Salem, MA – Page 2 – Salem Happenings

Don’t Fear the Walking Dead!

WARNING: Spoilers for “Fear the Walking Dead” may be present in this post. If you’re more afraid of having the plot spoiled than you are of zombies, it may be a good idea to stop reading this post now.

I’m a big fan of the AMC series, The Walking Dead, and it should come as no great surprise that I was pretty excited when AMC announced that they were making a spin-off series called Fear the Walking Dead. In fact, I made sure to set my DVR to record every episode, so there was no way I could miss a single zombie-filled moment. Unfortunately, I have to admit that once I finished watching the first season, I realized that the series really wasn’t as good as I was hoping. I mean I don’t hate the show, but it definitely doesn’t capture the suspense and emotion of the original series. Now, it is completely possible that some of my feelings in regards to the show are the result of the fact that there are very few things in life that are ever as good as the original, but Fear the Walking Dead is a series about people surviving the early days of the zombie apocalypse. How could something with a premise like that possibly go wrong?

Well, the answer is that pretty much any premise will fail miserably when you take a group of characters that are difficult for people to relate to and place them in a situation with plot holes big enough for you to drive the main character’s pickup truck through. Let’s face it. The most interesting characters in Fear the Walking Dead are the Salazar family, and they don’t even have a chance to really catch our attention until halfway through the season because the spotlight is focused on the Clark and Manawa families who are too busy trying to figure out which end is up to accept the fact that the world is ending.

The biggest problem with the show, however, is not the characters, but is instead the situations that the characters are placed in and how those situations unfold. The worst of these plot offenses actually occurs when the National Guard is deployed to aid the survivors of the zombie outbreak in Los Angeles. The deployment of the National Guard is, of course, a perfectly reasonable direction for the plot to go because the National Guard is always ready to respond to a crisis and zombies eating their way through a major city would definitely constitute as one. The problem is, as Matt Fowler from IGN says in his review of the first season of Fear the Walking Dead:

I thought the Clarks trying to battle gross army negligence and abuse would breathe fire into the show. But it was never handled right. There was no central character on the army side to focus on, or to play the enemy. And while the military seemed to be actively trying to help the wounded, they were also, like, shooting people for crying too much. And shooting people for sending mirror signals (did we ever even find out what happened there?).

-Matt Fowler, Fear the Walking Dead: Season 1 Review, IGN

No, we did not. The writers never actually explained why the military was randomly killing people outside of their quarantine zones even though it would have only taken a single scene before Travis hears the shots fired at the mirror signaler’s home. In fact, a scene in which we actually see the mirror signaler saying something along the lines of “You’ll never get away with this. When the people find out what you’re planning to do after things get really bad, they’re all take up arms and rise up to stop you” would have been enough to tie up everything nicely. It would have created the implication that the military was trying to stop an uprising consisting of people who were more than a little upset with the “humane” way in which they were planning to handle survivors after they pulled out. And, there is always the possibility that a scene like this is sitting on a cutting room floor somewhere, but without it, the whole season becomes one giant convoluted mess.

As a result, if you’re looking for something zombie-related this weekend, I highly recommend that you forget about checking out Fear the Walking Dead and check out the Zombie Walk at Collins Cove in Salem, MA at 4:30 PM tomorrow (Saturday, October 10, 2015) instead. The Zombie Walk will give you the opportunity to see over 400 people dress up as zombies and shamble through downtown Salem as a somewhat unruly hoard of brain-eating fiends, which as much as I hate to say it (because I really want to like Fear the Walking Dead), is probably going to be a whole lot more fun than watching Fear the Walking Dead‘s dysfunctional leading family.

Photo credit: Dustin Coates / Foter / CC BY-SA

Halloween: Resting in World Peace

The Witch City’s Annual Halloween Parade was last night, and this year’s theme was world peace. Now, I have admit when I first heard about the theme for this year, I thought that “world peace” is certainly a noble goal and something that everyone dreams of achieving (well, almost everyone, world peace would probably be the worst nightmare of some of the arms dealers out there), but it is sort of a strange theme for a Halloween parade. I mean Halloween is typically a time for people to embrace their darker sides and dress-up as villains, monsters, and every creature that goes bump in the night. However, this got me to thinking, and I realized that most of the villains that frighten us from fallen angels to zombies all, in their own dark and twisted way, seem to have the singular goal of creating world peace themselves. The only difference is that they want to do it by removing humanity from the Earth. As a result, I’ve decided that world peace is actually the perfect theme for Halloween, and if you’re looking for a way to get into the Halloween spirit before the zombies rise from their graves and make us all rest in world peace, I highly recommend you check out the lanterns at Pioneer Village.

The Second Annual Lanterns in the Village Event, which is scheduled to take place from 6:30 to 8:30 PM tomorrow (Saturday, October 3, 2015) at Pioneer’s Village, is a charity event for Collins Middle School in Salem, MA. This event will allow you and your family to hear spooky stories as you see over 100 Jack ‘O Lanterns carved by local Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and other similar organizations. Best of all, all of the proceeds from the event will go to helping the students of Collins Middle School. For more information on the Lanterns in the Village Event, which is $4 for children 10 and under, $6 for adults, and $15 for families of four or more, please visit the Haunted Happenings Online Guide or pick up a print copy of the Haunted Happenings guide in downtown Salem.

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Escape the Heat in Salem

If you’ve been hiding in your house for the past couple of weeks huddled in front of your air conditioner for the chilly comfort it offers, you’ll be happy to know that the heat wave that has been plaguing the Northeast is finally over (at least for now). In fact, the weather this weekend is supposed to be great, especially along the coast, which means that if you are looking for a way to take advantage of the cooler weather, you’ll definitely want to head down by the water. And, if you’re looking for something to do by the water, it just so happens that Salem’s Annual Heritage Days Celebration ends this weekend. As a result, there’s probably no better way to spend your weekend by the coast than heading down to Salem to check out these events.

First, if you’re a history fan or a fan of American literature, the House of the Seven Gables may have the perfect program for you. This is because the House of the Seven Gables is hosting a Living History Lab from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday. This educational workshop will allow you and/or your kids to experience what it was like to live in the mid 1600’s by attempting things like writing with a quill, preparing some of the food that people in the 1600’s would have eaten, performing some of the chores that people had to perform in the 17th century, and playing with some of the toys and games from the era. For more information on the Living History Lab at the House of the Seven Gables, please visit the House of the Seven Gables website.

Secondly, if you’re more of a shopper than a time-hopper, you may want to head down to Essex Street in Salem. This is because the Essex Street Fair is scheduled to take place from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday (August 8th and 9th, 2015). This fair will give you the opportunity to peruse and purchase art, books, clothing, crafts, jewelry, and an assortment of other one-of-a-kind items from dozens of small, independent vendors. For more information on the Essex Street Fair, please take a look at the Salem Heritage Days flyer.

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Leaving the AC’s Cool Breeze

Chances are, you’ve probably heard the phrase “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity” somewhere before. In fact, if you have been anywhere on the east coast of the United States this week, you have probably not only heard the phrase, but also realized that truer words have never been spoken. This is because our bodies and the bodies of almost all warm-blooded animals are able to cool themselves better in dry weather than humid weather. As a result, it’s much harder for everyone to cool off when it’s hot and humid, and many of us turn to our air conditioners looking for the relief we seek. The only problem is that you can’t really take your air conditioner everywhere you go unless you’re planning to sit in your car all day, so when it is really gross out like it has been this week, you may have trouble finding the ambition to leave your home. Fortunately, if you and your kids have spent all week in your house praising Robert S. Sherman, the man that invented the first portable, window air conditioner, you’ll be happy to know that there are a number of events this weekend that will let your family get outside and enjoy the nice weather that we’re supposed to have.

First, if you’re looking for a fun but educational way to enjoy the nice weather, you may want to consider a Salem Kids Walking Tour. A Salem Kids Walking Tour is a special tour that is specifically designed to let children, ages 6 and up, experience all of the history and mystery that the Witch City has to offer. These tours, which typically take place on Saturday mornings from 10:45 A.M. to approximately 11:45 A.M., will allow you and your kids to wander the city with a licensed tour guide in full puritan garb while you hear stories about the people, locations, and superstitions that have helped to make the city famous. For more information on the Salem Kids Walking Tours, which begin at Wicked Good Books at 215 Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts, please visit the Salem Kids Tours website or stop by Wicked Good Books.

Secondly, if you think a tour would bore your kids out of their minds or they would be tired of walking after about 15 minutes, you might want to let your kids Play the Day Away at the Lawn on D. The Lawn on D, located at 420 D Street in Boston, is hosting a Play the Day Away event specifically for kids from 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. on Saturday (July 18, 2015.) This event will allow your kids to try their hand at arts and crafts, play a variety of different games, and enjoy interactive sculptures and works of art from the Boston Children’s Museum, the Museum of Science, and more. For more information on Play the Day Away at the Lawn on D, which is completely free to attend, please visit the Lawn on D’s Calendar of Events page.

Finally, if the only way that you’re going to get your kids away from their computer screen or their TV screen is to stick them in front of an even bigger screen, you may want to head over to the Prudential Center in Boston this weekend. This is because the Prudential Center is showing Frozen as part of the Mix 106.7 Family Film Festival at sundown on Saturday (July 18, 2015) in their South Garden. This event, which begins at approximately 6:00 P.M., will allow you and your family to enjoy a series of children’s activities, giveaways, pre-movie entertainment, and, of course, see the beloved Disney film that tells the tale of the Snow Queen, Elsa, and her sister Anna. For more information on the Mix 106.7 Family Film Festival at the Prudential Center, including upcoming shows, please visit the Prudential Center’s Events page.

Photo credit: Jan Tik / Foter / CC BY

Celebrate Your Independence in the Witch City!

Looking for a great place to celebrate the 4th? Well, if you are, you may want to consider spending the day in Salem. Now, I know that the idea of celebrating Independence Day in Salem may seem a bit strange since it is known as the Witch City, but it is important to remember that the Salem Witch Trials are not the only claim to fame that the city has. In fact, Salem has a rich maritime history that stretches back to long before the American Revolutionary War, and you would be hard pressed to find too many locales that offer a better place to celebrate our country’s independence than one of the busiest merchant ports of the revolution. As a result, if you’re really looking for a great way to celebrate the 4th of July, you should definitely check out some of these events in Salem.

First, if you’re a morning person and/or a huge history buff, you will definitely want to be on Salem Common tomorrow morning. This is because Salem’s annual reading of the Declaration of Independence will take place on the common at 9:00 A.M. tomorrow (July 4, 2015.) This reading will give you the chance to join the mayor and a number of other officials from Salem as you hear the words that helped ignite the American Revolution. For more information on the Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Salem, please visit the Official City of Salem website.

Secondly, if you’re more interested in the actual celebration than the history behind it or you would simply like to enjoy both the history and the celebration, you will probably want to be on Derby Wharf tomorrow afternoon. This is because the National Historic Site at Derby Wharf is the location of the annual 4th of July festivities in Salem. These festivities will include a salute to the armed forces, kids activities, music from the band LUX and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra, a flyover by the 104th Fighter Wing of the Barnes Air National Guard Unit, and, of course, an amazing fireworks display. For more information on the 4th of July Celebration in Salem, including information about parking and additional security measures that have been added this year, please visit the Official Salem, MA Guide.

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The Best Things in Life Are FREE

Chances are, you’ve probably heard the old line, “the best things in life are free”, and you may have even heard it in one of the many different versions of the song with the same name. In fact, there are at least ten different versions of the song that was originally written by Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, and Ray Henderson for the musical Good News in 1927. Some of the well-known artists to cover the song with or without drastically altered lyrics include the Ink Spots, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford, Hank Mobley, Sam Cooke, Lou Donaldson, and Janet Jackson. As a result, there certainly hasn’t been a shortage of artists trying to convey the importance of the free things in life, but finding things that are free to enjoy can be a lot more challenging than it should be. It is, therefore, fortunate that there are a number of free activities in the Boston area this weekend that are sure to put a smile on your face without forcing you to touch your hard-earned cash.

First, if you are a Shakespeare fan, you may want to head over to the Fairbanks House in Dedham, MA this weekend. This is because the Fairbanks House is hosting the Dragonfly Theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at 5:00 P.M. tonight and tomorrow (June 26th and 27th, 2015) and at 2:00 P.M. on Sunday (June 28, 2015.) This production will allow you to see Shakespeare’s classic comedy about a group of ancient Greeks caught up in fairy mischief from the comfort of this historic house’s lawn. For more information on the Dragonfly Theater’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is completely free and open to the public, please visit the Dragonfly Theater’s website.

Secondly, if you’re not really a Shakespeare fan or you would prefer wandering around an air-conditioned building to sitting on a lawn, there are a number of museums and historic locations offering free admission today. In fact, the MIT Museum in Cambridge, MA; the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA; Tanglewood and the Mount in Lenox, MA; the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester; and the Peabody Essex Museum and the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, MA are all offering free admission today as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays. For more information on these locations and other locations that are offering free admission to everyone as part of the Highland Street Foundation’s Free Fun Fridays, please visit the Highland Street Foundation website.

Finally, if you’re looking for some free information on Norman Rockwell or any of the other artists that created the magnificent works of art that you may encounter at the museums above, you should definitely check out Artsy.net. In fact, Artsy will not only give you the opportunity to read biographies and articles on over 50,000 artists but will also give you the opportunity to see some of the amazing works of art that these artists have created.

Photo credit: Street matt / Foter / CC BY

Free Salem Scavenger Hunt

Are you an art fan planning to be in the Salem area this weekend? Well, if you are, you may want to check out the Salem Art Festival. The Salem Art Festival is a three-day celebration of art in all its forms, including the culinary arts, dance, film, music, painting, performance art, photography, poetry, sculpture, writing, theatre, and a whole lot more. In fact, the festival, which runs from today (June 5, 2015) until Sunday (June 7, 2015) has been giving local artists an opportunity to show off their work for seven years now, so there will be no shortage of things to see and people trying to see him.

However, if you’re concerned that your children may be a little too young for a large amount of family-friendly art, or in other words, will be bored out of their skulls by the time you’ve reached the second painting, you may be looking for something to keep them busy. If this is indeed the case, you’re in luck because this free scavenger hunt designed for children under the age of 12 will have you children looking for all of the famous (and not so-famous) landmarks around downtown Salem while you’re moving from one art location to the next (just so you know, the last location will have your kids looking for ice cream. You have been warned.)

Clue 1:
A very large bird after a long day in the sky,
Would return to his home on these sticks up high.

Clue 2:
Just as water flows down the side of a great mountain,
So too will it flow over you as it leaps from the…

Clue 3:
I have two hands upon my face.
You check my time to keep your pace.

Clue 4:
I ride on this right out of the room,
I’m magically powered with a crescent moon.

Clue 5:
During life, the falsely accused did their best,
But now their memorials all do rest,
By the side of the men who believed them unblessed.

Clue 6:
This museum is dedicated to people who were simply misunderstood
Because sometimes those who seem wicked are actually quite good.

Clue 7:
The first part of this place’s name is a person who uses a broom but has never swept the floor,
The second part of this place’s name is somewhere you live with your very own door.

Clue 8:
Looking for something oh so sweet?
Maria’s has something cold that is sure to help you beat the heat.

Answers: 1. The Stickwork Project’s Giant Bird Nests; 2. Fountain; 3. Almy’s Clock; 4. Bewitched Statue; 5. The Burying Point; 6. Witch Museum or Witch History Museum; 7. Witch House; 8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings.

Where Is All This Stuff? (All Locations are in Downtown Salem, MA):
1. The giant bird nests are part of the Stickwork art exhibit sculpted by Patrick Doherty, and these nest-like sculptures can be found in front of the Crowinshield-Bentley House at 126 Essex Street.
2. There are actually two fountains located on the pedestrian walkway on Essex Street, so you can look for one or both of them if you so choose. The first fountain (if you’re walking from the Crowinshield-Bentley House) is located in front of the Museum Place Mall and the second fountain is located across from Rockafellas at 231 Essex Street
3. The Almy’s Clock, which is the only thing left of the Almy’s, Bigelow, & Washburn Department Store that stood on the site until 1982, is located in front of the Commonwealth Financial Offices at 192 Essex Street.
4. The Bewitched Statue, which is a tribute to the fictional character Samantha Stephens from the famous TV series Bewitched, is located in Lappin Park at the intersection of Essex and Washington Street right in front of the Gulu Gulu Cafe.
5. The Burying Point, which was first established in 1637, is the oldest cemetery in Salem and the site of both John Hathorne, one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and the site of the memorial to the victims of the trials. The Burying Point is located on Charter Street behind the Peabody Essex Museum.
6. The Salem Witch Museum and the Salem Witch History Museum, which are run by two completely different organizations, are both dedicated to teaching people about the events of the Salem witch trials and the innocent individuals who became victims of the witch hysteria. The Salem Witch Museum is located at 19 1/2 North Washington Square diagonally across from Salem Common and the Witch History Museum is located on the pedestrian walkway at 197 Essex Street.
7. The Witch House, which was the home of Jonathan Corwin, is located at 310 Essex Street. Jonathan Corwin was one of the judges that presided over the witch trials, and his home is one of the only structures from the period with a direct link to the trials that is still standing.
8. Maria’s Sweet Somethings is a souvenir, sweets, and ice cream shop located at 26 Front Street right around corner from most of the art festival’s exhibits.

Photo credit: openroads.com / Foter / CC BY

A Snowy Valentine’s Day

Sick of the snow? Looking for something fun and warm to do this Valentine’s Day? Well, fear not. Even though Boston is under six and half feet of snow right now, there’s still plenty of stuff going on this weekend to keep you and your significant other entertained. In fact, even if you don’t have a significant other right now, there are a number of events in the Boston area this weekend that are sure to warm your heart even if they don’t necessarily warm your hands.

First, if you and/or your significant other are into sweets, there’s no better place to be this weekend than the Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival. The Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival is an annual tradition in Salem, Massachusetts that typically runs the week before Valentine’s Day, and this year is no different. This festival, which runs until 6:30 P.M. on Sunday (February 15, 2015), features over 15 ice sculptures (including some that aren’t completely buried in snow yet), chocolate tastings, discounts at local museums and restaurants, a raffle, wine tastings, and more. For more information on the Salem So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival, please visit the Salem Main Streets Festival page.

If, on the other hand, you and/or your beloved are more interested in mysteries than ice and chocolates or you are looking for some way to combine your Valentine’s Day celebration with Friday the 13th (without watching a movie like My Bloody Valentine), you may want to check out Marriage Can be Murder. Marriage Can be Murder is a murder mystery scheduled to take place at the Elephant and Castle Pub in Boston at 5:00, 6:30, and 8:00 P.M. tomorrow (February 14, 2015). This production, which will be performed by the Mystery Cafe, will place you and a group of other individuals in the role of wedding guests tasked with determining who committed the most horrific faux pas imaginable — murdering one of the other guests. In fact, you will not only be able to go through clues and use fake money to bribe the actors for more information between scenes but also join in all of the typical wedding festivities like trying to catch the bouquet, doing the chicken dance, and more. For more information on Marriage Can be Murder and/or to order tickets, please visit the Mystery Cafe website.

Finally, if you don’t have a significant other or you’ve always thought Valentine’s Day was a lame excuse to sell more greeting cards, Area Four in Cambridge has you covered. This is because Area Four is hosting their Fourth Annual Haters Valentine’s Day from 5:00 P.M. to midnight tomorrow (February 14, 2015). This somewhat unusual Valentine’s Day celebration will allow you to watch a series of angry films; listen to emo music; and sample a variety of anti-Valentine’s Day themed dishes, including Arrabbiata “Angry” Pizza, Jerked Chicken, Irate Rice, and Skewered Lamb Neck. For more information on the Fourth Annual Haters Valentine’s Day celebration, please visit Area Four’s Yelp event page.

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Halloween in Salem

Today marks the end of the Halloween countdown, as All Hallows Eve is finally upon us. In fact, if you’re a resident of Salem, today is the day when you have to decide whether you will batten down the hatches and hide in your house to avoid being overrun by tourists or accept the fact that if you can’t beat them, join them. However, if you’re not a resident or you’re a resident who has already accepted his or her fate, you may be trying to figure out exactly what you’re going to do while you’re in the city and/or how you’re going to get into the celebration in the first place. Fortunately, if this is indeed the case, it is important to remember that Halloween in Salem is only as scary as you want it to be, and there are a few things that you can do to make the day more enjoyable:

1. Prepare Yourself for the Mob Scene

Halloween is the biggest celebration of the year in Salem, and with All Hallows Eve on a Friday this year, you should expect there to be in excess of 100,000 people in the downtown area of the city (weather permitting.) To put this into perspective, the population of the city of Salem is approximately 42,500, which means that there will be over twice as many people in the city (if not three times as many people) as there are actually living here. In fact, that figure of 100,000 people doesn’t necessarily include all the people that have chosen to hide in their homes, so if you don’t like crowds, you may want to stay home or find somewhere else to go tonight. However, if you are still brave enough to make your way into the madness, you should expect a significant wait for anything that you want to do. This is because the big, slightly unruly mob that I keep mentioning will want to get into the same attractions, restaurants, and other things that you’re trying to get into as well.

2. Avoid the Traffic and Parking Nightmare

Getting over 100,000 people into a city that typically has 42,500, as you might guess, creates a lot of traffic. In fact, if you’re driving into the city after 4:00 P.M., you should expect to sit in traffic for 1 – 2 hours from the time you reach the highway exit for Salem. This means that you’re going to have a lot of trouble getting into the city, finding a parking space, and getting out of the city again. However, there are a couple of ways that you can avoid these problems.

First, come in early. The traffic in Salem usually escalates around the time that the city closes the roads downtown, which is at 4:00 P.M. this year. As a result, you may be able to avoid a significant amount of traffic, find a parking spot that’s a little further away but cheaper (which is a big deal when a parking spot could cost you $20 to $30), and get out of the city a little faster (from your parking spot closer to the city’s edge) if you’re in the city before 4:00 P.M. Secondly, you could avoid driving into the city altogether. The Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail train or the Salem Ferry will take you right into downtown Salem from Boston and the neighboring communities.

3. Enjoy the Frighteningly Free Activities

In addition to all of the vendors, carnival attractions, haunted houses, museums, and restaurants that Salem typically has to offer during this time of year, there are also a number of events on Halloween that are absolutely free. As a result, you may be able to have a great night without completely emptying your wallet by seeing Samhain rituals performed by actual witches, watching live bands performing in the streets, and topping it all off with some fireworks before you go. For more information on all of the events going on in Salem, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website.

Photo Credits

Angry Mob Photo Credit: hans s / Foter / CC BY-ND
Traffic Jam Now Fully Operational Photo Credit: psd / Foter / CC BY
Music by the TOKYO TRAMPS Photo Credit: }{enry / Foter / CC BY

The Final Countdown To Halloween

The final countdown to All Hallows Eve has begun, which means that this week is your last chance to brace yourself for the oncoming storm of kids in costume screaming “trick or treat” at your door. However, if you just haven’t been able to get yourself into the Halloween spirit yet this year and the idea of buying candy for all of the little creatures that go bump in the night is the most horrifying thing you can think of right now, fear not. There are plenty of ways that you can find the spirit of the holiday this weekend. In fact, this week is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Salem, so there will definitely be plenty of Halloween things to do, especially if you are a fan of horror.

First, if you’re a big fan of horror movies and/or you love getting every autograph you possibly can, you may want to head over to Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery in Downtown Salem this weekend. This is because Tony Moran, one of the actors who played Michael Myers in the film Halloween will be appearing at Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery from 12:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. tonight (Friday, October 24, 2014), tomorrow (Saturday, October 25, 2014), and Sunday (October 26, 2014). This event will give you the opportunity to meet one of the first actors to portray the masked lunatic, get his autograph, and enjoy all of the horror movie knowledge the Nightmare Gallery has to offer. For more information on Tony Moran’s appearance at Count Orlok’s, please visit the Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery website.

Secondly, if you prefer your horror villains to be a little less scary and perhaps a little more cheesy or you’ve just always loved Michael Jackson’s music videos, there’s an event tomorrow morning at Dead Horse Beach near the Salem Willows that is simply to die for (yes, I actually just wrote that.) This is because Dead Horse Beach is hosting a Zombie Flash Mob tomorrow (Saturday, October 25, 2014) at 8:30 A.M. This group of talented and not-so-talented zombie dancers will be recreating the famous music video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller. As a result, if you’ve ever wanted to be a zombie dancer or if you’ve ever wanted to see a flash mob up close and personal, here’s your chance. For more information on the Zombie “Thriller” Dance Flash Mob, which is sponsored by Conquest Creative Media, please visit the Zombie “Thriller” Dance Flash Mob’s Eventbrite page.

Finally, if you like the idea of a horror dance, but you’re looking for something a little bigger, there are three major Halloween dances in Salem this weekend alone. The first dance this weekend is the Annual Halloween Party at the Hawthorne Hotel, which will allow you to dance the night away to a Mardi Gras Masquerade theme with everyone in masks, beads, colorful costumes, and more. The second dance this weekend is the Wicked Night on the Wharf, which will allow you to make your way around the dance floor of the Salem Waterfront Hotel admiring all of the crazy costumes as the hotel’s DJ plays a variety of hit music. The third and final dance this weekend is the 5th Annual Zombie Prom, which is exactly what it sounds like as over 600 people will dress up as zombies and compete to be crowned Zombie Prom Queen or Zombie Prom King. For more information on all of these dances and other events in Salem right up until Halloween weekend, please visit the Salem Haunted Happenings website.

Photo credit: jamieanne / Foter / CC BY-ND