Salem wants you in a witch hat for its giant 400th birthday photo

Salem wants to take a picture of you. Well, of your witch hat.

The city is turning 400 this year, and to celebrate, it's trying to pack as many people in witch hats as possible onto Derby Wharf for one giant photo taken from a drone.

How to be in it

It's called Witch Hats on the Wharf, and here's what you need to know:

When: Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to noon
Where: Derby Wharf, 160 Derby Street, at Salem Maritime National Historical Park
What to bring: A witch hat. That's it.

The city, the national park and Destination Salem, the town's tourism group, are running it together. They're hoping for hundreds of hats and say it could reach the thousands. It's also being billed as a world record attempt.

Don't have a hat? They'll be selling special Salem 400 witch hats, and the money goes to HAWC, a local group that helps people dealing with domestic violence.

Why Salem is doing this

Salem was settled in 1626, so 2026 marks 400 years. The city has been throwing events all year, from festivals to parades, but October is when the whole world shows up. Around 1.5 million people visit during Halloween season.

“Let's bring everyone together on the historic waterfront for this massive community photo,” said Ashley Judge of Destination Salem.

Mayor Dominick Pangallo called it a chance to share Salem's stories with the millions of people who visit.

The rest of October

The photo lands right in the middle of Haunted Happenings, Salem's month-long Halloween celebration. It runs October 1 to 31 and kicks off with a parade next Thursday, October 1.

One tip if you're going: skip driving. Salem traffic in October is brutal, and parking fills up fast. The commuter rail from North Station drops you right downtown.

What to watch for: how many hats actually show up. If it hits the thousands, Salem might walk away with a world record to go with its birthday.