Alpha Witch Andie DeVoe discusses the origins and enduring impact of Delray’s Witches Ride
THEN: Ever since she was a little girl growing up in a small Missouri town, Andie DeVoe has always claimed Halloween as her favorite holiday. “I love the costumes, the parties and the energy around it,” she says. “I always felt it was my time of year.”
Now a Delray massage therapist with a medical-related specialty, DeVoe’s well-known love of Halloween continued, and in 2011, while attending a yoga class, she was invited to be one of 10 women who would dress up as witches to ride past Delray Beach elementary schools on their bikes during Halloween week, in what would be the initial ride of the Witches of Delray.
The witches ride brings 300 women together in a creative and magical spirit. It’s a chance not only to have fun but to give back to our community with an event that could only happen in a town like Delray BEach.
— Andie DeVoe
NOW: Since that first gathering a decade ago, the Witches Ride has become one of the most talked-about events in Delray Beach, bringing together approximately 300 women who decorate their bikes, create elaborate costumes and compete in categories including “best cackle” and “best team.”
After taking over as Alpha Witch in 2013, DeVoe arranged for the ride to end at the Delray Beach GreenMarket, which helped raise awareness of the event. She has since overseen the growth of the Witches of Delray, which now hosts an annual Witches Brew party at Tim Finnegans Irish Pub that comes complete with a silent auction, drawings and other fun activities.
In 2019, the last year before the pandemic canceled the ride, the event raised $16,000 for the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. Another $9,000 was generated last year, even though there wasn’t a ride.
This story is from the September/October 2021 issue of Delray magazine. For more content like this, pick up a copy on your local newsstand or subscribe to Boca magazine.
