Salem Festivals – Page 10 – Salem Main Streets

Holiday Tour at House of 7 Gables Historical in More Ways Than You Think

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Dec 072016

gables

What can you learn during a Christmas house tour? How people lived, dressed, ate and celebrated Christmas over the centuries? That is interesting enough — but how about that Christmas was banned in Salem and throughout Massachusetts Bay Colony for nearly two centuries! So, as fascinating as the history of the Salem Witchcraft trials are to read and believe, the tale of Christmas being banned here is equally strange and you can learn more about that during the ongoing Christmas Tours at the House of Seven Gables!

(You can also read up on the reasons for the ban at the History of Massachusetts blog)

The daily tours (10am-5pm now thru Dec. 31st) will lead you from room to room in the house, which will of course be beautifully adorned with traditional holiday decor. You will see how life changed for the various occupants over the centuries, drawn against the backdrop of the winter holiday season.

The important revelation for many attendees will be that you are being given the opportunity, at The House of the Seven Gables mansion, to walk the halls of a house that has stood the test of time and to witness the changing nature of Christmas in New England.

And no matter which day and time you take the tour, mark your calendar for the accompanying Home for the Holidays event this Sunday from 2-4pm. Consider it a chance to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season and enjoy live music, family activities, and festive decor at this National Historic Landmark museum campus.

Activities planned include:

Free “Christmas over Four Centuries” historic mansion tours
Holiday crafts that celebrate the spirit of founder Caroline Emmerton
Hands-on history at the Living History Lab
Live music with pianist Mark West and Phoenix Music
Viewing of the unique Settlement Tree and handmade ornaments
Festive shopping in the Museum Store
Deals on gift memberships

The House of Seven Gables is located at 115 Derby Street, Salem Ma. Christmas tours are included with admission. For more information about Holidays at The Gables, or for any other questions about The House of the Seven Gables, please contact rconary@7gables.org, or call 978-744-0991 x104.

Holiday Artists’ Market Open Today in Nearby Salem

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Nov 272016

Beautiful weather for appreciation of art in its many forms today in Salem Ma.: partly sunny with high around 45 degrees and no rain in the forecast. The Salem Arts Association is hosting a festive Holiday Artists’ Market with live music and a seasonal theme, from 10am to 5pm at Old Town Hall.

Come visit a lively market with all kinds of opportunities for our community & neighbors along the North Shore to browse and shop for treasures for self, friends and, of course, family.

The Holiday Artists’ Market will feature a variety of local artisans and crafters offering original artwork, unique gifts, and hand-made housewares to delight yourself or gift to others.

Festivities throughout the day will include live music, activities for children, and a very special visit from Queen Elsa of Arendelle (made popular in Disney’s Frozen movie)!

The Holiday Artists’ Market takes place at Old Town Hall, 32 Derby Square, Salem Ma. It’s a convenient holiday shopping daytrip destination for you and your family.

And Now For Something Completely Different: Small Biz Saturday.

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Nov 262016

As different as night and day, so too are the approaches to the stressful intensity of Black Friday and the laid-back pick & choose aspect of Small Business Saturday (which takes place, Nov 26, this year.)

A large number of Salem businesses await you with specials and good deals, plus giveaways and refreshments as a way of saying thank you for patronage all year long to regular customers— and a way of greeting new customers with open arms in hopes of facilitating customer engagement.

Did you drag yourself away from Thanksgiving Dinner or from a pleasant full- stomach midnight sleep to stand in line in hopes of being among the lucky few to nab a door-buster of a deal? Feeling tired about now? Get some rest and walk– not elbow– your way into many, many stores in Salem on Saturday as they participate in Small Business Saturday.

What was created in 2010 by American Express to give a kick in the pants to a recession-suffering economy has grown into a “big deal” day with shoppers last year spending $16.2 billion at small retailers, up from $5.5 billion just three years earlier.

Reportedly, 95 million shoppers and 1.3 million retailers participated in 2015!

By supporting small business retailers on Small Business Saturday you will be participating in a local event that is at the same time being enacted in every community across America.

As they say on a TV game show, “come on down” and as an extra incentive, there is free parking at all Salem city garages, parking lots and meters today.

No Trick, Salem Treats You to a Halloween PARTY!

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Oct 272016

Halloween is no longer just for kids and adults with kids. October 31st in Salem Ma has had a tradition of proving just that. This year, even being on a Monday night, we expect record crowds of adults to converge on Washington Street like a horde of zombies for completion of our month-long Haunted Happenings celebration.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF) “Millennial consumers (ages 18-34) are now the most likely of all adult generations to participate in Halloween. They’re also one of the top spenders on Halloween costumes, spending an average $42.39 compared with $31.03 for all adults.”

This youthful population segment has big plans for those costumes too: their intent to attend parties is up 10.9% from 2006, reports the NRF.

Winifred Sanderson: Sisters, All Hallow’s Eve has become a night of frolic, where children wear costumes and run amok!

Sarah: Amok! [dances around] Amok, amok, amok, amok, amok.

And… that brings us back to Salem Ma. We are having a party. Millennials and every other older generation are invited but we want this night of fun and frolic to be a safe one.

This is a link to Halloween Night’s Be Smart, Be Safe, Have Fun suggestions flyer that we urge you to read and make use of. Simple advice is offered, such as if you have to drive here, park someplace else, like Beverly or Danvers. Don’t bring liquor. Don’t bring real swords. Don’t bring fake swords or anything that looks like a weapon. They WILL BE confiscated.

The second part of the flyer has the day & evening festivities schedule, from Shock Top Beer Garden, ( 21+) on Federal St. at Washington Street, to all the different bands at various locations in the Downtown District, to the 10:15pm Halloween Finale Fireworks at Washington Street & Bridge Street.

After the closing fireworks show, please be respectful as you leave town. You may not know this but many parts of the Downtown District are residential. There are people trying to get some sleep because they ARE going to work Tuesday. That brick structure you are leaning up against may look like an empty office building, but it is really a refurbished apartment complex.

And if you are using social media to share with all your friends not lucky enough to be here, consider using the tags #SalemMA and @hauntdhappnings in your pictures & tweets.

Have a great time, we made this party for you!

Come to Salem, But Don’t Drive

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Oct 132016

We mentioned this on our Facebook page, as probably other community organizations have commented in posts on their Facebook or Twitter accounts, but we think it really merits repeating: avoid driving to Salem this weekend.

We don’t have any hard statistics, just real time observations which lead us to believe that there are a lot more people checking out and enjoying all that Salem Ma has to offer this year. Parking is hard to find. Streets are getting backed up with traffic.

The idea is to spend a day in Salem Ma and have fun. We want that to be what you take away when you leave.

So, leave the car at home. Take the train. Or ride in on any number of MBTA buses that pass through the Witch City. Or travel aboard the Boston Harbor Cruise ferry. There is a lot going on. As a perfect example, here is an advisory from the Salem Police Department in reference to this weekend:

Saturday, October 15: Salem YMCA Witch City 5K road race starts at 9am at the Salem Willows. No road closures are planned, however anticipate traffic delays along the following roadways: Memorial Dr, Essex St, Rte 1A, Rte 114 including Hawthorne Blvd, Derby St, and Fort Ave, ending at Restaurant Row.
Sunday, October 16: Witch Ride Motorcycle Ride has been rescheduled for Sunday October 16. Rte 114 and Rte 1A will be impacted, but not closed to traffic, from Marblehead to New Derby St. Rte 1A, including Derby St, will be closed to traffic between Lafayette St and Congress St. Congress St will also be closed to traffic. Anticipate road closures and traffic delays from noon to 3pm. There will be a no parking tow zone on Derby St between Lafayette and Congress St from 11am to 3pm.
Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16: There will be no on-street parking on Essex St from Hawthorne Blvd to New Liberty St from 6am to 10pm. This section of Essex St will also be closed to through traffic from 9am to 10pm. Access to Museum Place garage will be via Brown St only.

Although every effort to keep roads open will be made, please be aware that any roads necessary to maintain public safety will be closed without notice. Officers will be posted in key intersections at peak times to assist with traffic when possible.

Many businesses and organizations in Salem go to great effort to provide entertaining & informative diversions for you, we just want to make sure you have an easy way to get to them all!

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