Jan 162016
 

What is ahead for Salem Main Streets and 2016? Please join us for a night of celebration and information Tuesday, January 26th as we conduct the Salem Main Streets Annual Meeting.

SAF VolsKylie Sullivan, SMS Executive Director says, “Come cheer with us over last year’s accomplishments and look ahead to see what’s coming in 2016. Learn more about Salem Main Streets’ mission and purpose, and how you can benefit and get more involved.”

This gathering is free and open to all who live, work, or play in downtown Salem – residents, volunteers, business owners, community partners, and government officials.

Stephanie at boothIn other words, we want you there if you have anything to say about how the Downtown District was promoted by us in the past and —

Kylie emphasizes, “We are especially looking for feedback to help improve our work going forward.”

The meeting will run from 5:30 – 7:30pm at Ames Hall in the Salem YMCA, 1 Sewall Street (enter from the Essex Street entrance).

Free appetizers and cash bar!

Please invite your neighbors, associates, and friends! This is you chance to have an impact on how Salem is seen by the local community and the world.

Please RSVP to Kylie at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or 978-744-0004 x15.

Salem Main Streets’ mission is the continued revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant, year-round, retail, dining and cultural destination through business retention, recruitment, and promotion of the Downtown District.

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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 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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Feb 052015
 

Snowstorms to the left; snowstorms to the right. And the Seattle Seahawks in between. Salem sure has had a lot in the news to contend with over the past week. But we weathered the weather and the Patriots took the air out of the Seahawks to win the Super Bowl. Now it’s….. chocolate time! Our annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival (Feb. 6 – 15, 2015) is about to get underway and what a way to celebrate the Super Bowl victory, spoil your loved one and forget about the weather than with some wine, chocolate and fun events to warm the heart.

Our week-long celebration leading up to Valentine’s Day kicks off Friday, Feb. 6, 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Colonial Hall at Rockafellas with a chocolate extravaganza. If it’s chocolatey and a restaurant or store sells it in the city, then it will most likely be represented at one of the sampling tables. For the price of admission, one glass is given to each ticket holder to fill and refill all evening, tasting wines that go with chocolate.

And then there is the chocolate. And not just chocolate (we love saying that). There have been in the past chocolate-covered pretzels & cherries, mousse, a chocolate wine, chocolate ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc. etc. etc. It’s ok. Indulge. We won’t tell.

20140207_1801072015 Participating Merchants

62 Restaurant and Wine Bar
Adriatic Restaurant and Bar
Artemisia Botanicals
Caffé Graziani
Coffee Time Bake Shop
Far From the Tree Hard Cider
Gulu-Gulu Café
Harbor Sweets
Jodi Bee Bakes
Melita Fiore Patisserie
Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt
Pamplemousse
Rockafellas
Salem Waterfront Hotel
Salem Wine Imports
Turtle Alley Chocolates
Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse
Village Tavern
Ye Olde Pepper Companie

There is of course more to the Festival, such as our popular Ice Sculptures, and promotions offered by individual merchants. More on these in our next blog.

Reminder, tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased over the phone at 978-744-0004, online here, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101. Don’t delay, they usually sell out very quickly.

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Feb 082014
 

20140207_180107

Chocolate, wine and great conversation awaited a capacity crowd at Rockafella’s Colonial Hall, Friday evening. It was a successful Salem’s So Sweet launch party for the 12th Annual Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival.

Kylie Sullivan, Manager of Salem Main Streets reported that “The room was absolutely bursting at the seams with good food and drink; you could see, taste, and smell delights from crepes filled with chocolate & strawberries to shrimp poached in chocolate stout, accompanied by everything from chocolate chai to pinot noir to honey mead.”

She added “Salem’s So Sweet really highlights how strong the Salem food scene has become.”

Salem Main Streets would also like to thank all the participating businesses:

62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Artemisia Botanical, Caffé Graziani , Captain Dusty’s Ice Cream, Capt.’s Waterfront Bar & Grill, Finz Seafood & Grill, Flying Saucer Pizza Company.

Grapevine Restaurant, Gulu-Gulu Café, Harbor Sweets, Melita Fiore, Pamplemousse, Rockafellas, Salem Beer Works.

Salem Waterfront Hotel & Marina, Turtle Alley Chocolates, Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse , Village Tavern Grill and Oyster Bar, We All Scream Ice Scream Co., Ye Olde Pepper Co.

And a special thanks to our hosts, Colonial Hall at Rockafellas!

Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, along with local retailers, restaurants and businesses also invite you to attend events within Salem leading up to Valentine’s Day.

This year there will be more than 14 large ice sculptures, chocolate samplings and great discounts around downtown Salem the weekend of February 8-9, with some continuing until February 16th in celebration of Valentine’s Day!

The beautiful ice sculptures will grace downtown Salem starting February 8, with themes including a seahorse, a rubber ducky, a sailboat, a film projector, and more!

 

Many downtown businesses will offer discounts and special offerings during the festival. With over 60 places in which to dine, downtown Salem is the perfect place to have a romantic dinner or casual lunch.

Highlights for this weekend:

Salem Trolley from 12 to 4, will leave on the hour and half-hour, $1 / person;

Chocolate fountain at Maria’s Sweet Somethings;

Make your own Valentine’s at Mud Puddle Toys – 12 to 3pm;

Chocolate tea samplings a Artemisia Botanicals 11am to 6pm;

Pamplemousse – Wine and chocolate tasting Saturday 2 to 4pm, mead tasting Sunday 1 to 3pm;

PEM Shop giving away Harbor Sweets Saturday while supplies last;

Phillips House – 2 for 1 admission all weekend, Love Letters Saturday at 2pm

Once again, Golden Tickets will be available in downtown Salem for a chance to win the Salem’s So Sweet Gift Basket. Pick up your Golden Ticket at a participating location and have it validated at participating businesses (no purchase necessary) to enter to win a Salem’s So Sweet Gift Basket which features many fine items from area retailers.

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