 We broke our sales record for the third time this month last night. The streets of Salem were bustling as visitors from across the country filled the city leading up to Halloween. A year after the city asked tourists to avoid the area to limit the spread of COVID-19, Salem saw crowds that were bigger than usual filled with visitors getting into the Halloween spirit. I got like a tarot card reading, which I'd never done before in my life. I bought so much witch stuff. I got a million candles. I didn't get to go to the witch museum and I really wanted to go. It was sold out. According to the city's official tourism marketing partner, Destination Salem, tours, attractions and more have been selling out well in advance. In a statement, Executive Director Kate Fox told us we are still responding to the pandemic, but happy to have all of our businesses open and operating at full capacity and that the city was experiencing record-breaking attendance. Fox also said the Halloween season accounts for 30% of what tourists spend each year in Salem, a yearly total that can hit $140 million in a non-COVID year. But even with the pandemic last year, one business owner told us people still made the trip in 2020, filling their shop all the same. It was amazing. People were saying I just had to come. I couldn't stay home and not be here for October. It was like a pilgrimage that we had lines and they didn't care. Once the Halloween season is over, Salem has other tourist attractions to fall back on, such as the House of the Seven Gables and the historic Salem Harbor behind me. Reporting from Salem for BUTV 10, I'm Cyd Warning.