Haunted Happenings Grand Parade

Salem Chamber Grand Parade Successfully Kicks Off October Celebrations

This past Thursday, October 6th, the Salem Chamber of Commerce hosted another exciting and fun Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, kicking off the month-long celebration. Mayor Kim Driscoll was the parade’s Grand Marshall, and she was joined by the original Founders of Haunted Happenings, which celebrates its 40th Anniversary this year. Members of the original founding businesses and organizations joined the Parade on the Founders Float.

The creative interpretations of the parade’s theme “Who’s Your Hero?” were phenomenal: History Alive celebrated Salem's champions of equal opportunity in education, Charlotte Forten, Anne Bradstreet, & John Remond, and the Horace Mann Lab School's float was decorated with mirrors so the parade audience could see themselves as the heroes we have in our community. Senator Lovely was dressed as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, as were all dancers from Zello Dance Studio. Martin Luther King, Chief Joseph, & Cesar Chavez were only a few of America’s greats that could be seen in this year’s Parade. Of course, there were many superheroes and comic character costumes, and plenty of first responder outfits.

On behalf of the Salem Chamber Board of Directors, we would like to say thank you to all the businesses in and around Salem who have been so generous with their time and support of the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade. Banner sponsors of this year's parade included 4 Insurance LLC, Coffee Time Bake Shop, Eastern Bank, Institution for Savings, The Magic Wheelchair presented by Dassault Systemes, New England Security, North Shore Bank, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem State University, Salem Witch Museum, and Witch City Walking Tours. Additional Friends of the Parade included Atlantic Toyota, Coon's Card & Gift Shop, Miel Dental Aesthetics, Rockland Trust Bank, Salem Waterfront Hotel, Schulte Staffing Solutions, and St. Jean’s Credit Union.

We also thank all Salem and North Shore students who participated in the parade and managed to make their parents, teachers, and peers proud while safely maneuvering the parade route.

Further, another large thank you goes to the Salem Chamber Board of Directors members & other volunteers who helped organize the set-up, and to Prime Group Shetland Park, Captain Callahan & the Salem Police Department, Ellen Talkowsky & the City of Salem, and the Salem Department of Public Works, who all did a fantastic job facilitating the safety, logistics and cleanup of the parade.

The parade finished with a party at the Salem Common DJ’d by the Salem Halloween Girls (thank you Creative Collective!). We thank all for another successful event and hope to see everyone again next year, Thursday, October 5, 2023! 

The Salem Chamber is grateful for the financial support of our 2022 parade sponsors: