Crowds pack Salem on the night before Halloween

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Halloween 2010: Videos and Photos

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October 30, 2010

Amanda McGregor The Salem News The Salem News Sun Oct 31, 2010, 05:30 PM EDT

SALEM — The city's month-long Halloween celebration intensified today, drawing huge crowds to downtown Salem to enjoy the sights and scenes in advance of the big night tomorrow.

Things picked up early today, as evidenced by 16 tour buses parked along Hawthorne Boulevard onto Congress Street at 9 a.m.

By nightfall, police closed Washington Street in response to the heavy volume of pedestrians.

People traveled from far and wide to experience Salem on Halloween weekend. Mary Ann Gaydos of Forkston, Penn., waited in a line to get into Hex witch shop on Essex Street Saturday around 2 p.m.

“We were looking for something to do while visiting my niece at Wellesley” College, Gaydos said. “After this we’re going to look for something to eat and maybe go to a haunted house.”

Throughout the day, people in costumes roamed the streets and posed for photos. Popular costumes this year included witches, the Queen of Hearts from “Alice in Wonderland,” Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and the Nintendo characters Mario and Luigi.

Karen Henry, who lives in Canton, and Springs Toledo, a Plymouth resident, walked around dressed as a gothic witch and Elvis Presley, respectively.

“We like the characters, and we like to be characters,” said Toledo, who wore a flashy gold suit.

There were free outdoor concerts yesterday, street performers, walking tours, a beer tent, the Derby Street Carnival and more, as well as private parties and events like the annual Hawthorne Hotel ball last night, which had a “Bedlam Behind Bars” theme this year.

Valerie Kerin, who lives in Worcester, wore an elaborate costume as Mumtaz, the famous Indian princess for whom the Taj Mahal was built. She went to the Hawthorne Hotel ball with her sister, Krista Kerin, and Krista’s husband, Mark Howell, who live in Bolton, Conn. and dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.

“I’ve been (to Salem on Halloween) twice before and I really love it,” said Valerie Kerin, who wore flowers in her hair, a sequin top, big earrings to her shoulders, and a flowing Indian-style veil and dress. “It’s so much fun.”

Krista Kerin said she liked seeing the imagination and creativity of all the costumes.

“There’s a milkman walking around with a pregnant housewife,” she said with a laugh.

In addition to the costumed revelers, there were also proselytizers who set up microphones and amplifiers at Lappin Park and in front of the Peabody Essex Museum, angering some passersby who bellowed back at them.

Michael Marcavage, a Pennsylvania street preacher who was found guilty of disorderly conduct during Salem's Halloween festivities in 2007, was back in the Witch City yesterday, stationed in front of the museum with signs denouncing homosexuality. Some members of the crowd shouted at Marcavage as he preached.

“We have enough officers out there to maintain control,” Salem Police Lt. Matt Desmond said of the activity around Salem on Halloween Eve.

This is the first time in years that Halloween fell on a Sunday, so police and downtown businesses braced for a weekend-long celebration.

The police presence was noticeable and included Salem Police officers, members of Essex County Sheriff’s Department, and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department Mounted Unit.

The Visitors Information Booth, located at the intersection of Essex and Washington streets, had already helped 2,500 people by 4 p.m. yesterday, according to Jennifer Bell, director of Salem Main Streets.

Bell said the volunteers at the booth helped a total of 19,366 people on October weekends so far this season, exceeding last year’s by nearly 3,000 people already.

“It’s amazing,” said Bell. “There’s just so many people. It’s great.”

As of 9 p.m., police had made no arrests related to the Halloween celebrations.

Staff writer Amanda McGregor can be reached at amcgregor@salemnews.com.

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Crowds pack Salem on the night before Halloween

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