FAIR HAVEN -- Despite the rainy weather, 25 women and children dressed as witches gathered under the Village Park Bandstand in Fair Haven for the Fantasy Fashion Witches Parade Saturday afternoon.
The parade, which has been going on for the past six years, is organized by Bonnie Bridson as a way to raise money and canned goods for the local food pantry and the West Barrier Bar Park. Bridson owns Fly By Night Cookie Company in Fair Haven.
"It's a good time," she said of the annual parade. "It's quite a celebration and people in this area love to dress up."
Last year, the event raised $300 dollars as well as many canned good donations, Bridson said.
Marnie Meddaugh and her daughter Kaia, 6, have been coming to the parade for four years, she said.
"We have such a good time," Meddaugh, of Red Creek, said. "It's all in good fun and it's near Halloween."
Kathy Clemens, a member of the Red Creek Red Hat Society, said she enjoys coming to the parade because of the bigger picture and the good cause behind the event. This is the second year she has attended the parade.
"Helping one hand helps another. What goes around comes around," Clemens, of Sterling, said.
After the parade, the "witches" and their families went to Pleasant Beach Hotel for a reception with cookies and punch. Nearly 60 people were at the reception.
Owner of the hotel Bonnie Scoville said that this party is a good way to get to know her neighbors in Fair Haven and it's also nice to have a day of silliness.
"It's fun Š and today especially we all need a silly day," she said.
Merrilee Witherell and her daughter Emilia Bennett, 5, have been coming to the parade every year, she said.
"We come to donate some money to the food pantry," Witherell, of Victory, said. "It's a real positive, fun thing that gets people into Fair Haven businesses at a slow time."
Usually, people come from as far as Rochester, Syracuse and Oswego, said Judy Loftus, owner of Curious Moon Art Gallery and Cafe.
"We collect money and food for the church. It's a community thing," Loftus said.
Carrie Skinner, who drove from Wolcott for the parade, said that this event is a good way to help people.
"A lot of people are hurting and a lot of people need food. It's a very worthy cause right now," she said.
This year, the group invited owner of the Renaissance Festival, Doug Waterbury, to drive his Cadillac Hearse at the front of the parade.
"This is a nice way to interact with local folks in the community," he said.
Waterbury has a new, haunted event called "Screamer's Hollow" on the Renaissance Festival grounds. He believes that this type of event is important because it brings the community together.
"Anything you can do to get families and the community together socially is a good thing," Waterbury said.
Pastor James Lagoe from Emanuel Baptist Bible Church in Martville and 10 members from the church stood in the rain handing out fliers to members of the parade. Neither party exchanged angry or negative words.
"We saw it as an opportunity to come over and to give them tracks and to talk about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ," Lagoe said. "Some people here, they're just having fun but some of them actually believe there's some power with that and we're here to say that the only power is the power of the love of God that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Lagoe said that his would come to any gathering so that they can hand out literature but immediately after, he acknowledged that it had something to do with the witch parade.
"Yes its because of the witches parade and if they believe, we want them to know that there's a God in heaven, a savior king, and if they're worshipping something other than him, salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ."
The church does not have a problem with people trying to do good deeds, Lagoe said, and this is the first time his church has come to the parade.
But Meddaugh said it upsets her when people think that the parade is anything but a good time and a good cause within the community.
"We had a lot of flack for it last year," she said. "We're doing it for a food pantry. To have people saying bad things was upsetting because we donated to churches."
"It's a good time," she said of the annual parade. "It's quite a celebration and people in this area love to dress up."
Last year, the event raised $300 dollars as well as many canned good donations, Bridson said.
Marnie Meddaugh and her daughter Kaia, 6, have been coming to the parade for four years, she said.
"We have such a good time," Meddaugh, of Red Creek, said. "It's all in good fun and it's near Halloween."
Kathy Clemens, a member of the Red Creek Red Hat Society, said she enjoys coming to the parade because of the bigger picture and the good cause behind the event. This is the second year she has attended the parade.
"Helping one hand helps another. What goes around comes around," Clemens, of Sterling, said.
After the parade, the "witches" and their families went to Pleasant Beach Hotel for a reception with cookies and punch. Nearly 60 people were at the reception.
Owner of the hotel Bonnie Scoville said that this party is a good way to get to know her neighbors in Fair Haven and it's also nice to have a day of silliness.
"It's fun Š and today especially we all need a silly day," she said.
Merrilee Witherell and her daughter Emilia Bennett, 5, have been coming to the parade every year, she said.
"We come to donate some money to the food pantry," Witherell, of Victory, said. "It's a real positive, fun thing that gets people into Fair Haven businesses at a slow time."
Usually, people come from as far as Rochester, Syracuse and Oswego, said Judy Loftus, owner of Curious Moon Art Gallery and Cafe.
"We collect money and food for the church. It's a community thing," Loftus said.
Carrie Skinner, who drove from Wolcott for the parade, said that this event is a good way to help people.
"A lot of people are hurting and a lot of people need food. It's a very worthy cause right now," she said.
This year, the group invited owner of the Renaissance Festival, Doug Waterbury, to drive his Cadillac Hearse at the front of the parade.
"This is a nice way to interact with local folks in the community," he said.
Waterbury has a new, haunted event called "Screamer's Hollow" on the Renaissance Festival grounds. He believes that this type of event is important because it brings the community together.
"Anything you can do to get families and the community together socially is a good thing," Waterbury said.
Pastor James Lagoe from Emanuel Baptist Bible Church in Martville and 10 members from the church stood in the rain handing out fliers to members of the parade. Neither party exchanged angry or negative words.
"We saw it as an opportunity to come over and to give them tracks and to talk about the love of the Lord Jesus Christ," Lagoe said. "Some people here, they're just having fun but some of them actually believe there's some power with that and we're here to say that the only power is the power of the love of God that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Lagoe said that his would come to any gathering so that they can hand out literature but immediately after, he acknowledged that it had something to do with the witch parade.
"Yes its because of the witches parade and if they believe, we want them to know that there's a God in heaven, a savior king, and if they're worshipping something other than him, salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ."
The church does not have a problem with people trying to do good deeds, Lagoe said, and this is the first time his church has come to the parade.
But Meddaugh said it upsets her when people think that the parade is anything but a good time and a good cause within the community.
"We had a lot of flack for it last year," she said. "We're doing it for a food pantry. To have people saying bad things was upsetting because we donated to churches."
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