Santa Arrives at the Hawthorne! Photo Credit – John Andrews / Creative Collective

The holiday season is known for spending quality time with friends and family, giving to others, and celebrating the holiday spirit. The town of Salem takes great pride in celebrating the holiday season. Every year Salem Main Streets celebrates by hosting events for community members to ring in the holiday season together.

The first event that will be kick off the celebration will be Santa’s Arrival and Holiday Tree Lighting. This event will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 23 at the Hawthorne  Hotel/Salem Common and Lappin Park. This beloved annual tradition begins with Santa Claus arriving at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel at 18 Washington Square. If you are afraid that Santa will get stuck on the top of the hotel, don’t be, Santa will luckily be accompanied by the Salem Fire Department. Santa is known for being very timely, so we encourage everyone to arrive at the Common by 5:45 p.m. at the latest.

As if Santa’s arrival wasn’t exciting enough, it will be followed by a procession down the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, where Santa will be joined by Mayor Kimberley Driscoll for the annual lighting of Salem’s Holiday Tree at Lappin Park. The destination is fairly easy to get to, with it being located next to the Bewitched Statue at the intersection of Essex Street and Washington Street. Participants are encouraged to bring lanterns (store-bought or homemade) to carry in the procession. Safety first, though – electric candles are highly recommended (and available for $1 at the event)!

Once at the tree, you can look forward to hot cocoa thanks to Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Victorian carolers thanks to History Alive, and of course, lots of photo op time with Santa after the Tree Lighting!

 There is little question that the people of Salem take a lot of pride in celebrating with one another over the holidays. The coming months are filled with events and activities that the whole community can truly enjoy. These annual local holiday traditions help maintain the bonds between community members and businesses strong. These bonds are the foundation that has built Salem into a thriving community, and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Happy holidays everyone!

REGISTER ONLINE HERE

Salem is going to the dogs (and cats, and lizards, and pigs, and…)! Salem Main Streets is very pleased to produce the fourth annual Howl-o-ween Pet Parade, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 pm on Derby Wharf, Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

The event will include an area with information about the National Park Service Bark Ranger Program, local rescues and pet-focused downtown businesses, and most importantly, a parade and costume contest with prizes. Pets of all species are welcome, but should be well-behaved and comfortable at a busy event where there are likely to be many dogs. The parade is rain or shine.

This year, Salem Main Streets is asking all parade participants to register online in advance and have added a small donation of $5. All proceeds go directly to Salem Main Streets in support of special community programs all year round.

“This started as a very casual little event, and every year we grow more and more,” says Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director of Salem Main Streets. “I am so excited to move down to the Wharf this year, where we will have more room to spread out and the great backdrop of Salem Harbor. Salem is such a pet-friendly city; it seemed like a no-brainer that we needed a community pet parade during Haunted Happenings. It’s such a special way to engage our residents, appeal to our visitors, and celebrate our local business community.”

Spectators are encouraged to join us on Derby Wharf or along the loop on Pickering Wharf, perhaps even “tail”-gaiting on Longboards’ dog-friendly patio.