These ladies are casting their spell on North Padre one Halloween at a time.
Pointed hats, wicked shoes and a whole lot of hocus pocus!
Forget flying on broomsticks. One group of Coastal Bend women is putting their feet to work, casting a spell on the streets of North Padre Island with a Halloween tradition that’s nothing short of spellbinding.
Meet the Salty Witches, a group of Halloween-loving women who trade their everyday routines for witch hats, broomsticks and choreographed dance moves each October.
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And four years later, their magic still hasn’t worn off!
How the magic began
It all started when founder Teresa Thompson spotted a witch-themed dance online and decided to brew up a little Halloween magic of her own.
With help from fellow witch Susan Carson, the group began practicing its moves, eventually turning a shared love of Halloween into a neighborhood tradition.
“We go full gear, full witch mode once it starts,” Thompson said. “I tell everybody, you know, OK, witches, let’s fly, and we’re done. We’re gone.”
The group has continued attracting new witches over the years, with Thompson saying about 25 women participated last Halloween.
Zumba by day, witchy choreographer by night!
Of course, every good coven needs someone to keep its witches in step.
When she’s not wearing her witch hat, Carson teaches Zumba classes. But come Halloween season, she puts those skills to work helping choreograph the Salty Witches’ routines.
“I get to dress up. I get to lead a group of beautiful ladies, and we just have a lot of fun,” Carson said.
And don’t let the coordinated moves fool you. Carson says the dances are easy to learn, with plenty of repetition and catchy music that makes it hard not to join in.
Sweeping the streets of North Padre Island
When Halloween night arrives, these witches are ready to sweep the streets!
Broomsticks in hand, the Salty Witches take their routines into the neighborhood, turning the streets into one big monster mash.
And apparently, their magic is contagious!
Thompson says neighbors stop to watch, take pictures and sometimes even jump into the dancing themselves.
“Some of them dance with us because they’ve seen the dance and know it, so they run along and dance with us,” Thompson said.
For the women, it’s about much more than costumes and choreography. It’s about celebrating the community they call home.
“We’re a tight community,” Thompson said. “Everybody in the community shows up. All the houses are decorated, so we can’t wait to see the houses as much as they can’t wait to see us.”
A tradition with no signs of slowing down
Four years later, the spell still hasn’t worn off.
What started as a shared love of Halloween has grown into a tradition filled with friendship, laughter and plenty of witchy moves.
And as long as the music keeps playing, these Salty Witches plan to keep dancing.
Because on North Padre Island, the real Halloween magic isn’t found in a spellbook.
It’s found in the community that keeps showing up.