Witch Bike Brigade takes over Ligonier with dance party

The witches traveled by bike, bus and broom to take over the streets of Ligonier Sunday.

About 1,200 women, most of them in witch attire, turned out for the 4th annual Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade.

The event is a cross between a women-only pub crawl, costume party and bike fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting Donovan Veterinary Clinic in Ligonier and two animal rescue groups.

“It’s like the best day for women. We get to dress up, we get to have fun,” said Annie Cassler Stewart, of Pittsburgh, who came to take part for her third year.

Cassler is a seamstress. She made her own witch’s hat and jacket.

The other witches took similar care. Some wore full face paint, others elaborate costumes.

“My makeup was a two-hour job this morning,” said Marsha Wipkey, of Fairfield, whose face was appropriately green.

The work was worth it, Wipkey said.

“It’s a lot of fun to rewind from the every day work life and be someone you’re not,” she said.

When the bike brigade started in 2016, and has grown by hundreds of participants every year, said Amy Kerr, of Derry, one of the organizers.

“It is a bunch of really good witches that get together to raise some money for homeless pets,” Kerr said.

Marsha Ewanits, of Latrobe, said she heard about the event from her sister, Tara Ewanits, who participated last year.

“I love animals, and I wanted to help, and I saw the videos and it looked like a lot of fun,” she said.

The witches visit bars and shops around Ligonier, many of which are decked out for the occasion. Some travel by bikes, others take shuttles.

Before that, however, it was time to dance. About 100 witches gathered in Ligonier’s Mellon Park Sunday morning, surrounded by a large group of spectators. They performed choreographed dance routines to “Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and other spooky classics.

The women spent hours practicing together said Kerr, who choreographed the dances.

The bike brigade rides only once a year, but it takes months of preparation, she said. She’s grown close to many of her fellow participants, she said.

“I love the coven,” she said. “The coven is a great group of women.”