Halloween night in Salem

WOW, what a night. I didn’t think this year would be that big early on in the day since things got off to a slow start. About noon I walked around and there were a few people in costume but nothing major. After school got out the streets started to pick up and performers gathered to find the key spots. I ducked inside about 4pm to get my costume on. When we emerged things had picked up significantly.

The police had sectioned off all of the down town area from Derby St. to the Common down to the train station and over to the post office. All available space was being used with bands and DJs set up on Hawthorne Blvd., Derby St., and Washington St., and a food court set up in the Common.

People were all decked out in their finest costumes. All the traditional Dracula, werewolf, Frankenstein, and mummy’s made an appearance. But the overwhelming costumes for women, or should I say girls was the slutty “fill in the blank” of note were, cop, witch, nurse, pirate, umpire, vampire, fireman, candy corn, devil, wonder woman, cat woman, rainbow bright, gangster, prison inmate, and last but not least slutty nun. The adult entertainment industry can rest assured that the next generation of performers is ready and willing to step up.

Not to be left out of the fun, a cadre of fundamentalist Christians were patrolling the streets with giant signs and bullhorns. I think their warnings of eternal damnation fell on deaf ears. Satan showed up and gathered quite a crowd when he was hanging out with the God squad.

Shortly after 10pm the fireworks started up on the water adjacent to the commuter rail station. It was a half hearted attempt at topping off the night, unfortunately they seemed to drag on uneventfully for a half hour. When the fireworks had wrapped up the police had sectioned off the area and started pushing people out of town, beginning with the pedestrian mall. By midnight Salem once again was returned to its former self, with all the vendors and tourists just a memory.

This morning it seemed almost sad.