Salem News – Page 10 – Salem Main Streets

Live from Salem MA it is Sunday!

Apr 272014

Yes, almost the same headline as yesterday’s blog, because today, Sunday April 27th offers yet another day of fun-filled community events:

5K Road Race & Fun Walk, 9-10am

Wicked Good Books Giveaway, 10am – 2pm

Y Art show at Gulu Gulu, 4-6pm

A mostly flat and fast course awaits an expected 400 runners and walkers today during the 18th Annual North Shore Wellness Fair 5K Road Race & Fun Walk. The race, hosted by Salem State University, promotes and encourages a healthy lifestyle. Proceeds benefit LifeBridge, the Northeast Animal Shelter and the Wellness Center at Salem State University. Streets along the race route near Canal Street and Lafayette Street will be affected during the race time, which is from approximately 9-10am.

Be there, bring a chair, breathe fresh air.

Afterwords, you can run or jog over to our brick and cobblestone Pedestrian walkway on Essex Street for Day #2 of the Great Book Giveaway. It’s a BYOB (bring your own box or bag) free book event. Where The Derby Bookstore once stood, soon will be Wicked Good Books, 215 Essex St. Surplus books in the changeover are being made available to the public today as they were yesterday.

What kind of books are there for the taking?

From the Wicked Good Books Facebook page “We have quite a mix left for FREE, including lots of mysteries, gardening, cookbooks, and self-help, and a HUGE assortment of Young Adult. Please share!”

Speaking of sharing, Salem YMCA program participants will offer for your viewing pleasure over 140 pieces of art, courtesy of the Gulu Gulu Cafe. Head to the Y Art Show at the Gulu, 247 Essex St, from 4-6pm, and if you see something you like then bid on it to support the Y! The day will include a silent auction, music, art, and fun! Music by Jeff Savlon & Brian Donnelly.

Co-sponsor, Salem Collective of Artists and Musicians (SCAM), assisted by holding an art workshop with the Y kids and in hanging the artwork!

All proceeds benefit Salem YMCA childcare programs and initiatives.

It will be another great day to visit Salem Ma. We welcome you to our community.

Gables Tour— Christmas Banned In Salem

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Dec 082013

Christmas in New England. Today a warm picture of snow outside the home with family gathered around a tree & gifts, or family gathered around the dinner table, smiling and ready for a feast of food. But ’twas not such in early Massachusetts history. And no, you can’t blame the Salem witches for that.

As part of the annual Christmas Tours of the Gables, this year you’ll find much discussion about the fact that Christmas was banned in New England for nearly two centuries. The House of the Seven Gables is offering daily, now through Dec. 31 from 10am to 5pm, a special tour blending the unique history of the mansion with the little known history of Christmas in colonial Massachusetts.

The Puritans bristled at the day being used solely for “reveling.” It was seen as sacrilegious that the day was given over to drinking, feasting and all manner of over-indulgence, instead of quiet contemplation.

Take the tour to hear the story of how the Puritans got their way outlawing Christmas in 1659 and how the holiday inched its way back into the hearts of the population so that Massachusetts officially legalized Christmas in 1856.

Explore the maritime, architectural and literary history of the house and discover Christmas’ transformation from a rowdy seasonal celebration to the peaceful family-centered traditions we recognize today. The rooms of the mansion will be decorated for the holiday tour by local interior decorators, historical societies, and florists.

200 years of history in a walking tour— and you get to see the charming rooms of the House of the Seven Gables; that is a nice present to give to your family, or just yourself.

This special tour is offered during regular hours in December except during the production of A Classic Christmas. Closed Christmas Day. Open on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, 10am-2pm. For more details on the Tour, please call 978-744-0991.

Sights and Sounds of Santa in Salem

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Dec 072013

Ho Ho Ho! Had you been part of the crowd we had at the Hawthorne on Friday night, you would have been shouting that along with the bright-eyed kids anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus.

It was a great evening and we thank the moms and dads who brought their children out.

We also want to thank all the people and organizations that helped to publicize and share the news about this event so residents and neighbors could participate. There were blogs, Tweets and Facebook postings.

And we especially need to thank all those who participated in this special event: The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common Neighborhood Association, 62 Restaurant, Salem YMCA, Arbella Drum & Bugle Corps, Singers in Common, Brian Donnelly, the Museum Place Mall, Salem’s Vintage Photography, Witch Tees, Bewitched in Salem, Glass and Etc., and the Paul Madore Chorale – not to mention the City of Salem and our incredible Fire Department!

For those of you who could not make it there: the Vine video below (thank you Salem News & Hawthorne Hotel).

Fundraisers & Fun— Kicking Off December In Salem Ma

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Dec 042013

Feel like you are on a treadmill? We do here at Salem Main Streets; it has been one event after another since Halloween and we can’t stop because there are worthy causes this week which need to be publicized.

Wednesday

The Hawthorne Hotel will host a local event that has mirror images probably all over the country: a Fundraiser for the Victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan. It is set for Dec. 4 from 6 to 9pm at the Hotel. The proceeds from this evening will go to the American Red Cross in support of disaster recovery and relief efforts needed by over three million people in the Philippines.

Entertainment will be provided by The Ward Eights Band and DJ Patrick Runne. Hors d’Oeuvres will be created by the Chefs of the Hawthorne Hotel. And there will be door prizes.

Tickets may still be available; please call (978) 744-4080.

Thursday

Go Out Loud gears up for its 2nd Annual Give Out Loud campaign which is highlighted by two activities.

Victoria Station will be the site of a fun filled event that has to do with, oddly enough, food. Admission is free when you bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Salem Food Pantry (or you can just give a $10 donation at the door). Plus, there will be an Ugly Sweater Contest. Music by DJ Andrea, with special guest Gay Jim from Kiss 108. It begins at 7:30pm.

Go Out Loud is also donating 50% of all their Go Out Loud Discount (GOLD) Card purchases to HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) in Salem.

For more info go to their Facebook page, website or contact them at info@gooutloud.com

Also on Thursday is another opportunity for you to support the local economy by shopping fresh at the Salem Winter Market. Old Town Hall, from 3 to 6pm is the locale for vegetables, breads, meats, jewelry and more— grown or produced by people within driving distance of Salem.

And that brings us to Friday.

A beloved annual tradition, Santa Claus will arrive at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel at 18 Washington Square promptly at 6pm, Dec. 6 – with assistance from the Salem Fire Department, of course. Santa’s arrival will be followed by a short stop for cocoa and caroling at the gazebo on the Salem Common. The parade will then continue to Museum Place Mall for pictures with Santa.

Salem Main Streets would like to thank the Salem Fire Department, the Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common Neighborhood Association, YMCA, Arbella Drum & Bugle Corps, 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Museum Place Mall, Brian Donnelly, and Salem’s Vintage Photography for their participation in this special event.

Salem Supports Shop Small Saturday

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Nov 292013

Expect Salem (plus Beverly, Marblehead and a score of communities on the North Shore) to be overflowing with shoppers on Saturday. Small Business Saturday, initiated by American Express in 2010, is sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a day for people to show support to local merchants who operate businesses in their communities.

In an effort to encourage Salem residents to “Shop Local First” this holiday season, Mayor Kim Driscoll announced that all parking in Salem would be free Nov. 28 – Dec. 1. This includes all on-street parking meters, City surface lots, and parking garages. Information about parking in Salem is online at http://parkinginsalem.com.

“These are some of the busiest shopping days of the year,” said Mayor Driscoll. “Hopefully, by taking this step we can help inspire more Salem residents to come downtown and discover all the great retail shopping opportunities available at our independent businesses and shops.”

Karen Gordon Mills, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration has stated:

“Small businesses are the back bone of our communities. And when we shop small, we not only get great products and services, but we support our neighbors and strengthen our local economies.”

She points out that, “Over the last two decades, small and new businesses have been responsible for creating two out of every three net new jobs in the U.S., and today over half of all working Americans own or work for a small business.”

That certainly sounds like the entrepreneurial spirit that drives the business economy in Salem.

“By shopping small,” she concludes “we can help America’s small businesses do what they do best: grow their businesses, create good jobs, and ensure that our communities are vibrant.”

More than 100 million Americans have participated in the Small Business Saturday promotion. Our merchants in Salem invite you to join the party.

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