LAUNCH! Is Back to Help Salem Residents & Friends Ring in New Year

 History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities  No Responses »
Dec 302017
 

The family-friendly count down to the New Year, known as LAUNCH! is gearing up for a great party in Salem, this Sunday, Dec. 31 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Old Town Hall on Derby Square.

Programming will include hat making, face painting, a photo booth, and more!  There will be an early countdown just before 6 pm. Ring in the New Year with family members that can’t or don’t want to stay up ‘til midnight

“When we organized LAUNCH! for the first time a few years ago, it was immediately clear that there was a strong community desire to come together on New Year’s Eve,” states Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets’ Executive Director. “Plus, there’s still plenty of time after our early countdown to get to your own party, or catch one of the many other great events happening all over town on New Year’s Eve!”

New Year’s Eve Stats

History.com and Column Five put together a very interesting “New Year’s by the numbers” Infographic from which we pulled these figures.

  • Each New Year’s Eve, one million people gather in NYC Times Square to watch the famous ball drop.
  • Closed to one billion people around the word watch the festivities on TV.
  • And 22% of adults admit they fall asleep before midnight!

No falling asleep at our New Year’s alternative event, which is in its 5th year and produced again by Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem.

This event is free to all and family-friendly, with a $5 suggested donation to help support Salem Main Streets’ “Holiday Happenings” initiatives, including Santa’s Arrival at the Hawthorne, the Tree Lighting, and the wreaths and ribbons around the downtown district. LAUNCH! is also made possible thanks to our Salem Main Streets volunteers and the continued involvement of our partners at Creative Salem and the Phoenix School.

So, bring friends, co-workers and bring the kids to say goodbye to 2017 and hello 2018, this Sunday at Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Sq. in Salem.

 

 

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Marching Monsters Haunt Halloween Parade in Salem

 History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities  1 Response »
Oct 032017
 

Photo Credit – Social Palates/Creative Salem via Salem Chamber

Movie Monsters will flood the streets of Salem this Thursday, Oct. 5th as the 22nd annual Haunted Happenings Grand Parade officially kicks off THE Halloween season for tourists and residents alike.

Twenty-two years. If you were a 10-year-old kid dressed in costume for any of the first few, quite possibly you have a son or daughter participating this year. Tradition is a big deal for this parade.

Another tradition involves picking a theme to help participants get creative in their costuming and float themes. Movie Monsters opens a vast panorama from which to dig deep the creative juices. We look forward to the sights and sounds.

According to the Salem Chamber of Commerce, which produces the Haunted Happenings Grand Parade, “The choice of costumes for this year’s parade is endless, based on all the classic and beloved monster themed movies parents and kids love. The parade audience will see a lot of characters from Monsters Inc., Beauty and the Beast, Harry Potter, and The Addams Family, to name a few. Thriller might make a comeback and one or two horror movie characters might join the Salem Chamber Haunted Happenings Parade as well!”

Who participates?

Children & teens from Salem schools along with adults from schools, businesses, city offices, fire & police departments and other organizations participate as volunteers, organizers, planners, walkers and cleanup crews. It really is a group effort.

What’s the Route?

Haunted Happenings Grand Parade begins at Shetland properties on Congress street, precisely at 6:30pm. Marchers turn left onto Derby Street, right onto Central Street, left onto Front Street, right onto Washington Street, right onto the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall and finish at the Salem common.

Friends and family cheer them on along the way, and at the Common they will be entertained by local favorite DJ Doug.

If you would like to volunteer to help with aspects of the Parade, contact the Chamber at 978-744-0004.

Mark your calendar to remind you to visit us this Thursday to see the spirit of Halloween on the faces of kids as the spotlight is all theirs.

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Volunteers Needed Now for Halloween Month-Long Info Booth

 History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities  1 Response »
Aug 202017
 

Do you wish to do some good for others in the community? If so, then you are part of the 62.8 million Americans who annually give of their time & skills volunteering. In our case, the community is Salem and we are Salem Main Streets in need of volunteers to help us staff the Visitors’ Info Booth during the upcoming Haunted Happenings Halloween season, which begins October 1st.

Yes, we know, it is still mid-August and summer is not over. But look at the calendar again from a staffing/training point of view. To be ready to go with scheduled volunteers by October 1st, we need to send out an invitation now.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to start planning for Haunted Happenings and the October Information Booth,” says Kylie Sullivan, executive director of Salem Main Streets.

A welcoming orientation will take place on Saturday, September 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, Salem, MA. 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.

Kylie adds, “Our annual orientation will cover all the basics for new volunteers, and important updates and reminders for our returning ambassadors. Even if you have volunteered in the past, it is important to try to make this training!”

Registration will begin at 9:30 am, with the orientation starting promptly at 10 am. Please remember to bring your ID for the CORI process.

What if you’re neither a native nor a long term transplanted resident and don’t know exactly “where everything is?” You will. Between support from the people in the booth with you during your shifts, to the repeated questions (where are public bathrooms, where can I see something really scary, where did they burn the witches, where can I get a good burger or fish meal), you will.

Purely as a side note, volunteering has been known to help new people in a community make new friends who share common interests & values.

And if you speak more than one language, we clearly could use your help, as many Haunted Happenings attendees are from foreign lands.

For more information, contact Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director, Salem Main Streets at 978/744-0004 x115 or email at www.salemmainstreets.org

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The Public Salon to Engage Community & Cultivate Local Talent at Farmers’ Market

 Salem Event, Volunteer Opportunities  No Responses »
Jul 192017
 

 

Whether you have artistic talent or not, you’re invited to take part in a very interesting project-based workshop that will be conducted for 6 weeks on Salem’s Artists’ Row during the Thursday Farmers’ Market from 3 to 7 pm.

Mayor Kim Driscoll and the Public Art Commission have launched the Artist in Residence: Pilot Program at Artists’ Row with Claudia Paraschiv, (architect and owner of Studioful – Architecture, Community Art, and Neighborhood Design, and founder of the Salem Public Space Project).

Paraschiv explains, “The purpose of The Public Art Salon is to create beautiful, participatory, resident-led projects on an ongoing basis to inspire local communities. Practically, we make friends and create projects in public space that connect local people and places. People come together to design and build community-driven projects, cultivate local talent, and build productive relationships.”

For example, on a previous such project in Dorchester, she worked with the community to build a 50-foot bench over the course of 15 weeks. It is equipped with sounds activated when you sit, sections with indentations for flowers, and even a chess-board ready for play while waiting for the bus. That was the driving need for the bench as the existing bus shelter and bench at that time were tucked away, out of the bus driver’s sight, causing for many a missed passenger.

Why Do It During The Farmers’ Market?

The Artists’ Row tenants chose to hold it during the Farmers’ Market to draw the market crowds onto the Row. Paraschiv is hosting the Salon between Boston Woodturning and Ceramics by Sibel. Salons are held outdoors for maximum visibility and accessibility. Additionally, Farmers’ Markets are a great place to incubate new types of civic practice as well as new business ventures.

Paraschiv added “I hope participants will enjoy expressing themselves through their creations, and feel a sense of pride and ownership at having contributed to a collective public art piece. I also hope participants will learn new skills from crafts to what plants are best for pollinators, and how policy and legislation affects pollinators. Finally, I hope people will feel a sense of joy, wonder, and community.”

The Public Art Salon is a free, drop-in friendly event open to all age and skill levels. Kids are absolutely invited, however, it is very much an activity for all ages since residents help build tables, as well as craft artistic surfaces, and more.

Salem Farmers’ Markets are in session Thursdays now through October, from 3-7 pm in Derby Square.

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Salem 2026, What Should It Look Like?

 History, Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Shopping, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities  No Responses »
Feb 122017
 

The conversation has begun. Are you a part of it? Do you want to be? Mayor Kim Driscoll, in her State of the City address last month, announced a community visioning process known as Imagine Salem. All Salem residents and community members are invited to join the Imagine Salem community conversation to prepare a road map to what they want the community to look like in 2026—the year that Salem celebrates its 400th anniversary.

The dialogue will be framed around housing, jobs, and transportation with themes of equity and inclusiveness woven throughout the topics. The vision will serve as a guide for future decisions.

“Salem has seen tremendous investment and growth over the past ten years,” said Mayor Driscoll. “New residents are joining longtime families in calling Salem home. Brownfields are being transformed, the waterfront is coming alive, and downtown has become a vibrant destination for the region. We’ve made important investments in our infrastructure, and our local economy is robust. Now the question is what kind of city do we want to be in ten years? How do we make sure our city is best positioned to continue our prosperity? From schools to housing and transportation to employment, let’s set some expectations for ourselves and then work to get them done.”

What can you do now?

  • Visit the website (www.imaginesalem.org).
  • Take a brief online survey.
  • Like Imagine Salem on Facebook.
  • Share a photo on Instagram.
  • Attend the citywide meeting on March 8 (6:30 PM Salem High School).
  • Come to a small get-together for coffee and conversation.

Those interested in doing more are invited to host a small group conversation. The conversation could be over a cup of coffee, at a book club, or a Sunday lunch with the family — however you typically meet with your friends, family, or social groups.

The Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) will provide you with the tools you need to facilitate a fun and engaging conversation about the future of Salem. Contact the DPCD (imaginesalem@salem.com, 978-619-5685) for more information.

“The people of Salem are what make this City great,” said Mayor Driscoll. “Our community’s vision should reflect their lives and experiences, and advance our collective hopes and dreams. I urge everyone to join the Imagine Salem conversation. I hope you will participate in as many ways as possible. Your contributions will help shape the vision for Salem’s future.”

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