The Halloween celebration known as Salem Haunted Happenings is well underway, and will run its course through the month of October. With so many events and attractions to choose from, and they are all absolutely LGBTQ-welcoming, here are five things not to miss this October in Salem.
- Let’s do the time warp again (and again and again and again). Grab your red lipstick, your garters and head to Old Town Hall in Derby Square for one of the only eight performances of The Rocky Horror Show, presented by Salem Theatre. SalemTheatre.com
- The Golden Girls all male drag parody presents the “lost” Salem episode. This show is not only outrageously funny, it is also a benefit for nAGLY. You’ll find the performances in Museum Place Mall. GoldenGirlsLive.com
If you’re wearing sensible footwear, and you don’t scare easily, check out The Dark of Night at Pioneer Village. It’s about a mile south of downtown Salem, and worth the drive to hear historically spooky ghost stories told by actors by firelight in the woods. If you don’t have transportation or sensible shoes, The Dark of Night has a sister program downtown. Tales at the Witch House feature historical ghost stories told in the home of Witch Trials Judge Jonathan Corwin. WitchHouse.info- Celebrity Sightings! Who doesn’t love a good horror star? Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery has celebrities scheduled throughout October. If you can’t make it for Dane Kodder or Nick King, put Count Orlok’s on your list anyway. It is a remarkable museum of horror cinema, featuring figures created by Hollywood effects artists. You’ll find Nosferatu, Carrie, Jason, and one of the Sanderson sisters among many others on display. NightmareGallery.com
- The Festival of the Dead is a festival within a festival, and its crown jewel is the Official Salem Witches Ball. Hosted by Warlocks Christian Day and Brian Cain, this ball takes its costumes and its magic seriously. FestivaloftheDead.com
If you are anxious to make connections between the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 and modern day Salem, stop by one of the Salem Award Foundation “Tent Talks,” on Thursdays in October at noon at the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. These brief lectures connect the 17th century panic with modern day witch hunts and social justice challenges. Not here on a Thursday? Visit the Salem Witch Museum, where the first presentation provides an overview of the events of 1692 and the second presentation traces the evolution of the word “witch.” The Witch Hunt Wall teaches a lesson we all need to know.
The balls, parties, parades, shopping, and theatrical presentations of Salem Haunted Happenings await your arrival. Discover it all at HauntedHappenings.org.
The City of Salem is a No Place for Hate, and a recognized City of Inclusion.
