Yvette Tobias of Ligonier poses for a photo at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Brenda Warr-Miller of Blairsville and Becky Anderson of Black Lick peer through their homemade broomsticks at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
A group of "witches" gathers at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
A "coven" of witches dances at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade, held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022, in Ligonier.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Yvette Tobias of Ligonier shows the details of her eye makeup at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Brooke Weyant of Somerset shows the detail in her mask at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
From the left, Deborah Clark and Julene Sabolik, both of Rector, pose for a photo at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
"Witches" arrive at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Carla Arnone’s bicycle is fully outfiited with a homemade broomstick and other fall decorations at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Deneene Krehlik of Blairsville and Lori Culley of Derry pose for a photo at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Ligonier firefighters bring a “coven” of witches in an antique truck to the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade on Sunday.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
From the left, Deborah Clark and Julene Sabolik, both of Rector, talk with an attendee at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
"Witches" from far and wide came together to raise money for local animal charities at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
Patrick Varine | Tribune-Review
Amy Wilford and Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade organizer Carla Arnone, both of Ligonier, pose for a photo at the Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade held Sunday, Oct. 23, 2022.
There were witches dancing in the woods in Ligonier on Sunday afternoon.
But there was no need to call the police. In fact, a couple of local officers were already there, taking photos with “witches” arriving at the sixth Ligonier Witches Bike Brigade. The event draws hundreds of participants dressed in all manner of witchy wardrobes, performing a heavily rehearsed dance number and cycling through the borough, all to raise money for several local animal charities.
“I enjoy that it benefits so many animals,” said Amy Wilford of Ligonier, dressed as Disney villain Maleficent. “A lot of people also just love the sisterhood of it.”
Money from the event goes toward local animal charities including Helping Hearts Healing Tails and the Donovan Veterinary Clinic.
Brooke Weyant of Somerset wore an elaborate mask with intricate lacework around her eyes and nose.
“I love that it’s a whole bunch of women, and they all get along,” Weyant said with a laugh.
And while outfits ran the gamut from the traditional all-black to fluorescent orange stripes and all colors in between, Wilford said witchy cyclists need to choose their wardrobe carefully.
“I rode a bike a couple years in a row, and I tell everyone to test out their clothes with the bike first,” she said. “I remember seeing a couple ladies who didn’t think about it ahead of time, and they had their skirts caught in their spokes pretty quickly.”
After the dance number, Westmoreland County’s largest collective coven headed off to transform downtown Ligonier into a world of witches for the afternoon.
For Lori Culley of Derry, that’s the best part.
“I love the dressing up, and the bar hopping,” she said.
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