Hot Rods, Ghouls, and Halloween Fun at Windigo Fest 2018

Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster) and the Dragula

When the inaugural Windigo Fest happened last year in Manitowoc, it scared certain Christian members of the community. Allowing such evil would be welcoming Satan into the community, one local woman told reporters.

Which is exactly why I wanted to go.

Thankfully, no amount of prayer circles could persuade God to smite what I hope will be an annual Wisconsin Halloween tradition for many more years to come. Windigo Fest’s second year was bigger and spookier in every way.

This year’s festivities featured a killer lineup of live music, including Milwaukee horror punk rockers Ratbatspider, vendors selling grotesque goodies, the Heart of Darkness art show featuring dark art from local and international artists curated by Wisconsin’s own Matt Lombard, spooky belly dance, hook suspension and sideshow acts, extreme midget wrestling, tarot readings, costume contest, creepy carnival games for the kids, a Halloween parade, and more.

Not to mention Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster in the 1960s classic TV series The Munsters, came to hang out with the Munsters Koach and the Dragula.

Here are some photos when I visited to pay my respects to the Windigo on Saturday:

Windigo Fest in downtown Manitowoc