Halloween night fireworks display

Display location:North River
City:Boston
State:MA
Date: around 10:45 p.m

Details: SALEM — A Dave Matthews cover band will headline a new grand-finale concert on Washington Street during this year's Halloween night festivities.

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year for the first time since 1998, and city officials expect to see some of the largest crowds in years.

"It depends on the weather, but if it's a nice weekend, we could see 100,000 people on Halloween," said Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem, the city's tourism department.

Unlike previous years, large-scale Halloween celebrations are likely to stretch two nights this year. Many costume balls are scheduled for Friday night, and Halloween revelers are expected to start arriving earlier than usual on Saturday.

"It won't be a 24-hour time span," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "It'll be a 48-hour time span."

As a result, the city has announced new details on its plans to control and disperse the massive crowds on Halloween night.

Destination Salem inked a deal with Boston radio station 92.9 to produce a Halloween night grand-finale concert on a main stage at the head of Washington Street, not far from the MBTA commuter rail station.

Dancing Nancy, a Dave Matthews cover band that also plays other popular covers from the '80s and '90s, will perform at night and lead into a fireworks display that will be shot over the North River around 10:45 p.m.

Beforehand, an opening act will also take the stage, determined by the results of a talent competition the radio station will host in October.

The station will bring in a portable stage, and the concert will be produced by the same organizer that runs EarthFest, a free concert the station hosts at the Esplanade in Boston.

City officials are hoping the concert will create an orderly exit at 11 p.m. when police expect to clear the streets. That's because the stage will provide what last year's light show at the same spot did not — a public address system where announcements about public safety and last trains can be passed on to the crowds.

"We really want to entertain people and clearly let people know they should come in early, enjoy Halloween and head out at 11," Fox said.

The radio station will also run a series of public service announcements on the air throughout October, reminding revelers about "the dos and don'ts of Halloween," Driscoll said.

"The trick that we're trying to work on is to have a concert for the people where it captivates their attention, but not so big that it'll attract more people to come here," Driscoll said.

Destination Salem will pay the station to produce the concert, using money generated from the Derby Street carnival.

Recently, Driscoll held a preliminary meeting with MBTA officials to coordinate Halloween night commuter-rail service and explore the possibility of adding extra train cars.

Roads may also close earlier than usual on Saturday, Driscoll said.

Police will again implement a zero-tolerance policy on alcohol and issue citations with tripled fines — a technique first used last year that proved to be effective, Driscoll said.

"Whether you love or hate Halloween, there will be people here," the mayor said. "We want to make sure they're planning for a safe and secure stay while they're here."

Radio 92.9 will start promoting the opening-act competition on Oct. 1. When the station conducted a similar talent search for EarthFest, it drew about 350 submissions from local bands.

Starting in mid-October, the station will start promoting the Halloween night concert on the air.

Dancing Nancy, which is a nod to the Dave Matthews Band song "Dancing Nancies," is a "mostly Dave Matthews tribute band," according to its Web site. But it also plays covers of Pearl Jam, Coldplay, U2, John Mayer and Toad the Wet Sprocket.

"We want people to have fun," Fox said.