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.
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