Hey Salem,
Halloween on a Saturday doesn't come around often, and this one comes with a bonus: the clocks fall back early Sunday morning, so we all get an extra hour of sleep after the candy crash.
Saturday is the main event. Start with a costume chess tournament at Rudy's Garden Shop, then head to Woodmansee Park in South Salem for the free Fae Folx Festival: a family fantasy fest with trick-or-treating at the booths, live music and local artists, all benefiting the Salem Pride and Resource Center.
Not a Halloween person? Catch a planetarium show about colliding galaxies at Chemeketa on Friday ($5, bring cash), a tribute band that sounds uncannily like Chicago at the Elsinore on Sunday, or the free Tuesday at Hallie Ford Museum of Art.
And Tuesday is Election Day. Mail your ballot so it's postmarked by Tuesday (ask for a hand postmark at the counter if you're cutting it close), or get it in an official drop box by 8 p.m. If yours is still on the kitchen counter, the drop box links are in the feature below.
One ask this week: send me the best costume you see this weekend. Hit reply with a photo or a description, and I'll share a few favorites next Thursday.
Jacob
Also, don't miss these opportunities to get connected in Salem:
The WHS Community — our $20/quarter membership for people who want to go deeper: connect with fellow Salemites, swap recommendations, and get the inside scoop on the city.
The December Dinner Club — take a quick quiz, get matched with five Salem folks, and meet for dinner at a spot revealed the morning of. No awkwardness, just good company.
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Quick ad and then we will get back to the story…
The Tuesday before Black Friday, I'm sending a dedicated Salem Gift Guide email: every local deal for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, all in one place, plus an Instagram carousel to match. It's the one email people will open before they decide where to shop that weekend.
Two ways in: a Black Friday deal listing for $150 (your logo, your deal and a link), or the single Presenting Sponsor spot for $1,500. The deadline to get in is Friday, Nov. 13, and listings are first come, first served.
If you own a shop, restaurant or service in Salem and you've got a deal planned, this is the easiest way to make sure people actually hear about it.
Sunday, Nov. 1 | Doors 6 p.m. | The Christmas Light Guys, 3535 Del Webb Ave NE | Free
Halloween's barely over and the Christmas Light Guys are already counting down to inflate a 32-foot Buddy the Elf in their lot, with snow, lights and music to go with it. Free hot cocoa and treats, photos with Santa and local giveaways round it out.
If you need a reason to get out of the house on the first dark-by-5 night of the year, this is it. Bring the kids, bring a camera and come see the biggest elf in Salem go up.
Every time I ask what Salem is missing, somebody says roller skating. This Saturday you can do it in a costume.
Roller Skating at the Ballpark is going all day and night for Halloween: five two-hour sessions on Saturday, Oct. 31 at Roto-Rooter Park in Keizer. Day sessions run 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., and night sessions run 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Pick one.
Every session has a costume contest with winners by age group, plus family, couples and individual categories. Every kid in a costume gets free candy. Costumes aren't required, but you'll feel underdressed without one.
It's the Skateland 2 You mobile rink set up in the tent at the stadium, with skate rental included. Sessions cap out, so grab your time slot ahead of the day instead of rolling up and hoping. Questions? (458) 277-8015. 6700 Field of Dreams Way, Keizer.
okay, now back to the story…
🎃 Every Halloween Event in Salem, All in One Place
Halloween lands on a Saturday, so the whole weekend is fair game. Here's every haunt, trunk-or-treat, costume party and spooky screening we could find, from tonight through Sunday. Lots of these are community-run and listed only on social media, so double-check times before you head out.
👻 Tonight Through Friday, Oct. 30
Tonight (Thu), 7 p.m. | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari with live organ | Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE
Thu–Sun, 7–10 p.m. | Scare at the Fair: Fright Planet | Oregon State Fair & Expo Center, 2330 17th St NE | Parking $10
Thu–Sun | Extreme Velocity Zombie Shoot | Salem Center North Building, 401 Center St NE | $25–$39, airsoft for groups up to eight
Fri, 2–10 p.m. | Trick or Treat Vendor Event | Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St NE | Free
Fri, 3–5 p.m. | Dallas Trick-N-Treat | Main Street, Dallas | Free, costume contest 4 p.m. at New Morning Bakery
Fri, 3–5 p.m. & 4–6 p.m. | MI Town Halloween | Downtown Independence (3–5 p.m.) and Monmouth (4–6 p.m.) | Free
Fri, 6–9 p.m. | Witch Night at Brooks | Brooks Wine, Amity | $40
Fri, evening | Bone Puppets Market of Oddities | Venture Hall, 501 Marion St NE | $5, 12 and under free
Fri, 6:30 p.m. | Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics | Willamette Heritage Center Spinning Room, 1313 Mill St SE
Fri & Sat, 7–11 p.m. | Nightmare Factory haunted house | Oregon School for the Deaf, 999 Locust St NE | $20, $30 speed pass
Fri & Sat, 7–9:30 p.m. | Fordyce Farm Haunted Corn Maze | 7023 Sunnyview Rd NE | $16
Fri, 7:30–9:30 p.m. | Halloween Costume Contest Skate | Traveling Wheelz at The MadHouse, 1335 Madison St NE
Fri, 8:30 p.m. | Witches, Booze & Bad Decisions | Shooters Cafe & Saloon, 4615 Silverton Rd NE | 21+, cash costume prizes
🍬 Saturday, Oct. 31: Kids & Families
9 a.m.–2 p.m. | CHESS-O-WEEN | Rudy's Garden Shop, 1288 State St | $22, costume contest between rounds
9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Powerland Halloween: The Case of the Missing Fairy | Powerland Heritage Park, Brooks | $15–$19
10 a.m.–10:30 p.m., five sessions | Roller Skating at the Ballpark | Roto-Rooter Park, 6700 Field of Dreams Way NE, Keizer | Costume contest every session, free candy for kids in costume
10:30 a.m. | Acorn Dentistry for Kids 5K Trick or Trot | Riverfront Park | Costumes encouraged
Noon–2 p.m. | Trunk or Treat at Salem Alliance Church | 555 Gaines St NE | Free, rain or shine
Noon–6 p.m. | Fae Folx Festival | Woodmansee Park, 4629 Sunnyside Rd SE | Free, $5 suggested donation
2–6 p.m. | Cycle Country Trunk or Treat | 4764 Portland Rd NE | Free
3–5 p.m. | SCARE-ousel Bash | Riverfront Carousel, 101 Front St NE | Activity pass $11–$12
3–6 p.m. | Trick-or-Treat at Deepwood | 1116 Mission St SE | Free
3–5 p.m. | Indoor Trick or Treat at Salem First Free Methodist | 4455 Silverton Rd NE | Free
3–6 p.m. | Salem Elks Kids' Trunk or Treat | Salem Elks Lodge, 2336 Turner Rd SE
3–5 p.m. | Woodburn Trunk-or-Treat | N Front St, Woodburn | Free, plus Coco at the Bungalow Theatre
3–5 p.m. | Mt. Angel Candy Crawl | Downtown Mt. Angel | Free
4–6 p.m. | Silverton Goblin Walk | Main Street, Silverton | Free
4–7 p.m. | Hot Rod & Halloween Trunk or Treat | Roto-Rooter Park, 6700 Field of Dreams Way NE, Keizer | Free
5 p.m. | Fairmount Halloween Parade | Starts at Fairmount Park, 650 Rural Ave S | Free
🦇 Saturday, Oct. 31: Grown-Ups & Late Night
11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Halloween Costume Party at Brooks | Brooks Wine, Amity
1–3:30 p.m. | Spooky Paint Your Pet | Ratchet Brewery, 2475 25th St SE
4 p.m.–midnight | Salem Halloween Bar Crawl | Check in at The Dehn Bar, 157 Commercial St SE | 21+
5–8 p.m. | Early Bird Halloween with JT Wise Band | McMenamins Boon's Treasury, 888 Liberty St NE | Free, all ages
From 5 p.m. | Salem Elks Costume Party & Dinner | 2336 Turner Rd SE | $15 dinner, The Shady Band 7:30 p.m.
5–8 p.m. | Samhain After Dark | Pixie Nook, 267 N 2nd Ave, Stayton | Drop-in
5:30 p.m. | Brew Week Zombie Crawl and Time Warp Through the Decades | Highdive (check-in) and The BAD Space | 21+
6–10 p.m. | Halloween Party with Johnny Wheels & the Swamp Donkeys | Elysium Botanicals, 8175 Buena Vista Rd, Independence | $13
7–11:30 p.m. | Hell! Halloween 2026 | Southside Speakeasy, 3529 Fairview Industrial Dr SE
7:30 p.m. | Evil Dead the Musical | Venture Hall, 501 Marion St NE | $26–$41
8–11 p.m. | Halloween at The Yard Food Park | 4106 State St | Live music from Moonlit Madness | Free, costume contest
9 p.m. | Side Hustle Freak Fest ft. Yung Joc | Side Hustle Bar, 145 Liberty St NE
🗳️ Also This Week: Clocks, Día de los Muertos & Election Day
Clocks fall back Sun, Nov. 1 at 2 a.m., so set them back an hour before bed Saturday. Día de los Muertos is Nov. 1–2. This week, visit the free exhibit What Remains: Death Traditions Around the World at the World Beat Gallery, 390 Liberty St SE (open Tue–Fri, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.). Election Day is Tue, Nov. 3: mail your ballot so it's postmarked by Tuesday (ask for a hand postmark at the counter if you're cutting it close), or get it in an official drop box by 8 p.m. Find one on Marion County's drop-site map or Polk County's list (West Salem), and track your ballot on Oregon's My Vote, whichever county you're in.
Have an event for us to feature? Submit your events HERE to get them added to the newsletter
🧝 Operation: Get Buddy Up
Sun, Nov. 1 | Doors 6 p.m. | The Christmas Light Guys, 3535 Del Webb Ave NE | Free
Halloween's barely over and the Christmas Light Guys are already counting down to inflate a 32-foot Buddy the Elf in their lot, with snow, lights and music to go with it. Free hot cocoa and treats, photos with Santa and local giveaways round it out. If you need a reason to get out of the house on the first dark-by-5 night of the year, this is it.
🍷 Witch Night at Brooks
Fri, Oct. 30 | 6–9 p.m. | Brooks Wine, 21101 SE Cherry Blossom Ln, Amity | $40, members 20% off
Tarot readings, flash tattoos and henna, plus a three-wine mini flight and wine discounts based on your horoscope. A spooky little road trip about 25 minutes west of Salem.
🐦 Hitchcock's The Birds (1963)
Fri, Oct. 30 | Doors 6:30 p.m., film 7 p.m. | Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE | See site for tickets
Watch the birds of Bodega Bay turn on the town on the Elsinore's big screen. An old-school way to kick off Halloween weekend.
🌌 Chemeketa Planetarium: Cosmic Mashups
Fri, Oct. 30 | 7:30 p.m., doors 7:10 p.m. | Chemeketa Community College, Bldg. 2, Rm. 171, 4000 Lancaster Dr NE | $5 adults, $4 students, cash or check only
A full-dome film about colliding galaxies and supermassive black holes, opened with a tour of the night sky over Salem. There are only 60 seats and no advance sales, so get there early.
🎭 Spring Awakening at Willamette University
Opens Fri, Oct. 30, runs through Sun, Nov. 15 | Wed–Sat 7:30 p.m., Sun, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. | Pelton Theatre, Willamette University | $9–$15
Willamette's theatre students take on the Tony-winning rock musical about teenagers coming of age in 1890s Germany. It deals with mature themes, so check the content advisories before bringing teens.
🔪 Halloween Weekend at Salem Cinema
Fri, Oct. 30 & Sat, Oct. 31 | Fri 8:30 p.m. Scream; Sat 1 p.m. Surprise Cinema, 8:30 p.m. Psycho | Salem Cinema, 1127 Broadway St NE | See site for tickets
Two slasher classics on the big screen, 36 years apart, plus a Saturday matinee where the title stays secret until the lights go down. Times can shift, so confirm before you go.
♟️ CHESS-O-WEEN
Sat, Oct. 31 | 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | Rudy's Garden Shop, 1288 State St | $22
An open, unrated five-round blitz tournament among the houseplants, with a best-costume contest between rounds. Confirm the details with Rudy's before you go.
🚋 Powerland Halloween: The Case of the Missing Fairy
Sat, Oct. 31 | 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. | Oregon Trolley Museum, Powerland Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Rd NE, Brooks | $19 ages 13+, $15 ages 2–12, under 2 free
A not-scary detective mystery for kids ages 3–11, with rides on historic trolleys and an old MAX car, and a white pumpkin to decorate. It's the final day, and volunteers run the whole thing.
🧚 Fae Folx Festival
Sat, Oct. 31 | Noon–6 p.m. | Woodmansee Park, 4629 Sunnyside Rd SE | Free, $5 suggested donation
A family fantasy festival with trick-or-treating at the booths, live music, workshops and local artists. Proceeds support the Salem Pride and Resource Center (SPARC), so come in costume and do some good.
🏐 WOU Volleyball vs. Western Washington
Sat, Oct. 31 | 1 p.m. | Western Oregon University, Monmouth | See site for tickets
A Great Northwest Athletic Conference match on Halloween afternoon. It's a quick drive west and an easy way to fill the hours before trick-or-treating.
🐶 Spooky Paint Your Pet
Sat, Oct. 31 | 1–3:30 p.m. | Ratchet Brewery, 2475 25th St SE | See site for price
Send a photo of your pet ahead of time and you'll get a pre-sketched 8x10 canvas to paint, Halloween-style. Ages 12 and up.
🎠 SCARE-ousel Bash
Sat, Oct. 31 | 3–5 p.m. | Salem's Riverfront Carousel, 101 Front St NE | Activity pass $11 online, $12 at the door
A Halloween bash at the carousel with activities for the kids. Buy the activity pass online ahead of time to save a dollar.
🎺 Leonid & Friends
Sun, Nov. 1 | Doors 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. | Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE | From $34.50 plus fees
An 11-piece band that started as a Moscow studio project and now tours playing Chicago hits like "25 or 6 to 4," plus Earth, Wind & Fire and Steely Dan. The horns alone are worth it.
🛼 Cherry City Roller Derby Recruitment Night
Mon, Nov. 2 | 6:30–8:30 p.m. | The MadHouse, 1335 Madison St NE | See site
Ever wanted to try derby? This info night is open to adults and juniors 7–18 (with a parent), and you don't need skates, gear or experience. This week's show-up opportunity.
🏺 Free Tuesday: Handmade Revolution at Hallie Ford
Tue, Nov. 3 | Hallie Ford Museum of Art, 700 State St | Free on Tuesdays
More than 60 works in ceramics, glass, textiles, wood and metal covering about 75 years of Northwest craft, including pieces by Dale Chihuly and Marie Watt. A calm way to spend Election Day afternoon.
🎤 First Tuesday Open Mic
Tue, Nov. 3 | Doors and sign-up 6:30 p.m., mic 7–10 p.m. | Venture Hall, 501 Marion St NE | Free, all ages
Music and poetry from whoever signs up. Bring a song, a poem or just yourself, and cheer on your neighbors while the election returns roll in.
📷 Before the Water Rose: Celilo Falls, 1956
Wed–Sat 11 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun noon–4 p.m., through late November | Stefani Art Gallery, 305 Court St NE | Free
Richard Stefani's newly scanned color photographs of Celilo Falls, taken months before The Dalles Dam flooded the historic fishing site. A quiet, powerful piece of Northwest history downtown.
🔁 This Week's Regulars
Same time, every week. Pick one and make it your thing.
Sat | Salem Saturday Market | 9 a.m.–2 p.m. | 865 Marion St NE | Free entry | Last market of the season, Oct. 31
Sat | Silverton Winter Farmers Market | 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Immanuel Lutheran Church, 303 N Church St, Silverton | Free
Wed & Fri | Library storytimes | Preschool 10:15 a.m., Infant/Toddler 11 a.m. | Salem Public Library | Free
Wed | Bricked Up Comedy | 8 p.m. | Venture Hall, 501 Marion St NE
Any week | Volunteer at Marion-Polk Food Share | Book a repack shift ahead
Through Nov. 9 | Smaller by Design art quilt show | Grand Hotel lobby, 201 Liberty St SE | Vote for your favorite
Through Nov. 20 | What Remains: Death Traditions Around the World | World Beat Gallery, 390 Liberty St SE | Free
Through Dec. 19 | The Immigrant Story: I Lived to Tell the World | Bogle Gallery, Bush House Museum, 600 Mission St SE
Through Dec. 31 | Textilezzz: The Fabric of Sleep | Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St SE
📌 Save the Date
Fri, Nov. 6 | The Fab Four: Beatles' A Hard Day's Night | 7:30 p.m. | Elsinore Theatre
Fri, Nov. 6–Sun, Nov. 8 | Jurassic Quest | Oregon State Fair & Expo Center | From $33.15
Sat, Nov. 14 | World Beat Holiday Market | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Willamette Heritage Center | $5, kids 14 and under free
Sat, Dec. 5 | Friends of Trees planting | Minto-Brown Island Park | Free
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Thanks for keeping up with Salem this week!
Spotted something interesting in town? Drop us a note at [email protected]. We love hearing from you.
See you next Thursday,
Jacob