Salem Unveils Black Cat Mascot, Seeks Name For 400+ Anniversary

SALEM, MA — The Witch City is looking to name its wickedly adorable black cat mascot for the upcoming Salem 400+ anniversary celebration in 2026.

The mascot was developed to help connect with the community on the 400-year anniversary of the city's incorporation.

Salem students in third through eighth grade were invited to nominate name suggestions with the finalists then going up for a public vote early next year.

"There was so much positive community spirit and creativity when it came to naming our new trash truck, Chicken Nugget, we wanted to open up this opportunity to our students, as well," Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "The Salem 400+ black cat will help represent Salem and this special moment, and we want our young residents to be part of bringing it to life."

Classes were each invited to submit one to three name suggestions. The class that submits the winning name will receive a Black Cat Naming pizza party and a plush version of the black cat mascot for the classroom!

For more information about the cat naming contest or other Salem 400+ initiatives, visit here or contact Virginia Cherol at vcherol@salem.com.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)