Witches Regatta 2026: Ten Years of Paddling Tempe Town Lake in a Pointy Hat

Saturday, October 24, 2026 · 4:00 PM · Tempe Town Lake Marina, Phoenix metro Free to join. Bring a board or rent one from us.

Back in 2017, a handful of us put on witch hats, got on paddleboards, and floated around an urban lake in the middle of the desert for no particular reason.

This year, more than 300 people will do it. They fly in for this. From across the country. To stand on a board, in a cloak, on a reclaimed lake in Tempe, Arizona, on a Saturday afternoon in October.

We have stopped trying to explain it.

What it actually is

A few hundred witches, warlocks, and one or two extremely committed dogs, paddling Tempe Town Lake together in costume. Some people race. Most people drift, take photographs, and admire each other's hats. There is no winner. There is no prize. There is a lot of black tulle getting wet.

It's the rare Halloween event that isn't for children, isn't in a parking lot, and doesn't cost anything to attend.

The details

When: Saturday, October 24, 2026. We gather at 4:00 PM. Where: Tempe Town Lake Marina, 550 E. Tempe Town Lake, Tempe, AZ 85281. Launch from the marina — the City requires all watercraft to launch from designated facilities. Cost: Free to join us. See the note on the City's lake permit below. Who: Anyone. All ages, all abilities. You do not need to be an experienced paddler, and you will not be the least prepared person there.

What to bring

A board, kayak, or canoe. Bring your own, or reserve a rental from us — we'll have it waiting at the marina. You'll still need your own $10 City boat permit for it (see below).

A costume. This is not optional in spirit, only in enforcement. Pointy hat minimum. People go extremely hard on this and you will feel underdressed in jeans.

A Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Required on board for every paddler. Anyone 12 or under must wear theirs the whole time. Our rentals come with one.

A Tempe Town Lake boat permit. This is the one thing that isn't free, and it's the City's requirement, not ours. Every watercraft on the lake needs one, including boards rented from us — $10 for a day pass, or $25 a year for Tempe residents and $50 for non-residents. Buy the $10 day pass online from the City of Tempe before you arrive so you're not sorting it out on the ramp while 300 witches launch around you.

Water, sunscreen, and shoes you don't mind soaking. It is still Arizona in October.

A few things worth knowing

Swimming in Town Lake isn't allowed, so plan to stay on your board. Paddle counter-clockwise, keep it wakeless, and give other boats a wide berth — the lake has real traffic and the rules aren't ours to bend.

If you have never stood on a paddleboard before, you can kneel or sit the entire time. Nobody will notice, and honestly, sitting is the better photograph.

Register free

Registration is free and takes a minute — pick "just notifications" when you sign up. It helps us plan, and it's the only way we can tell you if the weather moves anything.

Register for the Witches Regatta →

Questions: sarah@desertpaddleboards.com or 602.456.0884.

The rest of the year

The Regatta is the loud one. Most of what we do is the opposite.

Desert Paddleboards runs Floating Soundbaths across the Phoenix metro — you lie back on a paddleboard, dry and not paddling, while live musicians play crystal bowls, gongs, and Native American flute. Most people fall asleep. We trademarked it: the Floating Nap™.

We run them at JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Grand Hyatt Scottsdale, Westin Kierland, The Wigwam, and about thirty other places across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Sedona — plus paddleboard yoga, private events, and corporate wellness.

See the full schedule →