It's Almost Haunted Happenings Time In Salem This Halloween

SALEM, MA — Salem's Haunted Happenings returned to the Witch City last year after one season of officials telling visitors to "stay away" from Halloween's unofficial hometown.

Now this year the full Grand Parade is back on its traditional course through the Shetland Park to Salem Common route.

This year's theme is "Who's Your Hero?"

The 25th Salem Chamber of Commerce parade, which was staged as a downtown block party last year as COVID-19 concerns lingered and masks were still required indoors, is designed as a "time-honored kick-off to the Halloween season." It includes floats and displays from thousands of Salem students from kindergarten to college, as well as participation from many local business owners.

The Chamber is still looking for sponsors to help defray the expenses of police, marching bands, security, advertising, postage and staging. Volunteers are also sought to help with the event.

Those interested in being part of the wicked magic can download the parade participation and sponsorship form here or contact Jeff@salem-Chamber.org to volunteer.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll will return as the parade's Grand Marshall as well as the original Founders of Haunted Happenings, now in its 40th year.

The original 1982 festival coordinators include the Salem Witch Museum and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, as well as a number of other businesses and organizations such as the Peabody Museum of Salem/Essex Institute (now Peabody Essex Museum), Hawthorne Inn (now Hawthorne Hotel), Historic Salem Inc., Laurie Cabot, Naumkeag Trust (now Eastern Bank), city of Salem, Parker Brothers, Salem News and the Witch Dungeon Museum.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)