If you’ve been looking for something to do Halloween weekend that isn’t the Court Street block party, the Dairy Barn Arts Center has your answer. The Witch Walk returns to the Ora Anderson Trail on Sunday, October 30th, from 5 to 7 p.m. It’s completely free, open to everyone, and genuinely unlike anything else happening in Athens that weekend. For students in Ohio University apartments near campus, it’s an easy walk or short drive to one of the more memorable evenings Athens puts on all year.
What Actually Happens at the Witch Walk
The Witch Walk takes the Ora Anderson Trail, a wooded path winding through 32 acres behind the Dairy Barn, and turns it into something completely unexpected after dark. Glowing, upcycled art installations built by local youth line the path, Michael Tobar’s spooky accordion drifts through the trees, and hot apple cider and cinnamon donuts are waiting when you come out the other side. It’s low-key, it’s genuinely fun, and it’s the kind of thing you’d tell someone about the next day.
The concept came from Kasey Jones, an art professor at both Ohio University and Columbus College of Art & Design, who drew on a childhood tradition to pitch the idea to the Dairy Barn. The first event launched in 2025 and pulled in hundreds of community members, families, students, and longtime Athens residents, all sharing the same trail on the same October night. One attendee, Becca Lachman, described it: “It truly was magical, and it made me grateful to live in our corner of the world.”
The Trail Has a Story Too
The Ora Anderson Trail isn’t just a pretty backdrop. The 32 acres behind the Dairy Barn were originally farmland purchased in 1912 to support a dairy operation serving the Athens Asylum. After the dairy shut down in the 1970s, the cleared pasture gradually became the wooded hillside it is today. The trail officially opened on October 19, 2018, named after Ora Anderson, whose wife, Harriet, led the legendary last-minute effort to save the Dairy Barn from demolition in 1977, with only nine days to spare.
The trail was designed by John Knouse of the Athens Conservancy, David Reiser and Pete Woyar built the bridge, and the whole project was funded through the Ora Anderson Conservation Fund, volunteer labor, and community donations. It’s a genuinely beautiful piece of Athens that a lot of people haven’t explored yet, and for anyone living in an Ohio University student rental nearby, it’s the kind of local gem that’s easy to miss until someone points you toward it.
A Little Background on the Dairy Barn Itself
The Dairy Barn Arts Center at 8000 Dairy Lane has been part of the Athens community fabric for decades. It’s internationally known for Quilt National, a biennial juried exhibition of art quilts that has drawn over 100,000 visitors to Athens since 1979. But beyond that flagship show, the Barn runs year-round exhibitions, educational programs, and community events that serve people across every age group and background. Its mission, equitable access to the arts for everyone, shows up clearly in events like the Witch Walk, which costs nothing to attend and was built largely by young people in the community. It’s also one of the reasons Ohio University off-campus housing near the Dairy Lane area tends to be so sought after; being close to spaces like this one makes a real difference in how you experience Athens outside of campus.
Who Comes Together to Make It Happen
The Witch Walk is a true community collaboration. This year’s event brings together Rural Action’s Education Department, Passion Works Studio’s Honey for the Heart program, Birth Circle, ArtsWest, Solid Ground School, Ohio University Community Work Study, the OU Recycling Center, and Eli and Lucian’s Little Miss Molly Puppet Show. Michael Tobar returns to set the mood on spooky accordion. Sponsors making it all possible include Hocking Valley Bank, The Magic Martha Fund, and Snowville Creamery.
What to Know Before You Go
The Witch Walk runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 30th. Dress for the weather; it’s a trail walk after dark in late October in Southeast Ohio, so layers are a smart call. Bring a flashlight if you have one. The Dairy Barn is located at 8000 Dairy Lane in Athens, parking is available on site, and admission is completely free.
For the full event details, visit dairybarn.org.