On Saturday, hundreds of costumed witches and warlocks traded their broomsticks for paddles and took to the Willamette River for the fifth annual Portland Stand-Up Paddleboard Witches on the Willamette.

They amassed in South Portland's Willamette Park, securing skeletons, spiders, and other spooky stuff to the front of their stand-up paddleboards (SUP). Then, at the appointed hour of 11 am, they pushed out into the hazy, gray morning. Overcast skies set a perfect mood for the day.

Organizer Ginny Kauffman—head witch at SUP Witches on the Willamette—said she drew inspiration from a witch paddle she saw in California. The first year she organized the free event only a few dozen people participated, but it’s grown steadily in popularity each year.

The trip from the park to the Hawthorne Bridge and back added up to six miles of billowing capes and echoing cackles—spectators on Tilikum Crossing returned the wicked hoots.