ones. A few of the witches wore bright orange and black socks, while others were in boots.

But it wasn’t just witches and warlocks who enjoyed the morning on the lake, but their four-legged companions, too.

Shirley Pegler was accompanied Kono, her seven-year-old dog -- a wire-haired pointing griffon. Kono was wearing a black cape.

She said she “loves” the quietness and freedom that come with paddling. “It’s very easy to take the board somewhere. It’s very easy to ghost along the shoreline, quietly watching the birds.” And she “loves” dressing up and the candy that Halloween brings, she added.

This event, Pegler said, brought the best of paddling and Halloween.

“I love it that people come together to celebrate, but also ... we made friends.”

As the event came to a close, Ostrovsky pulled her paddle close to the shore and knelt on it. She put a few purple crystals in her tiny black cauldron and lit it. Purple smoke whooshed and swirled. The 30 to 40 spectators who had gathered to watch the witches and warlocks paddle gasped.

“Everything about Halloween, it’s my thing,” said Ostrovsky, after she came ashore. She was dressed in a flowing black gown, with a green cape and a green, pointy hat with a veil. The veil had colourful glitter that twinkled every time it caught the sun’s rays.

Originally from Russia, she said she came to Fredericton about 12 years ago.

Since she was a little girl, she said she always lived near a body of water. Her mother was a hydrogeologist, she added. “So we’ve always been on the water. I love to be on the water.”

Ostrovsky called the event “beautiful,” saying it brought a smile to people’s faces. “It’s magical.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2025.