Thrill the Common!

Salem State University is hosting its third annual Thriller Monster Mash.  I love this event.  It began in 2008 as part of the global a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Thriller.  Today the event stands on its own as a highlight of Salem Haunted Happenings.

So, join the Salem State dancer in an instructional session at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 23 at the Boys & Girls Club on Hawthorne Boulevard.  You'll learn all of the super-cool moves of the undead, and at 1:30 PM you will reconvene (after a break for sustenance) to do the dance for the public on Salem Common. 

But wait! There's more! Prizes for the best Zombie costumes! 

If you aren't up for putting on your Zombie best and dancing, stop by the Common at 1:30 to watch Thriller be performed. For complete information, visit SalemState.edu/arts. Advanced reservations to participate in the dance are required.

Hope to see you on the Common on Saturday! 

Pumpkin Decorating Contest on Salem Common

Pumpkins decorated by Salem school children were submitted to the third annual Decorated Pumpkin Competition and Display on Salem Common, presented by Fiesta Shows and the City of Salem.  There are some impressive guord creations, so if you find youself near Salem Common, stop by to check it out.  

 

The pumpkin display is adjacent to the Haunted Happenings food court, which has all of those necessary festival treats including fried dough, french fries, apple crisp, cotton candy, and hot dogs.

There's a haybale maze for kids on the Common for the rest of the month, as well.  Good wholesome fall fun! 

 

The hours for the haybale maze, food court, and pumpkin display are 12pm-6pm Sunday through Thursday and 12pm - 9pm Friday and Saturday through Halloween. 

Leave your broomstick at home and ride the T to Salem!

The MBTA has released its schedule for October 23-24 and 30-31.  Each year the T enhances their service to Salem to accommodate everyone coming in for Haunted Happenings, and we appreciate it!

If you're coming up for Halloween, look for the double-decker trains again this year! 

Visit http://www.mbta.com/riding_the_t/haunted_happenings/ for all of the information!

Traffic in and out of Salem for Haunted Happenings can get pretty tedious.  Take the train and you won't have to worry about it!

(Once you arrive in Salem via train, step off the train and turn to your left.  There is a stairwell at the end of the platform that will take you up to the top of Washington Street. Follow Washington Street to Essex Street, and you will find yourself at Town House Square, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and our temporary visitor information booth.  Everything in Salem is walkable, just wear comfortable shoes!!)

A word (or two) about Gallows Hill

Many visitors to Salem want to see Gallows Hill.  Legend has it that there is a hillside in Salem where the condemned were hanged. 

The Salem Witch Museum includes Gallows Hill Park in their list of sites associated with the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, noting:

The Salem witchcraft authority, Charles W. Upham, chose this hill as the probable site of the hangings of the nineteen condemned witches in 1692. Executions for witchcraft occurred here on June 10, July 19, August 19, and September 22. 

And adding: 

The present author believes that the actual site of the executions lies on a lower hill nearer the town. The great height and rugged terrain of this hill would have precluded transporting the condemned to this site in a cart, which is known to have occurred.

Gallows Hill Park is located off of Proctor Street, near the intersection of Mansell Parkway and Witch Hill Road.  If you ask about Gallows Hill at the Salem Visitor Center, the rangers and volunteers can provide driving directions to the park.

Before you drive through residential Salem neighborhoods, however, you should know what to expect.  It's a soccer field.  And a playground.  There is no evidence of a hanging tree, and no remains of a gallows. 

We actually do not know for sure where the gallows of 1692 were located, and we do not know if there were actual gallows or a hanging tree.  We do not know where the bodies of the condemned were buried, but we do know that the condemned were not entitled to a Christian burial within the church.

If you are seeking a place that is appropriate for reflecting on the Trials of 1692, the condemned, and the accused, we recommend visiting the Salem Witch Trials Memorial on Liberty Street between Charter and Derby Streets.  This memorial is a somber location that remembers those who died innocent people during the hysteria.  Their words fell on deaf ears, and they forever remain symbols of what happens when a society becomes intollerant, choosing hysteria instead of reason.

You are welcome to visit Gallows Hill, as well.  You may find a place peaceful reflection there.  Or you may find soccer practice.

Pictures from the Grand Parade

The 15th Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade took to the streets of Salem last night.  Featuring hundreds of Salem school children, marching bands from Salem and around the region, some very imaginative floats, horses from the Plymouth Mounted Unit, the parade was - again - a success!

Here are a few of my pictures. Clearly my camera is no match for subjects in motion at night, so if you have better pictures - post them on the Haunted Happenings Facebook page, or email them to me at info@hauntedhappenings.org and I'll post them here on the blog!

The theme for this year's parade was, "Around the World," which is fitting for Salem's international connections!  

October Availability Update

It's not too late to plan to come to Salem this October!

Here's a quick list of who has what (tickets, rooms, shuttle service) to get you hear for the great celebration that we call Haunted Happenings!

The Hawthorne Hotel has rooms available on October 3-7, October 17-21, and October 24-28 (Autumn is lovely in Salem whether it's a Wednesday or a Saturday, and it's much easier to get a table in our delicious restaurants mid-week!) Tickets for the Bedlam Behind Bars Halloween Ball are still available. $90 each. Call 978-744-4080 or buy tickets online at TicketWeb.com.

The Holiday Inn & Suites (Boston/North Shore on Route 1 in Peabody) has rooms available throughout the month, including Halloween weekend! (Note that they are sold out on the 2nd, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 22nd, 23rd, and 30th.) They do not have a minimum length of stay, and these rooms will sell out! Ask about their complimentary shuttle service between the hotel and Salem during October. For more information call (978) 535-4600.

A short drive north in Beverly, the Wylie Inn & Conference Center has availability throughout the month. They have a 2-night minimum on the 9th, 30th, and 31st, and the Wylie Inn is sold out on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 13th, and 18th.

A bit further north in Rockport, The Pleasant Street Inn also has vacancies throughout October. Rates at the Pleasant Street Inn range from $110 to $150 +tax (per night, double occupancy) and include breakfast. There are no minimum stay requirements.

Also in Rockport, the Emerson Inn by the Sea has a two night minimum for Saturday night stays, and they have availability throughout October (some nights only have one or two rooms left, though). The Emerson Inn has a hotel package that includes tickets and transportation to the Bedlam Behind Bars Ball at the Hawthorne Hotel on October 30!

Rockport is an easy connection to Salem via the MBTA Commuter Rail. The 30 minute ride will drop you at the Salem Depot, a 5 minute walk from the visitor center, and you will avoid traffic and parking!

New Haunted Happenings Events at the PEM

Check out these new events scheduled for October at the Peabody Essex Museum. We are adding these, and dozens of other events, to the calendar on HauntedHappenings.org. We are also updating business listings daily, so make sure to visit the page early and often!

Just 90 days until the Salem Haunted Happenings Grand Parade. Are you ready?!

Saturday, October 9
Edible Art Festival – 10:15am – 4pm
Celebrate art inspired by food! Marvel at chocolate architecture by Food Network celebrity Jorg Amsler, enjoy a gourd banjo performance, and make your own food-inspired art. Peabody Essex Museum – 978-745-9500 – pem.org

Sunday, October 10
Edible Art Festival – 11am – 4:30pm
Celebrate art inspired by food! Marvel at chocolate architecture by Food Network celebrity Jorg Amsler, experience Tanglewood Marionettes' "Hansel and Gretel", and enjoy food-inspired art activities. Peabody Essex Museum – 978-745-9500 – pem.org

Friday, October 22
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with Devil Music Ensemble – 6:30-9:30pm
This 1920 silent film coupled with Devil Music Ensemble’s haunting, original score performed live. Plus enjoy art activates and more. Ages 9 and up recommended. $10 admission, kids under 16 are free. Peabody Essex Museum – 978-745-9500 – pem.org

Availability in Salem this October

If you have tried to make hotel reservations for October recently, you have undoubtedly been impressed by how popular Salem is in October! Indeed, rooms during our annual Haunted Happenings festival go fast.

Here are a few tips regarding October:

1. Come mid-week. There are plenty of rooms in Salem during the midweek, so if you are looking for foliage and a Halloween feel without having to be here for Halloween night, try to come up during the week. All of the haunted tours, attractions, and museums are open throughout the week, and you will encounter fewer crowds midweek.
2. Look at regional properties. There are a lot of great hotels in neighboring towns, and they have rooms available for October weekends.
3. Plan for 2011! Check with different accommodations for their reservation policies, and get ready to be first in line for next year. (And still come this year! Haunted Happenings is a blast whether you are staying downtown or in Danvers.)

Here is hotel availability as we know it for the week ending May 20. All rates quoted are per night, do not include tax, and are subject to change.


Salem

Amelia Payson House
16 Winter Street, Salem
978.744.8304 | AmeliaPaysonHouse.com
The Details: Availability October 1-6, 10-27. Multiple night minimums on the weekend.

Clipper Ship Inn
40 Bridge Street, Salem
978.745.8022 | ClipperShipInn.com
The Details: Halloween weekend is sold out, but there is availability earlier in the month. There is a two-night minimum for weekends, and a three-night minimum for Columbus Day weekend. Rates are between $145 - $250 per night.

Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West, Salem
978.744.4080 | HawthorneHotel.com
The Details: The Hawthorne has availability on October 1, 3 - 7, 11 - 21, 24 - 28. Rates are $149 - $209 per night.

Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites
225 Derby Street, Salem 01970
888.337.2536 | SalemWaterfrontHotel.com
The Details: The hotel has availability throughout October, but weekends are booking up quickly. Weeknight rates start at $199 and weekend rates start at $269.

Stepping Stone Inn
19 Washington Square North, Salem
978.741.8900 | TheSteppingStoneInn.com
The Details: Columbus Day Weekend (October 9-11) and Halloween Weekend are sold out. Other weekends and all mid-week days are available.

Winter Island Maritime Park - Campground
50 Winter Island Road, Salem
978.745.9430
The Details: There is availability throughout the month, but Columbus Day and Halloween weekends are filling up. Rates range from $32 - $47 per night, depending on if you need a tent site, RV site, or waterfront RV site.


Beverly

Beverly Garden Suites
5 Lakeview Avenue, Beverly
978.922.7535 | BeverlyGardenSuites.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates are $109 - $139.


Danvers

Comfort Inn North Shore
50 Dayton Street, Danvers
978.777.1700 | ComfortInnDanvers.com
The Details: Availability throughout the month. Rates from $119 - $159 per night.


Gloucester

Cape Ann's Marina Resort
75 Essex Avenue, Gloucester
978.283.2116 | CapeAnnMarina.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates from $105 - $149 per night.


Marblehead

Harbor Light Inn
58 Washington Street, Marblehead
781.631.2186 | HarborLightInn.com
The Details: 3 night minimum for Halloween weekend, 2 night minimum for other October weekends. Rates are $195-$365 per night.


Rockport

Seven South Street Inn
7 South Street, Rockport
888.284.2730 | SevenSouthStreetInn.com
The Details: Availability throughout October.

The Tuck Inn B&B
17 High Street, Rockport
800.789.7260 | TuckInn.com
The Details: Availability throughout October. Rates are $96 - $146 per night.