Santa's Arrival & Holiday Tree Lighting — Salem

About this adventure

Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem combine two downtown traditions on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Santa arrives on the roof of the Hawthorne Hotel at 6 pm with help from the Salem Fire Department, so families gather on Salem Common beforehand to watch him come in. Santa then leads a procession down the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall to Lappin Park, beside the Bewitched statue at Essex and Washington streets, where he, the mayor and carolers light the city's holiday tree. Children are encouraged to carry a lantern in the procession — store-bought or homemade, with electric candles recommended — so making one at home beforehand is part of the fun. It is free, outdoors and on foot, so dress warmly and bring a stroller-friendly plan for the short walk between the Common and the park.