Montour Falls Hosts First Ever 'Witches Ball'

MONTOUR FALLS, NY (WENY) -- Downtown Montour falls turned into a spooky scene Friday evening, for the village's first-ever Witches Ball. 

Main Street hosted what looked like a coven, or gathering of witches. People of all ages got into the spooky spirit, donning elaborate witch costumes to celebrate the Halloween season.

Friday's event marks the first of what the event organizer, Taste of Montour, hopes will become an annual occurrence. The organization also hosts its monthly First Fridays on Main throughout the year. 

"We shut down the street and the vendors come together, [and] because of the spirit of the season, we decided to do Witches Ball in October, and you'll see lots of witches walking around, different vendors that have more of a spiritual essence," explained Antoinette D'Angelo-Corbett, one of the event organizers with Taste of Montour.

The event drew in witchy enthusiasts from well beyond Schuyler County. One group of friends say they traveled from Binghamton after first learning about the event on Facebook. The trio says they enjoy doing Halloween and with-themed events together, including a trip to Salem, Massachusetts -- known for its storied history with the witchcraft trials. 

"We just love this time of year. Like she said we've been to Salem, we've been friends for 30 years, this is one of our favorite things to do," explained Sally, who came to the event with her friends Roxann and Christine.

The family-friendly event featured plenty of arts and craft vendors, food trucks, and music, including a performance by the Dancing Witches of the Southern Tier.