NEWBURYPORT — The Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual Witches Night Out downtown shopping event has been rescheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, from 6 to 10 p.m., the chamber announced Wednesday morning.
What is considered one of the most important retail events of the year for participating merchants was originally expected to take place Friday. But after closely monitoring the weather forecast and considering the potential impact of heavy rain and wind, the decision was made to hold the event after the city’s annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat event, which takes place from 4 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 23.
The news isn’t a complete surprise as Chamber of Commerce leader Nancy Caswell sent out an email to area businesses on Tuesday informing them of the potential schedule change.
“We recognize that Witches Night Out is an incredibly important evening for our downtown retailers and restaurants, bringing significant foot traffic, shopping, dining, and energy to our downtown community. With that in mind, we want to be thoughtful about whether proceeding in unfavorable weather would deliver the experience and economic impact this event is intended to create,” Caswell’s email states.