Kickoff the season at the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade on October 2nd, 2025

The 28th Annual Salem Chamber of Commerce Haunted Happenings Grand Parade will take place, as always, on the first Thursday of October, October 2nd, 2025. We are extremely grateful for the support of our Presenting Sponsors: St. Jeans Credit Union, Salem Witch Museum, The House of the Seven Gables, and Prime Group Shetland Park. We would not be able to host this local-favorite annual event with their generous support. The theme for this year’s Parade is “Stronger Together – The Magic of Us”, celebrating the power of unity and imagination. From classrooms to covens, Salem’s true magic is the joy we create together. Join us as we light up the night with spooky spirit and community pride!
 
We are excited to announce that the Parade Grand Marshalls for this year are Omri Katz, Vinessa Shaw, Tobias Jelinek, Larry Bagby, and Jason Marsden, members of the cast from the beloved Halloween film, Hocus Pocus along with their friends Borah Brewington Snaggletooth and Miz Diamond Wigfall!  Returning to Salem for their 3rd year with the event series, “Its All A Bunch of Halloween”, they couldn’t miss the kickoff to the Halloween season! DJ Cheetah will be spinning the Halloween dance classics on Salem Common to keep the party going until 8:30PM after the parade.
 
The Parade is a special nighttime tradition for the city of Salem and visitors alike to officially kick off Salem’s Halloween season. The evening should be a night full of color, pageantry, music, and the enthusiasm of thousands of Salem’s students from kindergarten to college plus many local business owners. Over 15,000 spectators (children, adults, and those in between) are expected to attend.
 
The major change for this year’s parade is the entire parade route, from Shetland Park to the Salem Common, will be lined with pedestrian safety barriers to keep the route clear. The audience is asked to remain behind the barriers for their own safety and that of the parade participants. Crossing points will be attended by parade volunteers from the local community – we extend a huge thank you to all who volunteer to support the event. Looking to Volunteer? Please visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/ParadeVolunteers2025 to learn more and sign up.
 
To help ensure the success of this event, the Salem Chamber requested the support of the Salem business community. We want to thank Coffee Time Bake Shop, Desjardin Insurance Agency, Rockland Trust Bank, & The Hive Workspace for sponsoring banners in the parade!
 
For more information, please visit the Salem Chamber website at www.salem-chamber.org.

Photo credit to the Creative Collective.