Salem’s So Sweet
Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival
Feb. 7 through Feb. 9, 2025
Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce invite you to participate in the annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival – a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping! Now in its 23rd year, Salem’s So Sweet has become one of the most popular winter events on the North Shore.
Elements of this year’s festival will include:
- Ice sculptures around town, starting with installation on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall on Friday, Feb. 7th
- Evening illumination of ice sculptures on Friday, Feb. 7 and Saturday, Feb. 8 from 5 pm to 9 pm
- A Kickoff Party and late-night shopping on Friday, Feb. 7
- The Chocolate Hearts Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 9 – an interactive game in businesses around town with prizes for participants
- Sweet treats and deals at many of the amazing local shops and eateries all weekend!
Friday, February 7, Kickoff Event
Salem’s So Sweet starts with a Kickoff Event fundraiser on Friday, February 7 at the PEM Connect Space (135 Essex Street). Ticket holders begin the evening at a private downtown location where guests will receive a commemorative glass, a complementary pour of wine, and a goodie bag of sweet treats before heading out to explore. Multiple downtown businesses join the fun by providing wine tastings and free treats for ticket holders, plus participants can enjoy the illuminated ice sculptures and live music on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall. This event has been generously sponsored by St. Jean’s Credit Union. Tickets to this fundraiser are $40. NOTE: Tickets are not required to view ice sculptures!
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT!
Ice Sculptures – installed Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7 and 8
The popular ice sculpture presentation is back this year with TWO nights of illumination. A sneak peek with a limited number of sculptures will be illuminated on Friday night on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall and Lappin Park only, and on Saturday night all of the sculptures will be lit. Sculptures will be illuminated 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. both nights, weather permitting. Viewing the ice sculptures is free to all and is not a ticketed event. The Salem Trolley will provide transportation around town for $3 per person on Saturday and Sunday from 12 pm to 4 pm, weather permitting. Ice sculptures remain standing as long as weather allows.
Chocolate Hearts Challenge – Saturday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 9
Visitors can play the “Chocolate Hearts Challenge” by locating special Salem’s So Sweet signage in at least 5 participating businesses to be entered for prizes. Each business will have a Chocolate Hearts flyer displaying a piece of trivia specific to that business. Players make note of the trivia and use the QR code on the flyer to upload the answer. A purchase by the customer is not required but is highly encouraged. Participating businesses are listed below:
A&J King Artisan Bakers, 48 Central Street
Annie’s Asian Mart, 72 Washington Street
ASCEND, 192 Essex Street
Black Cat Curiosity Shoppe, 234 Essex Street
Blackcraft, 253 Essex Street
Circle of Stitches, 78 Wharf Street
Coffee Time Bake Shop, 96 Bridge Street
Couch Dog Brewing, 76 Lafayette Street
COVEN, 63B Wharf Street
Die with Your Boots On, 9 Church Street
East Regiment Beer Company, 31 Church Street
Emporium 32, 6 Central Street
Garcon Super Slice, 14 New Derby Street
Georgia’s Made This, 12 Front Street
Harbor Sweets, 85 Leavitt Street
Harrison’s Comics & Pop Culture, 252 Essex Street
HausWitch, 144 Washington Street
Hawthorne Hotel, 18 Washington Sq W
Hotel Salem, 209 Essex St
J. Mode, 17 Front St
Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry, 24 Front Street
Jolie Tea Company, 316 Derby Street
Kakawa Chocolate House, 173 Essex Street
Koto Asian Fusion, 72 Washington Street
Modern Millie, 3 Central Street
Moody’s Home & Gifts, 109 Essex Street
Moons Gift Shop, 226 Essex Street
Nocturne, 18 Front Street
Pamplemousse, 185-189 Essex Street
Pentagram Shoppe, 282 Derby Street, Rear 3
Popped! Gourmet Popcorn, 84 Wharf Street
Re-Find, 72 Washington Street
Real Pirates, 285 Derby Street
Rockafellas, 231 Essex Street
Salem Art Gallery / Satanic Temple, 64 Bridge Street
Salem Bespoke Boutique, 127 Essex Street, Unit C
Salem Waterfront Hotel, 225 Derby Street
The Black Veil, 304 Essex Street
The Marble Faun, 102 Wharf Street
The Salem Flea, Ames Hall, 290 Essex Street
The Salem Flea Marketplace, 11 Dodge St Ct
Trolley Depot, 191 Essex Street
Whimsy’s, 26 Front Street
Witch City Wicks, 302A Essex Street
Witch Pix, 172 Essex Street
Many local businesses will offer their own chocolate and love-inspired specials for the duration of Salem’s So Sweet in celebration of Valentine’s Day.
The 2025 festival is made possible by support from local businesses, including Salem Witch Museum, Witch City Walking Tours, Peabody Essex Museum, Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry, Gourmet Caterers, Retonica, Nocturne, Salem Dental Arts, Witch City Wicks, and St. Jean’s Credit Union, and is supported by tourism dollars through Destination Salem.
Follow Salem’s So Sweet on Facebook for the latest updates!
For more information, contact Kylie Sullivan at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or 978.744.0004.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT VISITING SALEM AT SALEM.ORG.
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[…] Events include: Sunday, January 8th, 2012 4:00PM-5:30PM – ONE STORY at The Griffen Theatre Baze will share her story through classical piano, cover songs, and original tunes. $20 – ALL proceeds go to The Yellow Umbrella Organization Call 978.317.1169 for reservations Monday, January 9th, 2012 11:30AM-1:00PM Yellow Luncheon at FINZ Restaurant Press conference and luncheon with Mayor Kim Driscoll, Christine Baze will be sharing her music and message. $10 – ALL proceeds go to The Yellow Umbrella Organization Call 978.744.8485 for reservations 8:00PM-11:00PM Comedy Club for the Hooch! at FINZ Restaurant Christopher Keating and other special guests will lend their humor to help save the Hooch Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 8:00PM-12:00AM Guys for the Hooch! at Seaport Cafe Qwill, Christopher Keating, Ross Livermore, HDJ, Jeff Buckridge, and David Bailin step up and sing for the cervix Thursday, January 12th, 2012 9:00PM-11:30PM Girls for the Hooch! at In a Pig’s Eye Sarah Seminski, Erinn Brown, and special guest Jacyn from JADA will join Baze as sirens singing to save the cervix Friday, January 13th, 2012 9:30PM-12:30AM BAZE BAND at Vic’s Boathouse The BAZE BAND rocks lots of your favorite chick cover songs for the Hooch Saturday, January 14th, 2012 9:30PM-12:30AM SAFETY, an 80’s cover band will play for Yellow at Rockafellas with special guest Christine Baze Sunday, January 15th, 2012 11:00AM – 2:00PM Classical Christine’s Yellow Brunch at 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar Hear a one-of-a-kind special performance by Christine Baze as she revisits her classical roots, have your makeup done by celebrity makeup artist Debra Macki and shop the latest fashion from Glitterati Start preparing for Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival click here. […]
[…] the last few years. For more information about the whole festival February 10 – 14 visit the So Sweet Link. Wine and Chocolate Event Participating businesses include: Adriatic Restaurant & Bar Ben […]
[…] The Salem’s So Sweet Wine and Chocolate Tasting for Friday, February 10 is now sold out. Thank you to all the fabulous Salem businesses who donate delicious wine and/or chocolate to the event making it so scrumptious that the event has sold out over a week ahead of time. Participating businesses include: 62 Restaurant and Wine Bar, Adriatic Restaurant & Bar, Ben & Jerry’s, Busa Wine and Spirits, Café Polonia, Caffe Graziani, Capt.’s Premium Steak & Seafood Grill, Captain Dusty’s Ice Cream, Finz Seafood & Grill, The Great Escape, Green Land Café, Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Pamplemousse, Rockafellas, Salem Waterfront Hotel, Sweet Adeline’s, Thai Place, Victoria Station. and Ye Olde Pepper Co. For more information about the whole Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival February 10 – 14 visit the So Sweet Link. […]
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[…] Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival February 6-15, 2015 Salem, MA Ice, chocolate and wine. Salem’s So Sweet isn’t your typical New England winter festival— and that’s what makes it so special. It kicks off with a wine and chocolate tasting that is wildly popular (and often sells out—so check the website for ticket information). Later in the week, large ice sculptures populate the downtown landscape. You can view them all from the Salem Trolley, which offers transportation along the festival route. […]
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The websites are not speaking of delays or rescheduling of events in conjunction with the parking issues and volume of snow in the Essex st area. How is this being handled? Has the schedule been modified? Thank-you
Marie – the only adjustment is that the Trolley will not be running this weekend. Everything else should be as planned for now.
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When will the 2016 map be up of where to see the ice sculptures?
Sometime in the next few days!
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[…] This is because the 14th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival is scheduled to begin at 6:30 P.M. tonight (Friday, February 5, 2016). This festival, which runs until Sunday evening (February 7, 2016), will feature 23 ice sculptures (weather permitting), discounted trolley rides (also weather permitting), and discounts at a number of locations throughout downtown Salem. As a result, if you’re looking for a great way to check out Salem or you’re just looking for a way to take your significant other out for the night without breaking the bank, the Salem So Sweet Festival is definitely the way to go. For more information on the 14th Annual Salem’s So Sweet Festival, please visit Salem’s So Sweet on Facebook or visit the Salem Main Streets website. […]
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