Controlled chaos is probably the best term to describe Salem on a Saturday Halloween. In fact, I’m pretty sure there’s got to be a dictionary somewhere that has a picture of downtown Salem next to the term because on an average Saturday Halloween, you can expect there to be in excess of 150,000 people in the Witch City. Now, to put this into prospective, 150,000 people is over three times the number of people that actually live in the city on a regular basis. That’s a lot of people, and that number can be even higher when the weather is really nice. This means that if you live in Salem or you’re planning a trip to Salem on Halloween night, you need to be prepared to embrace the madness.
However, in order to truly embrace the madness, there are a few things that you need to remember:
1. Choose Your Costume Carefully
There’s never a shortage of people in costume in Salem during October, and Halloween is, without a doubt, the peak of the costume season. However, most people just go with the first idea that pops into their head, and they don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what they’re wearing. Unfortunately, the temperature in Salem on Halloween night can range anywhere from 35 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the year, so it’s always a good idea to have a costume with some layers (especially if you can easily remove some of those layers and throw them in your bag or your car when you realize it’s warmer than you thought it was.)
As a result, if you decide to dress-up like an Arabian princess, a Chippendale dancer, a gladiator, a mermaid, a naughty nurse, or some other similarly scantily-clad individual, you may find that it can be pretty cold on a chilly fall night. It’s also important to consider what emergency personnel may think of your costume if the unthinkable happens and you need medical attention because, trust me, the nurses at the local hospitals are not going to find your naughty nurse costume as entertaining as you do. In addition to considering the warmth and emergency implications of your costume, it is also important to make sure that you wear comfortable shoes (you’ll be doing a lot of walking), make sure that you do not have any weapons of any kind (real or fake because the city prohibits both costume and real weapons), and avoid long trailing items like capes or gowns (because they may get caught on things and trip you, trip other people, and/or just get torn to shreds.)
2. Take Public Transportation If You Can
As page 5 of the Haunted Happenings Guide states: “Traffic in October can be scary!” This is certainly true for Halloween and is especially true for a Halloween on a Saturday because, weather permitting, there will be somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people trying to get into Salem tomorrow. This means that trying to drive into the city and find somewhere to park may be worse than and, quite possibly, more expensive than your worst nightmare. As a result, taking the Commuter Rail or the Salem Ferry can be a much easier way to enjoy Salem’s All Hallows Eve festivities because these services will allow you to avoid the traffic and the enormous parking fees.
If you feel like you have to drive into the city because public transportation just isn’t going to work for you though, try to come in early. The earlier in the day you come, the less traffic there will be.
3. If There’s Something You Really Want to Do In Salem, Book It Now!
The one thing that is absolutely, positively guaranteed on Halloween night, regardless of whether it is a Saturday or not, is that everything in Salem will be packed (unless the weather is horrible.) This means that if there is something that you really want to get into on Halloween night, try to see if you can get tickets for it now. Some places in Salem will not take reservations for Halloween night because they are guaranteed to fill up their seats from foot traffic alone. However, some places will take reservations and/or sell advance tickets, so it is always a good idea to see if you can book what you want to do now because it will give you a much better chance of getting into the restaurant or show that you want to check out.
Photo Credits
Hippie Girl Photo Credit: jramspott / Foter / CC BY
Broom Photo Credit: nanaow2006 / Foter / CC BY
Necronomicon Photo credit: liftarn / Foter / CC BY-SA