Witch and warlock paddle takes over Tennessee River

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Witches and warlocks floated down the Tennessee River Saturday for the second annual ‘Witch and Warlock Paddle’ by River City Company.

People of all ages gathered downtown to embark on their spooky journey across the river.

The annual paddle started off at Rivermont Park and finished under the Market Street Bridge.

River City Company partnered with Outshine Adventures to celebrate the spooky season.

This event is just one way people of all ages and skill sets can enjoy the Tennessee River firsthand.

“Events like this are really easy. We made it free if you had your own craft, or you could rent one. It was just great to partner up. We had Outshine Adventure and her team here. So if someone had never paddled before, they were here with their guides and they could be supported,” Vice President of Marketing/Communication with River City Company Dawn Hjelseth said.

The company saw other communities partaking in witch paddles across the U.S. and decided to bring this activity to the scenic city.

“There are a ton of cities across America that have rivers like ours, hundreds of people come out and dress up, and just have a good time. So we started last year, and it’s grown exponentially this year, so we’re excited that more people are getting involved and we feel like it’s just going to continue to grow from there,” Hjelseth said.

River City company wanted to create an experience for all skillets, to offer inclusivity to people of all ages.

Recent Chattanooga resident, Jackie Kot, checked off a bucket list item of completing a witches paddle.

“It was wonderful to see all the people, the costumes. We got dogs out here, we’ve got children out here. Super big family event, or the moms can come out and get their time off. So we had a great paddle. The river was beautiful, the water’s warm. Just an incredible experience out here in Chattanooga,” Kot said.

She said it was memorable getting to paddle alongside people of all ages for this interactive fall event.

“It is about community and it’s about everyone coming together. You’re skill set should not stop you from doing any of these sort of events and enjoying all the people. We all meet each other, you meet new people from different areas, and you get to maybe know new things. I was able to share that Chattanooga has Wednesday night social paddles. Someone new to the area had no idea and was looking for other opportunities to paddle. So I got to share that with them. Hopefully we can keep growing the community and get out here and have a little fun,” Kot said.

Kot said she is originally from the Midwest and moved to Chattanooga a couple of years ago from Chicago. She was excited to get involved with other members of the community and take part in this annual event for the first time.

“People that have just moved here recently, people who are natives to the area, we’ve had everything from kayaks to paddle boards to small canoes. It’s just great to see everyone come together for just a great, fun event. You get to dress up and kind of not be yourself for a few hours, and go out and enjoy the river. But to see the river too and to see Chattanooga from the river is a totally different experience than seeing it from shore,” Kot added.

The hope is for this event to become a new Chattanooga tradition.

“We’re hoping to grow this event to be one of those iconic things that happens in the country,” Hjelseth said.