# Santa's Arrival & Holiday Tree Lighting — Salem > Event for families in the Boston–Cambridge–Newton area (MA / NH). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Fri, Nov 27 · 5:45 PM - Where: Salem Common and Lappin Park, Salem Common, Washington Square W (Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Square W), Salem, MA 01970 - Ages: Check age guidance - Price: Free - Organizer: Salem Main Streets - Official page: https://www.salemmainstreets.org/ - Last checked: Sat, Oct 24 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 32 metro areas as of Oct 24, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-10-24), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/boston/activities/santa-s-arrival-and-holiday-tree-lighting-salem--listing-17f479a34455eec69b9de8dc ## About 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. ## Similar picks in Boston - [2026 Copley Square Tree Lighting](https://grassyknees.com/boston/activities/2026-copley-square-tree-lighting--listing-ff912a9e2c5cb9d2378cc369) — Mon, Nov 30 · 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM · Copley Square · Free · checked Oct 13. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department hosts the annual Copley Square tree lighting, this year celebrating the grand reopening of Copley Square Park. The City page lists a… - [Boston Common Tree Lighting 2026](https://grassyknees.com/boston/activities/boston-common-tree-lighting-2026--listing-22e9e24e7be0455c49578ec9) — Thu, Dec 3 · 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM · Boston Common (next to the Visitor Information Center) · Free · checked Oct 13. 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