East Passyunk Witch Craft Crawl returns Oct 28

If you're looking for a low-key way to lean into October, the East Passyunk Witch Craft Crawl is back for its 17th year. It lands on Wednesday, October 28, and runs from 6 to 10 p.m. along East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, where more than 30 bars, restaurants and shops set up Halloween cocktails, tarot readings and shopping deals. It's the kind of event that rewards a bit of planning, so here's how to do it right.

Registration is the first step. It runs from 4 to 7 p.m. at Mark Canale CrossCountry Mortgage at 1916 E. Passyunk Ave., and you have to check in before 7 to pick up your Halloween accessories. Tickets get you a stamp card and a choice of a witch hat or a light necklace, handed out first come, first served. Prices are tiered: $6.66 early bird, $10 standard and $13 on the day, plus fees. That stamp card is also your ticket into the contest: collect three or more stamps by buying the specials and you can enter to win East Passyunk merchandise. Completed cards go in the EPABID office mail slot at 1904 EPA or to Latchkey Records at 1502 EPA.

The specials are where the night actually happens, and they're spread across the avenue. For a drink, The Bottle Shop pours a $8 Poison Apple cocktail and $6.66 Pumpkin Beer on draft, Cantina Los Caballitos does a $6.66 Witches Brew Boba Cocktail and Spiced Cider Margaritas, and Watkins Drinkery serves a $9 Pumpkin Spice Espresso Martini. If you're hungry, Juana Tamale has $6.66 Bruja Burritos, a $4.44 Monster sMash Burger and $3.33 Salem Cider. For something sweet, Milk Jawn whips up a Witch's Brew boozy ice cream flavor.

It's not all food and drink, either. A Novel Idea runs five-minute flash tarot readings with Christina from 6 to 8 p.m. for $10, and Passyunk Pilates offers $20 birth chart and tarot readings. Eastern Pass Tattoo Co. hands out free Halloween temp tattoos and runs $100 Halloween flash tattoos. On the shopping front, Latchkey Records takes 20% off turntables and speakers, Good Buy Supply gives 10% off bulk refills with your own container from 6 to 8 p.m., and This Time Tomorrow runs Black Magic, 20% off all black clothing and accessories, plus a Witching Hour with 33.3% off any single item from 9 to 10 p.m. Other stops include Frame Fatale, open until 9 p.m. with new Mango Wood Wall Sanctuaries and Witchy Little Frames, Hazel Moon Ceramics with two small witchy or fall-inspired charms, and Little Yenta Books with free witchy snacks and weird used books.

When the crawl winds down, the after-party picks up at 9:30 p.m. at Pub on Passyunk East, better known as P.O.P.E., at 1501 E. Passyunk Ave. And if you can't make the Wednesday, the neighborhood keeps the season going with the free East Passyunk Fall Fest on Saturday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Morris and Dickinson streets, with a vendor market, pumpkin carving, a doggie costume contest, live music and Creepy Crawl trick-or-treating.