Annual Witches Paddle Out Brings Magic to Morro Bay
Story by Aja Goare
Sheaths of black fabric hover above the water, pointed hats pierce the foggy air: Something spooky is afloat on Morro Bay. It started as a small Halloween-season birthday celebration among friends: a paddle out dressed as witches. The spectacle inspired curiosity and intrigue among bystanders and — with a bit of magic, perhaps — it led to a major annual event that draws thousands to the socked-in sea town.
“I personally love seeing the excitement with all the witches and warlocks,” says Annette Ausseresses, one of the founding witches who now organizes the paddle out. “Sometimes we pine for the days of old when it was just us, but it’s a fabulous sight. Being inclusive is a fun thing to do. The enthusiasm and smiles make it worth it.”
Annette and her girlfriends started the paddle out in 2013 to celebrate the Halloween-time birthdays of a few women in the group. Many of them had become friends through outrigger racing. The outdoor recreation enthusiasts would start the day with a hike, then hit the water. “A woman from Portland happened to see us on the bay in our costumes and thought it was really cool,” Annette recalls. “She went home and launched a witches paddle out in Portland and recognized San Luis Obispo for being the first.”
That recognition enchanted the news media and led to locals asking Annette if they could participate in the following year’s event. When she posted about it on Facebook, interest took off.
“It used to just be the 12 of us. Now, we average about 500–600 paddlers with at least a thousand spectators on shore,” says Annette. “People come here from Los Angeles and San Francisco and show up early for a good spot.” Similar events have since cropped up around the world in such places as Mexico, Canada and Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Once considered the “off season” for tourism, the October event has brought a swell of visitors to Morro Bay. And after a day on the water, a witch needs to eat — no, not toads or spiders. If they’re not having a waterfront potluck with champagne, Annette and her friends will frequent Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant after the paddle.
“Sometimes you get the wispy fog and it’s really amazing, surreal when the event goes on,” says restaurant Owner Mark Tognazzini, who runs the business with his son. “You can see the witches from patio. The energy is exciting.”
Mark has operated the bayside restaurant for 21 years, bringing to the table fresh-caught fish from his own line. “We had started marketing catch directly off the boat in the mid-’90s, a kind of fish-to-table concept, before it was popular,” says Mark. “When you come in to eat, we can tell you not only when and where the fish was caught, but who caught the product.”
A longtime staple of the Embarcadero, Mark says he appreciates events that bring customers in to dine at his restaurant.
“We really encourage events like this — homegrown fun, grassroots. We love it,” he says. “It gives a chance for not only visitors but locals to come down and enjoy the waterfront. This event has exploded because people were having fun. It’s not driven by alcohol like a lot of events. It’s great any time you can have people dress up.”
And dress up, they do. Costumed attendees of all ages stand on paddleboards, sit in canoes and kayaks or lie back in boats. They start at Coleman Park and paddle to the yacht club, a laid-back journey that takes between one and two hours. “Wind and tide affect the duration,” says Annette. It’s in that vein that she suggests participants be mindful of safety and skill level. “If you’re not experienced and can’t swim, think twice about participating,” she warns, adding that a life jacket is always a good idea.
And she notes that the literal paddle isn’t the only way for visitors to enjoy a little hocus pocus. The atmosphere among the community of people on the sidelines is, unto itself, an energized experience. Visiting one of Morro Bay’s many restaurants for some soup from their cauldron or a cold brew is half the fun.
“One of coolest things we do is let customers pick a fish out of the case and we prepare it, like a butcher shop would with meat,” says Mark. “We also do a deep-fried whole fish, which is a different style than anyone else, likely in the whole county. We’ve got fish tacos, clam chowder, smoked chicken and ribs, squid and chips for something more casual.”
Though the casual nature of the friends’ paddle out has become a bit more organized over the years, Annette says the spirit of the event remains: “It’s out of our hands now, but it’s still just a fun time with friends doing what we love to do.”
