Salem Halloween 2022: 'Bigger Than We've Ever Seen It Before'

SALEM, MA — Two years ago, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll gave the seemingly impossible directive for visitors to stay away from the Witch City during the Halloween season amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

"By the way, they still came anyway," she allowed.

On Friday, as the city experiences record crowds as the pandemic wanes, she reiterated the plea that city officials have been making all of 2022.

"If you are coming to Salem do it by train, ferry or broom — but not by car," Driscoll said during a Friday news conference.

While the 2020 warnings were out of a stark public health concern this year's driving discouragement is out of the practical reality that all the cars coming to the Witch City this month simply do not fit.

Salem drew more than 500,000 visitors in the first half of the month — including more than 100,000 last Saturday alone as all municipal parking spaces filled up by late morning.

"While we love sharing our city with visitors and the world," Driscoll said, "we are a nearly 400-year-old city and we have roads that were built for horse and buggy more than they were for the number of people who are trying to arrive here by car.

"We've had a fabulous month. It's been bigger than we've ever seen it before. But these last two weekends are typically the biggest weekends we see as we head toward Halloween and the crescendo at the end of the month. We want to make sure that continues. The best way to do that is to plan ahead and don't take your care to Salem."

The MBTA said additional commuter rail trains will run for the next two weekends while the ferry had added extra vessel space for the anticipated crowds.

Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller said Friday that it will be "all hands on deck" for officers patrolling the downtown both for any trouble, as well as for traffic management and parking violations that will result in ticketing and towing.

"As cars come in we begin to shuttle them away from the downtown area," Miller said. "But even as those roads fill up we'll begin to simply turn the cars around and send them back the way they came from.

"The roads simply can't handle the volume of cars that come in."

Miller also asked visitors to be respectful of residents of a 44,000-population city that sees its seams burst for six weeks or so each spooky season.

"People of Salem like Halloween as much as everyone else does — mostly — but they need to take their families to school, and the doctor, and the grocery store, and they need to go about their daily lives while other people are trying to enjoy themselves down here," he said, requesting that visitors not use residential spaces, block driveways or trespass on private property.

Miller also noted that while costumes are appreciated, any dress-up that includes some type of weapon cannot include an actual weapon.

"We don't allow real weapons in the crowd," he said. "If your costume involves something that looks dangerous please make sure it is a simulation."

Those taking the train are also reminded that bicycles are not allowed on commuter rail trains this time of year in order to make enough space for travelers. The Bluebikes ride-sharing service is available for visitors once they get to the city.

The commuter rail is offering $10 weekend passes this year — which include the Salem stop.

"We're really encouraging the individuals coming here, the families, the costume-revelers," Driscoll said, "to pack some patience and plan ahead. There are going to be long lines and big crowds.

"So if you can buy your tickets in advance, if you think about where you want to visit and think about your itinerary ahead of time it's going to allow for a better experience while you're here."

(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.)