Haunted Happenings Marketplace
The
Project
In partnership with the City of Salem, Creative Collective manages of the largest and most challenging markets in New England right in the heart of Downtown Salem: The Haunted Happenings Marketplace.
Through this project, we worked directly with over 300 small businesses, supported the city’s efforts to institute engagement and public safety measures and create family-friendly programming for locals to interact with.
The 2022 Haunted Happenings Marketplace took place over four weekends in October.
Project Timeline
October 2022
Actions
In creating partnerships with local neighborhood groups, small businesses and contracted city vendors, we were able to pilot usage of the Salem Common for the duration of the festival and create a sustainable programmatic infrastructure for the future.
We also worked closely with Business Members Lulu’s Bakery and Real Pirates to activate the vendor market at Charlotte Forten Park, a largely underutilized space on Derby Street.
We piloted a smaller version of the program in 2021, re-investing over $50K in the local creative workforce. In 2022 we surpassed our goals in terms of community support/engagement and the reinvestment in the creative sector of the economy for both our business members and local small businesses.
“To us, the month-long Haunted Happenings Festival creates opportunities for non-traditional business owners, supports unprecedented economic development and employs creative workers. It is, and always has been, a lot more than a ‘market.’
Having access to this many creators also allows us to expand our creative workforce development practices with training and support for all creators we work with and offer connections to visiting small businesses that are interested in opening a location in Salem.”
– John Andrews, Market Manager and Founder
Impact
- Created opportunities for non-traditional business owners, employing 100 local creative workers to offer performances, materials, photo opportunities, family activities, movie screenings and more to residents and visitors.
- Planned, sourced, and managed extensive and accessible programming for the annual Haunted Happenings Festival including partnerships with the Peabody Essex Museum, D23, and Laika for special events both free and ticketed.
- Served and supported 275 individual vendors in 2022 alone with locations on Salem Common, Charlotte Forten Park, and Derby Square on four weekends and Halloween day.
- Drew 150k visitors to Salem Common over the course of October 2022.
Testimonials
"We started vending our signature, hand-blown glass pumpkins in Salem 2010 and this year was our best year by far. We have nothing but great things to say regarding Creative Collective's management during the Haunted Happenings. From communications prior to October, assigning vendor locations, supervising load-in, to checking in multiple times during each and everyday as well as coordinating load-out, all went very smoothly."
Jane Conforth
Got Glass
"I just wanted to write to you to thank you and the Creative Collective for making our vending experience in Salem this Halloween so easy and organized. We had out best year yet vending there and your team was very responsive to all our concerns and questions nd went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. We do many events and seldom meet market managers as wonderul as you guys are. Your team is top notch and the best!"
Anita Deeley
Beverly Bees
"Karen and I would like to pass on a special thank you for allowing us to vend with Creative Collective this past October in Salem. This was by far our best year vending and would not have been possible if it wasn't for you and your staff. We received timely emails each week as to where we were to vend. When arriving each morning we were greeted by either you or someone on your staff that was always smiling and made us feel welcome."
Karen Fayton
Karen's Crowns and Hats
Partners
City of Salem
Laika Studios
D23
