Pink Witches Night Out

When: October 17, 2025 | 5 - 10 PM

Where: Broadway, Downtown Denville NJ

The Magic in the Fight

I’m a heart cancer survivor.

It still feels surreal to write that.

When you’ve faced something that tries to take your life, you start seeing the world differently. You even start to feel people differently.

So when I came across Pink Witches Night Out, I felt that pull in my chest. That electric ache that said:

“This is more than an event.”

This is love in action.

What started as a small, local tribute to one woman — Kathy Olenowski — has grown into something spellbinding. A full-blown night of pink, witch hats, downtown business takeovers, and pure, unstoppable community magic.

Their focus isn’t just on raising money, they also provide the love and support needed for someone going into medical warfare.

Their presence is akin to wrapping your arms around someone in the hardest moment of their life and whispering: You’re not alone.

So I reached out.

I asked about the origin.

The pain behind the beauty.

The real lives being held up by this celebration.

And the story I found deserves to be shared.

From Loss to Legacy: The Origin of Pink Witches Night Out

Before it became a beloved annual tradition in Downtown Denville — before the sea of pink hats, live music, and community magic — Pink Witches Night Out was just an idea. A spark of grief turned into action.

In 2011, Kathy Olenowski lost her battle with cancer. She was only 55.

But in those short years, she left a mark on everyone she met.

She wasn’t just a mother, or a friend.

She was the kind of person who who saw people, really saw them.

The kind of person who made strangers feel like family.

So when her daughter, Meg Olenowski, created Pink Witches Night Out, it wasn’t just to raise money. It was to keep Kathy’s spirit alive. To pour everything she was: compassionate, powerful, and joyful, into something that could keep giving.

The first year started small.

Just Meg’s store. A few local shoppers. A total of $400 raised.

But the love behind it was massive.

And love like that doesn’t stay small for long.

Twelve years later, Pink Witches Night Out is one of the most heartfelt breast cancer fundraisers in New Jersey raising $45,000 for last year’s beneficiary alone.

Every fall, the streets of Denville transform into something enchanted.

Shops stay open late. Survivors are celebrated. Vendors line the sidewalks.

And at the center of it all? A deep, unshakable mission:

“At its heart, Pink Witches Night Out is about turning loss into light, uniting a community through kindness, strength, and hope.”

This isn’t just about fighting breast cancer. It’s about making sure no one fights alone.

A Night Like No Other: How Denville Built a Movement

What began inside one store has grown into one of the most magical, meaningful nights in Downtown Denville.

Pink Witches Night Out isn’t your typical breast cancer awareness event in New Jersey and that’s exactly why it works. It doesn’t feel like a fundraiser. It feels like a block party with a heartbeat.

The very first year, we raised $400. Twelve years later, we gave last year’s beneficiary $45,000.

And every year since, it’s only gotten bigger.

More vendors. More survivors. More stories. More love.

Businesses up and down Broadway deck out their storefronts in pink. Local vendors, salons, stylists, and healers offer their services. Survivors are celebrated in a dedicated space. A glowing reminder of why this event exists. And people show up. In costumes. In wigs. In handmade hats and glittery makeup. But mostly, in community.

No matter how big the crowd gets, the heart stays intimate.

Each year, the Kathy Olenowski Foundation selects one local woman undergoing cancer treatment. Funds raised go directly to her and her family whether that means covering treatments, transportation, missed wages, or simply making space for her to rest.

There’s no pink washing. No corporate wall. Just real help, right now.

We get to know the beneficiary and her family. The whole town rallies around her. That’s what makes this different.

It’s personal. It’s human.

And whether you’re walking in with a friend or all by yourself, you’re part of something.

Everyone is made to feel welcome and a part of our community. Even if you come alone or you’re from out of town, it’s a magical night you can only experience if you’re there.

It’s about making one woman feel like the entire town is behind her.

Because it is.

Beyond the Pink — Hope in Action

At its core, Pink Witches Night Out is about raising people up. It’s about what happens after the event ends, when the glitter fades and the wigs come off and someone out there is still fighting for her life.

That’s where the real magic lives.

The money goes directly to our beneficiaries. Treatment. Transportation. Lost wages. Even fighting with insurance.

Diagnosed at just 28 years old, this year's beneficiary, Francesca Esposito has faced every part of her journey with resilience, grace and hope. Unfortunately she is struggling to get her next round of chemo approved.

That’s the reality for so many. Cancer treatment is not just physically brutal, it’s financially devastating. Without insurance? One round can be upwards of $90,000.

And while no fundraiser can erase that hardship, Pink Witches Night Out softens the blow. It fills in the cracks. It gives women a fighting chance, not just with dollars, but with dignity.

Because when you’re going through something as big as cancer, sometimes what you need most isn’t a solution, it’s support.

Cancer treatment is a lonely and expensive road. Unfortunately, we can never raise enough. But we can make sure she knows she’s not alone.

And it’s not just about one night.

This is a year-round movement. Local businesses collaborate. Survivors stay involved. The town doesn’t forget once October ends, they stay connected.

That’s the difference between a donation and a community.

In Denville, the love doesn’t expire when the receipts are tallied.

It lives on in rides to appointments. In care packages. In small-town magic that feels bigger than anything pink could ever represent.

What’s Coming This Year

If you’ve ever been to Pink Witches Night Out, you know, it’s not something you can fully explain.

It’s a feeling. A force. A flood of pink and power and people who show up not just to be seen, but to see one another.

This October, the tradition continues right in the heart of Denville, New Jersey with even more love, laughter, and spellbinding surprises.

We have a few new surprises this year, but you have to be there to experience it.

The downtown businesses are already brewing up magic. From storefronts to side streets, nearly every shop joins in. Vendors fill the sidewalks. Costumes turn the block into a runway of witches and warriors. And somewhere in the mix? A survivor who thought no one saw her until now.

This year’s beneficiary is still in the thick of her fight.

She’s navigating insurance battles. Waiting on chemotherapy.

And this night is for her.

Whether you come in costume or just come as you are, Pink Witches Night Out is open to all.

First-timers, families, friends, solo walkers, everyone is welcome.

There’s no secret handshake.

The magic is already in you.

All you have to do is show up.

🎗 How To Show Up

At its core, Pink Witches Night Out is about turning loss into light and lighting the way for others to follow. It’s not just a fundraiser. It’s a movement. A community-wide reminder that no one fights alone.

So if you’re wondering how to help, this is how.

🎀 Show up.

🎀 Bring a friend.

🎀 Donate if you can.

🎀 Share the story.

Because when a town comes together for one person it echoes.

And this October, Denville will echo with something louder than loss:

Hope.