This is an annual series documenting my volunteer shifts and outfits for the Salem Haunted Happenings Visitor Information Booth. Every October over 150 local volunteers, coordinated by Salem Main Streets, sign-up for 2-hour shifts on the weekends and holidays to assist visitors from all over the world by handing out guides, maps, and directions, and answering any questions the visitors may have. We had three locations fully staffed this year: the Information Booth on Washington Street (4 people at a time), a shipping container on Salem Common (2 people at a time), and 3-4 ‘floaters’ that (as the name suggests) floated around town finding the most congested areas (Old Town Hall, MBTA train station, etc.). The crowds this year were historic (1,040,600 visitors in October, an 8.6 percent increase over last October, and 87,351 people on October 31, compared to 63,856 in 2023 — a 37 percent increase), but my numbers were pretty low, comparatively. We had so many volunteers this year, that I was limited in my official sign-up shifts, but I stepped-in to cover a few shifts that were understaffed.
Date (Location) – Visitors helped per shift – outfit worn (reason why): 9/26 (Info Booth) – 248 – no costume (because it was a last-minute shift during Mayor’s Night Out* and it wasn’t October yet!) 10/4 (Floater – 2 shifts**) – 463 – Ambassador Witch (because it’s my traditional first outfit) 10/5 (Floater & Common – 2 shifts**) – 279 – Ambassador Witch on Vacation (because it was unseasonably warm out!)360 video here 10/12 (Floater) – 243 – The Gorton’s Fisherman (because we were expecting a Nor’easter and flooding) 10/18 (Floater) – 690 – Orange Ambassador Witch (cozy flannel for dropping temperatures) 10/19 (Common) – 55 – International Trader (it was an old Ren Faire costume that still fit) 10/25 (Info Booth) – 759 – Stanley Roper from Three’s Company (the Boston chapter of the International Order of Mrs. Ropers were visiting that day) 11/1 (Info Booth) – 82 – no costume (because Hallowe’en was over)
I helped 2,819 people out of the 37,432 visitors counted over the month! This doesn’t count the dozens I helped each day while walking to or from my shifts. I always made sure I had a bag full of maps and brochures, just in case. Last year I had only 1100 during my 5 shifts. You can see the variance in numbers over the weekends, especially depending on where I was standing. On the 18th and 24th, I was standing on the corner of Washington and Essex streets, at the intersection of all of the congestion. The train lets off at one end of Washington and the free parking shuttles let off at the other end. Essex street is the hub of activity for buskers and (as the only year-round pedestrian street) is always the most congested. It’s as if people arrive and then stop within those few blocks without exploring the rest of the city. They come to the booths and complain about lines or crowds, but when we show them the map and explain everything else they could be doing, they seemed genuinely surprised that it wasn’t just that one street and the Common…
In addition to the booth, I also helped-out at the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade, which had over 140 entries again this year! I registered pets and helped the announcer identify each contestant by name and number so the judges could take note. We had groups of Guinea pigs, a few cats, a chicken, and tons of dogs. Our master of ceremonies was Gigi, the newly elected Dog Mayor of Salem and her Deputy Mayor, Bruce! As usual, I wish I had had time to take pictures of all of the costumes, but I was too busy. There are some videos and photos online.
Here are some photos:
*Mayor’s Night Out was typically held on the Friday after the Haunted Happenings Parade (the first Thursday of October). This year, the Mayor wanted to return to a resident-focused event, so it was moved to the last Friday of September. It was still VERY crowded with visitors, but it was wonderful to see all the local families dressed in costume trick-or-treating downtown. I felt guilty as I stood on the street that I was not in costume. Maybe next year.
** That was a very interesting weekend! One of three people that handles volunteer shift changes and opens/closes the booths got COVID, so I had to step-in and take over those duties. I was scheduled to be a floater near the MBTA station that weekend, but because the Government shut down, the National Parks Service’s Visitor Center in the heart of town was closed. This is a go-to for so many visitors because they have the cleanest, maintained, accessible, indoor bathrooms, as well as a free movie and other information. We were stationed outside the closed center handing out maps and helping answer questions. You would not believe how many people had no idea the National Parks and their employees were part of the government. The most asked question was: “Well, when are they going to re-open?” Ma’am, if I knew that, I’d be on an island somewhere relaxing instead of standing here talking to you…
Did I help you this year?!? Let me know in the comments!
This is an annual series documenting my volunteer shifts and outfits for the Salem Haunted Happenings Visitor Information Booth. Every October over 150 local volunteers, coordinated by Salem Main Streets, sign-up for 2-hour shifts on the weekends and holidays to assist visitors from all over the world by handing out guides, maps, and directions, and answering any questions the visitors may have. We had two locations fully staffed this year: the Information Booth on Washington Street (4 people at a time) and a shipping container on Salem Common (2 people at a time). The crowds this year were historic (1,040,600 visitors in October, an 8.6 percent increase over last October, and 87,351 people on October 31, compared to 63,856 in 2023 — a 37 percent increase), but my numbers were pretty low, comparatively. We had so many volunteers this year, that I could only sign up for 2 shifts, but I stepped-in to cover a few shifts that were understaffed.
Date (Location) – Visitors helped per shift – outfit worn (reason why): 10/5 (Info Booth) – 263 – Ambassador Witch (because it’s my traditional first outfit) 10/6 (Info Booth) – 278 – Kilted Ambassador Witch (because it was unseasonably hot out!) 10/19 (Common) – 448 – double shift (4 hours) – Hogwarts Alumnus (because it still fit…) 10/26 (Info Booth) – 479 – International Trader (it was an old Ren Faire costume that still fit) 10/27 (Common) – 198 – Orange Ambassador Witch (it suddenly went from 70s to 42 degrees F!) 11/2 (Info Booth) – 162 – double shift – no costume (because Hallowe’en was over)
I helped 1828 people! This doesn’t count the dozens I helped each day while walking to or from my shifts. I always made sure I had a bag full of maps and brochures, just in case. Last year I had nearly 3000 over my 8 shifts. If it was so much more crowded, why were my numbers so low? I think a lot more people came prepared than in the past, and they just didn’t need our help, or maybe they just didn’t want to interact.
In addition to the booth, I also helped-out at the Howl-o-ween Pet Parade, which had over 180 entries again this year! I registered pets and helped the announcer identify each contestant by name and number so the judges could take note. We had groups of Guinea pigs, a few cats, a chicken (dressed as a parrot on the shoulder of a pirate), groups of rabbits, and tons of dogs. Our master of ceremonies was Bailey Warren, dressed as the tooth fairy, accompanied by his human: Senator Elizabeth Warren! I wish I had had time to take pictures of all of the costumes, but I was too busy. There are some videos and photos online, like this one.
Here are some photos:
The inclusive Pride Flag pin was part of the Hogwarts Alumnus outfit (I didn’t get a picture, so I’m including one from last year – this year had a bow tie and a fancy vest). I specifically covered the Hogwarts symbol on the robes and made sure that the pin was visible at all times. My intention was to let people know that you can still be into an artistic creation without agreeing with its creator (or give her more money). I still got smiles from children and those oblivious to controversy. On my walk home, I caught the tail end of a conversation from a couple that were walking in the opposite direction as they came near. One turned to the other and said “No no! Look, it’s OK. He’s one of us. He gets it.” I have an idea for a dedicated post on this subject that I’ve had in Draft mode for over a year now. Maybe I’ll get to it soon.
I bought the orange suit because I had gained so much weight that nothing really fit well. My idea was to cover it in patches or rhinestones like my Rhinestone Cowboy suit from last year, but I ran out of time. Elise, one half of Salem Main Streets, showed-up to a cat-themed event in the Tuxedo Cat outfit and gave me the idea for making it a orange cat. I may work on this suit for something else for next year. We’ll see.
I initially felt bad about ‘just wearing a coat’ for the really cold day, but I got SO MANY comments on the coat (I had made it a few years ago because I couldn’t find any for sale) and hat (I made that for a different outfit), that it worked out well.
Did I help you this year?!? Let me know in the comments!
This is an annual series documenting my volunteer shifts and outfits for the Salem Haunted Happenings Visitor Information Booth. Every October over 100 local volunteers, coordinated by Salem Main Streets, sign-up for 2-hour shifts on the weekends and holidays to assist visitors from all over the world by handing out guides, maps, and directions, and answering any questions the visitors may have. We had two locations fully staffed this year: the Information Booth on Washington Street (4 people at a time) and a tent on Salem Common (2 people at a time). The crowds this year were historic (estimated 1.2 million over the month, and over 100,000 just on the 28th), and I think my numbers show just a hint of that.
Date (Location) – Visitors helped per shift – outfit worn (reason why): 10/8 (Info Booth) – 234 – Ambassador Witch (because it’s my traditional first outfit) 10/9 (Salem Common) – 115 – Herbology Professor (because it was freezing cold out!) 10/14 (Info Booth) – 428 – Rhinestone Cowboy (see this post) 10/15 (Info Booth) – 398 – Rhinestone Cowboy (because it was too special not to repeat) 10/21 (Info Booth) – 568 – Gorton’s Fisherman (because it was pouring rain) 10/28 (Info Booth) – 621 (before lunch) – Orange Kilt (because it was unseasonably warm 86 degrees F) 10/28 (Info Booth) – 565 (after lunch) – Orange Kilt (because I didn’t have time to change) 10/29 (Salem Common) – 68 – Ravenclaw Alumnus (because it was slightly drizzly and cold)
I helped 2,997 people! This doesn’t count the dozens I helped each day while walking to or from my shifts. I always made sure I had a bag full of maps and brochures, just in case.
In addition to the booth, I also helped-out at the Howl-a-ween Pet Parade before my 10/14 shift, which had over 180 entries this year! I registered pets and helped the announcer identify each contestant by name and number so the judges could take note. We had groups of Guinea pigs, a parakeet, a chicken, groups of rabbits, a few cats, tons of dogs, and the master of ceremonies was a show duck accompanied by his handler, a US Senator. I wish I had had time to take pictures of all of the costumes, but I was too busy. There are some good ones here, here, and here.
This is my 8th season volunteering at the Salem Haunted Happenings Information Booth (see past stories here). The first outfit I wore on my very first shift has evolved into my traditional, signature first outfit each year, now known as “Ambassador Witch.”
My very first shift, October 2016, and the birth of “Ambassador Witch.”
Does anyone still wear a hat?! It all started with the idea of wanting a pointed witch hat, but one that had a more stylized, ‘masculine’ feel than the commercially available ones. I definitely wanted it to be part of an “outfit” rather than a “costume,” as if it were part of an everyday uniform. I also wanted to challenge myself, as I had no pattern, and had never made a hat before. What began with just the hat expanded to a matching hatband and bowtie (plus matching pocket square on days cool enough for the corduroy sport coat), then I found striped socks and realized I could slide my pants up to my knees to look like knicker and show-off the socks. Voila! Having been worn every year for multiple shifts, the jacket and hat are starting to fade and show some sign of wear-and-tear, and none of the blacks match, but it still feels like putting on an old friend or stepping back into a service uniform after retirement.
New year, new outfit Each year, I try to add at least one new outfit to the roster, so I have options. Sometimes it is unseasonably warm, or rainy, so outfits were made out of necessity or comfort. Each time I create a new one, I try to push myself and learn a new technique or how to improve on what I have already done. I have three pointed witch hats now – the black one, a green tweed, and an orange flannel. Each one is nearly identical in shape and size, but more refined than the last. In 2021, I decided to finally make a “costume” by recreating Mickey Mouse’s Brave Little Tailor, which wound-up in the 2022 brochure!! Hundreds of thousands of people were walking around with my face in their hands. It was wild.
This year was a tough one, for many reasons you will soon hear about, and designing a new outfit was on the back burner. All of my planned sewing projects for this year were focused on the travel we had planned for the year (our first cruise, a trip to a mid-century-modern themed resort, and a Christmas cruise with my Mother-in-law). I made multiple shirt styles, fitted shorts, bathing suits, and bags for the cruise (cancelled – see below), cabana outfits and bowling shirts (that trip happened and was wonderful), and I began a tropical holiday sport coat that is now on hold, as that cruise was moved to next year. It wasn’t until I had time to breathe in late August that I realized I didn’t have anything new for the booth, and a very full schedule between then and October!
Anticipation and Loss My husband’s coping mechanism for getting through the 2022-2023 school year was to plan our first cruise for June 2023. He spent hours and hours on research: blogs, message boards, websites, travel agents, booking and rebooking for deals, buying supplies, and planning our outfits. It would be a gross understatement to say this cruise was highly anticipated. As I said, I had made us multiple shirts, shorts, bathing suits, and bags in my free time. We thought we were going until 48 hours before our flight to Texas to meet the ship. That is when my brother, who had been battling cancer, moved to hospice care. We made the decision to cancel the trip (praying our trip insurance would reimburse us some of the cost) and go to Florida to say goodbye to him. We rearranged our luggage, booked new flights, and went directly from the airport to the house to see him, then to a fundraiser for him that was being held at his local bar. We stopped in again to see him the next day where I had a chance to tell him about the wonderful community that had rallied around his family at the bar, and that they would be taken care of – he could stop suffering and let go.
Our flight home was delayed and then cancelled, which would have stranded us in the Fort Myers airport for 3 more days. We were able to find flights out of Orlando for the next day, so we rented the second car of the trip to drive 3+ hours to Orlando to stay overnight. That night, my brother passed. Some other time I can tell you more details of how our 3 day trip turned into being stuck in Florida for 18 days (4 flight cancellations, checked baggage retrieval, 5 rental cars, 6 hotels, a wake, a funeral…. it was a lot).
Losing my brother, only 4 years older than me, was (and is) extremely painful for all of us.
Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign… After my Father passed, his way of letting me know he was around was to play a song that had special meaning to us. I remember one really rough commute that made me ornery and angry. I walked into my go-to coffee spot and as I was steaming next to the bakery case trying to decide which muffin to get, Country Roads by John Denver came on. This was a popular spot with students near MIT and usually played more (shall we say) modern music. I immediately stopped fuming, took a breath and whispered “Thanks Dad.” Other out-of-place songs happen whenever I need him, and I know he’s with me.
My brother also had many songs that I immediately equate with him any time I heard them, most of them Neil Diamond classics. This became common knowledge for anyone that met him for more than 10 minutes. At the wake, there were only 3 songs played on repeat: 2 Neil Diamond songs and one that you can probably guess if you noticed the title. Cut to August: I’m frantically trying to think of something I can whip-up for the booth with no success, and out of the blue, this song starts playing in my head:
At first, I thought it was because we had been listening to it at the wake and singing it at the top of our lungs at the bar after the funeral, but it was increasingly insistent and immediately present whenever I thought about October. So thank you, Brother. I hear you loud and clear.
But First, Some History The song Rhinestone Cowboy (and the movies Rhinestone and The Electric Horseman) would not exist if not for Nudie Cohn. This Ukrainian Jewish refugee is the unlikely father of the Western suits covered in embroidery and rhinestones that are still known as “Nudie Suits.” You can see some examples of his work in the Country Music Hall of Fame, or visit Nudie’s Honky Tonk bar in Nashville, where they have many of his suits on display, along with one of his custom cars!
photo of Nudie Cohen by Raeanne Rubenstein borrowed from here.
My Dad was in a country-western band while I was growing up, and while he didn’t wear Nudie suits, he did have fancy Western shirts, ties, and white Chelsea boots that I loved (and wish I still had). We also watched Hee Haw growing up, and I was always drawn to those guest stars with the rhinestones and fringe. These days, I’m obsessed with both Dolly Parton and Brandi Carlile, two female Nudie Suit lovers. In fact, I have thought for a long time about recreating one of Dolly’s iconic outfits translated for a man… maybe next year? I am really looking forward to Dolly’s new book Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones! Anyway…now we have our inspiration.
Getting a Base Color I didn’t have enough time to construct and tailor a suit from scratch, and I wasn’t going to use one of my suits, so I went to the internet to find a (relatively) cheap suit in a deep, saturated color. While orange would have been an obvious choice for a Halloween-themed Nudie suit (again, maybe next year?), and my research had shown Nudie suits in mustard yellow, white, hot pink, gold, and black, I was drawn to a deep Royal Blue for my base suit.
King of Shreds and Patches While I have some very basic embroidery stiches on my sewing machine I’ve used to embellish some of my other booth outfits, and my good friend has a proper embroidery machine, I knew that there wasn’t enough time to make sure it was done properly, so I decided that I would use off-the-shelf iron-on embroidered patches to achieve the right look. The only problem was: what theme?!? Vintage Nudie Suites had cohesive themes – music notes, cowboys, wagons, fire, gambling, even marijuana. I scrolled for hours through hundreds of patches online looking for inspiration. When the suit arrived, I tried it on and envisioned myself covered in patches and rhinestones. I already felt like a peacock.
Aha!
I immediately narrowed my search and grabbed as many different sizes and styles of peacock and peacock feather patches. I also grabbed some elaborate phoenix embroidery pieces and patches of other colorful birds. I bought anything that was a showy, colorful flying creature. I went to Joann’s Fabrics and Crafts and scoured the shelves for more, picking-up some flowered vines and some beautiful moths and butterflies in different colors and sizes. I even picked-up some patches that would be hidden from view. There is a small patch that says “a lil’ bougie” that I put on the left butt cheek of the pants (cheeky!) and “IT IS WHAT IT IS” on the inside of the jacket. During my brother’s time in hospice, his passing, and while we were dealing with travel issues, this last phrase was my go-to response when someone asked how I was doing or how I was coping. I know it’s there against my heart and it reminds me of the inspiration for the suit when I see it.
When I felt like I had more than enough patches, I laid the suit out and started playing with the placement until I was happy with it. When I asked a few friends for advice, I was told “More is always better,” so I got to work ironing and gluing all of the patches on.
One Can Never Have Too Many Shoes or Hats While the suit was coming together, I knew there was one hurdle that still loomed ahead. Here in Massachusetts, there are not a lot of call for Western clothiers. I have a large head and pretty wide feet, so ordering a cowboy hat or boots online frightened me, especially with the limited time. I didn’t want to have multiple rounds of purchase -> ship -> try on -> return -> repeat. Thankfully, I found a Boot Barn about 75 minutes away just over the border in New Hampshire, and I had one day that I enough free time to drive up and try things on.
I bought the first pair of boots I tried on. They were the ones I was looking for, they came in wide, and they were so comfortable! The same with the hat. Both are a silvery gray color. White hats and boots aren’t truly stark white and would clash with the bright white of some of the patch edges, and I thought black was too somber or had too many bad connotations. I was done shopping in less than 15 minutes, but that 2.5 hour round trip was well worth my peace-of-mind. On the drive up, I had the thought that I should probably look for a flashy belt buckle while I was in the store, as it was something I hadn’t yet planned for. When we walked in the door, my husband turned to me and said “Why don’t you already own that?” walking over to a rack of women’s belts hanging just opposite and pointing to a belt that was ENTIRELY crusted in rhinestones. I obviously bought it and it is the perfect addition to the suit, as was the fancy white Western shirt with pearl buttons I picked-up.
It’s Hard to be a Diamond in a Rhinestone World As I mentioned before, I’m always trying to learn new techniques, so I look for those opportunities when picking a project. My foray into adding rhinestones to anything was very limited. I quickly learned how to apply hotfix rhinestones a few years ago when my friend asked me to decorate her chemo bag with a purple tiara, and I do own a Bedazzler, though I don’t think I’ve every really used it. Hotfix rhinestones come with a glue already applied to their flat side. You use a special tool, like a wood burning or soldering iron, to press and heat the stone, melting the glue into the weave of the fabric to adhere it. Real Nudie Suits had hand-sewn stones or were typically fastened onto the garment by a pronged setting from the back side of the fabric, like the Bedazzler does. Since all of my patches were affixed with an iron, and because I was putting the stones on an already-constructed garment, I went with hotfix. They may not last forever, but that is OK.
Finishing Touches Once the patches and rhinestones were set, something was missing. I went back to the source material to try to find what I had missed. In many Nudie Suits, the pockets, lapels, and cuffs are usually trimmed in a contrasting color. With such a richly colored suit, it helps to make these elements pop, rather than blend in, especially on stage, where they were meant to be seen. I found some white satin piping and edged the lapel and the two flap pockets on the jacket. With the white shirt underneath in the front and the white edging on some of the patches on the back, this really brought everything together better than I could have hoped.
I had a hard time choosing whether to have the shirt open at the neck or wear a cravat or a bolo tie. In doing my rhinestone accessory shopping, I came across this rhinestone rope meant to be a hoodie string replacement, and decided to make my own ridiculous rhinestone bolo tie. I grabbed a brooch that looked thematic, glued it to a bolo slide blank, and voila!
For the hat, I found a trim at Joann’s that I stuck on top of the existing band, and secured it with a phoenix brooch from my collection, bringing a little bit of color and theme up to the hat.
For flair (too late!), I sprayed my “Ask Me I’m a Local” button with glitter and glued some extra rhinestones around the edge and added the most important accessory: the rhinestone blue ribbon brooch in remembrance of my brother and his battle with Colon Cancer.
The Reveal Do you feel like you’re on a baking site scrolling forever through someone’s ramblings and ads when all you wanted was a recipe?!? Sorry. If you’ve made it this far (or just scrolled through pictures), here is the payoff:
I am so happy with how this turned out. I had a vague idea of what it should be, but not a clear design. This is the first time I felt like I was winging-it and designing as I was going. It was freeing, in a way, but also frightening. I second-guessed a lot of my gut reactions and that delayed the process. I was having trouble committing to designs and layouts because I was afraid of messing it up. If I had sat down and drawn-out a fully-fleshed-out design before getting started (as I usually do), it would have been less stressful, and I wouldn’t have bought so many extra patches and stones!
I now have a custom Nudie-style suit and an itch in my soul to bedazzle everything I own…
I helped 1,692 people out of the 30,619 reported in the booth. That’s 5.5%, though we had over 100 volunteers all season. Personally, I was disappointed in these totals compared to past years, but I guess it’s still a healthy amount.
One highlight of the season was that I was featured in one of the brochures! Right on the foldout map! Of COURSE I had to make sure that the Brave Little Tailor made it into rotation. Every time someone grabbed one of the small brochures, I would point out where the map was and hold the page up to the side of my face. I signed more than one autograph! Hahahaha.
This year, we were split across town. We had the Info Booth at the Salem Common with shifts of 2 inside and 2 outside, and a tent in Lappin Park (by the Bewitched Statue) with shifts of 2 people.
By the numbers – here are the visitors I helped per 2 hour shift: 10/2 – 186 10/2 – 164 10/9 – 218 10/15 – 165 10/16 – 189 10/17 – 446 10/22 – 116 10/23 – 268 10/29 – 213 10/30- 154 10/30 – 46 (Flooding rain!)
All total, I helped 2,165 people. That 446 on 10/17 was because I was alone at Lappin Park. The last shift of only 46 was due to a MONSOON of rain that flooded the common. Thankfully, I had planned ahead a few years before. In a reverse Murphy’s Law, the idea was that if I planned for a costume that could handle the rain, it would never rain! So I put together the Gorton’s Fisherman outfit in 2019 (I had a Gorton’s nametag and a fake fish finger box in my brochure bag). Finally, on the 30th, I wore it during the day shift (light rain) and then switched to the kid from the movie IT for the evening shift (flooding). I had a ton of people recognize the Gorton’s Fisherman and ask for photos, many of whom had family that worked there (they are based up in Gloucester, MA, a 20-minute drive north).
A big challenge this year was the weather. It seemed it was unseasonable warm every weekend. I pulled-out a lot of kilt-based costumes and lighter things like the Beetlejuice suit and the pirate for those shifts. And, of course, there was the issue of matching masks for each look:
The orange kilt outfit was new, based around a glow-in-the-dark Disney Halloween jacket. I found the bright orange kilt online, and added a few light-up slap bracelets (meant for nighttime runners) to add to my ankles, wrists, and bowler hat. That was a fund one for a night shift! A few of the old standbys (Herbology Professor and Salem Ambassador) made it into rotation, only because I had SO MANY shifts. Here, at the downswing in the pandemic, people were still wary of working with the public and putting themselves at risk. I was careful, and never got sick.
You will notice the COVID weight gain pushing the limits on some of these costumes… Let’s hope by the time next year comes around that that will have been fixed.
If you’ve seen any of my previous posts on volunteering at the Haunted Happenings/Salem Main Streets Visitor Information Booth, or this hopeful post from 2019 exclaiming how Halloween 2020 was going to be epic (5 weekends AND a Full Moon on a Saturday Halloween?!?!?), then you can probably guess that my depression grew deeper and deeper as October came closer and the cases were increasing.
At the end of August, our Mayor cancelled the October 1st Haunted Happenings Parade and the Halloween Night Fireworks (the official beginning and ending of the season, respectively). The weekend street fairs then were cancelled and moved to online marketplaces. Businesses were given strict regulations on capacity inside their stores as well as their outdoor queues, and all restaurants had to serve guest outdoors at distanced tables. Given that many Salem businesses rely on the October Tourist money for a majority of their annual earnings, it was a difficult time for everyone. We even canceled the Info Booth.
In an effort to keep the city safe and keep the crowds away, the city cancelled all outside advertisements and promotions, however, the crowds still came and stood in line to visit shops and restaurants. Attractions and walking tours had to go to a timed reservation model, many of which sold out within minutes of going live. Destination Salem launched an app they had been developing to help tourists navigate the city. It proved invaluable, especially since it sent notifications as soon as attractions or tours sold out.
I highly recommend downloading the app if you ever come to visit Salem – at any time of year – you can filter the maps to whatever it is you are interested in, and it links directly to event, attraction, restaurant, shop, and tour websites.
It became clear that people would come, no matter the circumstances. Massachusetts had a travel ban on several of the surrounding states, and there were strict rules about travelers flying in, but still we had people driving up from New Jersey and New York for the day without any plans or reservations. The Mayor and Haunted Happenings staff made the media rounds declaring that Halloween in Salem was cancelled and to please stay home, pleading with people to postpone trips until another time or for October 2021. Still, the crowds came. Attractions that went online for reservations at midnight, were sold out within minutes, or had their websites crash with all of the sudden, concentrated attention. The city closed all public parking garages at 10am on the weekends leading up to Halloween. With sidewalks being used for outdoor seating at the restaurants, or for the queues to get into shops, many streets were blocked off or temporarily made to be one-way, even the pedestrian street. Still, the crowds came. The city mandated that all downtown businesses must close at 5pm on weekends, with restaurants allowed to stay open until 10pm. Still, the crowds came.
This image appeared on billboards along the routes into Salem, and made the rounds on local news stations.
Because people were showing up and facing long wait times, sold out attractions, and uncomfortable crowds, it was decided that the Info Booth should be reinstated, but in an altered form. We set-up an awning outside the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center (which had to close it’s exhibits, screenings, National Parks Info Desk, and restrooms for safety, so was only open as a shop with limited hours), and worked in shifts of 2 (typically, we would have 4). Using the app, we would update a dry erase board with a list of sold-out attractions. We had maps and “I wore my mask in Salem” stickers, as well as hand sanitizer and posters promoting the app. I refused to hand anything out, or to touch anyone else’s map, so I brought a pointer that I had attached a small pointing hand to. Other volunteers brought laser pointers or used a pen.
Tourists would walk up, see the board of unavailable attractions, and they would all ask the same thing:
What ISN’T sold out?
The first thing to sell-out every weekend was The Salem Witch Museum, so I would tell them this story: “One of the most popular questions during a normal season is ‘Where is the Witch Museum?’, to which we all like to respond: ‘Which Witch Museum?‘ You see, we have several. The Salem Witch Museum is sold out, but we also have the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch History Museum, the Salem Wax Museum, and the Salem Witch Village. In addition (in normal years), Cry Innocent at Old Town Hall is a live reenactment of one of the witch trials, the Peabody Essex Museum is currently showing a special exhibition of artifacts from the trials (through April 4, 2021).
The other popular one this year (typically from the NY and NJ families that drove up without any plans):
We just got here. What should we do?
My favorite response to that was: “Well, what are your expectations for today?” I didn’t come up with that one, but I used it a lot, and it was very effective. I could usually steer them in the right direction finding out what they were interested in. I can see using this question during normal years as well.
Alongside having a knowledge of Salem, a friendly, approachable attitude, and a willingness to deal with the Public and all their foibles and demands, the most important part of the gig is the Costume!
I have amassed quite a collection of costumes, so I can easily grab one, but a lot of them are dependent on weather. Some are nice and warm for those chilly October days, and some are thin and cool for those Global Warming October days. I try to rotate my costumes throughout the season, so I’m not wearing the same thing each shift, and I try to add a new one to the rotation each year. Each year, I find myself working during a rain storm, and each year, I struggle to find and outfit that works. I had an epiphany during a cold rainy shift in 2019 – one of those days that the rain blows sideways and umbrellas turn inside-out. I could be the Gorton’s Fisherman! I’ve had the yellow overalls, jacket, and Sou’wester hat in my “buy later” list for a long time. I could easily whiten my beard and stick a box of fish sticks to my bag or something. When it looked like Halloween wasn’t happening this year, I didn’t go through with it. Maybe I will for 2021.
The first shift’s outfit is traditionally what I have come to call “Ambassador Witch” This was the first costume I put together for the Info Booth, and it now feels like my uniform (this year with the addition of a mask).
Ambassador Witch (2020 version)
Since this year’s shifts were so last-minute, and I didn’t want to repeat, I went to social media to ask my friends to vote for the next outfits:
6 Variations in Search of an Answer: (l to r, top row) Trade Merchant, Ravenclaw Alumnus (modern), Ravenclaw Alumnus (vintage) (l to r, bottom) Kilted Autumnal Ren Faire Mishmash, Herbology Professor, Norma(n) Desmond
I told everyone that I would wear the outfit that got the most votes (with a caveat about the weather). Norma(n) Desmond got the most votes (obviously), but that outfit requires a cool, dry day, so I had to go with the runner-up:
It was a VERY warm day, so the “natural air conditioning” really was the best choice
Because there were not a lot of us that were willing to volunteer, I was scheduled to work on Halloween day. It was my hope that I could wear Norma(n) Desmond (I made a much better matching mask and turban than in the above picture), but the day started with rain and it was very chilly, so wearing satin pajamas, slippers, and a satin kimono* that dragged behind me didn’t seem like the best idea, so I went with one of the Ravenclaw outfits:
Forgive the spooky frame and low quality.
The only things I made on this outfit were the hat and the mask. The blue Vintage Ravenclaw robe is based on the Fantastic Beasts movies. I purchased the robe and the tie at Remember Salem. My “wand” was the telescoping pointer with tiny hand I used each shift for pointing out all of the Hocus Pocus film locations on the guests’ maps. It was a big hit. What you can’t see is the Marauder’s Map backpack I made filled with disposable gloves, bottled water, extra maps (for walking to/from the booth), stickers, and a carabiner bottle filled with hand sanitizer.
Halloween Info Booth by the Numbers:
For those of you who are new to this, each shift is 2 hours long, and we have a clicker to count guests. If you are asked a question, or offer help to someone, you click it for the number of people in their group. So one easy question for a family of 8 or a dance troupe of 20 can really add up. Each of the numbers below are the totals for each shift. There are 2 listed on the 17th because someone called-in sick, and I didn’t want someone to handle the second shift alone, so I pulled a double.
October 3rd: 137 (Ambassador Witch) October 17th: 277 (Black & White Beetlejuice Suit, top hat, black shirt, cravat & pocket square – seen here) October 17th: 215 (ditto) October 24th: 301 (Kilted Autumnal Ren Faire Mishmash) October 31st: 301 (Ravenclaw Alumnus, vintage)
Total for 2020: 1,231 people helped over 5 shifts (10 hours).
In comparison: 2019: 1,388 over 5 shifts (10 hours). 2018: 1,967 over 6 shifts (12 hours). I don’t have the 2016 and 2017 numbers. Also, these are all the “official” numbers. I wear my “Ask Me, I’m a Local” button anytime I’m walking around Salem, and because I am aggressively helpful, I stop to help loads of people on my way to and from the booth (hence the extra maps and stickers in my bag), so add a few dozen to each of those numbers.
You will notice that the numbers are not that far off 2019 to 2020, considering we were in a pandemic. Given the nice weather, the extra weekend, and the Saturday Full Moon Halloween, it is clear that this would have been a Haunted Happenings for the record books, had things been normal.
All-in-all, I am glad that I was able to get out and help people, especially since my free (to Salem residents) Covid-19 tests all came back negative.
Fingers crossed for a safe 2021 Halloween!
*I made Norma(n) Desmond on a lark. I had been working from home since March 12, 2020, and hadn’t left the house to do anything, so I remarked to a friend (on Zoom) that “If I’m forced to live like an eccentric recluse, I’m going to start dressing like one!” When my quarantine hair was out of control, I watched a video to learn how to tie a turban as a joke. I had already made a cotton kimono out of some Hawaiian fabric I had, and had designed and made a caftan just to learn how to do it. So, when I saw this video of Glenn Close, I knew I HAD to make that outfit (or something close to it):
I wore it one night (slightly drunk) while watching the original movie and once on Zoom as a surprise for a friend’s birthday. Since then, I’ve added gloves and a ring and upgraded the turban, so if you come to Salem in 2021 or beyond, maybe you’ll see it in person…
That’s what my button says. We volunteers wear them during our shifts at the Salem Visitor Information Booth in October during Haunted Happenings in Salem, MA. I “freelance” when not in the booth by wearing my pin all month long and helping any lost-looking tourists to find their way around town.
For 2019, we had SO MANY volunteers (a blessing, to be sure) that I was only able to book two initial shifts at the booth – and the earliest was October 13th! Once everyone had a chance to choose their initial shifts, the schedule was opened-up again and I took three additional later in the month (including Halloween!!).
If you haven’t read about 2018’s booth experiences, you can find those here, and I share some further thoughts on the booth in this post.
Sunday, October 13th: 12-2pm (actually 12-2:15pm)
I was so excited to start my first shift. Though I had been walking around town wearing my button and helping people up until this point, it’s not the same as standing at the booth and having people from around the world come to you. It seems to be tradition now that I always begin my season in the Ambassador Witch costume (above and left). I have had return visitors recognize me in that outfit, and the local vendors and street performers have been starting to recognize it as well.
During this shift, I met visitors from Canada, Washington, DC, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ireland, and Israel and helped 453individuals in my 2h 15m shift (the woman replacing me was late, so I stayed to help until she showed-up).
Sunday, October 20th: 4-6pm
My first evening shift (I prefer the 10-12 or 12-2), I only had 186people on my clicker at the end of it. I think by that time of day – especially on a Sunday – people don’t need directions or help in finding things to do. I don’t think I’ll take another late shift, unless it’s Halloween night (I am scheduled 2-4!). Today’ I was the Herbology Professor (right), which was my ‘new; costume for 2018.
In addition to the booth shift, a friend that runs Creative Collective asked me if I could help them out loading street vendors for the weekend markets on 19, 20, 26 and 27th. Of course I said I would – then he told me I had to be there at 7:15am… It was COLD and early, but all of the vendors were very sweet and happy to have a friendly face helping them load-in. It did make for long days, though. I have a feeling he’s going to ask again during the next markets.
Saturday, October 26th: 12-2pm
A wonderfully sunny and beautiful day in Salem!
I am trying, every year, to have a new costume in rotation (see above). For 2019 , I had created Mickey Mouse’s Brave Little Tailor. What do you think? It was a big hit and has to be one of the most photographed costumes I’ve worn.
There were a few people calling me Peter Pan and Robin Hood, which bummed me out, until one guy came walking across the cross walk and yelled to me “Seven in one blow!” I must have grinned from (mouse) ear to (mouse) ear!
Because it was a beautiful day, it was peak time, and it was the last Saturday before Halloween, it was CROWDED. I helped 428people during my shift.
Sunday, October 27th: 12-2pm
Sunday was a miserable as Saturday was beautiful. It was pouring rain, cold, and windy. Because of the weather, most of the street vendors had cancelled, so I didn’t have to stand in the cold rain at 7:15am, but I did keep my shift at the booth. I struggled to find an outfit that was fun, but also weatherproof. I settled on a polyester “Beetlejuice” suit I had in the closet from a Night Circus-themed masquerade ball we attended, complete with top hat and umbrella (necessary in that weather). I only clicked 138 people on my counter, and I came home chilled and soaked to the bone, with awful blisters from the tux shoes (bad idea).
Thursday, October 31st (HALLOWEEN!): 2-4pm – Cancelled
The weather was so awful, that they cancelled anyone scheduled to be outside. We decided to keep the booth open for the next weekend, so they moved my shift to:
Saturday, November 2nd: 12-2pm
While it was technically past Halloween, the crowds still came on Saturday, perhaps because of the weather that week. It was clear, but chilly. I wore the Ambassador Witch hat and socks, but with long johns and a thick wool pea coat.
The calendars and brochures that we usually give out were now out-of-date, but I pointed people to the map and descriptions, telling them what was still running and open. All-in-all, I helped 183people during this shift, plus a dozen more on my way home.
Total people helped (at the booth): 1388
That’s a far cry from the 1967 of 2018, but I blame the weather and my shift selections for that.
In 2020, Halloween will fall on a Saturday, and the Haunted Happenings kick-off parade will be on Thursday October 1st. That means we will have one full month of Haunted Happenings! And did I mention that both October 1st and 31st are full moons? Yeah. It’s going to be crazy.
Holiday displays before Thanksgiving, 4th of July Peeps, and Halloween in August?
We Americans tend to overdo anything we find special or unique, especially if it is inherently limited, or seasonal. It is in our marketing/consumer nature to push it passed the saturation point, bringing it as far away from the reason we first fell in love with it as possible, either by extending the season, or making the limited unlimited.
I mean… really? Pumpkin Spice Spam sold out in 7 hours. What have we come to? Is this irony, nostalgia, kitsch, or will certain people buy anything that remotely references something they once loved? Maybe they are doing it for the ‘gram. Starbucks released their PSL’s on August 27th this year. I don’t know what the weather was like where you live, but it was NOT a day I wanted to put on some flannel and sit by the fire sipping my latte. Even my beloved Walt Disney World decorated for Halloween and started Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties on August 16th. Full disclosure: we went to this party when we were there on August 27th. It was ridiculously hot and humid.
Because of this trend, I start to worry when tourists and tour buses start jamming our streets in early September, and think that maybe we are pushing the festivities too early. I understand that making the season longer helps to grab as much of that tourist revenue as possible, but thankfully we have enough going on in the summer that we don’t start October in August. We have an estimated 1 million tourists each year for maritime and literary history, museums, cultural festivals, and a bustling food and drink scene, but the word on the street is that most small businesses can make 50-80% of their annual income during the month of October alone.
What’s in a season?
We typically have 4 weekends of heavy activity each October, starting with the Haunted Happenings Parade (typically the first Thursday) to kick-off the official festivities, and ending with the fireworks on Halloween night. This year, the PEM opens it’s new wing to the public on September 28th. In celebration, they are offering free admission to all and hosting parties throughout the weekend. We also happen to have a Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival that weekend nearby on the common. For this reason, the Salem Visitor Information Booth is opening a week early to assist with the expected crowds.
The booth is delivered to its home for the next few weeks. It will be surrounded by flowers, decorations, and a rack for free maps and guides by the time you come visit. Photo Credit: Salem Main Streets
The booth is staffed by volunteers every weekend, plus some weekdays during special events (the parade, Farmers’ markets, Halloween, etc). If you look at the Haunted Happenings guide, you will see that there are special events every day in October, including new night markets on select Friday nights, and weekly specialty nights at most of the bars and restaurants, but there is a higher concentration of special things to do on the weekends, as the majority of tourists come in as day trips or overnights then.
But what are the crowds really like?
Have you ever been to a Disney Park during school vacation? Our city’s historic and cultural district spans just over 1 mile in length, and half a mile wide when looking at the map, yet, we can reach half a million people in that area just on Halloween night. On one of my Saturday shifts at the booth last year, I helped 474 people in 2 hours! I am, what I like to call, “Aggressively Helpful” when working the booth. I will walk up to people looking at GPS on their phones, or trying to read the giant map nearby (for some reason, it’s posted backwards, which isn’t obvious when you look at it). If those people wave me away and say they know where they are going, 90% of the time they come back to me saying they got lost and needed help. I will compliment costumes, give a smile and a warm “Welcome to my city!” or “Happy Halloween!” to every person walking by. If it’s cold, I will tap a time step. I have had people come back to thank me for my suggestions and ask me for more, and I’ve had people recognize me from helping them the previous year – it’s like they have a friend that lives in Salem! We only count people that we actually talk to, but can include whole groups, even if we only talk to one person from that party. That’s probably how I got 474, although a 3.5 people-per-minute average is not hard to do with families or groups, especially if they have a specific question. I also hand out maps to even more people that I don’t count. The final Saturday before Halloween last year, we had a bad nor’easter come through. There were many intrepid travelers out on the streets that day, undaunted by the weather (and they had already paid for their trip, so why not?), and I still ended up helping 108 people in my 2 hours. The very next day, the storm had passed, and I was back up to 450. All totaled, I personally helped 1967 people (officially – I don’t count the ones I help when just walking around town). The entire booth staff of 75+ volunteers helped over 22,000 tourists that season.
True story: I have yet to meet an angry or mean tourist at the booth.
People may be tired, frustrated, or hungry. They may have been sitting in traffic, or waiting in line for an hour for a haunted house that was a minute in length. They may be overwhelmed with how much is going on, but they are here to have fun, and they are choosing to chat with me, rather than relying on their smart phones. That’s not to say there aren’t tons of a-holes wandering around, getting drunk, and heckling performers. My friends in the service industry have nightmare stories about awful customers, or disrespectful tourists that treat our historic cemeteries like they were fake movie sets.
Tell me again why you love it? It sounds…awful.
I can see someone reading those numbers, or hearing complaints about waiting in line, or trying to drive through the city, could think that it’s too crowded or too frenetic, but I absolutely adore my city: its history, culture, and charm – it’s my little European Walking City right here on the North Shore of Massachusetts. When I first moved her almost 20 years ago, I griped about the traffic and ‘those tourists’ clogging my city, taking my seat in the restaurant, and crowding the sidewalks. My friends and I commiserated, and sighed heavily waiting for November to arrive, but as I got to know the city, and became friends with many of the business owners, I realized how much the city depends on the tourist industry – not only the shops and restaurants, but I’ve met many people that moved to Salem after having visited as a tourist.
What I didn’t explain above is that those 75+ volunteers are all Salem residents, like me, that volunteer our time. We do it because we love our city and we want to help other people to love it, too. We are an expanding family of dedicated, passionate, slightly kooky, people with a need to help others. This year, there are over 100 of us! This is wonderful, of course, but (selfishly) all these new people are taking my spots! I was only able to book 5 shifts this year, and the first one isn’t until October 13th. I’ll have to wait weeks! Oh well… I guess I’ll have to go rogue and walk around town with my “Ask Me, I’m a Local” button and a bag full of brochures…
I’ll create another post with this year’s booth highlights and running tally (like last year). Look out for at least one new outfit, too!
Make your plans now!
In 2020, there will be 5 weekends in October. Halloween 2020 will be on a Saturday… during a Full Moon… Book your hotels now, it’s going to be crazy!
*and kids at heart
**I know, the word “Christmases” appears in the chorus, but other than that, the song is a secular piece about the season of peace and good will to all.
It was pouring rain, cold, and windy. Because of the weather, most of the street vendors had cancelled, so I didn’t have to stand in the cold rain at 7:15am, but I did keep my shift at the booth. I struggled to find an outfit that was fun, but also weatherproof. I settled on a polyester “Beetlejuice” suit I had in the closet from a 
While it was technically past Halloween, the crowds still came on Saturday, perhaps because of the weather that week. It was clear, but chilly. I wore the Ambassador Witch hat and socks, but with long johns and a thick wool pea coat.
Small Stuff 
