We don’t! We can’t! We mustn’t! A WitchFest with Lucinda is like a witch without a black cat. Alas, we knew this day would eventually come. That knowledge doesn’t make it any easier, but here we our -- our beloved Lucinda the Witch is retiring!

 

Since Joe Long first brought up the idea of a witch-themed event back in 2000, it has grown to an award-winning Halloween highlight for many. Lucinda has been in on the fun from the beginning in 2001, graciously shared her incomparable shenanigans and making us laugh for years!

 

“Hey now,” Lucinda interrupted. “No need put a date stamp on me! It hasn’t been THAT long.”

 

But… it has! Lucinda joined our witch workings on year two, and it’s no coincidence that that’s when things really started to take flight for this festival.

 

“I was tricked!,” Lucinda exclaimed. “Yes, even a witch can fall victim to a trickster from time to time. ‘Come hand out a few prizes at our event and say a few words,’ they said. ‘It will be a quick visit,’ they said. What started as handing out a few prizes has grown to be a 45-day highlight of my year! Jokes on them. Little did they know, witches are like stray cats. We know when we’ve found a good thing, and it takes a lot to get us to leave!”

 

Aren’t we glad of that fact! We can’t imagine WitchFest growing into what it is today without Lucinda leading the way. She has brought so much imagination and witch wisdom to the event!

 

“We started out at the Scarecrow Festival at Utah’s Boys Ranch,” Lucinda recalled. “It wasn’t long before it outgrew that space, and we needed more room to flex our wands. That’s when witches took over Gardner Village. One of my favorite memories from those earlier days is our Cricket Hollow Swamp Hayrides. We had a pet turken and Seven, our tarantula with only seven legs. The soccer sorcerers eventually turned our swamp into an indoor arena. Let’s hope Seven found all seven of his soccer cleats!”

 

PASSING THE BROOM

WitchFest has definitely evolved over the years, and Lucinda has been along for the ride every pointed-shoe step of the way. It’s what makes saying goodbye so difficult. However, we know we’re in the best of hands with the wonderful witches she leaves (wo)manning her post. As time went on, we went from one wacky witch to a full gathering of gals. Lucinda is completely confident passing the broomstick off to this magical group.

image credit: Camera Shy 

“I’ve worked with so many wonderful women over the years,” Lucinda said. “Current witches and those who’ve already flown on to the next chapter of their lives ahead of me have all brought something unique and brilliant to the pointed hat. Do I like sharing the spotlight? Well, no. Don’t be silly! I want all eye of newt on me at all times. Buuuut… if I must share it, there are no witches I’d rather share it with more than my talented, hilarious Gardner Village witch family. There. I said it. I love them, okay? And I know they’ll continue taking WitchFest to new heights in the years to come. You bet I’ll be cheering them on and doing fly-bys to keep them in line.”

 

ALWAYS HOME

What started as one evening out and Lucinda handing out a few prizes has turned into an annual affair for witches near and far. In fact, people from around the world even plan their travels around WitchFest at Gardner Village. Lucinda can’t help but feel amazed and humbled by this fact. Yes, Lucinda… humbled. It’s true!

 

“I knew the mere mortals who stopped by to meet us at WitchFest would leave happy,” Lucinda said. “After all, they don’t call it a Happy Mortals potion for nothing. What I didn’t anticipate in those early years was the overwhelming response we would get from our witch friends around the globe. Some come back year after year. They started attending as children and now come with their own children and grandchildren. We see big groups of ladies make this an annual friends’ affair. I’ve even talked with witches who flew their brooms in from as far away as Australia to be a part of WitchFest. Either I put a little extra snake egg in my Happy Mortals potion or we have created something truly special together over the years. Thank you to all of you who are a part of that. It wouldn’t be what it is without you. Whether you fly your broom across the street to visit or you plan an annual transcontinental trek, I’m so very grateful you make the time. The memories we’ve made stay with me and keep my cackling as I begin this next chapter!”

Who says cats should have all the fun. Lucinda has even had k9 friends come to see her over the years!

 

MAGICAL MEMORIES

After 23 years as a Gardner Village witch, Lucinda has many happy memories to reflect on.

 

“For some reason, the shops at Gardner Village think it’s okay to have Christmas trees out during WitchFest,” Lucinda said. “Can you imagine?! Or, as I like to call them, Halloween trees. One of my favorite things to do at Witches Night Out every year is gather some of our witchy shoppers around one of these gorgeous Christmas Halloween trees for some caroling. ‘We witch you a merry Witchmas’ can be heard at swamps for miles!”

 

LUCINDA’S LEGACY

Lucinda can fly, but she can’t hide. She has brought so much creativity and imagination into what WitchFest is today. Did you know one of our most popular events, Breakfast with a Witch, was her idea?

 

“Well, it’s rather obvious, isn’t it?” Lucinda asked. “I mean, a witch has got to eat! Why not take a break from the usual eel salad and enjoy some catered confections when given the chance? Plus, this gave us witches a chance to connect with some of the younger witches in training who might not be up for a Night Out. I suggested adding the autograph sheets so we’d have an excuse to visit with the wee ones (and their old tagalong mums and dads!) while they devoured their eggs and licked every last drop of bacon from their bitty digits. Sun up to sun down – that’s how we witches prefer to work. And Breakfast with a Witch allows us to do just that!”

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

As sad as we are to say goodbye, we know Lucinda isn’t about to let any swamp grass grow beneath her feet. She’s sure to take her magic to new heights in retirement. What’s next for our best ghoul?

 

“A witch’s work is never done,” Lucinda noted. “I’m not retiring in the way you humans like to do, baking on a sun lounger and sipping a fruity drink. Nope. I’ll be baking up new recipes and sipping my latest potion concoctions. I already have a bayou cruise booked, where I’ll moonlight with other witches and seek out some rare new ingredients to add to my cauldron. I have graveyard flybys to make, practical jokes to test, and witches around the world who could use a little refresher course on what it means to wear the hat. I’m sure these trips will keep me busy. You better believe retirement comes with an upgrade to the latest model of sports broom. Keep your eye on the skies. You never know when I might zip by for a WitchFest visit, dear friends!”

"Okay, perhaps I will also find time to kick my warted feet up and enjoy a little R&R," Lucinda added.

 

 

WARM WITCH WORDS

Lucinda has a few parting words for her friends Gardner Village:

“The hardest part of embarking on this retirement flight is saying goodbye to everyone who works so hard behind the scenes to make Gardner Village the special place it is,” Lucinda said with a warm smile. “I don’t know how you manage to get anything done without wands and spell books, but you do, and you do it so well. From the local shop owners to every dedicated employee, everyone puts so much heart into the work – it truly takes a village. And you’ll never meet nicer people than those who own Gardner Village – the brother/sister team of Joe Long and Angie Gerdes. ‘Nice’ isn’t always the first trait on my list of characteristics to admire in mortals, but it’s impossible to ignore with these two. They’re the salt of the marsh. As we’ve dreamt up WitchFest ideas over these many years, they’re always open to the craziest of schemes we witches can dream up. They’re respectful and kind, and they never settle as they continually look ahead to the next spellbinding idea we can dream up together. I mustn’t cry. Gotta save those tears for my Woe ‘n’ Go potion. But I do offer my deepest gratitude and warmest witch wishes to all who’ve worked so hard over the years to make Gardner Village my home away from swampy home.”

 

Thank you, lovely Lucinda. You’ve brought so much heart, delight, and passion to WitchFest over the years. And to think we all thought it would simply be a gig where you handed out a few prizes. How wrong we were! It has turned into a grand adventure that delights many in Utah and beyond. Together with the brilliant witches who still call Gardner Village their home for Halloween, we promise to do right by your witch wisdom and keep the cauldron burning brightly for many harvest moons to come. We witch you a scary Witchmas and a happy new chapter of life!

 

Not ready to say goodbye? We get it! To help ease the ache, we've put together a little fly down memory lane. Enjoy this video look back at some of our many fond Lucinda memories!

 

GET WITCHFEST WISE

Lucinda may be off to wreak havoc on retirement, but WitchFest is ON! It runs September 20 through Halloween, October 31, 2024. From Breakfast with a Witch and Witches Night out to Witchapalooza Dinner Theater and our free Witch Scavenger hunt, there’s never a dull moment at this party. Poof! You’ll find everything you need to know about these activities and MANY more happenings right here. See you soon!