Things to do in Salem this weekend: Oct. 30-Nov. 1
Quick Read
Halloween falls on Saturday, with free trick-or-treating at Deepwood Museum & Gardens, the Riverfront Carousel and Silverton's Goblin Walk.
Monmouth and Independence hold downtown trick-or-treating on Friday afternoon.
Saturday is the last Salem Saturday Market of the 2026 season and the last day of Powerland Halloween.
Nightmare Factory and Fright Planet's Scare at the Fair close out the haunt season, with a Day of the Dead finale Sunday night.
Clocks fall back an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, when daylight saving time ends.
Looking for things to do in Salem this weekend? Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, so the weekend is packed with free trick-or-treating, a fantasy festival, the season's last farmers market and the final nights for local haunted houses. Here are this week's verified Friday through Sunday picks in Salem and nearby.
Bundle up. The National Weather Service has a freeze watch for the Salem area from midnight Friday to 9 a.m. Saturday, so Halloween morning could start below freezing. Read our freeze watch story. Times and prices can change, so double-check the official page before you go.
Friday, October 30
MI Town Halloween in Monmouth and Independence
Friday 4 to 6 p.m. in downtown Monmouth and Main Street Park; downtown Independence businesses hand out treats from 3 to 5 p.m. Free.
Kids in costume can trick-or-treat at downtown businesses and pop-up booths along Main Street Park, get photos at the Western Oregon University booth with Wolfie and stop by the Monmouth Senior Center's Dia de los Muertos ofrenda, with Mexican hot chocolate and candy. Organizers say it goes on rain or shine. Official details.
The Bone Puppets Night Market
Friday evening until 10 p.m. (listings show a 5 or 6 p.m. start). Venture Hall, the former Cinebarre, 501 Marion St. NE, Salem. $5 entry, free for ages 12 and under, and included with an Evil Dead The Musical ticket.
Market for the Strange hosts an oddities and horror night market of work by human artists, a good stop for a last costume piece or a creepy decoration. Official details.
Nightmare Factory (Friday and Saturday)
Friday and Saturday 7 to 11 p.m. Oregon School for the Deaf, 999 Locust St. NE, Salem. $20 general admission or $30 Fast Pass, plus online fees. Street parking only.
Oregon's original haunted attraction, running since 1987, winds through the basement of a school dormitory with live actors, fog and strobes. It is not recommended for guests with heart conditions, asthma or seizure disorders, and these final two nights are its last of the season. Official details.
Evil Dead The Musical (Friday through Sunday)
Friday and Saturday 7:30 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m. Runs through Nov. 15. Venture Hall, 501 Marion St. NE, Salem. $25 to $40.
Wandering Players Theatrics stages the horror-comedy musical based on the cult films in its new home. The first few rows are the Splatter Zone, so wear old clothes if you sit up front. Official details.
Saturday, October 31 (Halloween)
Salem Saturday Market: final day of the season
Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 865 Marion St. NE, Salem. Free to browse; guest parking is in the state Yellow Lot across Marion Street.
The market runs March through October, so Halloween is the last Saturday of 2026 to shop more than 200 local vendors selling produce, baked goods, crafts and gifts, plus a food court. It's dog friendly. Official details.
Powerland Halloween: last day
Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (plan on two or more hours). Powerland Heritage Park, 3995 Brooklake Road NE, Salem. $19 ages 13 and older, $15 ages 2 to 12, under 2 free.
The zero-scare family Halloween mystery at the heritage park wraps up its season on Halloween day, with trolley rides, clue hunting and costumes encouraged. Official details.
SCARE-ousel Bash at Salem's Riverfront Carousel
Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; trick-or-treat candy and activity passes from 3 to 5 p.m. Salem's Riverfront Carousel, 101 Front St. NE, Salem. Free activities; the $12 activity pass is sold day-of at the Gift Gallery while supplies last.
Free Halloween coloring pages and a candy corn guessing game run all day, then candy and a sensory play game for trick-or-treaters in the afternoon. The activity pass adds three carousel rides, popcorn, a Halloween craft and a goody bag. Official details.
Fae Folx Festival
Saturday noon to 6 p.m. Woodmansee Park, 4629 Sunnyside Road SE, Salem. Free, with a suggested $5 donation.
An inclusive, fantasy-themed Halloween festival with local artists, live music, sword fighting and trick-or-treating. It's a fundraiser for the Salem Pride and Resource Center. Official details.
Trick-or-Treating at Deepwood
Saturday 3 to 6 p.m. Deepwood Museum & Gardens, 1116 Mission St. SE, Salem. Free, all ages.
Trick-or-treat at the front door of the Queen Anne Victorian house for a pumpkin sugar cookie and candy while supplies last, then try lawn games, storytelling, the decorated Solarium for photos and a self-guided tour of the first floor. Official details.
Silverton Goblin Walk
Saturday 4 to 6 p.m. Downtown Silverton, along Main Street. Free.
Families trick-or-treat at participating downtown businesses. Look for the orange pumpkin signs in shop windows. Official details.
Sunday, November 1
Dia de los Muertos at Yoli Wellness
Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the free events; an optional ticketed sound bath runs 5 to 6 p.m. Yoli Wellness Collective, 750 Browning Ave. SE, Salem.
A family-friendly Day of the Dead gathering with a community altar where you can bring a photo or small item honoring a loved one, a vegan potluck (bring a plant-based dish to share) and mini pumpkin painting and coloring for kids. Official details.
Fright Planet: Scare at the Fair Day of the Dead finale
Friday, Saturday and Sunday 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday is a Haunted Halloween Party with trick-or-treating, and Sunday is a Dia de los Muertos celebration to close the season. Oregon State Fair & Expo Center, 2330 17th St. NE, Salem. Fairgrounds admission is free; haunted house admission is extra, and parking is $10.
Three indoor haunted houses, Podunk Hill, Death Row and Pennville Lunatic Asylum, plus fair food, live entertainment and photo spots. Sunday is the last night of the 2026 season. Official details.
One more reminder: daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, so set clocks back an hour Saturday night and enjoy the extra hour of sleep.
Have a favorite Salem-area weekend event we missed? Tip us through willamettenews.com and we will check it for a future roundup.
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Cover photo: A giant-pumpkin Halloween driveway display in Salem, October 2015. Photo by Sheila Sund via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0.
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