SALEM, MA — Salem's Haunted Happenings will close out its 2026 season this weekend with what could be a record-breaking visitation day on a sunny and dry Saturday Halloween.
There will be extensive road closures and parking restrictions with anyone planning a visit urged to take the train, ferry and exercise both patience and proper respect for the Witch City and its residents.
"We extend an extra special welcome to those visiting us from throughout the region and around the world this year as Salem celebrates its 400th anniversary," Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "Visitor trends throughout October indicate that we are expecting especially large crowds for Halloween night."
Every Haunted Happenings Marketplace venue will be open at least part of the weekend, with independent makers, artists, food vendors, live bands, DJs, aerialists, fire performers and the Salem Witches' Magic Circle scheduled to appear.
On Friday, Salem Common, Derby Square and Front Street are open for an extra market date, making it the first full market day at every venue this season. Salem Common, Derby Square, Front Street and the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall are scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., though the Pedestrian Mall's closing time will be set day-of with the city and Salem Police based on crowd volume.
Friday will also be the Pedestrian Mall's final vendor day of the season.
Charlotte Forten Park is set to host a full-day artisan market from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the Old Town Hall food court will be open from noon to 7 p.m.
Friday night programming at Forten Park includes DJ Kim Collins from 5 to 9 p.m., fire performances by Play Craze & Friends between 6 and 8 p.m., and a free photobooth run by Monsters of Salem from 7 to 8:30 p.m., presented by Blackcraft.
On Halloween, every Marketplace venue opens at 10 a.m., except Old Town Hall, which opens at 11 a.m. Organizers said all venues will remain open until 9:45 p.m., with music continuing to 10 p.m.
Scheduled acts include VÄNTABLÄK, Baechtold and Abel Aerial Artistry, Studio Two, the Salem Witches' Magic Circle and DJ Cheetah at Salem Common, Midtown Horns and Not Bad Pretty Good at Front Street, and Monkey Knife Fight Lite with Felipe Collazo and DJ Andrea Stamas at Charlotte Forten Park and The Cannery.
The Salem Education Foundation is also scheduled to announce the winners of its Food for Thought raffle at 4 p.m. Saturday at Salem Common.
Derby Square and Old Town Hall will continue running their markets and food court through the day, while the Pedestrian Mall will not host vendors on Saturday or Sunday.
Visitors are being urged to arrive early and travel by train or walking.
Downtown streets will close by noon on Halloween, and the City's Halloween drone show is scheduled for 10:15 p.m.
Salem's public address announcement system will be activated at approximately 10 p.m. to signal the beginning of the drone show.
The final Commuter Rail trains leaving Salem will travel to Boston at 11:14 p.m, to Newburyport at 12:26 p.m., and to Rockport at 11:56. Those traveling to Salem are encouraged to park at the Beverly station and take the five-minute train ride to Salem in anticipation that the Salem MBTA parking garage may fill up early in the day.
Entry into the garage will be prohibited after 6 p.m., and exiting the garage will not be allowed until 11:30 when the festivities conclude.
Visitors are reminded that disorderly behavior, including drinking in public, littering and random acts of vandalism, will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted. Offenders will be penalized to the maximum amount allowed under the law both civilly and criminally.
Citations for illegal behavior, including public drinking, vandalism, and littering could have fines up to $300 per violation.
Crowds should plan to disperse starting at about 10:30 p.m. as police and public works crews clear the streets.
Sunday will be the final market day of the 2026 season, with Salem Common, Derby Square, Front Street and Forten Park open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Old Town Hall food court open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
See Also: 8 Historic MA Cemeteries Worth Exploring This Halloween
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