Salem Events Oct 29-Nov 5: A Drone Show Over the North River

Halloween is Saturday, which is the version of this week locals brace for. The short answer on Saturday night: the drone show goes up over the North River at 10:15, the streets clear at 10:30, and everything else in town is arranged around that. The long answer is the whole week below, Thursday October 29 through Thursday November 5, with times and links for every pick.

IF YOU DO ONE THING

Look up over the North River at 10:15 Saturday night.

The Halloween Night Finale is a drone show, free, outdoors, no ticket, and it is the official close of Haunted Happenings. The drones go up at 10:15 and the city clears the streets at 10:30, so plan to be moving by then rather than looking for one more bar.

Saturday, October 31 · 10:15 PM · Downtown Salem, over the North River · Free · All ages

If you go, tell them you heard it from From Witch City.

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Two Hildas Fly Into A Bar: An Evening with Caroline Rhea + Lucy Davis. 4 to 6 PM, The Hotel Salem, 209 Essex Street. Both actors who played Hilda, in one room, in the right city for it. Details

Haunted Happenings Marketplace at Charlotte Forten Park. 5 to 9 PM, 289 Derby Street. Free to browse. Details

Blown Glass Pumpkins and Fused Glass Dream Catchers with NSGS. 6 PM, North Shore Glass School, Proctor Street. Details

The Salem Haunted Magic Show: HYSTERIA: Ghost Psychic! 6:30 PM, Emerson Hall Theater, 50 Washington Street. Details

Witches Amongst Us: A 1692 Experience. 7 PM, The Cellar, 209 Essex Street. Details

Also Thursday: From Another Galaxy specials at Flying Saucer from 4, A Spirited Evening Connecting with the Other Side at 7, The Wicked Running Club at 5, East Reggie Run Club at 6, plus Slasher Day, Sips and Myths, The Haunted Hall and Start the Night at Bernadette, all of which last week's issue covered.

Tea and Cake Tasting at Jolie. 3 to 5 PM, Jolie Tea Company, 316 Derby Street. Free, every Friday, and they put out the newest cake. Details

Salem's Comedy Coven: Hotel Salem Takeover. 7 to 9 PM, The Cellar beneath The Hotel Salem. A haunted comedy pop-up with Witch City Comedy. Underground, away from the crowds. Details

Playing with Fire, live music, no cover. 8 PM, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, 247 Essex Street. Details

Terror Ticket: Raveyard. 8 to 10 PM, The Lost Library, 282 Derby Street. The haunted houses get a live DJ after dark. Details

Caroline Rhea: An Intimate + Witchy Night of Comedy for a Cause. 8:30 to 10:30 PM, The Hotel Salem. Stand-up as a benefit, the night before Halloween. Details

Also Friday: Judes and The Hutch's Halloween Spooktacular Set at East Regiment, 6 to 9, no cover and all ages; Friday Afternoon Drop-In Art: Tiny Stick Brooms at PEM, 3 PM; the Marketplace at Charlotte Forten Park from 5.

Houdini Halloween Magic Show and Curator Talk. 11 AM to noon, Peabody Essex Museum. Thirty dollars. Anton Andresen marks 100 years since Houdini died by performing his material. Details

Halloween Night Live Music. Noon to 8 PM, stages around downtown. Free. VANTABLAK opens the Salem Common stage at noon, Baechtold and Abel Aerial Artistry at 1 and 3, Studio Two at 4:15 and 5:30, the Salem Witches' Magic Circle at 5, and DJ Cheetah on Washington Street from 6:45. Details

Halloween Costume Party at Far From The Tree. 1 PM, 108 Jackson Street. Details

Double Trouble: Halloween Night Dance Party. 8 PM, Gulu-Gulu Cafe. Maxine Harrison and Buster Pants, DJ sets all night. Details

Halloween's Fright Night Costume Party. 8 PM, Colonial Hall at Rockafellas, 231 Essex Street. DJ Von. Details

Also Saturday: the Marketplace at Salem Common and at Derby Square from 10; the Salem Witches' Magic Circle on the Common at 5; Witches Amongst Us at 6; The Official Salem Witches' Halloween Ball at the Hawthorne, whose door time is not posted anywhere we can find, so check before you go; and Party On! at the AOH plus Rock Cauldron Cabaret at The Cove, both from last week's issue.

Haunted Happenings Marketplace at Derby Square. 10 AM to 6 PM. Free. Closing day of the 2026 season, at Derby Square, Salem Common and Charlotte Forten Park. Details

Frankenstein's Castle Haunted House. From 10 AM. Last day of the run, along with the Haunted Witch Village walkthrough. Details

Feed Your Mind and Our Community. 10 AM to 6 PM, Wicked Good Books, 260 Essex Street. Free admission, every Sunday. Details

Groove Gamers of Salem: Rhythm Game Meet-Up. 5:30 PM. Details

Mooncusser's Tales: Haunted Maritime History. 8 PM. Details

Also Sunday: The Great Age of Sail and Hawthorne's Tales at 11, the Food Court at Old Town Hall from 11, the Ladies of Salem Walking Tour at 3, Notch Run Club at noon.

A quiet one, and after the weekend Salem has just had, that is the point.

Stitch Night at Circle of Stitches. 6:30 PM, 78 Wharf Street. Details

Open Mic Night. Sign-ups 6:30, music 7 to 9 PM, East Regiment Beer Company, 30 Church Street. Details

Cry Innocent: The People Versus Bridget Bishop. 7 PM. Details

Also Monday: Tai Chi at St. Peter's-San Pedro Church at 1.

National Sandwich Day. 11 AM, Village Tavern, 168 Essex Street. Details

Test Kitchen Tuesdays. 5 PM, Hallowed Ground, 87 Washington Street. Details

Live Jazz at The Babe with Steve Lacey and Pat Dole. 6 to 9 PM, 268 Washington Street. Free admission. Details

Salem Writers Group. 7 PM, Salem Athenaeum, 337 Essex Street. Details

Yesh! Trivia at the Shanty. 7 PM, The Lobster Shanty, 25 Front Street. Details

Also Tuesday: Writers' Open Studio at 9 AM, Tuesday Trivia at ERBC at 7, Trivia Night at Village Tavern at 7:30.

Bingo with Will Pottorf. 6 PM, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, 247 Essex Street. Details

Notch Run Club. 6 PM, Notch Brewing, 283R Derby Street. Details

Comedy Open Mic. 6:30 PM, Hallowed Ground, 87 Washington Street. Details

Weirdo Wednesdays. 7:30 PM, CinemaSalem. Details

Survivor 51 Watch Party. 8 PM, Far From The Tree, 108 Jackson Street. Details

Also Wednesday: Open Mic Night at Far From The Tree at 5, Tai Chi at St. Peter's-San Pedro Church at 4:30.

National Donut Day. 11 AM, Village Tavern, 168 Essex Street. Details

Americana Lecture: Cocked and Boozy, An Intoxicating History of the American Revolution. 6 PM, Hamilton Hall, 9 Chestnut Street. Details

House of Poems. 7 to 9 PM, Tarot Cove, 61 Wharf Street. Bring something of your own or just listen. Details

Arcade Era Karaoke. 9 PM, Bit Bar, 278 Derby Street. Details

Thirstiest Thursday. 9 PM, Koto, 90 Washington Street. Details

Also next Thursday: Rock Cauldron Cabaret at 8:30, Salem's Comedy Coven at 7, Trivia at Dire Wolf at 7, Thursday Night Trivia at Couch Dog at 7:30.

Satanic Organist Concert by Korean organist "Pain". Friday November 6, 6 PM. Details

Samhain Open Ritual. Sunday November 8, 4 PM. Details

Salem Literary Festival. Opens Thursday November 12, 6 PM. Details

Before you plan a drive in on Saturday, check the road closure list on hauntedhappenings.org or salemma.gov. All 270+ events for the week, with times and venues, are on the events page.

THE DINNER CLUB

Dinner Club is Tuesday.

Six people, one table, a good meal and real conversation. You take a short quiz, we match you with five compatible locals and pick the restaurant, and you find out where the morning of. After dinner every table meets up somewhere for a drink.

Every single person who has booked a seat so far gave the same reason for coming: they are looking for new friends.

Tuesday, November 3 · 6:30 PM · Salem · Dinner on your own tab

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