Salem in October 2015
By: Brooke Jalbert
After attending multiple events throughout them month of October, my favorite part was going downtown on Halloween night. However, there were many events that I attended, that are too great to leave out! On October 31st, I walked downtown with my friends to visit the Salem Witch Museum. This museum included a show, and a guided tour to follow. The show had thirteen different reenactments of the Salem witch trials. Each was lit up when spoken about in detail by the narrator. My favorite part of the show was the judges and women at the back of the room. It blew my mind, and made me angry, that they judges granted the women’s innocence, yet people fought against this conclusion, which made them change their answer to “guilty.” Following the presentation, a tour guide took the crowded group through the small gallery of wax figures of a so-called “witch” and also a nurse. She spoke about misconceptions, and also touched on other important events in a timeline. It was an extremely informational, and quite interesting museum. The witch trials have always fascinated me, and the museum was a terrific way to expand my knowledge of the witch hysteria.
Also on Halloween, I walked through the graveyard well known for the memorials of the horrifying witch trials. Walking through this, I thought about all of the innocent people that were murdered during this time, and it made me stop and look at almost every gravestone in the field. That night, I took a ghost candle-lit tour. The tour started off right near the graveyard, and each tourist was handed a lit candle, with a plastic cup around it, to prevent the wax from dripping on our hands. The tour guide took us through downtown, thoroughly explaining ghosts, and what places they were in throughout Salem. They speak about the history of ghosts, and what their purpose is, and it is extremely informational and exciting!
Lastly, my third favorite event was the Haunted Happenings kickoff parade on October 1st. My friends and I walked downtown and went to the Howling Wolf. Following this, we began to see the excitement of people throughout the town, because Halloween was on its way! We got great spots for the parade, up on a cement wall. I watched hundreds of floats, dancers, and groups dressed in amazing costumes throwing candy to the little children. My favorite part of the parade was the group of minions, led by their master Gru. They stopped and did a silly dance with buckets and wooden spoons, and it made my friends and I laugh all night about it. The parade was a great atmosphere to be in, and experience the opportunities we have, living in such a historical city!
Also on Halloween, I walked through the graveyard well known for the memorials of the horrifying witch trials. Walking through this, I thought about all of the innocent people that were murdered during this time, and it made me stop and look at almost every gravestone in the field. That night, I took a ghost candle-lit tour. The tour started off right near the graveyard, and each tourist was handed a lit candle, with a plastic cup around it, to prevent the wax from dripping on our hands. The tour guide took us through downtown, thoroughly explaining ghosts, and what places they were in throughout Salem. They speak about the history of ghosts, and what their purpose is, and it is extremely informational and exciting!
Lastly, my third favorite event was the Haunted Happenings kickoff parade on October 1st. My friends and I walked downtown and went to the Howling Wolf. Following this, we began to see the excitement of people throughout the town, because Halloween was on its way! We got great spots for the parade, up on a cement wall. I watched hundreds of floats, dancers, and groups dressed in amazing costumes throwing candy to the little children. My favorite part of the parade was the group of minions, led by their master Gru. They stopped and did a silly dance with buckets and wooden spoons, and it made my friends and I laugh all night about it. The parade was a great atmosphere to be in, and experience the opportunities we have, living in such a historical city!