Salem, MA · Today · Sunday, October 4
Salem, MA Events Today
Everything happening in Salem, MA today. Salem packs a lot into a day — live music at neighborhood bars, indie film screenings at Cinema Salem, late-night cocktails, ghost walks for visitors, and trivia, drag, and karaoke nights at venues you can walk between. Below: every event we know of happening in Salem tonight.
-
6 AM
Sea Witch Ball Workshop
Join The Sea Wych Salem for a magical experience in Witch City as she presents the history & lore of the witch ball, & guides you as you create your own using ocean elements, herbs, salts, & more to welcome in joy, banish negativity, or simply for a pretty souvenir to display. Spend some time with us and bring home your own unique and uniquely crafted souvenir. Tix must be purchased in advance Ages 13+ Contact to schedule private parties up to 12 ppl, or for families w/children under 13
-
10 AM · Market
Haunted Happenings Marketplace
at Salem Common, Derby Square & Charlotte Forten Park
Shop local at the Haunted Happenings Marketplace — outdoor artisan markets across downtown Salem at Salem Common, Derby Square, and Charlotte Forten Park, plus a food court at Old Town Hall. Markets run every weekend from September 26 through November 1. Hours and vendors vary by location — check the marketplace calendar before you go.
-
10 AM · Costume Party
The Good Witch of Salem's Magical Children's Tea Party
Event Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM Location: Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Square West, Salem MA 01970 Hosted By: The Good Witch of Salem and Witch Apprentices This October, step into a world of elegance and enchantment as The Good Witch of Salem hosts a children's tea party at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel in Downtown Salem. The Grand Ballroom, adorned in shades of pink, will captivate guests with its charm and beauty.
-
10 AM · Art
Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair
at Salem Common
Get ready for a weekend full of shopping, spooky season vibes, and local creativity at the Biz Baz Street Fair on the historic Salem Common! Browse 80+ incredible vendors featuring handmade jewelry, art, apparel, crafts, Halloween decor, and so much more. 🎃✨ Join us Saturday, October 3 from 10AM-8PM and Sunday, October 4 from 10AM-6PM for one of Salem's favorite fall traditions. With thousands of visitors expected, you won't want to miss it!
-
10 AM · Shopping
Haunted Happenings Marketplace at Derby Square
at Derby Square
Shop small in the heart of downtown Salem at this free outdoor marketplace beside historic Old Town Hall. Meet independent makers, artists, designers, and creative small businesses offering original art, jewelry, apparel, accessories, home goods, seasonal décor, gifts, and more. The lineup changes throughout the season, so check the live calendar before visiting. Produced by Creative Collective. At the direction of the City of Salem, all outdoor Haunted Happenings Marketplaces are canceled Saturday, September 26th, and Sunday, September 27th, 2026, due to weather.
-
10 AM · Shopping
Haunted Happenings Marketplace at Charlotte Forten Park
Find more Haunted Happenings fun at Charlotte Forten Park, one of five walkable marketplace locations in downtown Salem. Browse a rotating mix of independent makers, artists, designers, and creative small businesses offering original art, jewelry, apparel, accessories, seasonal goods, gifts, and more. Produced by Creative Collective. Hours subject to change.
-
11 AM · Food & Drink
Haunted Happenings Food Court at Old Town Hall
Step inside historic Old Town Hall for a free indoor food marketplace featuring a rotating mix of local and regional vendors. Find sweet and savory options, seasonal specialties, and Halloween treats throughout Haunted Happenings. Vendor lineups can change by date, so check the live calendar before visiting. Produced by Creative Collective.
-
12 PM · Shopping
Haunted Happenings Marketplace at Charlotte Forten Park
Find more Haunted Happenings fun at Charlotte Forten Park, one of five walkable marketplace locations in downtown Salem. Browse a rotating mix of independent makers, artists, designers, and creative small businesses offering original art, jewelry, apparel, accessories, seasonal goods, gifts, and more. Produced by Creative Collective. Hours subject to change.
-
12 PM · Art
90 Minute Witch Hat Design Session
at Witch Pix
Every witch has a hat. Yours may simply not have introduced itself yet. Witch hats are wonderfully dramatic objects, which is exactly why choosing one can get complicated. Brim width, crown height, color, tilt, trim, texture: suddenly a fun decision has developed several opinions of its own. Our consultation keeps the fun and removes the guesswork. You and the maker try directions together, paying attention to the shapes that frame your face, the proportions that feel natural, and the details that make you grin at the mirror instead of politely evaluating it. Designer: Sascha Nelson
-
12:30 PM · Theater
HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic!
Showtimes today: 12:30 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:30 PM, 6:30 PM. The Salem Haunted Magic Show presents HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! — Salem's only live magic show, where magic, mind reading, psychic phenomena and the unexplained collide at Emerson Hall Theater on Washington Street. Real people, unreal experiences. Come curious, leave confused. Good for all ages but not a kids show. Tickets from $20 at thesalemmagicshow.com.
-
12:30 PM · Theater
The Salem Haunted Magic Show: HYSTERIA: Ghost Psychic!
The Salem Haunted Magic Show presents HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! Step into Salem's strangest live entertainment experience, where magic, mind reading, psychic phenomena, and the unexplained collide. HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! is a darkly theatrical and highly interactive magic show where audience members become part of the mystery. Watch thoughts get revealed, predictions come true, impossible coincidences unfold, and ordinary people experience extraordinary things—right before your eyes. Funny, mysterious, surprising, and just a little unsettling, HYSTERIA! is unlike a traditional magic show. You don't just sit back and watch—you may find yourself at the center of the impossible. Perfect for visitors, families, couples, friends, skeptics, believers, and anyone looking for something uniquely Salem. 🧠 Interactive Mind Reading 🃏 Impossible Magic 🔮 Psychic Phenomena 👻 Unexplained Experiences Come see what happens when your thoughts aren't quite as private as you think. Nothing is what it seems. 🎟 Tickets & showtimes: TheSalemMagicShow.com
-
1 PM · Theater
Shoebert's Unfinished Journey
at Off Cabot Comedy & Events
Inspired by the true story of Beverly's beloved gray seal, Shoebert's Unfinished Journey is a joyful new family operetta by Arpeggione Ensemble. When Shoebert the seal found his way to a former mill pond, he unexpectedly galumphed into the world of another Schubert—composer Franz Schubert, whose songs celebrate mills, water, and fish. In Arpeggione's heartwarming production, Shoebert is a seal who loves music. As he searches for his own song, he encounters remarkable figures from the history of the North Shore's shoe and textile industries, from inventor Jan Matzeliger to artist Virginia Lee Burton. Along the way, he discovers not only a song, but a place to belong. Featuring two extraordinary singer-storytellers, live chamber music on period instruments, and original watercolor illustrations, this charming production celebrates Beverly's past and present with humor, heart, and imagination. Created as part of Beverly 400+, Shoebert's Unfinished Journey is a delightful experience for children, families, and anyone who loves a good story. The operetta has been developed in collaboration with the Beverly community, including the Beverly Council on Aging, Northshore Education Consortiu
-
2 PM · Live Music
Live Music: Ryan Kelleher from North of Trouble
Ryan Kelleher of North of Trouble plays a solo set on piano and vocals at Far From The Tree, 2 to 5 PM. Live music, classic R&B.
-
2 PM
Eerie Stories on Salem Sound
at Essex Heritage Lighthouse & Harbor Tours
Join Essex Heritage Lighthouse & Harbor Tours for a 90-minute boat tour exploring the dark side of Salem’s history, with tales of murderous plots, public executions, and strange sightings.
-
2 PM · History
Eerie Stories on Salem Sound
at Salem, MA
Escape the crowds this fall and take to the sea, where haunting tales and harbor views await! Join us on weekends in October at 2:00 pm & 4:00 pm to dive into the dark side of Salem's history. On this 90-minute boat tour, your guide will relate tales of murderous plots, public executions, and strange sightings. You'll find that the facts of Salem's past are stranger than any fiction you could dream up. Come ride the waves of history – just keep a weather eye for privateers! Tours depart from the end of Central Wharf, behind the Waite & Pierce Museum Store (193 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970). Walk past Waite & Peirce and the National Park Restrooms and walk all the way to the end of the wharf, your crew will be waiting at the dock to greet you!
-
2 PM · Drag
DIAMONDS DINE IN w/ DJ MAXINE HARRISON
Diamonds Dine In the musical millennial revue with singing, dancing, and of course comedy! Please come and celebrate Sungay with us and bring all the good energy!
-
2:30 PM · Theater
The Salem Haunted Magic Show: HYSTERIA: Ghost Psychic!
The Salem Haunted Magic Show presents HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! Step into Salem's strangest live entertainment experience, where magic, mind reading, psychic phenomena, and the unexplained collide. HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! is a darkly theatrical and highly interactive magic show where audience members become part of the mystery. Watch thoughts get revealed, predictions come true, impossible coincidences unfold, and ordinary people experience extraordinary things—right before your eyes. Funny, mysterious, surprising, and just a little unsettling, HYSTERIA! is unlike a traditional magic show. You don't just sit back and watch—you may find yourself at the center of the impossible. Perfect for visitors, families, couples, friends, skeptics, believers, and anyone looking for something uniquely Salem. 🧠 Interactive Mind Reading 🃏 Impossible Magic 🔮 Psychic Phenomena 👻 Unexplained Experiences Come see what happens when your thoughts aren't quite as private as you think. Nothing is what it seems. 🎟 Tickets & showtimes: TheSalemMagicShow.com
-
3 PM · Theater
Misfortune: Salem's Parlor Magic Experience
A close-up magic show where the audience takes their fates in their hands. Are you feeling lucky? Misfortune is an hour-long theatrical magic show conjured by magician Evan Northrup. Set in Salem, Massachusetts, it walks the eerie line between superstition and luck — blending immersive storytelling with astonishing sleight-of-hand. It is mysterious, a little spooky, and always magical and fun. Seating is kept intentionally small, so the wonder happens close enough to touch. While there's nothing inappropriate for younger audience members, this show has been designed for people over 13 years old. WHAT PEOPLE SAY: “Your show was AMAZING! We had so much fun and were mystified. Can't wait for you to be back in Salem to be dazzled once again.” Kim Driscoll, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts “We had a certain expectation for a magician. Not only did you deliver, you went above and beyond. You brought a life to the show that was felt by all.” Don MacLean, Regional VP of Operations, Kings Dining and Entertainment
-
4 PM · History
Eerie Stories on Salem Sound
at Salem, MA
Escape the crowds this fall and take to the sea, where haunting tales and harbor views await! Join us on weekends in October at 2:00 pm & 4:00 pm to dive into the dark side of Salem's history. On this 90-minute boat tour, your guide will relate tales of murderous plots, public executions, and strange sightings. You'll find that the facts of Salem's past are stranger than any fiction you could dream up. Come ride the waves of history – just keep a weather eye for privateers! Tours depart from the end of Central Wharf, behind the Waite & Pierce Museum Store (193 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970). Walk past Waite & Peirce and the National Park Restrooms and walk all the way to the end of the wharf, your crew will be waiting at the dock to greet you!
-
4 PM · Art
Hat Making Workshops – Hands-on Experience
at Witch Pix
Hat Making Workshops Learn the craft in good company and leave Salem with a hat made by your own hands. Small-group workshop · up to 10 seats Ten humans enter. Ten witches leave. Give or take a little glue. Gather around one worktable for a small-group Salem workshop where up to ten people learn, make, compare choices, laugh at the awkward middle, and leave with a witch hat shaped by their own hands. The hat-making workshop is a small-group Salem experience at $130 per seat, with up to 10 seats and a choice of set designs. You leave with a witch hat made by your own hands. The table is part of the magic. This is not ten private appointments happening near one another. It is one shared workshop. Everyone starts together, learns together, navigates the slightly chaotic middle together, and watches ten different hats emerge from the same room. The craft gives everybody something to do while conversation takes care of itself. Friends can make Salem memories together. Families can compare creative decisions. Solo visitors can simply pull up a chair and discover that strangers become much easier to talk to when everyone is trying to persuade a piece of hat material to behave. Each schedu
-
4:30 PM · Theater
The Salem Haunted Magic Show: HYSTERIA: Ghost Psychic!
The Salem Haunted Magic Show presents HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! Step into Salem's strangest live entertainment experience, where magic, mind reading, psychic phenomena, and the unexplained collide. HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! is a darkly theatrical and highly interactive magic show where audience members become part of the mystery. Watch thoughts get revealed, predictions come true, impossible coincidences unfold, and ordinary people experience extraordinary things—right before your eyes. Funny, mysterious, surprising, and just a little unsettling, HYSTERIA! is unlike a traditional magic show. You don't just sit back and watch—you may find yourself at the center of the impossible. Perfect for visitors, families, couples, friends, skeptics, believers, and anyone looking for something uniquely Salem. 🧠 Interactive Mind Reading 🃏 Impossible Magic 🔮 Psychic Phenomena 👻 Unexplained Experiences Come see what happens when your thoughts aren't quite as private as you think. Nothing is what it seems. 🎟 Tickets & showtimes: TheSalemMagicShow.com
-
4:30 PM · Theater
Shoebert's Unfinished Journey
at Off Cabot Comedy & Events
Inspired by the true story of Beverly's beloved gray seal, Shoebert's Unfinished Journey is a joyful new family operetta by Arpeggione Ensemble. When Shoebert the seal found his way to a former mill pond, he unexpectedly galumphed into the world of another Schubert—composer Franz Schubert, whose songs celebrate mills, water, and fish. In Arpeggione's heartwarming production, Shoebert is a seal who loves music. As he searches for his own song, he encounters remarkable figures from the history of the North Shore's shoe and textile industries, from inventor Jan Matzeliger to artist Virginia Lee Burton. Along the way, he discovers not only a song, but a place to belong. Featuring two extraordinary singer-storytellers, live chamber music on period instruments, and original watercolor illustrations, this charming production celebrates Beverly's past and present with humor, heart, and imagination. Created as part of Beverly 400+, Shoebert's Unfinished Journey is a delightful experience for children, families, and anyone who loves a good story. The operetta has been developed in collaboration with the Beverly community, including the Beverly Council on Aging, Northshore Education Consortiu
-
5 PM · Art
Paint and Sip Sundays at Hotel Salem
at The Cellar
Add a little creativity to your October in Salem with Paint & Sip Sundays, presented by The Lost Library at The Cellar at Hotel Salem! Every Sunday in October, join local artist Emma Puccio for a festive afternoon of painting, sipping, and seasonal fun. Emma will guide you step-by-step as you create your own 11″ x 14″ painting to take home. No painting experience is necessary—just come ready to get creative and enjoy a little October magic. October Painting Schedule: 🎃 October 4 — Boo-tanical Garden ✨ October 11 — A Bunch of Hocus Pocus 🌙 October 18 — Harvest Moon 👻 October 25 — Ghostly Grove Whether you're spending the day with friends, planning a fall date, or looking for a creative break from the October crowds, Paint & Sip Sundays are the perfect way to celebrate spooky season in downtown Salem. 📍 The Cellar at Hotel Salem — 209 Essex Street, Salem, MA 💲 $45 per person 🖌️ 11″ x 14″ painting and supplies included 🎨 Led by local artist Emma Puccio 🍷 Drinks available for purchase; beverages are not included with admission Pick your painting, or join us for all four Sundays!
-
5 PM · Workshop
Woodburning Class: Halloween Cutting Boards
Join us for a fun afternoon of creating your own Cutting Board! You’ll first learn how to use a pyrography pen, then you'll be taught how to transfer and then burn an image into the wood to create your own Cutting Board. Multiple designs will be available to choose from or you can create your very own! Tickets available HERE.
-
5:30 PM · Food & Drink
Groove Gamers of Salem: Rhythm Game Meet-Up
No skill necessary. Free and open to all.
-
5:30 PM · Food & Drink
Sips and Myths – Dare to Indulge
at Salem Wine Imports and Tasting Room
Dare to indulge in mead, wine and cider playfully journeying into magical mythology! Experience the meaning behind ceremonial beverages through an interactive, fun, entertaining sipping adventure. Paired snacks provided. Non-alc options available.
-
6:30 PM · Theater
The Salem Haunted Magic Show: HYSTERIA: Ghost Psychic!
The Salem Haunted Magic Show presents HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! Step into Salem's strangest live entertainment experience, where magic, mind reading, psychic phenomena, and the unexplained collide. HYSTERIA: The Ghost Psychic! is a darkly theatrical and highly interactive magic show where audience members become part of the mystery. Watch thoughts get revealed, predictions come true, impossible coincidences unfold, and ordinary people experience extraordinary things—right before your eyes. Funny, mysterious, surprising, and just a little unsettling, HYSTERIA! is unlike a traditional magic show. You don't just sit back and watch—you may find yourself at the center of the impossible. Perfect for visitors, families, couples, friends, skeptics, believers, and anyone looking for something uniquely Salem. 🧠 Interactive Mind Reading 🃏 Impossible Magic 🔮 Psychic Phenomena 👻 Unexplained Experiences Come see what happens when your thoughts aren't quite as private as you think. Nothing is what it seems. 🎟 Tickets & showtimes: TheSalemMagicShow.com
-
7 PM · Tours
The Shadows of the Seven Gables
at The House of the Seven Gables
Embrace the spookier side of The House of the Seven Gables with an after-hours candlelit journey through the mansion.
-
7 PM · Event
A Spirited Evening Connecting with the Other Side
at Celestial Navigation Astrology & Wellness
Join educator, author, and former Paranormal Salem owner Kimberly Peterson for an intimate 90-minute indoor workshop exploring the tools, history, and lived experience behind paranormal investigation in Salem. Blending real investigative methods with intuitive development and mediumship, this hands-on experience includes intuitive exercises, a guided spirit communication circle, and the use of tools such as K2 meters and spirit boxes. Each guest receives a pendulum and a signed book. Part history lesson, part intuitive development, part séance. Limited to 12 guests.
-