Windigo Fest Welcomes Satan into Manitowoc, Local Woman Claims

As if you needed any more reasons to go to Windigo Fest in Manitowoc next weekend, a local business owner is freaking out because of how evil she claims it is.

“Jody Dubinsky, owner of Treasures in downtown Manitowoc, said this festival is darker than it seems on the surface,” Alisa M. Schafer writes for the Herald Times Reporter. “She became concerned when her own research turned up old Native American tales of a creature called the windigo, sometimes spelled wendigo, which eats human beings and devours their souls, particularly young children.”

To support her claims, Dubinsky notes how the festival’s dates, October 6-7, add up to the number 13, and the parade (which is no doubt going to be awesome) will apparently be summoning the devil by going backwards down Eighth Street.

“Dubinsky and several other Manitowoc citizens spoke against the Windigo Fest at the Sept. 19 city council meeting, saying the festival would welcome Satan into the community,” the article continues. “Dubinsky said she and many others have convened for prayer meetings to pray about the festival. She encourages families to do their own research about the festival and make the right decision for their children.”

We were already planning on attending what was sure to be a great Halloween festival, but we’re definitely not missing it if Satan is planning on making an appearance.

Of course, the reality is that the wendigo is just a cool creature from Native American mythology whose name lends itself well to an event of this sort, and October 6-7 just happens to be the first weekend of the Halloween season. Dawn Dabeck, owner of Dead by Dawn Dead and Breakfast, who is responsible for conjuring Windigo Fest into existence, says “We are not looking to cause any problems in Manitowoc. I have been doing Halloween for a long time…there is nothing satanic about any of this stuff. It is just pure Halloween fun.”

As a kid who wasn’t allowed to to trick-or-treat because of the devil and stuff, I’m looking forward to Windigo Fest and fully support Dawn’s efforts to create a fun, family-friendly Halloween party in the streets of Manitowoc.

Thankfully, Dubinsky’s store will be closed October 6-7 to show her non-support of the festival, so we don’t have to deal with her trying to ruin our good, wholesome devil-worshipping.