Salem Festivals – Page 15 – Salem Main Streets

Zapraszamy – Celebration of Polish Culture & Heritage in Salem

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Sep 122015

Think back to when you were younger and looked forward to various street festivals held by churches and neighborhood nationalities. The sights, sounds and smells were invigorating. This Sunday, 9/13/15 relive some of those memories at the 2015 Salem Polish Fest, taking place on the grounds of St. John the Baptist Church, 34 St. Peter Street.

Come alone, invite a friend, and most certainly bring the family; the Salem Polish Fest will be held from noon to 8pm, rain or shine. And the inside activities will be in an air-conditioned hall!

Remember the food? Pierogi, Potato Placki, Grilled Kielbasa, Golabki, Polish Ice, Funnel Cakes, Polish Fries. You might find some of these among the delicious Polish food and baked goods for sale, along with beer and a full bar.

But that’s not all. It is most importantly a celebration of Polish culture & heritage. Expect to meet costumed dancers, hear ethnic music, and see gifts & souvenirs from Poland.

Speaking of culture and heritage, according to an article by Washington Mazurkerwitz and Veronica Ryewhiskey entitled “Recollections of the Polish Community in Salem” there was an “influx of Polish immigrants to Salem beginning in the 1890s. Many Polish immigrants sought work at the Naumkeag Mills and the many other textile and leather factories in Salem.”

They go on to point out that “Polish immigrants played a vital role in the history of the Naumkeag Mills in particular, and in the life of the city as well.”

So it is only fair that we celebrate their culture & heritage with them.

There will be games and attractions for children; raffles & prizes for adults.

There is no admission charge. Bring your appetite. Dobrej zabawy.

Enthusiastic Volunteers Wanted in Salem For October Information Booth

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Sep 082015

When visitors come to Salem MA in October, they do so armed not only with a printed map and an on-line set of references on cell phone or tablet, they also have direct, face to face contact with the Salem Main Streets (SMS) corps of volunteers whose goal is to get visitors where they want to go in town and enjoy the visit. We’d like you to join our team.

Last year alone the SMS volunteers assisted over 20,000 visitors during the weekends and holidays in October.

“We are looking for volunteers with enthusiasm for Salem to help greet visitors at the Downtown Salem Information Booth in October,” states Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Executive Director.

Volunteers will staff the booth which will sit at the beginning of the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall; they will hand out maps and provide information about Salem’s wide variety of attractions, events, and businesses.

All volunteers are asked to be available for a minimum of two shifts (each shift is for two hours) and will be required to complete a one hour orientation session. The orientation will take place on Saturday, September 19 at 9:30 am at the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center.

Volunteers will be updated on new October events and there will be time for returning volunteers to share insights and information with those new to the program. A free trolley tour will be available before the informational session, courtesy of Salem Trolley.

Volunteers are needed for the following dates: October 1 (Parade night), 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 (Columbus Day Weekend), 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 (Halloween Night), and November 1.

Adds Kylie, “We are also looking for multi-lingual volunteers to assist the many international visitors who come to Salem. If you have availability during some of these days, enjoy helping visitors by showing them your enthusiasm for our cultured and historic city, and want to make it fun and easy for visitors to explore all of Salem’s sites and attractions, please join us!”

For more information or to become a volunteer please contact Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets’ Executive Director, at 978-744-0004 x15 or kylie@salemmainstreets.org. This program is a partnership between Salem Main Streets, the National Park Service, the City of Salem, Destination Salem, and the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

First Friday Feels Right at Home on Pickering Wharf

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Aug 292015

Has it been a month already since the last First Friday at Pickering Wharf? If you missed FF last month, this Friday, Sept. 4th is your chance to experience the interaction between your five senses and all that the Wharf stores have to offer.

What began as a plan to recreate an 18th century shopping village theme at Pickering Wharf has evolved into a visually serene landscape dotted with an eclectic line-up of gift shops and many, many, many places to stop for lunch or dinner.

Then add to it the special touch of a First Friday when merchants stay open later and offer some extra special deals as a way of saying “thank you” to customers, and you have a great day trip / ladies night out / guy’s night out destination this coming Friday Sept.4th

For example, show a receipt from any wharf merchant on this First Friday of the month, and the restaurants will take 10% off of your lunch or dinner that same day or evening (10% discount applies to food at participating merchants 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Brodies Seaport, Finz Seafood and Grill, Longboards Restaurant and Bar, Regatta Pub in the Salem Waterfront Hotel, Sea Level Oyster Bar and Kitchen, Vic’s Boathouse & Victoria’s Station.).

Find a good deal and enjoy a good meal. Pickering Wharf is located off Derby Street in Salem MA.

Anime Comes Alive at Flying Saucer Restaurant

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Aug 232015

Remember Pokemon from your childhood? Or perhaps you are actively involved with some form of anime now? The videos and card games are still going strong. As is a much more grown-up and tightly written anime called Attack on Titan. Both of those as well as three other forms of anime will each have a day of exposure during the Flying Saucer Pizza Company special Anime Week, Aug. 24-28.

Explains Nicole Spirito, General Manager of Flying Saucer, “This is the first EVER Anime Week at Flying Saucer in our three years of being in business. We are well known for our creative intertwining of delicious pizza and good nerdy fun, and I decided that it was time for the anime/manga crowd to have a fun week just for them!”

Harrison’s Comics & Pop Culture in Salem is co-sponsoring the week long event and is supplying raffle prizes. It also holds Pokemon sessions & tournaments on Sunday afternoons.

She adds, “Harrison’s Comics has always been a loyal friend and partner with us as business owners in Salem, and we saw this as the perfect opportunity to have our worlds collide, so to speak. Many of our staff and customers are avid anime enthusiasts, and we all enjoyed collaborating on ideas to make this week fantastic.”

The night returns some fan pizza favorites, including the BULBASAUR and VEGETA – as well as introducing some lively cocktails. You are invited to wear your finest merch to receive some “awesome” Saucer freebies.

For those of you that don’t know about this art form, the word anime is a shortened version of animēshon and can be characterized by colorful graphics, vibrant characters and fantastical themes.

According to Wikipedia, “The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917, and production of anime works in Japan has since continued to increase steadily. The characteristic anime art style emerged in the 1960s with the works of Osamu Tezuka and spread internationally in the late twentieth century, developing a large domestic and international audience. Anime is distributed theatrically, by television broadcasts, directly to home media, and over the internet. It is classified into numerous genres targeting diverse broad and niche audiences.”

In other words, anime is everywhere and enjoyed by males & females of all ages and nationalities.

The schedule (at posting time):

Monday – Pokemon
Tuesday – Naruto
Wednesday – Dragon Ball Z with a special screening of Resurrection F at 8pm
Thursday – Inuyasha
Friday – Attack on Titan with a late night screening from 11pm-1am

And, don’t forget, adds Nicole, “We’ll be raffling off killer memorabilia provided by Harrison’s Comics each night!”

Flying Saucer is located at 118 Washington St, in Salem MA. And Harrison’s is across the street from Flying Saucer at 252 Essex Street.

Shopping In Style This Weekend in Salem

Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping, SMS News No Responses »

Aug 052015

Bargains will fill the shelves, counters and floors of stores this weekend as Heritage Days closes out the weekend with the Essex Street Fair, and Pickering Wharf presents the next installment of First Friday.

First Friday is a stand-alone monthly activity by the good folks at Pickering Wharf, but this month it happens to fall during Heritage Days, so why not make it part of your Heritage Days celebration when you’re in town that day?

You will most definitely Shop, Dine and Unwind at Pickering Wharf where you will find exclusive specials, events and treats from over 20 unique shops and six fabulous restaurants.

First Friday festivities begin at 5pm with most stores remaining open until 9pm.

Participating restaurants will offer, at a minimum, 10% off with a receipt from a Pickering Wharf shop, as well as in-house specials. Some merchants will also have entertainment, refreshments, and some give-aways.

Bargains & free “stuff” make First Fridays at Pickering Wharf a must see event.

Then over the weekend, more than 50 vendors will participate in the Heritage Days festivities at the Salem Chamber of Commerce Essex Street Fair. The Essex Street Fair is an annual two-day event; this year it is to be held on August 8 & 9, 2015 from 10am – 6pm.

Along the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall artisans, craftors, and food vendors from in and around Salem join local merchants to sell their merchandise along the length of Essex St., from the Daniel Low Building to the Hawthorne Hotel.

Bring your friends and family to this street festival to browse through jewelry, crafts, paintings, and other unique items! Face painters and musicians will be strolling around to entertain the crowd.

For more information regarding the Essex Street Fair, contact the Salem Chamber of Commerce at 978-744-0004.

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