Grand Parade Kicks Off Salem Halloween Season on Thursday

Wake up the witches and tell the ghosts, Salem is only days away from Haunted Happenings and the kick-off Haunted Happenings Grand Parade.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Salem Chamber of Commerce’s Haunted Happenings Grand Parade.

This year’s parade takes place on Thursday, Oct. 1 and starts at Shetland Park on Congress Street at 6:30 p.m.

From Congress Street, the parade turns left onto Derby Street, right into Central Street, left onto Front Street, right onto Washington Street, right onto the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, and finishes on the Salem Common. The parade is expected to end around 8 p.m.

This year’s event will feature the theme “World Peace”, and the Chamber of Commerce is expecting all schools, bands, floats and dignitaries to come up with some fantastic costumes for this year’s festivities.

Salem Superintendent of Schools Margarita Ruiz will join Mayor Kim Driscoll as the Grand Marshall for this year’s parade.

“The Haunted Happenings Parade is always a great celebration to kick-off the October season for Salem,” said Mayor Driscoll. “Each year the Salem Chamber of Commerce, multiple community groups and civic organizations, local businesses, and our public schools come together to offer a truly enjoyable, unique, and family friendly event to start this festive time of year in our community.”

Photos courtesy of the Salem Chamber of Commerce and Salem Haunted Happenings