SMS News – Page 6 – Salem Main Streets

Haunted BizBaz Returns to Salem

Oct 032014

You never know who you’ll meet during the Biz Baz…

Street fairs are a welcome sight in Salem; walkers and vendors chat, joke, shoot the breeze, bargain, and in most cases seal a deal. This weekend the Chamber of Commerce presents its annual version, the Haunted Biz Baz, October 4 (10am-8pm) & October 5, 2014 (10am-6pm).

Booths will be lined up essentially along the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall walking path, as well as down into Derby Square.

What will you find? What won’t you find? Arts, crafts, jewelry and a great deal more. It’s a bazaar! It’s also a weekend. Weather looks to be co-operating with partly cloudy/partly sunny skies, mid to low 60 degree temperatures. That translates into a fine day trip forecast.

There will, of course, be food vendors along the route. Plus there are all the brick and mortar restaurants that line our main roads and streets. And afterwards, you can always check out the diverse, eclectic and just plain strange offerings of the merchants in Salem’s Downtown District.

Of course, if you need some directions or advice, our Info Booth volunteers are ready and willing to help answer your zaniest questions! Stop by the intersection of Essex St. and Washington St. any time between 10 am and 6 pm on Saturday or 1 pm and 5 pm on Sunday for some friendly assistance.

Info Booth ambassador Paula is ready to help!

So, Anything Going On This Week in Salem Ma?

Haunted Happenings, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News No Responses »

Oct 012014

Step right up, though this may not be the “greatest show on Earth,” Salem Ma does try its best to give residents, North Shore neighbors and visitors the most for their time & money spent here during the month of October. Just this week we are opening our Info Booth to be staffed with ambassadors of goodwill to assist fun-seekers and officially kicking off festivities with the Chamber of Commerce 19th Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, as well as once again launching the Mayor’s Night Out and Trick or Treat with the Mayor events.

Practically speaking there are more activities scheduled for the first three days of October than we have room for in this blog. We suggest you look at the calendar information supplied by at least these three great community websites. Mix and match the information.

Specifically we would like to point out that:

The 19th Annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce steps off Thursday, Oct. 2nd at 6:30pm. This year’s parade theme is “Fantasy.” Children from grade school through high school and perhaps a big kid or two from college will march through our streets in costume as a tip of the hat to all the activities to follow this month. The spotlight, though, is where it should be, on the young people who keep Halloween alive with their imagination.

The Mayor’s Night Out is Oct. 3rd and that Friday Mayor Kimberly Driscoll, in partnership with Salem’s attractions and museums, encourages Salem residents to leave their homes to sample attractions, museums and even parking (at East India Mall garage after 4 pm) free of charge! Just bring your Salem ID and be on the look-out from 3 – 10 pm for “Mayor’s Night Out” signs at participating businesses.

Trick-or-Treating with Mayor Kim Driscoll at the East India Fountain takes place from 5:30 – 6:30 pm. Bring the kids, join the Mayor as the procession will Trick-or-Treat along the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, The Museum Place Mall Shops, and beyond. Trick-or-Treat Bags provided. Costumes encouraged. And of course, it is another free of charge event.

Salem’s Downtown District is prepared to show you a good time this month, this 5th season of our calendar year. We welcome “kids of all ages,” to explore and be entertained.

It Waits… For You… The Info Booth

Haunted Happenings, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities No Responses »

Sep 292014

Hauntingly standing in and out of the shadows, the Salem Main Streets Haunted Happenings Information Booth waits patiently on the corner of Essex and Washington Streets. It waits for you.

For resident and tourist alike, young and old, American and foreign traveler, it does not discriminate in its need to feed— you information. Now that it has been dropped into place, the booth sits day and night awaiting the launch of our season of service. Volunteers will start staffing Thursday from 4:30 – 6:30 pm to coincide with the Haunted Happenings kick-off Grand Parade.

Stephanie Hagyard, a volunteer since 2008, and coordinator of this year’s SMS info team says “Our shift schedule will be 2 – 6 pm on Fridays (noon – 8 pm on Halloween), 10 am – 6 pm on Saturdays and noon – 5 pm on Sundays (might vary to 11 am on Sundays depending on staffing). The only holiday is Columbus day which will be a 10 am- 4 pm effort.”

She adds, “Most shifts are filled but there are a few dates/shifts that I would like to get a third/fourth person on- and November 1st is a new addition this year that needs people.” If you would like to volunteer, contact Stephanie at shagyard@yahoo.com.

You would become part of a community of ‘community volunteers’ who have provided direction and support to nearly 140,000 visitors since 2008. And this year with Halloween on a Friday, we can expect record numbers to cross Washington Street at Essex Street (which is the location of our booth).

Asked for advance advice to offer 10/31 visitors, Stephanie offered “Park once, wear comfy shoes, walk around, dress in layers, pay attention to your surroundings; if you are at an establishment getting lunch/dinner/coffee use the bathroom even if you don’t think you need to because who knows how long lines will be at other restrooms that are public.”

That’s the kind of straightforward, we believe useful info, you need from the booth volunteers, along with where the “witch this” and “witch that” are located.

The Info Booth beckons you….

Playing With Your Food – Week 14

Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 182014

Playing With Your Food” is a weekly post highlighting a few of the many great uses for the wide range of produce and artisan food at the Salem Farmers’ Market, a Salem Main Streets project. The Salem Farmers’ Market takes place every Thursday from June 12 to October 23 from 3 pm to 7 pm on Derby Square. While we can never predict exactly what our farms will be able to bring each week, we do our best to reflect some of the fun items we’ve found recently and what’s likely to be available for the upcoming week. Hopefully this will give you a few new ideas to play with, and inspire you to try some new things at the market.

It may not officially be fall yet, but we’ve definitely entered the season for one of the most beloved symbols of fall food – APPLES. If you’re like me, your eyes are probably bigger than your stomach when it comes to purchasing apples or apple cider. Suddenly, you find yourself with three bags of apples and two gallons of apple cider that really need to be used within a week. What to do?

Confession time – I am terrible with pie. “Easy as apple pie” has no relevance to me. So here’s a list things that I find EASIER to make than apple pie:

Apple Crisp – when it comes to the basics, I still reach for Betty Crocker first.
Quick Pickled Apples – hint: get spice advice from SalemSpice and use maple syrup from one of our farmers
Apple Butter – freezes very well and is a great way to deal with an abundance of apples that may be on their way out
Baked Chicken With Cider and Apples – consider adding in some hard cider from Far From the Tree!
Chicken with Sausage, Prunes, and Apples – absolutely my favorite savory use of apples
Apple Cider Caramels – that’s right, I think even making caramel is easier than making pie. But really, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is.

Boxes of Far From the Tree Hard Cider ready to go!

Prices You Can’t Beat in Salem This Weekend

Salem Event No Responses »

Aug 152014

Tax break time! Not that we ever need an extra reason to attract visitors to our diverse downtown district in Salem, MA, but if you want one, we have it this weekend. The 2014 Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday Weekend is set for Aug. 16 & 17.

What is that? “Two consecutive days during which most purchases made by individuals for personal use will not be subject to Massachusetts sales or use taxes” reads the recently enacted statute. The current state sales tax is 6.25%.

It continues, “on those days, non-business sales at retail of single items of tangible personal property costing $2,500 or less are exempt from sales and use taxes, subject to certain exclusions. The following do not qualify for the sales tax holiday exemption and remain subject to tax: all motor vehicles, motorboats, meals, telecommunications services, gas, steam, electricity, tobacco products and any single item whose price is in excess of $2,500.”

Did that say steam? In any case, there are many more items that are covered by the exemption. Come to Salem. Look through any store window along Washington St, Essex St, over to Front and Central and Derby Streets. Travel to Pickering Wharf and everywhere in between. You’ll find an assortment of items that lean on the city’s historical, literary, seafaring, and ‘witch-themed’ notoriety.

All are priced to sell nicely, with this weekend’s tax break as extra incentive. Many local businesses are offering promotions this weekend, including 15% off at Treasures Over Time (Saturday only), 20% off at newcomer Edward John Home Decor, and The Urbane Cyclist‘s biggest sale of the year. So get out there and start shopping!

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