Celebrate All Things Fall and ‘Hocus Pocus’ at Chase Farm’s BeWitched and BeDazzled Festival
The popular festival returns for the second year in a row on Saturday, September 30.
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
On the very grounds where a recreation of Salem Village stood during the filming of Hocus Pocus 2, BeWitched and Bedazzled: A Magical Fall Festival is inviting autumn-lovers and Sanderson sister-fanatics alike to celebrate the best of spooky season for the second year in a row. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, attendees can look forward to a one-day family-friendly extravaganza filled with mesmerizing performances, interactive activities, artisans, vendors and much more at Chase Farm Park in Lincoln. (Learn about the festival first came together last year here).
“We are thrilled to bring Bewitched and Bedazzled: A Magical Fall Festival to life once again,” says Kathy Hartley, founder, president and CEO of Friends of Hearthside House, the event’s organizers. “Our aim is to create a joyous experience that continues the magic started by the filming of Hocus Pocus 2 at this site and celebrates the fall season, all while providing valuable lessons from history.”
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
As the name suggests, there will be no shortage of bewitching and dazzling performances throughout the day. Love to dance? The Dance Factory will get guests moving and grooving with their lively music and choreography on the main stage, while the Endicott Dance Academy will demonstrate and teach choreography in mini-workshops at their designated tent. Looking for more of a thrill? Circus Dynamics plans to awe the crowd with their mastery of magic and circus arts during their interactive shows. How about some fairytales and mysticism? Simply Enchanted will also grace the stage with live musical performances and provide photographed meet and greet opportunities with the ‘Sanderson Sisters,’ while Bewitched of Scituate owner Roxanne Jasparro will pull back the pointed hat on the idea of witches by presenting the practices and beliefs of modern witchcraft. Various artists from C2 Records will also provide a live medley of musical genres from country to pop to rock throughout the day.
But don’t fret history buffs, the festival has quite a few goodies in store for you, too. For one, Reverie Theater Company will be delving into and recreating the stories of the townspeople who were accused during the Salem Witch Trials. Furthermore, attendees will be able to enjoy demonstrations of crafts that would have been seen in Salem at that time, such as basketweaving, candle dipping, spinning, chocolate making and leather working, as well as tabletop games of the period, crime, law and punishment displays and an apothecary filled with natural medicines. Interpretive panels displaying the history of Halloween and the Salem Witch Trials will also be scattered throughout.
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
Meanwhile, the kid-friendly ‘Land of Enchantment’ area will feature a marionette performance by Pell Award-winner Dan Butterworth, educational tales about protecting the environment by the Mystical Mermaids and a show by children’s entertainer Greg Lato, plus games, crafts and wand-making stations. Little ones with special needs will also be accommodated with imaginative play in a separate sensory area.
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
The festival has quite a few more tricks up its sleeve, too, the most exciting of which just may be the tractor-drawn hayride through the meadows where the Rhode Island Stage Ensemble (RISE) actors will recount the captivating legend of Sleepy Hollow. Just be warned: the headless horseman himself is likewise rumored to be riding through the area day. Attendees can also look forward to gaining insight and guidance from professional psychics and mediums at the Psychic Pavilion, watching as the whimsical Bubble Fairy bestows beautiful bubbles across the grounds and admiring the butterfly stilt walker as they rise above the crowd with wings. (Note: interacting and taking photos with the various costumed characters is both welcome and encouraged!) All ages can further feel like they’re part of the revelry by indulging in face painting and henna artistry, and/or by showing up in costumes of their own in honor of the start to Halloween. In fact, the festival will host costume contests for both children and adults. And that’s not the only competition of the day: Artists are invited to enter the Plein Air Art Contest and creatively capture scenes from the day using the medium of their choice.
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
On the treat side of things, plenty of food trucks and seasonal snack vendors will be on hand to ensure no one has to resort to the Sanderson sisters’ antics of feeding on children’s souls. The “Broomstick Bazaar” marketplace will also serve as a treasure trove of early holiday shopping options with more than eighty artisans showcasing wares like hand crafted wands, brooms, candles, herbalist items, soaps, flowers, crystals, jewelry, artwork, clothing, Halloween and holiday decor, books and much more.
Courtesy of Hearthside House Museum
If the above description cast a spell on you, be sure to get your tickets now before they sell out. Tickets are $13 each and must be purchased in advance through online here. All proceeds will benefit the continued restoration and public programming at the four town-owned historic properties at the Great Road Heritage Campus. Attendees are asked to park (for free) at CCRI’s Lincoln campus — shuttle buses will run to and from the site continuously throughout the event. Learn more at greatroadheritagecampus.org.
