Witches descended on Kimmswick last weekend for a day of fun and revelry.
The 12th annual Witches Night Out was sold out, with 4,500 turning out for the event, which is sponsored by the Kimmswick Merchants Association, organizer Valerie Ahlemeyer said.
“It went great,” said Ahlemeyer, a member of the merchant association and owner of the Little Picket Fence gift shop in Kimmswick. “There was nothing but positive comments. People were saying it was the best one yet.”
The event was open to women 21 years and older.
Ahlemeyer said 4,300 online tickets sold out in a record two hours, and another 200 were sold at the Kimmswick Visitor Center.
On Monday, she was still calculating how much money was raised during the event, she said.
Ahlemeyer said the money raised from the event will be donated to Windsor High School’s Operation Graduation, St. Pius X High School’s student organizations, the town of Kimmswick and the Kimmswick Visitors Center.
“I have been working so closely with different school groups, and I think that is a great way to give back to our community,” Ahlemeyer said. “These kids help us. It is a win-win, and our schools need help.”
Witches Night Out included a costume contest, with prizes awarded in a number of categories.
The winner of the best witch costume got $200, and winners of the best broom and best hat contests collected $100. Each of the first-place winners also received a sash.
The second-place winners in those categories received gift baskets donated by merchants association members.
The winners of the best group costume contest received T-shirts, and the second-place group members received tumblers.
Teresa Rose captured first place for the best witch costume, and Erica Stratmann took second place.
In the best broom contest, Wendy Sadler won first place, and Pamela Zarzeck took second.
The best hat award went to Ashley Chaffin, who also took that prize last year, and Megan York won second place in that category.
A group that went by the name Voo Doo Witches won the group contest, and a group called the Dark Zodiac Witches took second place.
“It is amazing the amount of time the women put into their costumes,” Ahlemeyer said. “One woman said she worked on her costume for a year.”
Many of the town’s businesses and restaurants stayed open late for the event, and plenty of entertainment was included throughout the evening.
Members of Jazzercise St. Louis South County held three dance parties, finishing with a dance off to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” The Jefferson County Wildlife Command Center brought owls, snakes and tarantulas for women to take their photos with, and there were psychics set up at tables throughout the town.
Eight food trucks and a couple of food booths also were open at the event.
Musical acts Crossfire, the Fourth Street Band, the Heather Dawn Band and Vince Martin performed, and participants could sing karaoke throughout the event.
“Women have made comments about how cool this event is because there is so much camaraderie,” Ahlemeyer said. “It is really cool. I tell everyone that this is our 12th year, and we are often imitated but never duplicated. We must be doing something right. My goal is to have a smooth-running operation, and overall, I think we do a great job.”