SALEM EVENTS

Salem events from Oct. 3-9: Haunted houses and prisons, winter markets

This week in Salem, taste test soups and learn a line dance, explore the tunnels and secret speakeasy of the historic Grand Theatre or take a ghost tour of the Mill Creek Correctional Facility. 

Here’s the lineup of Salem events for the week from Thursday, Oct. 3, to Wednesday, Oct. 9. Browse all of Salem Reporter’s events coverage here

*Starred events are free to attend, although they may include ticketed components or a suggested donation.

Halloween fun

Thursday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Nov. 2: Get spooked at Mill Creek Correctional Facility, 5465 Turner Rd. S.E., this Halloween season. The old prison has been transformed into the Mill Creek Haunted Prison by Salem’s Tormented Illusion. The haunted house includes 10,000 square feet of dark corner and sinister shadows. There are ghost tours and guided tours which can be booked separately from the haunted prison. 

The haunted prison haunted house experience costs $30 per person, the ghost tours $20 and less scary guided tours cost $15. There is also a less scary haunted prison experience for children which costs $15 per person. More info and tickets can be found online

Friday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Nov. 2: The Nightmare Factory returns to provide hair-raising frights at the Oregon School for the Deaf. The haunted house, designed and built each year, is run by students who enjoy getting to scare visitors that “yell like little kids,” Salem Reporter previously reported.

Last year, Salem Reporter covered the event’s 36th year and toured the school’s campus, located at 999 Locust St. N.E. In its 37th year this year, the event extends its run as the longest continuously run haunted house in Oregon. The haunted house is open 7-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, as well as on Tuesday, Oct. 30, and Halloween. Tickets start at $20 per person and can be bought online or at the event.

There are a handful of harvest festivals already in swing this fall season and more are about to start. Salem Reporter rounded up a list of local farms and fall festivals for people to enjoy corn mazes, apple cider and pumpkin patches. 

Live music, comedy, improv and other entertainment

Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St. S.E. #150

Saturday, Oct. 5: Comedian Derek Sheen showcases his dark sense of humor by delivering a “hilariously tragic” theatrical performance at Infinity Room. Originally from Seattle, Derek’s show “MotherL*ver” recounts his relationship with his mother and the grief and trauma woven throughout it. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Grand Theatre, 187 High St. N.E.

Thursday, Oct. 3: Portland rock band the Weather Machine will bring their folk story songs and rock anthems to Salem. Tickets are $15 online, $20 day of for general admission. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 4: Portland-based Garcia Birthday Band has been performing the Grateful Dead’s hits for over two decades. Tickets are $20 online and $25 on the day of the show. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 5-Saturday, Nov. 2: Take in an interactive horror experience with “Ghosts of the Grand.” Explore the haunted corridors of a 124-year-old theater, from the eerie balcony to the mysterious ballroom, and venture into hidden spaces like the basement, tunnels and a secret speakeasy. Events take place most days of the week and start at 6 p.m., and tickets start at $22.

Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. S.E.

Saturday, Oct. 5: Salem is getting a taste of the Bee Gees when tribute band Stayin’ Alive hits the Elsinore Theatre on Saturday. The show will be packed with big-screen video clips and photos, bringing the largest and most definitive production of its kind. Tickets start at $29.50 and can be bought online. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9: The World Ballet Company will perform the famed Swan Lake. The production will include hand-painted sets and over 150 costumes that bring fresh representation to this timeless classic. Tickets start at $39. Doors open at 6 p.m. and showtime is at 7 p.m.

Other venues

Friday, Oct. 4: Get ready for some Mexican regional music at the Oregon Oregon State Fair & Exposition Center, 2330 17th St. N.E. Starting at 8 p.m., California-based music group Eslabon Armado links up with Mexican singer Luis R Conriquez for the “Asi Lo Quiso Dios” tour. The concert will be held at the pavilion at the state fairgrounds and parking is $10 per vehicle. General admission tickets for the concert cost $90 and VIP tickets cost $150. Tickets can be purchased online

*Friday, Oct. 4: Willamette University’s jazz ensembles will perform a free concert in the Hudson Concert Hall at 7 p.m. All are welcome. The concert hall is building #29 on the university campus, 900 State St.

*Saturday, Oct. 5: A free choir, band and orchestra performance by Willamette University students will start at 7 p.m. at Hudson Concert Hall. All are welcome. The concert hall is building #29 on the university campus, 900 State St.

Saturday, Oct. 5: Nine high school bands will show off their formations in the annual Pacific Coast Invitational marching band competition at Sprague High School, 2373 Kuebler Blvd. S. Begins at 11 a.m., with finals at 4:30 p.m. All-day wristbands are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for children 11 and under. More information is available at https://spragueband.org/pci/.

Live theater and cinema

Salem Cinema, 1127 Broadway St. N.E.

Monday, Oct. 7: “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” is a classic horror film set in an old Hollywood mansion which descends into madness. It will play at 6 p.m. Tickets are $9.

Tuesday, Oct. 8: The cinema shows “House of Wax,” a classic horror film set in a wax museum. The show starts at 6 p.m., and tickets are $9.

Classes and workshops

Saturday, Oct. 5: Taste test and vote for a winner between harvest soups, chilis and chowders, then learn a line dance to “Footloose” at the Pentacle Theatre. The event will be from 3-5 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, see the theater’s Facebook post.

Markets and shopping

Saturday, Oct. 5: LifeSource Market is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a fall food festival. It includes 20% off all regular-price items all day, and from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., a barbeque, free samples, prizes and live music. 

Every Saturday from Oct. 5-March 15 is the Indoor Winter Market at Wavra Farms. The farm’s greenhouses host the weekly marketplace, which has over 40 rotating vendors. Wavra Farms is located at 7882 Jordan St. S.E. Salem Reporter reported on the market’s opening last year. 

Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the Salem Public Market at 1240 Rural Avenue S.E.The Salem Saturday Market is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 865 Marion St. N.E. The Saturday Market ends Oct. 26.

Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].

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Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

David Carlson for Marion County Circuit Court Judge Oregon