Witches’ Night Out Newburyport 2026 – Dress to Impress!

By Caitlin Dowling, Newburyport.com Correspondent
Caitlin is a freelance editor/writer and former news producer for CNN. As a local mom of three, her family can be found enjoying all Newburyport has to offer, from strolling downtown to biking the rail trail to swimming at the beach.

Witches’ Night Out Newburyport has become known as one of the top Halloween events North of Boston, an annual tradition that connects friends for a fun evening of sipping, shopping and socializing dressed in their best witch attire. So grab your broomstick and pointy hat and fly over to Witches’ Night Out 2026 on Friday, October 16th from 6 – 9 pm. Witches and warlocks are invited to haunt the streets of downtown Newburyport and the Tannery and group or theme costumes are always enjoyed and encouraged. Plan a wicked girl’s or guy’s night out or have a scary fun date night and paint the town orange for this Halloween celebration.

During Witches’ Night Out, costumed revelers are invited to stroll through town and pop into participating shops that stay open late for tricks and treats. Many stores get creative with eerie decorations and offer up spooktacular snacks and drinks. And while all of town will be frighteningly exciting, there are a few shops that always outdo themselves. The Newburyport VIP top three must visit destinations are: Design of Mine at 53 Pleasant Street, Simply Sweet at 12 Inn Street and Partridge in a Bear Tree at 17 Market Square.

Design of Mine, Owner Melissa Tarr knows how to get the party started! Be warned, she will grab your attention with live window dancers and funky tunes. Many witches report being lured into this shop with an uncontrollable desire to dance while sipping and shopping the night away and feeling mesmerized by amazing fashions and must have accessories. Warlocks should also beware as Design of Mine is known to capture them in an enticing area of the shop featuring Best of Newburyport Warlock fashions.

In recent years, Simply Sweet has become one of the must-visit stops during Witches’ Night Out. Just outside the shop on Inn Street, crowds gather as witches dance and sing along to the lively tunes of Soundbridge Union—a talented duo featuring Wendy’s cousin Karen Kearley on vocals and Bernadette Curran on keyboard. Owner Wendy Smith, known throughout the community for her hand-crafted chocolates and welcoming spirit, first invited her cousin’s band to join the festivities a few years ago, and it’s since become popular highlight. While the music keeps the energy high outside, don’t miss the chance to step inside Simply Sweet to sample Wendy’s decadent creations and experience the local charm that makes this stop so special.

When you think of Halloween in Newburyport and Holiday shopping events, Partridge in a Bear Tree has been a retail shop leader for decades, inspiring the expansion of these cherished traditions in both Newburyport and Salem. The late owner of Partridge in a Bear Tree, Kevin Riley will always be remembered for his strong commitment to community, and for motivating other local business owners to participate in Newburyport’s shopping events. Kevin got genuinely excited for Witches’ Night Out greeting guests in front of the shop wearing his Halloween best amongst his many spooky decorations. Kevin worked hard to stock Partridge in a Bear Tree with unique novelty items and of course you could always count on an alluring selection of fashionable witch hats!

In addition to being a highly respected local small business owner, Kevin had a substantial following of loyal customers who prioritized Partridge in a Bear Tree as a top Newburyport shopping destination. Kevin didn’t need witch spells to mesmerize customers, connections were natural to a shop owner who’s passion for the holidays began as a childhood dream inspired by his Mother.

There are so many local Newburyport shop owners who enjoy this fun Newburyport tradition. Make sure to visit as many as you can! Although costumes are not required, all witches, warlocks and anything else that goes bump in the night, are encouraged to attend Witches Night Out in their best Halloween attire!

To find even more fun events happening this Halloween season, visit our Newburyport EVENTS CALENDAR.

Nauti Pearl Brings Warmth and Hospitality from founders of Native Sun

Nauti Pearl, Newburyport, Owners of Native Sun

The Nauti Pearl boutique brings a sought-after feeling of warmth and hospitality and home to those who want to wrap themselves in fabulously functional feel-good clothing that reflects style. This flagship store can be found at 18 State Street, where you feel invited into an intentionally sophisticated space of luxury, art and style with a surprisingly approachable assortment of apparel, home décor and giftware.

An eclectic mix of owner-designed jewels bring a modern twist to every outfit and accessory…this, topped with concierge level service of personal styling makes Nauti Pearl a place to remember. Founders of this multi-store lifestyle boutique are seasoned merchants and artists with a passionate eye for comfort, space and style for all locals to appreciate. Former success includes the famed Native Sun fashion boutique enjoying 5 stores with locations in Massachusetts and Florida in its heyday…and lucky for Newburyport, this team is back and serving us again! Becky Colby, the longtime beloved former Manager of Native Sun for over a dozen years, is the most recent and very welcome addition to the Nauti Pearl team!

Co-owners John and Lisa Darke have built a number of brick and mortar brands, each carefully tailored to the local markets they serve. “Having proven success of the Native Sun brand and the relationships we built, makes it easy to see why Nauti Pearl will thrive.” Relationships with local residents and quality manufacturers are a recipe for long term growth. “We’ve tapped into our cache of well known apparel and vendor relationships that allow our team to serve in meaningful ways. We are about the locals, and the community we live in to serve with unique style, feel-good ‘goods’ and well-being.”

Each shop features women’s clothing and jewelry that appeals to multiple generations and is a tastefully great experience for a friends or family shopping treat. Nauti Pearl is one gem of a shop in the center of Newburyport’s charming downtown.

Nauti Pearl is a modern concept retail brand conceived by seasoned jewelry designer, Lisa Darke, when she spotted the classic elegance of a stunning pearl necklace with bling. In Darke’s signature line, interchangeable rhinestone pins adorn traditional layered pearl necklaces and bracelets which allows for playful elegance and personality. The fashionable wardrobe pieces in this shop are equally interchangeable, versatile and classic. Located at 18 State Street in downtown Newburyport, Nauti Pearl features top women’s designer clothing and accessories by Michael Stars, Bailey 44, Nic & Zoe, Margaret O’Leary and Colby Davis of Boston. Carefully curated gifts and artisan items round out the options for gift giving and self-indulgence. Visit www.NautiPearl.com for Newburyport, Rockport and Beverly Massachusetts, Cape Neddick and Ogunquit Maine locations and information on upcoming events.

Local Specialty Food & Wine Shops Feature Great Gift Ideas

specialty food & wine shops, Newburyport MA

Our Greater Newburyport specialty food & wine shops are the go to destination when entertaining and many also feature great gift ideas. In order to reward customer loyalty and encourage folks to shop local, many retailers provide discounts to Newburyport VIP Card/Mobile App users. Over the course of the year, folks can enjoy substantial savings, especially during holiday shopping times.

We highly recommend a visit to our local specialty food & wine shops when in search of the perfect gifts. Your friends and family are sure to appreciate thoughtful/useful food and drink related gifts instead of well intentioned gift attempts that end up becoming “dust collectors.” Plus shopping local is a great way to support our local Greater Newburyport economy and say thanks to our small business owners.

You can’t go wrong with freshly prepared foods, beautifully packaged quality food products, wines or perhaps a bottle of sparkling cider. Bucciarelli’s is a wonderful destinations to pick up top quality meats and prepared foods when entertaining and they also carry many specialty food and wine items to help create a beautiful gift basket. The Grand Trunk Wine & Cheese Shop features many special wines as well as delicious cheeses and other packaged specialty items to enhance the cooking experience.

Locals are familiar with Leary’s Fine Wine & Spirits of Newburyport & Amesbury for their great selection of wines & spirits, but the Newburyport Cheese Market offers an exceptional selection of cheeses cured meats, oils and many other gourmet foods. New England Wine & Spirits and Port Wine & Spirits offer a broad selection of high quality wines, craft beers, and spirits in all price ranges.

Port Plums is well known for their top quality olive oils and they also carry many other specialty food products as well as unique culinary gift items. Port Plum offers the quality of William Sonoma yet is more exclusive in that you will find unique items carefully selected by the Mother/Daughter local owners Karen and Katie.

If searching for sweat treats, Greater Newburyport offers quite a few delicious options. Simply Sweet in downtown Newburyport features amazing hand-made chocolates, nostalgic candies, gluten free chocolates, Vermont nut free products and make sure to ask about the hot-chocolate shots. Whether you need something special to bring to a party or your hosting one yourself, we strongly recommend the high quality reasonably priced: cakes, pies, brownies, and cupcakes at Dianne’s Fine Desserts. At the Buttermilk Baking Company everything is made from scratch. They pride themselves on making small-batch, by hand baking products and do all of the baking in-house. Nancy’s Marshview Cafe is an exceptional bakery, located on Bridge Road in Salisbury. Nancy bakes many wonderful pastries, cookies, cakes, each day and for special occasions we suggest placing an order for one of her delicious cakes or pies.

When in search of great gifts, make sure to consider our Greater Newburyport specialty food & wine shops. Collectively, if everyone in our community makes a few more local purchases each year it has a significant, positive impact on our local economy and benefits our small business owners. Plus, folks are sure to appreciate quality foods, wines and desserts to enjoy and share with others.

Below is a current list of discounts for the Best of Newburyport VIP Program Specialty Food & Wine shops. Although discounts don’t change often, they are subject to change. You can confirm current discounts by checking the VIP Landing Page or by downloading the Newburyport App.

- iOS click this link from your phone.

Best of Newburyport VIP Card/Newburyport App Discounts:

Bucciarelli’s – 10% off ground beef
Buttermilk Banking Company – purchase 12 like items & get the 13^th for free ($5 or less value)
Dianne’s – 20% off purchases & a free single serve dessert
Grand Trunk – 15% off 12 or more bottles of wine
Leary’s – 10% off one non-sale 750 ML bottle of wine & 10% off purchases from the Cheese Market
Nancy’s Marshview Cafe – $5 off purchases of $30 or more
New England Wine & Spirits – 20% off 12 or more bottles of wine
Port Plums – 10% off, some exclusions apply
Port Wine & Spirits – 10% off 12 or more bottles of wine
Simply Sweet – 10% off candy shop purchases over $5 and under $100

Tannery Marketplace

By Joe, Joe

Tannery Marketplace – Newburyport

Restaurants and Shopping in Historic Mill Buildings

Photos
Videos

Tannery Marketplace shopping & delicious delights

The Tannery Marketplace, located in Newburyport’s South End, is a popular destination for locals and tourists to shop, dine or just hang out. The Tannery, which combines two historic mill buildings and two new buildings spanning across both sides of Merrimac Street, is home to dozens of one-of-a-kind shops and experiences as well as great places to eat.

From Black Duck Market & Deli which offers snacks and sandwiches, to not one, but two, delicious Thai restaurants—Brown Sugar serving up traditional cuisine and The Joy Nest with a speakeasy atmosphere and street vendor-inspired menu—there is something for every appetite.

Searching for the perfect gift or a treat for yourself? The Tannery is filled with unique shopping featuring items like toys, books, home goods, and more. Pop into Beach Plum Flower Shop for the perfect flower arrangement or swing by Port Plum for an amazing selection of olive oils and specialty cooking supplies. And make sure to visit Gentry’s Consignment to scan their everchanging racks of upscale fashion at affordable prices. For the biking enthusiast, Riverside Cycle, which sells bikes, biking supplies, and also offers repairs, is a must-visit.

Along with shopping and dining, the Tannery is also a destination for experiences. Love the spotlight? Try out a class at the Actors Studio of Newburyport. Hoping for a deep tissue massage? Make an appointment with Body By Fisher Therapeutic massage. Or maybe you want to tap into your creative side? Book a session with the Newburyport Art Association or just swing by to get inspiration from works on display by local artists. The list goes on and on with experiences like children’s dance, musical instrument lessons, yoga classes, and salons.

The beautiful mill buildings are so inviting that some people come just to spend time. Along the hallways are tables where family and friends can hang out and people can relax and read a book or newspaper.

On Sundays, The Tannery Marketplace is also home to the Newburyport Farmers’ Market, which runs from May to November. Local vendors sell fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, wine, art, jewelry and more, accompanied by live music.

Newburyport is always a destination to shop and dine. Next time you plan a day or night out, don’t forget to head south of downtown to visit all the local companies you can support at the Tannery Marketplace too.

Tannery Marketplace

50 Water Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
978-465-7047
info@tannerymarketplace.com

Newburyport VIPs

Receive VIP treatment at Best of Newburyport^™ restaurants, accommodations, shops & attractions.

Port Pizza & Subs

10% Off

New England Wine and Spirits

20% Off Case of Wine (Non Sale Bottles Only)

Compass Rose Inn

Stay Monday through Thursday and receive 10% off. Must book directly using promo code “Weekday” and present card at check-in. *Not applicable to 3rd party bookings.

Nails 2001

5% Off

Downtown Shopping in Newburyport, Experience the Tradition

By Joe, Joe

Downtown Shopping

Follow the cobblestones to your next treasure

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Support Local, Shop Small in Newburyport

Newburyport downtown shopping is an experience that leaves a lasting impression, whether you’ve lived locally for generations or you’re just visiting for the day. Walk the streets of Historic downtown Newburyport and you’re certain to make memories that will connect you to these wonderful shops and restaurants. Enjoy the natural beauty of the Newburyport Waterfront while you shop, eat and play. From the charming flower boxes that decorate storefronts, to the unique coastal must-haves displayed within, shop owners strive to exceed expectations.

The words, “Shop Local” are very meaningful in the Newburyport community. Most residents are loyal to our local shops. They have relationships with the owners, managers and staff and they appreciate having access to great shopping right in our local Newburyport community. The downtown features a few corporate retailers but the majority of the shops are privately owned by local small business owners.

Newburyport’s downtown shopping caters to a broad scope of business types. Whether you’re in the market for: fashion boutiques, antiques, art, jewelry, specialty foods & wine, furniture, home décor, floral, pet products, sport’s, health/beauty, or giftware, you’re certain to enjoy the shopping experience! You’ll score the latest seacoast fashions at Native Sun, and find the perfect jewelry to complement at Market Square Jewelers. Gift your kids cool sports memorabilia from the Cuckoo’s Nest, your puppy top quality food & treats at the Natural Dog Newburyport and yourself an exceptional bottle wine and perfectly paired cheeses from the Grand Trunk Wine & Cheese Shop.

The Newburyport VIP Program is a Shop Local marketing campaign that encourages everyone to be socially conscious with their shopping by making an effort to purchase locally whenever possible. Business owners offer VIP Card Discounts to card holders as a way to reward and show appreciation for shopping local. Newburport.com provides free advertising for these local shops in an effort to increase sales and stimulate our local economy.

The “shop local” commitment applies to retailers throughout the Greater Newburyport community but the charming downtown shopping experience is what initially attracts people to visit and or live in this vibrant small city. Thank you to our small business owners for being the heart and soul of the Newburyport community. These small business owners strive to inspire and motivate shoppers with their unique products and services and they pour their heart’s into making certain that each guest has the best experience possible.

We thank you for supporting local, and look forward to seeing your smile after a day full of shopping adventures in Newburyport.

Newburyport Downtown Shopping

Order a Newburyport VIP Card Online to receive discounts from Best of Newburyport^™ Places to Eat, Shop, Stay & Experience throughout the Greater Newburyport area.