Feb 102015
 

Salem loves a Festival. It’s our tradition to REALLY celebrate a holiday. So, it is no surprise that Valentine’s Day has been the recipient of our special magical treatment with this year’s (Feb. 6-15) Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival. Saturday is Valentine’s Day and neither snow nor sleet nor ice will deny the event and the on-going Golden Ticket promotion.

Many downtown businesses are offering discounts and special offerings throughout the festival on items that will bring a special smile to your loved ones! By also picking up your Golden Ticket at any of the participating businesses during the festival, you will have a chance to win a Salem’s So Sweet gift basket. Just have the Golden Ticket validated at a minimum of 8 participating businesses (no purchase necessary) to enter.

A full list of participating businesses and promotions are available below or by stopping by the Salem Main Streets office at 265 Essex Street for a brochure. Please also check our Facebook page for updates.

SALEM304_Salem_So_Sweet_2015_Brochure_V3_Inside_001Who’s afraid of snow? Shop early. Shop late. Shop Salem!

(“Golden Ticket” image courtesy of Social Palates via Instagram)

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Feb 092015
 

Salem Snow Day ShoppingWe are all in this together. Salem merchants and Salem residents/visitors/shoppers. Snow kept falling and blowing on Monday. Most of us were home-bound. Tuesday the MBTA will not be operating. The Governor has declared a State of Emergency so you should not drive unless it is vital. What to do? Stay home? No! Support our local Downtown Merchants who have been taking financial hit after hit with these snow storms.

There is a Facebook page urging just that: “The recent weather hurts our beloved local businesses. If you can walk downtown tomorrow (or drive depending on what happens with the parking situation) then spend some money to keep Salem in business! ”

Check out the site. Business are trickling in with whether they will be open or closed on Tuesday.

You can also post questions for your favorite eatery or regular store.

We think it is a great idea. The shopping community working together to support the businesses of Salem.

Call your favorite spot before heading out, as some may indeed be open but with abbreviated hours. Boot up. Bundle up. And we’ll see you out there for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just gift shopping (Saturday is Valentine’s Day!).

(Erin Cyr event photo)

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Feb 072015
 

Ice Pikachu & CharizardSalem has been invaded by ice creatures, but worry not, as they are friendly. Early morning joggers and breakfast attendees were greeted throughout downtown Salem by workers gently unloading and placing ice sculptures in per-determined sites as part of the Salems So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival.

This year there will be more than 15 large sculptures around downtown Salem, with themes including a mermaid, ruby slippers, a rocking horse, and many more! A map of sculptures and locations is available here and on brochures distributed around town.

Take the kids out and see how many you can find. Make a day of it in Salem.

Many downtown businesses will offer discounts and special offerings throughout the festival! Pick up your Golden Ticket at any of the participating businesses during the festival, have it validated at participating businesses (no purchase necessary), then enter to win a Salem’s So Sweet gift basket. A full list of participating businesses and promotions can be found here.

NOTE: due to the historical amounts of snow we have received, the Salem Trolley will not be running its route on Feb. 7 and 8 as initially planned.

After all the ice on the sidewalks and streets we’ve had to endure and groan about recently, it’s nice to see ice in a way to make you smile. The Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival  runs Feb. 6-15th.

(Hint: Pikachu and Charizard in front of Harrison’s Comics & Pop Culture)

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Jan 312015
 

It’s your turn! Salem Main Streets through this blog & website, our Facebook page, our Twitter account and other sources is constantly waving the flag in support of how great the merchants and organizations in Salem are. But now there are two ways for you to show your support— with a vote!

voteAs it turns out, voting is underway for the Wicked Local 2015 Readers Choice Awards (ballot appeared in 1/30/15 edition of Salem Gazette)  and Northshore Magazine BONS 2015 Best of Northshore (begins 2/1/15).

Rules, regulations, how to vote, when voting ends, etc. etc. can be found on their respective websites.

Through both the newspaper and magazine voting, you can single out gift shops, food stores, restaurants and so forth that provide the kind of customer experience you not only appreciate but want to share with others.

In both of the “best of the best” balloting our merchants will be competing with other businesses in North Shore communities, so be sure to convince friends to vote as well for their Salem choices.

If you’d like an idea on how well we fared last time on the BONS event, here is a link to a past blog  As you’ll see, Salem was well-represented. Let’s do it again. Show these local merchants you like not only their products & services, but also the way they conduct business.

(Image courtesy of chayathonwong2000 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

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Dec 222014
 

Free Salem parkingLet’s face, as much as you plan your gift lists, and check them twice, yes even thrice, comes Dec. 24th and you find someone just not getting the right gift message from you. Or one of the kids just doesn’t have enough stuff in his/her stocking.

What to do? Come to Salem Ma. We are open on the 24th and to make it easier for you, Mayor Kimberly Driscoll has announced that parking in all city-owned locations in Salem will be free on Wednesday, December 24. That not only is free parking but convenient as in not a football field away parking.

Whether you seek a romantic gift, a rare oddity, something fun & whimsical, or appropriate and suitable, our Downtown merchants have you covered.

So, to the procrastinators, the “oh-oh I forgot aunt Edna’s” and the seekers of the “perfect” gift to convey a special message, we say bring it on. And bring your car. We’ve got a nice free spot for it on Dec. 24th.

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