Witches ride to throw candy in set zones

Witches will ride bikes through Homewood on Halloween eve for the third year in a row. The Homewood Witches Ride will take place Oct. 30. 

Kids are invited to come out along the route to catch candy. It will be tossed in two zones this year to make the ride safer and make cleanup easier. 

Registration starts at 4:30 p.m., the line up at 5:30 p.m. and the ride at 5:45 p.m. The witches will depart from and return to Homewood Central Park. 

Just as the Homewood Witches Ride’s founder would have liked, the procession has one primary aim — fun. Janie Ford Mayer has organized the ride in memory of her mom, Paula Stringfellow Ford, who planned an annual Witches of South Walton event in Florida until she passed away from lung cancer in early 2013. The event now raises money for the American Cancer Society. 

“[Mom] lived to dress up and do anything fun like that,” Mayer said. “She would always want us to do something fun and keep her happy spirit going.”

The event’s $20 registration fee benefits the American Cancer Society. For more information, visit facebook.com/homewoodwitchesride.