The post Salem Wants to Set a World Record With Witch Hats on Its Wharf This Saturday first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
Salem is about to take its famous witchy reputation to a whole new level. This Saturday, October 17, 2026, the Massachusetts city wants hundreds, possibly thousands, of people wearing witch hats to gather along its historic waterfront for one enormous photograph.
The event, called Witch Hats on the Wharf, is part of Salem’s 400th-anniversary celebrations. Organizers are billing it as a world-record attempt, with a drone scheduled to capture the crowd from above.
And here’s the fun part: You don’t need an elaborate costume. A witch hat of any size, style, or color is welcome.
Salem Is Planning One Seriously Witchy Gathering
If there’s one place where thousands of witch hats wouldn’t seem out of place, it’s Salem. The city is inviting residents, longtime Haunted Happenings visitors, and first-time tourists to Derby Wharf for a gathering that promises an unusual addition to its anniversary celebrations.
According to the official Salem 400+ event listing, the gathering will take place at Salem Maritime National Historical Park, located at 160 Derby Street. The event is scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to noon. However, anyone hoping to appear in the photograph should arrive before 11 a.m. Organizers plan to start taking overhead photos around that time.
The idea is wonderfully simple. Participants gather along the waterfront wearing witch hats while a drone photographs the enormous collection from above. Organizers are hoping for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of participants.
It’s an ambitious plan, but Salem certainly knows how to celebrate its connection to Halloween.
The World Record Attempt Comes With One Important Detail
Here’s where things get especially interesting.
The gathering is being promoted as an attempt to establish a world record for the largest group of people wearing witch hats. But there’s an important distinction between attempting a record and officially breaking one.
The published event information doesn’t identify which organization would certify the achievement or exactly how many participants Salem needs.
A related Guinness World Records category already exists, though it involves something slightly different. According to Guinness World Records, the largest gathering of people dressed as witches involved 1,607 participants in Sort, Spain, on November 16, 2013.
Those participants wore black hats, long black dresses, and carried brooms. Salem’s upcoming event has different published participation instructions. Organizers are welcoming witch hats in various colors, styles, and sizes.
That means it would be misleading to claim Salem simply needs 1,608 people to break the Guinness record. For now, the confirmed plan is an ambitious community photograph and an announced world-record attempt.
Whether the gathering ultimately receives official record recognition remains to be seen.
The Event Is Part of Salem’s 400th Birthday Celebration
This isn’t just another Halloween activity added to Salem’s October calendar.
Witch Hats on the Wharf is connected to Salem 400+, the city’s commemoration of its 400th anniversary. Destination Salem, Salem Maritime National Historical Park, and the City of Salem are hosting the event.
Throughout its anniversary celebrations, Salem has honored its history and community with activities such as parades, historic lectures, and public events. The witch-hat gathering offers a particularly playful way to connect that anniversary with the city’s famous October festivities.
Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo described the goal as creating a “commemorative history-making photo” capturing the excitement surrounding this time of year. According to Patch’s local reporting, the mayor connected the event to Salem’s creativity, community spirit, and ongoing anniversary celebrations.
And really, what better way to remember a milestone birthday than with a waterfront photograph filled with pointed hats?
Special Witch Hats Will Help Support a Local Nonprofit
The celebration also includes a charitable element. Salem is selling special-edition witch hats and commemorative patches associated with its 400th anniversary.
According to Patch’s October 9 report, the witch hats cost $30, while commemorative patches are priced at $7. Proceeds from these merchandise sales will benefit HAWC, a Salem-based nonprofit supporting survivors of domestic abuse.
Patch reports that the organization provides free services a