Written by Shawn Krajewski
It was a rainy day. I was sitting in my office; my brown coat was hung up near the door, its age becoming more apparent by the day. A tattered brown bucket hat covered my eyes as I sucked on a lollipop. On my desk was a pile of paperwork: college applications mixed with cooking recipes. To the right was an ashtray filled with small cardboard sticks, devoid of any use, and in the center of the table was a small, dim lamp lighting my workspace. I heard a ring come from the door as someone walked in. A young woman in a demon costume approached with a basket in hand and tears in her eyes. She asked me to help her.
“It's my last day. Besides, I don't celebrate Halloween anymore,” I told her while I stayed motionless in my chair.
“Please, you have to. It's hell out there,” she pleaded.
“No.”
“What if I gave you this?” She reached into her basket and pulled out a full-sized Kit Kat, its red wrapper glistening in the light. The chocolate confection seemed to reach out toward me, begging me to eat it.
“Fine," I responded. "I’ll help you!”
If you're visiting Salem during Halloween and feeling unsure of where to start, like the woman in the story, then this guide is for you. In terms of food on Halloween, there is very little. That is mainly because most businesses are closed on Halloween due to its chaos. However, no matter what age you are, I believe you should be allowed to trick or treat in Salem, and to do it right, there are several areas you must go to get the greatest amount of candy and spooks.
Treats
If you're seeking treats, then the best advice I have is to go to The Common. Specifically, you'll want to walk around it. The Common is the giant park in Salem. The houses next to it are owned by more well-off people, and they typically give out full-sized candy bars. There is also a dentist down there, and while they do give out toothbrushes, they also hand out candy. (You know Halloween is important to a city when even the dentists give out candy.)
The Common serves as a great starting point to go to any of the other nearby neighborhoods, which also have large amounts of candy. Furthermore, there will most likely be several carnival-related attractions and snacks. There, you can find fried dough and hot dogs, which—all things considered—are pretty good. That being said, they can be a little expensive on occasion.
But keep in mind to stay near either downtown or towards the common; the further you get away from those locations, the fewer candy households there will be, and more importantly, the more dangerous; this is Halloween; it's going to be in the middle of the night, with over 1 million people. That does mean there will be more costumes but also more unfavorable fellows (and candy competition), so to stay safe, stay around highly populated areas, and don't go down dark alleyways or routes.
Another place to explore is the neighborhood on the streets opposing the front of Saltonstall (which is a school). I suggest you walk through this neighborhood at least at the beginning of your trick-or-treating adventure. This is because there are a lot of houses over there that are owned by decently well-off people and are far enough away from the general action, so they aren't overwhelming. This will result in candy galore! The other residential areas won't have as much candy because they're mostly composed of people who want to escape the action and who work downtown (or in Boston). So please, just leave them alone, trying to get a good night's rest for the working day tomorrow.
Tricks
This next section is targeted towards those who are visiting Salem during Halloween; however, if you live in Salem or you want to go downtown to give out candy, I still have a few ideas you should try.
First, you should make distributing candy fun by incorporating gimmicks, such as unique costumes. If you're going as a video game character, give candy to people who guess your costume. Alternatively, if you dressed up as a healer (like a medic from TF2 or Mercy from Overwatch), make your healing device candy-themed. You could bring electrical tape so you can “heal” other people's costumes. Lastly, consider dressing as a candy monster who also gives out candy (like the "Summerween" trickster from Gravity Falls).
Another Halloween idea is to give trick-or-treaters the option of getting a small piece of candy or a full-sized one, but they must do a trick. You could also just hand out candy in general, as very few people do that downtown, so it would be very much appreciated.
Overall, there are several ways to enjoy Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, whether you’re indulging in delicious treats or creating fun tricks for visiting trick-or-treaters. Happy Halloween, and let your night be full of frights and delights!
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