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LINCOLN – “Come little children I’ll take thee away, into a land of enchantment,” croons Sarah Sanderson in the original “Hocus Pocus” film.
Lincoln’s Chase Farm park will transform into the land of enchantment for a one-day Hocus Pocus-inspired fall festival on Oct. 1, where witches promise to run “amok, amok, amok!”
The festival is a nod to the Hocus Pocus sequel (premiering on Disney+ on Sept. 30), which was filmed in-part at Chase Farm last year. It’s being hosted by the town and the Friends of Hearthside, a local nonprofit working to preserve the history of Lincoln’s Great Road, with proceeds supporting their mission.
BeWitched & BeDazzled is shaping up to be one of the largest events ever hosted at the park, with a long list of planned stage entertainment and live performances, vendors, costumed characters, psychics, contests, hayrides, historical presentations, storytelling, magic and circus shows and more.
The Breeze asked Friends of Hearthside president Kathy Hartley to set the scene for BeWitched& BeDazzled, giving readers an idea of what to expect on the day of the festival.
As guests enter the park, Hartley said they can expect a number of photo opportunities with Halloween and fall-themed backdrops and props. Costumed characters will be roaming the grounds throughout the day.
They’ll pass by “psychic grove,” where people can sign up in advance for various readings. Each has their own method, Hartley said, from tarot cards to aura photography.
The main stage, to the left of “blackbird pond,” will be called the “harvest moon theater.” Most performances throughout the day will take place there. Other acts, like stilt-walkers, will be wandering the festival.
More than 75 vendors will be selling their wares in the “mystical meadows” behind the main stage.
Under a large tent in the “land of enchantment,” various family-friendly activities and shows are scheduled. The offerings include a face-painting station (Hartley noted that the company worked on the “Hocus Pocus 2” set); a wand workshop, where children and adults can create their own custom wands; puppet shows and henna artists.
Around 2:30 p.m., that tent will empty to make way for an art contest, where more than a dozen artists will be judged across four fall and Hocus Pocus-themed categories.
At the bottom of the hill, 14 food trucks will be serving up tasty treats at “goblin gorge.” There’s also an 18th century chocolate maker coming to offer demonstrations and tastings.
A lot of the entertainment is educational, Hartley said. There will be actors from a local theater group playing the women and man accused of witchcraft in Salem, engaging in conversations with people about why they were accused.
Len Cabral will be storytelling on stage, and the hayride will include a short story as well. A fashion historian will help explain how the way people dressed played into assumptions about witchcraft.
At night, ticketholders who purchased a movie pass will gather under the stars to watch the original “Hocus Pocus” film.
“I think this will be an exciting event for kids and parents alike, and I’m looking forward to seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces,” said Hartley.
It’s important to note that no tickets are being sold at the door. Ticket sales are online only until they sell out, and they’re being capped around 4,000. Every ticket holder will have a wristband.
There will be no parking at Chase Farm without a pass. Satellite parking is being made available at the Community College of Rhode Island campus, with shuttle buses taking guests directly to the festival site.
The majority of the festival will be held at the top of the hill to keep pedestrians away from vehicular traffic. There will be golf carts to help transport people if needed, but attendees are encouraged visitors to dress comfortably. Hartley warned that there will be a lot of walking on uneven ground.
Attendees are encouraged to dress in costume, but they must be appropriate. Specific guidelines for costumes will be released in the near future – no masks, fake weapons, tripping hazards, etc.
Pre-registration will be available for activities like the costume contest, hayride and psychic readings to alleviate long lines the day of the festival.
Doors open at 11 a.m., but Hartley anticipates buses to begin loading at CCRI a few hours before that.
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