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Gardner Village Blog Witches Night Out a Tradition for Many
Wednesday Oct 19 2022

Witches Night Out (WNO) is so much more than an evening of shopping, dancing, laughing, and, of course, dressing up! It’s a memorable concoction made of sentiment and tradition and togetherness. No wonder people come from near and far to be here year after year.

best fall festivals in Utah

OUR GUESTS = MAGIC!

Yes, WNO is known for the fun in our locally owned shops, music with DJs Russ and Morgan Powell, our Gardner Village witches, the delicious food, and the overall atmosphere, but there's one more KEY thing that makes this unique experience it is ... YOU! Our guests are the final and key ingredient that makes this magical potion a winning combination! Let's get to know a few of them. 

What a Welcome! 

Meet Doreen. She just moved to Utah from Phoenix and heard about WNO. An excuse to dress up and try something new? She was in. We like her moxie!

WitchFest 2022 

“I left the husband at home and came on my own. Any excuse to pull out my cloak is good for me. It’s fun having something to dress up for like this. I’m so happy I came out.”

EXTENDING AN INVITE

Something that brings us great joy is when guests introduce their love of WNO with new friends. The Sanderson Sister on the left in this photo (actually named Eva) was experiencing it all for the first time this year, thanks to her two partners in crime who asked her to come along.

Sanderson Sisters 

“I loved it all so much. I couldn’t believe people were actually stopping us to have their picture taken with us. It’s a night I won’t soon forget.”

photo ops 

It was fun seeing these three getting the celeb treatment. People were even stopping them and asking to have their pics taken with them. Talk about a memorable first impression! 

TOP WITCHY RECRUITER

Christy deserves the top recruiter award. She brings huge groups to WNO each year, including her daughters and their friends and families.

family traditions 

“I’ve come to this event for 10 of the past 15 years. I always bring my daughters and their friends. This year, we have 20 in our group. I dressed all 20. I love it. We have so much fun together.”

One of Christy’s daughters, Marlee, had something to add:

“My mom has so many costumes and hats. It’s crazy! She easily had enough to get us all ready for the night.”

 

Captivating Creativity

Dressing up is absolutely a big part of what makes WNO fun. Just ask Serena, who has been attending for six years now and was looking fab in her new blue ‘do.

witch wigs 

“Being with my friends and enjoying the music makes everything about this night such fun, but I also come for the creativity. Everybody is so creative and they share it in their own witchy way. And we all know the witchy way is the best way!”

 

The witchy way IS the best way. Well said, Serena! 

witch costume ideas

Worth 1,000 Words 

Libby, Jenny, and Becca are another mother/daughter group who has been coming to WNO for years. In fact, Jenny’s young witches were just young kids when they started the tradition. Because it’s important event of their year, they’ve done something extra special to document their time together.  

Witches Night Out 

“I usually make our outfits,” Jenny shared. “I had our hats made just for this event. We love getting dressed up. So much so that we actually had a professional photo taken in our witch wear. I put it in an ornate frame and now get it out every Halloween season. It’s become quite the conversation piece. We just love Gardner Village so much and are happy to tell others all about it when they ask about the photo!”

Hazen Studio  

image credit: Hazen Studios

Isn’t this a cool idea?! Camera Shy makes doing this easy. They even has a photo booth vintage VW bus set up outside for those who want to have a professionally printed picture to take home as a souvenir. Or you can call and book an in-studio appointment.

photo booth bus 

Camera Shy 

A POTION FOR SUCCESS

Being small, locally owned businesses, WNO is huge and is fun to put on each year, but it extends beyond that to our vendors and third-party partners.  

Business is Blowing Up

This is Debbie’s 5th year as a vendor at WNO, but she’s been making balloon shapes for 22 years, so it’s an honor having her here, sharing her talents with Artsee Entertainment, the talented face painters.

debbie balloon artist 

“I meet so many people here, and I actually get recognized out in the community afterward. A lot! People will see me and say, ‘hey, I met you at Gardner Village!’ I’ve never had so many recognize me from one specific event like that. It’s been great for my business and lead to more bookings at birthday parties and other events.”

fun for kids

It’s partners like Debbie and the face painters and the food trucks who add the extra sprinkles on top of an already exciting experience. We’re so happy to have have them here, adding extra fun and experiences. 

HARD WORKING WITCHES BEHIND THE CURTAIN

It definitely takes a village to make WNO happen. Employees and shop owners, past and present, do so much and work so hard to pull this event off each year. A special and heartfelt thanks goes out to all involved!

Returning to Her Witchy Roots

Holly is a former employee who worked at The Village years ago. She was just a teen at the time, and she now brings a child of her own to experience it all.

best places to work in Utah 

“I remember working on Witches Night Out. It was CRAZY and so much fun. We all thought we were going to pass out by the end of the night, but we were also excited to get up and do it again the next day. Tonight, I’m here with my three-year-old, Jade. It’s fun introducing this to her and sharing some of my past with her in this way.”

A Witch With Experience  

Autumn (cute witch on the left in the pic below) has been working at Gardner Village as the manager of our event venues for many years, so she’s no newbie when it comes to WNO. With all she’s seen over the years, she still manages to find new things to be excited about and surprised by each year.

Gardner Village Events 

“This season is on another level. I don’t know if it’s because we’re all finally more comfortable being out and together again or if it’s the warmer weather or if there’s just extra magic in the air, but we are definitely seeing an outstanding turnout and the happiest group of witches ever!”

 

New in the Witch Ranks

From someone who’s been here a long time to a new employee, it’s fun to see the different perspectives and impressions. Callie has been with Down to Earth for two months now and can’t get over the enthusiasm of our guests and how far they’re willing to travel.

Down to Earth 

“I’ve been amazed at how many have come in. I just love seeing them and hearing their stories. So many have traveled very long distances, even from out of state, just to come to this event. The community it creates is something special!”

 

TIME TO FOR YOU TO FLY

Don’t miss the chance to make your own memories and traditions. You have one more chance to enjoy WNO this year. We’ll see you and your cackling crew Oct. 28 or 29, 2022 from 6-10 p.m.

 




Labels: witches night out, witchfest, things to do in utah, traditions, girls night out, fall activities in utah, best of state winner, where to go for halloween fun in the salt lake area