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Salem, MA · Holiday Season 2026 · Holiday Happenings

Salem for the Holidays

Salem doesn't pack the witch hats away on November 1st. Downtown turns over into Holiday Happenings — a season of programming from Salem Main Streets that runs from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year's Eve. Tree lighting, holiday markets, lit-up shop windows the length of Essex Street, and the museums and ghost tours still running, minus the October crowds.

The signature dates: Santa's arrival and the tree lighting on Friday, Nov 27, Wassail Weekend across downtown Dec 12–13, the Ghost Ship Yule Market at Old Town Hall on Dec 19, and New Year's Eve LAUNCH! at Artists' Row. For the full walk-through, read the guide to Salem in December.

When

Nov 27 – Dec 31

Holiday Happenings opens the day after Thanksgiving and runs through New Year's Eve.

No crowds

Walk in anywhere

Restaurants take walk-ins, tours have same-week availability, and parking is findable — the opposite of October.

Still open

History runs year-round

Witch-trial sites, museums and ghost tours all operate through the winter on seasonal hours.

Shopping the season

Salem is a city of independent shops, which makes the holiday markets and the Window Contest more than decoration — Small Business Saturday, the Holiday Marketplace at Finz, and the Ghost Ship Yule Market are all built around makers and local stores. The directory has every shop in town with hours and addresses.

Gift shops Bookstores Witch & occult shops

Planning a December trip to Salem

December is the mirror image of October. The same museums, the same witch-trial sites, the same ghost tours — but you can get a table, get a tour, and stand in front of a collection without a queue behind you. Take the MBTA Commuter Rail from Boston's North Station (about 30 minutes) if you'd rather skip driving entirely, check winter hours before you go since many venues shorten them after Halloween, and aim for a Saturday if you want the markets and the downtown programming rather than a quiet weekday.

Read the complete Salem December guide →

Salem holiday events

Salem in December — frequently asked questions

What is there to do in Salem, MA in December? +

Downtown runs a season of holiday programming called Holiday Happenings, presented by Salem Main Streets, from late November through New Year's Eve. The anchors are Santa's arrival and the tree lighting the day after Thanksgiving, the month-long Holiday Window Contest, Wassail Weekend in mid-December, the Ghost Ship Yule Market at Old Town Hall, and New Year's Eve LAUNCH! at Artists' Row. Salem's museums, witch-history sites and ghost tours all stay open through the winter.

Is Salem worth visiting in December? +

Salem in December is a completely different city from Salem in October. The museums, ghost tours and historic houses all keep running, but without the month-long crowds — restaurants take walk-ins, tours often have same-week availability, and parking is genuinely findable. If you want the history and the atmosphere without the queues, December is the easy month.

When is the Salem tree lighting in 2026? +

Santa's Arrival & Holiday Tree Lighting is Friday, November 27, 2026 — the day after Thanksgiving. Santa arrives at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel at 6 PM with the Salem Fire Department; organisers suggest being on Salem Common by 5:45 PM. A procession then heads down the Essex Street pedestrian mall to Lappin Park, beside the Bewitched statue, for the lighting with the Mayor and carolers.

What is Wassail Weekend in Salem? +

Wassail Weekend is two days of holiday events across downtown Salem, running Saturday and Sunday, December 12–13, 2026. Participating shops, studios, breweries and distilleries run tastings, in-store refreshments, sales and one-off events. Past years have also included the Festivus 5K at Pickering Wharf.

What is the Ghost Ship Yule Market? +

Ghost Ship is an alternative-artist holiday market that takes over Old Town Hall — Salem's oldest surviving municipal building — on Saturday, December 19, 2026, from 10 AM to 5 PM. It's a darker, handmade take on a Christmas market, and the closest thing Salem has to a holiday market that could only exist here.

Are Salem ghost tours and museums open in December? +

Yes. Most ghost tours, witch history sites and museums run year-round rather than closing after Halloween, and winter hours are usually the only difference. Check the individual venue page for current hours before you go.