Salem Downtown To Shut Down Early This Halloween

SALEM, MA – Salem is shutting down early on Halloween, with access to downtown severely limited over the next two weekends, as the city attempts to deter potential visitors amid the coronavirus health crisis.

The city is restricting parking over the next two weekends, having outbound commuter rail service from North Station bypass the Salem stop from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. the next two Saturdays and this Sunday, and closing downtown parking garages to non-residents after 2 p.m. on Fridays and noon on weekends through Halloween.

The decisions announced at a joint news conference with Gov. Charlie Baker and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll Wednesday afternoon are all designed to keep as many people as possible from coming to Salem during what are traditionally the two busiest weekends of the year.

"I think the message for the most part is: 'Stay away,'" Baker said.

Driscoll said in most years the city is imploring the MBTA for more trains during Halloween weekend and the weekend before it that she called "Halloween Junior." But, while she said crowds are down this year compared to years past, they have still been way too big to maintain social distancing in a pandemic.

"We're concerned that with warm weather, and wanderlust with people who just want to get out, we will have a lot of people flocking to Salem for typical Halloween events that will not be happening this year," Driscoll said. "This is not the year to come to Salem. This is not the year to visit."

While crowds are usually ushered off Salem streets by around 11 p.m. on Halloween, Driscoll said any crowds in the city will be moved along by 8 p.m. this year next Friday and Saturday. She said she is confident that downtown restaurants and businesses will voluntarily comply with the 8 p.m. shutdown.

"It is our hope that there will not be people in Salem to push out," Driscoll said. "I want to express how abnormal it is to stand up here and not welcome people to Salem."

She acknowledged the visitors who have already booked lodging or made restaurant reservations will push the capacity of downtown to its limits regardless of the latest visitation deterrents.

"As much as we are amplifying this message Salem will not be a ghost town this Halloween," Driscoll.

When told that an average of 50,000 to 60,000 visitors will flock to Salem during a typical weekend right before or on Halloween, Baker called it a "Gillette Stadium full of people" that the city cannot withstand this year.

The city has called off all of its official Halloween events and prohibited street performances, music stages, beer gardens and other annual activities. Fines for violations orders against exceeding capacity limits and public drinking are tripled.

Driscoll said additional traffic enforcement officers will be out to make sure visitors are not parking in residential areas where stickers are required this month. Violators will have their vehicles towed.

Driscoll said there will also be 15 traffic control points where "we will be directing people out of Salem." Baker said highway signs are posted in Peabody, Beverly and various other locations in the state telling drivers not to head to Halloween's unofficial hometown this year.

Baker said that in recognition that some essential workers will have to get from Boston to Salem during the next two weeks that rush-hour trains on Fridays and the last two inbound trains on Fridays will stop in Salem, as well as two morning Saturday and Sunday trains and the last one of the night.

While Driscoll said that while many businesses have had a "pretty good month" with the crowds that have shown up during October, motel and lodging taxes are off about 55 percent, and meals taxes off 30 percent, due to reduced capacity.

"They understand we're in it for the long haul," Driscoll said of downtown business owners. "It's not just about October. It's about November, December and January. We don't want to do anything that means we have to shut down completely."

Baker said that while Salem did not meet the state metric as a "high-risk community" in last week's report — having more than 8.0 cases per 100,000 residents — it is being treated as one for the next two weeks because of its unique tie to Halloween.

"We are making those adjustments with the goal of discouraging people from taking the train up to Salem and walking around," Baker said.

More Patch Salem Halloween Coverage: Salem To Restrict Pedestrian Mall Amid 'Super Frustrating' Crowds

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Message To Salem Halloween Visitors: Maybe Wait Until Next Year

Salem To Keep Strict Coronavirus Restrictions Through Halloween

State Police Airwing Asked To Monitor Salem Halloween Crowds

This article originally appeared on the Salem Patch