Tag: Salem Willows

The Final Countdown To Halloween

Zombie Cupcakes
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

Escaping the Dog Days of Summer

Salem Willows Park Sign
The dog days of summer have officially begun, and the heat that is associated with the season is definitely upon us. In fact, if you’ve been anywhere in the Northeast over the past couple of weeks, you’ve probably been watching your thermometer melt (if it hasn’t just quit on you in an outright act of defiance) as your next door neighbors attempt to cook their breakfast on the sidewalk. Fortunately, if the forecasts for this weekend are even remotely close to correct, the next few days should be a whole lot nicer. As a result, you may want to use this time to get out and enjoy the weather before your thermometer goes on strike again. And, if getting outside while it’s cool sounds like a good plan to you, you may want to check out one of the big summer festivals that is scheduled for this weekend.

First, if you’re a big fan of seafood or you just like hanging out by the ocean, you may want to head over to the Salem Willows this weekend. This is because the Salem Willows Seafood Festival begins today (July 11, 2014) at 12:00 P.M. This festival, which will run until 10:00 P.M. on Sunday, will give you and anyone you feel like bringing with you the opportunity to try some of the best seafood on the North Shore, to watch cooking demonstrations, to peruse a variety of items from local artists and merchants, listen to music from a variety of local bands, and entertain your kids with games and other activities. The festival will also feature fireworks, a lobster roll eating competition, and more. For more information on the Salem Willows Seafood Festival, please visit the Fest Events website.

Secondly, if you’re not really all that into seafood or you’re just a much bigger fan of the tried and true New England tradition of eating ice cream until you explode, WGBH may have the festival for you. This is because WGBH is hosting their annual FunFest tomorrow (Saturday, July 12, 2014) from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. This festival, which is definitely aimed at the younger crowd, will allow you and your children to choose from a wide assortment of ice cream favors while you listen to music, play games, and meet some well-known children’s characters like Arthur, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Curious George. For more information on the WGBH FunFest, please visit the WGBH website.

Photo credit: peretzpup / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)