Hundreds of costumed cyclists will once again roll through Homewood this Sunday, decked out in witch hats and decorated bikes, as the city's 14th annual Witches Ride kicks off following an afternoon fall festival at Homewood Central Park. The ride starts at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 25, 2026, after a family-friendly festival running from 2 to 5 p.m. at the same park.
The festival portion of the day is free to attend and will feature inflatable attractions for kids, a costume contest, a DJ and food trucks, according to The Homewood Star. Once the festival wraps, hundreds of costumed riders are expected to take to the streets, tossing candy to spectators along a route through Homewood as they pedal in witch-themed costumes atop decorated bicycles.
A Tradition Rooted in Honoring a Mother's Memory
The event traces back to 2012, when Janie Ford Mayer organized a small, spirited ride through the neighborhood to honor her late mother, per the same Homewood Star account. What began as an intimate gathering has since grown into one of the city's signature fall traditions, with the ride regularly drawing hundreds of participants, according to Over the Mountain Journal.
Birmingham Mom Collective notes the ride typically attracts more than 500 witches each year, a crowd that has made it one of the larger costumed charity rides in the metro area. Riders dress as witches or in other Halloween costumes and pedal decorated bicycles through the city, a scene Over the Mountain Journal has described as turning Homewood's streets into a parade of brooms, er, bikes.
Raising Money for Cancer Research and Patient Care
Beyond the costumes and candy, the ride exists to raise money for cancer research through UAB's O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, the events guide states. The Homewood Witches Ride website describes the event as a way to celebrate the fighters, survivors and those whose lives have been touched by cancer, framing the bike ride as both a community party and a tribute.
Homewood's version is one of several Witches Ride-style events that have popped up around the Birmingham area, each tied to its own cause. Liberty Park holds a golf-cart Witches Ride whose proceeds also benefit UAB's O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, while Bluff Park's ride supports local children's literacy initiatives. The Cahaba Heights event benefits Down Syndrome Alabama, and Hoover's Star Lake ride supports the Green Valley Church Food Bank, per Birmingham Mom Collective.
What to Know Before Sunday
Organizers have listed registration details separately from the festival schedule, and as of the Homewood events guide's publication, Witches Ride registration information was marked as still to be announced, even as the Fall Festival itself remains free to attend. Earlier years of the event have carried different anniversary labels and dates — including a 13th annual ride once set for Oct. 26 and an earlier 10th anniversary celebration — reflecting how the event's numbering and calendar placement have shifted from year to year.
Homewood's own Instagram account for the ride has promoted this year's date as a celebration honoring Paula Stringfellow Ford, among others, while raising funds for the cause. For families looking for a lower-key start to Halloween week, the fall festival offers a chance to gather before the broomsticks — or rather, bicycles — take over the streets.
