Haunted Happenings event set to raise support and awareness for local organization
SALEM– Haunted Happenings has once again returned to Salem this October with a month of signature events, family activities, live entertainment, and Halloween festivities throughout the city. This year’s celebration takes on added significance as Salem marks its 400th anniversary. The City of Salem and Salem400+ have been marking this milestone year with parades, parties, fun events, park and infrastructure improvements, and this month, in a nod toward Salem’s iconic annual Haunted Happenings celebrations, a special attempt to make history with a world record attempt, as hundreds (or even thousands) of people wearing witch hats gather in the park along the city’s historic waterfront. Whether you’re a local, a longtime Haunted Happenings fan, or visiting Salem for the first time, this is your chance to be part of a 400th anniversary moment. Come for the record. Stay for the waterfront, the shops, the restaurants, & the full Salem experience.
Community members interested in participating should plan to don their favorite witch hat of any size, style or color and head to Salem Maritime National Historical Park (160 Derby Street, Salem) on Saturday, October 17, 2026 before 11:00am. History making photos of the assembled crowd will be taken from overhead at and shortly after 11:00am. As many road closures will be in place throughout downtown due to large anticipated weekend crowds, participants should avoid driving to the park, expect significant foot traffic throughout downtown at that time, and plan to allow for extra time in order to make their way to the event.
One of the world’s largest Halloween celebrations, Salem Haunted Happenings draws more than 1 million visitors from around the globe for a uniquely Salem blend of history, culture, creativity, and Halloween fun. This year, festivities formally kicked off October 1 with the traditional Salem Chamber of Commerce Haunted Happenings Grand Parade and will continue throughout the month, this year culminating on Halloween night with a spectacular 400-drone show commemorating Salem’s 400th anniversary.
“October is a time when Salem’s history, creativity, and community spirit are on especially on full display,” remarked Mayor Dominick Pangallo, “While we’ve been marking Salem 400+ throughout 2026 in many ways, from signature parks and infrastructure improvements, to parades, parties and historic lectures, and honoring volunteerism and special community members and more, this year’s Haunted Happenings festivities need a commemorative Salem 400+ moment as well, and we’re excited to take the opportunity during this busy time of the year for a commemorative history-making photo capturing the excitement in Salem at this time of year. The Witch Hats on the Wharf event is a fun opportunity for people to be part of Salem400+ history, and I encourage community members to walk down to Derby Wharf to join in the fun. I’m grateful to Destination Salem, Salem Maritime National Historical Park Services, and City of Salem staff for making this fun event possible, and I’m especially proud that the commemorative witch hat campaign will also support HAWC and its vital work serving survivors and families throughout our region.”
“We’re especially excited for this year’s Salem Haunted Happenings as we celebrate Salem’s 400th anniversary and welcome visitors from around the world to experience everything that makes October in Salem so special,” said Ashley Judge, Executive Director of Destination Salem. “One of the highlights will be Witch Hats on the Wharf, when we invite residents and visitors to fill Derby Wharf with witch hats for an unforgettable community photo and world record attempt. It’s a fun and uniquely Salem way to bring everyone together and make a little history during this milestone year.”
Along with this event, the City of Salem is selling limited-edition Salem 400+ branded witch hats and patches at the Witch House, Charter Street Cemetery, and Old Town Hall – while supplies last. Hats are $30 and patches are $7. All proceeds will be donated to HAWC (Healing Abuse, Working for Change), a Salem-based nonprofit that has spent over four decades providing free, trauma-informed services to survivors of domestic abuse across 23 cities and towns on Massachusetts’ North Shore. The special-edition hats and patches feature the Salem 400+ logo in HAWC’s signature purple and orange colors.
WHAT: Witch Hats on the Wharf
WHEN: Saturday, October 17 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Salem Maritime National Historical Park, Salem, Mass.
www.hauntedhappenings.org/event/witch-hats-on-the-wharf/
Hosted by the City of Salem, Salem Maritime National Historical Park and Destination Salem, the event will also feature special-edition Salem 400 witch hats sold by the City to benefit HAWC.
Image credit: Witches gather in Salem. Photo by thewitchtographer.com
