SCW Witches Ride 2026
A SPOOKTACULAR FUNDRAISER FOR YOUR COMMUNITY – SUN CITY WEST FOUNDATION & BENEVILLA
Saddle up your broom — and your golf cart, bicycle — for the annual SCW Witches Ride For Charity! This much-loved community parade winds through Sun City West and raises real dollars for neighbors who count on programs like Helping Hands and Benevilla programs. Whether you're rolling in the parade or cheering from the curb, you're a part of something that makes a difference.
.png){kind=spacer}
🎊 Event Highlights
Everything You Need to Know About the Parade
Here's everything you need to take part, cheer on the parade, and join the celebration. The route loops through Sun City West and ends back at Beardsley Park, where the fun continues with food, music, prizes and friends.
Event Details
Date: Friday, October 30, 2026 • Time: Parade begins at 3:30 PM • Line-up: 2:30 – 3:15 PM
Start & End Location: Beardsley Park — 12755 W Beardsley Rd, Sun City West, AZ 85375
Admission: Free to attend • A FREE WILL DONATION will be accepted when reserving your spot. Your support helps strengthen programs that make a difference for Sun City West residents every day.
Benefiting: SCW Foundation / Helping Hands and Benevilla
When
- Date: Friday, October 30, 2026
- Line-up: 2:30 – 3:15 PM at Beardsley Park East Parking Lot
- Parade begins: 3:30 PM
- Celebration: 4:45 PM at Beardsley Park
Where
- Start & end: Beardsley Park (12755 W Beardsley Rd, Sun City West)
- Celebration: Beardsley Park, immediately after the parade
What to Expect
- Decorated golf carts and bicycles parading through the neighborhood
- Live band, door prizes and food trucks at the celebration
- The Annual Witches Dance Performance
- Family-friendly fun for all ages
- Neighbors, friends, and a whole lot of witches
What to Bring
- A decorated golf cart or bicycle
- A signed waiver (attach to your cart or bicycle)
- A creative witch or witchy costume
- A sense of fun and community spirit
- Please leave glass bottles and containers at home
- Please don't stop along the parade route — if friends or family want to share refreshments, ask them to meet you at the celebration. A limited number of chairs will be provided at Beardsley Park, so consider bringing your own lawn chair.
- Be sure to bring some extra dollars for additional tickets and special events available at the after-party
How to Participate
- Sign up to join the parade.
- Check in at Beardsley Park East Parking Lot between 2:30 and 3:15 PM.
- Make sure your cart is fully charged or gassed up, decorated, and ready to roll.
- Bring your signed waiver.
- Follow the route, wave at your neighbors, and head back to Beardsley Park for the celebration.
Why it Matters
- Every dollar raised supports SCW Foundation and Helping Hands, plus our partners at Benevilla. That means free medical equipment loans for neighbors recovering from surgery, transportation guidance for residents who need a ride, and community programs that keep Sun City West connected. When you ride, donate, or cheer from the sidewalk, you're helping neighbors right here at home.
Year-Round Fun
Join the SCW Witches Ride Club
Looking for a fun way to stay active, meet great people, and be part of something exciting all year? Join the SCW Witches Ride Club and experience the friendships behind the parade. Club members are invited to regular luncheons and seasonal events like rock painting, hat decorating, and more.
How to join: Email scwwitchesrideaz@gmail.com with your name, email address, phone number, and recreation card number (if you have one). Annual dues are $10. We'll send you an electronic invoice once we receive your request.
A Decade in the Making
The Story Behind the Ride
What started thirty years ago as one woman's whimsical idea in Seaside, Florida has become one of Sun City West's most beloved community traditions. The first local ride rolled down R.H. Johnson Boulevard in 2016 with eight bicycling witches in pointed hats. Ten years later, hundreds of costumed neighbors and decorated golf carts take to the streets each October — and along the way they've raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity. Here's how it all unfolded.
30 years ago
in Seaside, Florida, a woman by the name of Amanda Bacon, in the name of philanthropy and whimsy put together the first witches bicycle ride.
2016
- Pam Chumbly formed the first Witches Bicycle Ride here in Sun City West, Arizona. There were 8 bicycling witches pedaling down R.H. Johnson Boulevard wearing their witch hats.
- 2017
- Once again, Pam Chumbly formed another Witches Bicycle Ride. This time there were 14 witches in costume pedaling through Sun City West.
2018
- The first Witches Ride with golf carts was introduced.
2019
- This Witches Ride introduced riding for a charity. It was called ‘Free the Girls.’ Bras and underwear were collected to help girls and women in Africa.
2020
- COVID - The Witches stayed in their castles, put their brooms in a corner and waited for COVID to end.
2021
- The Witches once again took flight. Pam Chumbly was still the witch leader with 160 witches now riding through town, all for a children’s charity. Registration for the ride was introduced.
2022
- Pam Chumbly passed her witch hat on to Anna Gorman. The Witches Ride grew to 250 witches, in costume, on bicycles and in golf carts, all raising a total of $11,320.00 for Benevilla, the chosen charity.
2023
- Anna Gorman passed down the witch’s hat to Annie Miller, who, in turn, handed her hat over to Sandra Forsey. Sandra was joined by Anne Becknell, Ellen Persik and Lorali Holt. There were 13 bicycling witches, 203 incredibly decorated golf carts with 203 costumed drivers and 162 cart passengers, raising $13,596.00 for their charity, Benevilla.
2024
- There were fewer carts in 2024, but donations to Benevilla increased to $14,510, with 167 golf carts and 11 bicycles. Our brave and dedicated witches posed in a very special calendar, a la Calendar Girls, and the profit from sales resulted in charitable donations to SCW organizations.
2025
- With lots of help and paint, the Marketing witches painted and distributed, by golf cart, in advance of the ride, over 500 painted rocks around town in the ‘BIG ROCK DROP.’ Raffle donations were twice the number of 2024. There were 187 witches participating with donations totaling $13,000.
Supporting the Foundation
How You Can Support SCW Foundation
Your support helps us continue enriching the Sun City West community through vital programs and services. Whether you participate in the parade, volunteer your time, or make a donation, every action contributes to a stronger, more connected community.
Directly Fund Our Programs
Your Generosity Fuels Our Mission
Every dollar you donate supports critical programs like Helping Hands, the Find Your Ride Resource Program, and other services specifically designed to support our residents. Your contribution creates meaningful change in the lives of our community members.
Help Us Reach More People
Share Our Mission to Spread the Word
By sharing our events and programs with your friends and family, you amplify SCW Foundation’s reach and impact. Spread the word and help us build a stronger, more engaged community.
Contact Sun City West Foundation
Helping Hands
Mon - Fri: 8:00 AM - Noon
623-546-8261