Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: Salem Halloween 2026: How To Best Enjoy The Witch City This Spooky Holiday Season

Be sure to catch Dueling Pianos in Swamspcott at The Dory Live on the Salem Patch calendar

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Thursday October 8th Patch AM
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Hello Salem! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☕️️

🎃 Hosting a Halloween event in Salem? Let Patch get the word out for you. Post it to the Patch calendar.

In today's newsletter:

  • How to survive Salem's massive Halloween crowds without losing the fun
  • State grant powers major upgrade at Salem's High Street Park
  • What did Salem's Historical Commission just approve—with conditions?

Also on today's calendar: Dueling Pianos in Swamspcott at The Dory Live and 11 more events.

Today's riddle: What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Thursday: An a.m. shower; partly sunny, with a high of 71 and low of 50 degrees.
  • Friday: Mostly sunny and breezy, temps: high: 68, low: 45.
  • Saturday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 66 and low of 52 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Salem Halloween 2026: How To Best Enjoy The Witch City This Spooky Holiday Season (patch.com) — Planning a Halloween trip to Salem this year means bracing for big crowds, tight parking, and a city that's home to 45,000 residents trying to live normal lives amid the festivities. Local tourism leaders and the mayor urge visitors to use public transit or the ferry, book tickets early, explore beyond Essex Street, and follow a strict zero-tolerance policy at bars and restaurants. With more than a million visitors expected, officials stress patience, respect for neighborhoods, and treating Salem as a real community, not a theme park.
   

2. Salem Awarded $425K For Playground, Park Restoration (patch.com) — Families in Salem can look forward to a fully revamped High Street Park thanks to a new $425,000 state grant. The project will overhaul the playground, add a bocce court and café-style seating with chess tables, improve accessibility with a third entryway, and upgrade aging surfaces, tying local improvements to a broader statewide push for climate resilience and outdoor recreation.
   

3. Salem, MA Historical Commission — October 7, 2026 (meetingwatch.org) — Salem residents can see that the Historical Commission conditionally approved a site plan, requiring a revised landscaping plan and other tweaks before final sign-off. Through MeetingWatch, you can review the exact vote, minutes, and timestamped video to understand how commissioners weighed preservation concerns, design details, and neighborhood impact for projects affecting the look and feel of the city.
   

4. WinnCompanies Lines Up Financing for Mixed-Income Salem TOD (connectcre.com) — A new 115‑unit mixed-income building called The Exchange Salem is moving forward at the northern gateway to downtown, replacing a former municipal parking lot by the MBTA station. The $48 million project will mix deeply affordable, workforce, and market-rate apartments, aiming to create more options for local workers while reshaping the connection between North Salem and the downtown core.
   

5. Women's Volleyball: Cadets take on Vikings in non-conference road setback (norwichathletics.com) — Salem sports fans just saw Salem State University sweep Norwich University in women's volleyball at the O'Keefe Center, winning 25-19, 26-24, and 25-17. The Vikings outpaced Norwich in kills, aces, and digs, pulling away late in each set despite several strong Cadet rallies. Norwich now heads to Elms College and Colby-Sawyer for upcoming road matches.
   

📸 Around Salem

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • ALERT_ RAVEN IS HOME!!
    Many Thanks. My precious Cat Raven has done a Houdini and escaped my place on Turner St in Salem, right next to the House of Seven Gables. (Nextdoor Wharf)
  • UPDATE: Thank you for all of the suggestions.
    They are going to our Senior Center tomorrow. Looking for ideas of where to donate a bunch of games & puzzles near Salem. Need names of places. … (Nextdoor South Salem Moffatt Road)
  • Make Your Move posted a job opening for Universal Banker II - Float in Salem. Apply here.
  • Legacy Lifecare posted a job opening for Laundry Assistant in Peabody. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Salem here.

Ok Salem! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What is clean when it is black and dirty when it is white?" — A chalk board (Thank you Charlie H. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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