Samantha Siebe and Deanna Wenner with Ridge & Remedy Apothecary in High Ridge are organizing a “Witches Night in the Ridge” event, complete with a trunk-or-treat, costume contests and vendor booths.
Siebe said she hopes the event becomes a mainstay in High Ridge.
Witches Night in the Ridge will be from 4-8:30 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the apothecary, 1596 Gravois Road.
Siebe said proceeds from a 50/50 raffle drawing and silent auction will benefit BackStoppers of Jefferson County, a nonprofit organization that means a lot to both Siebe and Wenner. The nonprofit supports families of first responders living in Missouri and Illinois who are severely injured or die in the line of duty.
“Deanna and I both have either firefighters or first responders of some kind who are near and dear to our hearts,” Siebe said. “We really appreciate them; we admire them and their hard work that they provide to the public. BackStoppers is such a fantastic organization that supports the families of first responders who have either been critically injured or killed in action.”
Since the event was announced on social media earlier this year, Siebe said the community support has been fantastic. She said all the vendor booth slots are filled, and there’s a waiting list in case any additional spots become available.
“We were very surprised (by the community reaction),” she said. “Our event kind of exploded on social media, with hundreds to a couple thousand likes, shares, comments and views. It grew far faster than we thought.”
Wenner and Siebe both like all things “witchy” and wanted to organize an event in High Ridge that both highlighted small businesses and celebrated Halloween.
A sensory-friendly trunk-or-treat will be held at the start of the event, from 4-5 p.m. Siebe said the vendors will be instructed to turn down their music during this time.
“We’re going to ask our vendors to keep the noise level down as much as possible during that hour, just trying to allow the kiddos who have sensory needs to participate as well,” she said. “A lot of the booths are participating in that.”
The market begins at about 5 p.m., with up to 30 vendors expected to sell handcrafted items. Siebe said it was important to highlight small businesses in the area at the event. Additionally, local fire trucks, police cars and possibly a Humvee will be on display.
Later in the evening, people may compete in two costume contests, one for children and the other for adults.
A special lantern lighting ceremony is planned at or around dusk, Siebe said.
“The lantern lighting ceremony is a secret,” she said. “We’re going to do it when the lights are a little bit low and bring a little bit of magic to the area.”
Wenner said products from Ridge & Remedy Apothecary will be sold at the event. The shop offers massage sessions along with wellness and care products such as soaps, lotions and balms.
At Witches Night in the Ridge, the pair will sell custom products made specifically for the night, including a witch’s cauldron candle and body sprays that look like potions when shaken.
There will also be a special BackStoppers candle, Wenner said, with a portion of the sales from the candle benefiting the nonprofit.
For information, call Ridge & Remedy at 636-275-5237 or visit the First Annual Witches Night in the Ridge Facebook event page.