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October in Salem
Halloween Ball: Phobia
On Saturday, October 24, 2026, over 700 guests filled the Hawthorne Hotel for our annual costume ball.
They were entertained by live music by Atlantic Shake, a snake charmer and contortionist from Boston Circus Guild, DJs and lighting from Sound City Events, decor by our hotel team members, and a mind-blowing array of creative costumes by returning guests and those visiting Salem for the first time.
Our friend Jay from VRtical Media shared a video of the event and many in-house guests took advantage of early access to have their photos taken. Look for a full gallery of images on this page soon!
Thank you for spending a part of your Haunted Happenings with us. We look forward to welcoming you back on October 23, 2027 for our next Halloween Ball (theme announced and tickets available June 1, 2027.)
We did choose a few of our favorites and awarded these guests with cash prizes:
1st Place
Everybody knows Jeff & Jenny's name, as they create stand-out costumes year after year. This tribute to Boston's favorite neighborhood pub was complete with custom-built rolling bars that they pushed through the party - and the streets of Salem.
2nd Place
As impressive as this larger-than-life papier-mâché replica of Lady Elaine Fairchilde from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was, the real entertainment was watching her dance the night away.
3rd Place
We especially appreciated the creativity and effort guests put into costumes inspired by this year's theme. Christina and Michael embraced their fears with an imaginative interpretation of thanatophobia (fear of death) and taphophobia (fear of being buried alive).
Honorable Mentions
Ben and Rick from LA brought fantasy to life in these elaborate costumes. Derek and Stacey were "Burning in Hell” with her fiery display of vibrant colors, glowing lights, and terrifying skeletal details, perfectly balanced by his stoicism.
October 2027
Think about checking off "experience Halloween in Salem" from your bucket list!
Instructions for booking for October 2027 are now available.
There is a two night minimum for weekend stays (Friday + Saturday or Saturday + Sunday) in October. During the week, however, we welcome guests who may be looking for a shorter visit. A non-refundable deposit representing one night of your stay is required for all reservations in September or October. Should you need to cancel your reservation, this deposit will be forfeited and kept by the Hawthorne Hotel as a cancellation fee.
If you wish to book a weekend in October 2027 and are not finding availability online, please call our front desk associates at 978.744.4080.
If you wish to book a package weekend (our Ball, or Halloween night) please see directions, below.
Don’t let the high demand for rooms in October deter you from visiting Salem during Haunted Happenings. If you are able to visit during the week, you will find greater room availability and shorter wait times at popular local attractions.
A note about dining at the Hawthorne: we limit seatings to walk-ins only during the month of October.