SALEM, Mass. — Halloween is here, and Salem is preparing for especially large crowds as the Witch City caps off its month-long Haunted Happenings celebration and marks its 400th anniversary.
Visitors heading downtown Saturday can expect live music throughout the day, road closures, parking restrictions, and a 400-drone show over the North River to close out Halloween night.
Here’s what you need to know before heading to Salem.
Halloween events and live music
Entertainment begins at noon, with performances planned across downtown through 10 p.m.
Salem Common
- Noon-4 p.m.: VANTABLAK
- 4:15-5 p.m.: Studio Two
- 5-6 p.m.: Witches’ Magic Circle
- 5:30-6:15 p.m.: Studio Two
- 8-10 p.m.: DJ Cheetah
Front Street
- 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Midtown Horns
- 8-10 p.m.: Not Bad Pretty Good
Charlotte Forten Park
- Noon-2 p.m.: Monkey Knife Fight Lite
- 6-10 p.m.: DJ Andrea Stamas
Washington and Federal streets
- 2-6 p.m.: DJ Francois Flow
- 6:30-8 p.m.: Undercover Band
- 8:30-10 p.m.: Pretty Rotten
Hawthorne Boulevard
- 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Foo Family
- 8-10 p.m.: Hello Newman
Halloween night drone show
The night ends with a special drone show over the North River featuring 400 drones in celebration of Salem’s 400th anniversary.
The show is scheduled to begin at 10:10 p.m. Visitors can watch from the MBTA platform or Washington Street. Salem’s public address system is expected to be activated around 10 p.m. to signal the start of the show.
The city says festivities conclude after the drone show, and visitors should plan to leave downtown by about 10:30 p.m.
Getting to Salem
City officials are strongly discouraging people from driving into Salem on Halloween because of expected crowds, limited parking and numerous road closures.
Visitors are encouraged to take the MBTA Commuter Rail or Salem Ferry when possible. Free satellite parking is also available on Halloween.
Those who do drive should arrive early and avoid parking in resident-only areas.
The MBTA garage will close to incoming vehicles beginning at 6 p.m., according to the city. Vehicles will not be able to exit the garage until 11:30 p.m. or when festivities have ended.
When are the final trains out of Salem?
Visitors taking the Commuter Rail should keep the night’s final departure times in mind:
- Boston: 11:14 p.m.
- Rockport: 11:56 p.m.
- Newburyport: 12:26 a.m.
Halloween rules and safety
Salem officials are reminding visitors that public drinking, littering and vandalism are prohibited. Some violations could carry triple fines on Halloween, with fines reaching up to $300 per violation.
Visitors are also warned not to bring real or fake weapons downtown.
Anyone with an emergency should call 911. Nuisance issues can be reported to Salem Police at 978-744-1212.
“Visitor trends throughout October indicate that we are expecting especially large crowds for Halloween night,” Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. “We encourage everyone to plan ahead, take public transportation, respect our rules and our residents, and enjoy a safe and fun visit to Salem.”
Salem Haunted Happenings began in 1982 as a weekend festival and has since grown into a month-long celebration that the organizers say draws more than 1 million visitors.
Visitors can also use the Destination Salem app for information on maps, parking, restrooms, events and attractions, and the MySalemMA app for ongoing city updates.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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