Rag Shag Parade, Brooms Up, Paddles Out, return with Halloween activities

A drone shot from last year’s Brooms Up, Paddles Out fundraising effort on Nashawannuck Pond.
Photo credit: Pat Brough

EASTHAMPTON — The Rag Shag Parade returns for spooky fun on Tuesday, Oct. 27, alongside Brooms Up, Paddles Out, a coinciding Halloween event that also raises funds for the Easthampton Community Center.

According to organizers, the parade will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Maple Street School, then go down Cottage Street and end at the Easthampton High School parking lot. Witches will be on their paddle boards and kayaks on Nashawannuck Pond at the same time, setting up at 5:30 p.m., and all attendees are encouraged to come.

The yearly parade lets hundreds of costumed children and their families gather downtown and march through Easthampton streets, safely showing off their costumes and receiving candy along the way.

This will be the third year of Brooms Up, Paddles Out, an event started by Tara Roch, Juliet Mooers and Lora Fischer-Dewitt to bring another aspect to the Halloween celebrations on Cottage Street, alongside the annual Rag Shag that started 45 years ago.

Roch told Reminder Publishing she began paddleboarding around 2020 and was inspired by paddleboarders out west running witch-themed paddle fundraising efforts like this, but on random dates.

She, along with Mooers and Fischer-Dewitt, saw a great opportunity to supplement the festivities in Easthampton on Nashawannuck Pond alongside the parade.

“I decided it would be fun to hide further away from where the parade comes and when the kids walk around, we’d all turn on our lights because we’d all decorate our boards,” Roch said.

In their first run in 2024, only six participants were on the pond, a number that doubled last year. Roch said it was an instant success for fun and morale, along with the community event, and that this year they expect even more participants on the pond in costume and on lit-up paddleboards and kayaks as they raise more money for the Easthampton Community Center.

“When the parade came around, and they saw us, we were like Disney characters. It was pretty amazing,” Roch said of the first year. “We all agreed to have it go to the Community Center because they do really important work.”

Roch said those looking to participate should bring life jackets, and there is a $10 suggested donation to participate that will go directly to the Community Center. She added that people should reach out to the center if they want to make a direct donation to their work outside of this event.

“I’m really excited because I’ve been trying to do it for so long. Every year it’s gotten a little bigger. I do want to share the credit with Juliette and Lora as far as helping grow it,” Roch said.

For everyone’s safety, Cottage Street and Williston Avenue will be closed during the parade. In the event of inclement weather, the rain date will be Wednesday, Oct. 28. For more information, contact the Easthampton Parks and Recreation Department.