Jul 212023
 

Salem’s Ice Scream Bowl is back! It’s time to sample some of the best ice cream in the North Shore from some of the many ice cream shops the area has to offer. Salem’s Ice Scream Bowl event will be held on Wednesday, August 9 on the Salem Common from 6:00-7:30 p.m., rain or shine. A Heritage Days favorite, this annual event is a chance to taste some classic flavors and new combinations from the area’s premier ice cream shops.

A few of the homegrown local businesses serving samples at the event will include Captain Dusty’s Ice Cream, Cherry Farm Creamery, Holy Cow Ice Cream Café, Melt Ice Cream, Whimsy’s Sweet Life, and more. Local DJs the Salem Halloween Girls will be spinning some sweet tunes to keep you dancing!

The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. Tickets are purchased on site on the day of the event, cash only.  A spoon and napkins will be supplied with the purchase of a ticket. All of our materials are recyclable or compostable in an effort to reduce the impact of this popular event.

This year’s Ice Scream Bowl will be directly followed by the Salem Common Neighborhood Association’s Movie Night! The evening’s movie will be “Holes,” starting at 8 pm. Bring a blanket and camp chairs so you can settle in after your ice cream to catch an outdoor movie with your neighbors.

The 2023 Ice Scream Bowl is made possible thanks to the support of Broad Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics, Coon’s Card & Gift Shop, Emporium 32, Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry, Modern Millie, Silly Bunny, and Witch City Wicks, as well as the generous donation of product and staff time by the participating ice cream shops! 

Proceeds go to support Salem Main Streets, a nonprofit organization focusing on the continued revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant year-round retail, dining, and cultural destination. Salem Main Streets organizes the Salem Farmers’ Market and many other events in downtown Salem, as well as offering direct business support to downtown businesses. The Ice Scream Bowl is coordinated in partnership between Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem as part of Salem Heritage Days.

For any other questions or comments regarding this event, please contact Kylie Sullivan at Salem Main Streets at (978) 744-0004 x115 or email at kylie@salemmainstreets.org.

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Jan 212023
 

Salem Main Streets is looking for local farmers and food vendors to participate in the 2023 Salem Farmers’ Market located in downtown Salem in Derby Square on Thursdays, 3:00–7:00 p.m. from June 8 through October 12, 2023. 
 
Anyone wishing to sell their products at the market must submit an application for consideration by March 10, 2023.  Applications can be downloaded from www.salemfarmersmarket.org.  Booth space is $30 a week for a 10’ x 10’ spot, $60 for a 10’ x 20’ spot, and $90 for a 10’ by 30’ spot.  There is a discount for prepayment of the entire season.
 
“We are so proud of our market vendors, and we hope to see many returning to us at Derby Square this season, but we’re also always on the look-out for the next up and coming business,” said Salem Main Streets Executive Director Kylie Sullivan. “This is the perfect opportunity for newer businesses looking to get to the next level, as well as established businesses looking to reach a new audience.”
 
All products must be grown or produced in New England. If a farmer is selling any items he/she did not grow, the farm of origin must be listed. Vendors may label items organic only if they are certified. Sullivan notes that the market is especially looking for bread, cheese, and meat vendors.
 
Non-farm products must be high quality, locally made, take skill and creativity, and the vendor must add at least 75% of the total value to the product.  The product(s) should be complementary to a farmers’ market. 
 
Entering its 15th season, the market welcomes an average of 2,000+ customers weekly.  The market is made possible through the leadership of community-focused nonprofit Salem Main Streets and the Farmers’ Market Committee, as well as the generous contributions of numerous volunteers. 
 
For more information please contact Salem Main Streets Executive Director Kylie Sullivan via email at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or phone at 978-744-0004 x115. To get the latest updates about the market, visit our website at www.salemfarmersmarket.org, or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SalemMAFarmersMarket) or on Twitter (@salemfarmersmarket).

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Dec 152022
 

Salem Main Streets is introducing a Holiday Stroll on Sunday, Dec. 18th to encourage residents to shop local and enjoy their downtown during the holiday season.  Grab brunch at one of our many fine local eateries, then hit the pavement for special promotions and unique finds all around the downtown, serenaded by festive roaming carolers. Keep your eyes peeled for Santa!
 
Over 35 businesses have planned special promotions or treats for Sunday shoppers. Find a full list of participating businesses at http://salemmainstreets.org/festivals/holiday-happenings/holiday-stroll.
 
In addition, we have over 35 businesses who participated in our Holiday Window Contest who have created beautiful and festive windows all over town. Post pics of your favorite windows with the hashtags #salemholidaywindows or #staylocalsalem to be entered for a prize! Look for the Salem Main Streets wreath sticker on participating windows, or find the full list of participating windows and winners here: http://salemmainstreets.org/festivals/holiday-happenings/holiday-window-contest.
 
Our friends at The Good Witch of Salem have also organized a kid-friendly “Follow the Gingerbread Trail” game with a prize for completion! Start at 2 North Street on Sunday for details.
 
Shoppers should also visit Old Town Hall for ChagallPAC’s Winter Solstice Market & Healing Mini-Festival for different events and activities between 10 am and 5 pm, coordinated with support from the City of Salem Public Art Commission.
 
Our Salem Main Streets 2023 Holiday Happenings, including this event as well as the Holiday Tree at Lappin Park and the wreaths and ribbons around town, were made possible in part by a grant through the City of Salem and U.S. Economic Development Administration, as well as contributions from our local business community, including Harrison’s Comics & Pop Culture, Hive & Forge, the House of the Seven Gables, and Witch City Wicks.
 
For more information about any of these events, contact Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Executive Director, at (978)744-0004 or kylie@salemmainstreets.org, and follow Salem Main Streets on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
 

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Dec 132022
 
Best Overall – Hive & Forge

The holidays are here, and Salem is dressed for the season with trees, wreaths, and ribbons. To top it off, over 35 downtown businesses have decorated their windows especially for the holidays.  Judges nominated by Salem Main Streets made the rounds last week to vote on the best windows.

“We had some truly fantastic windows this year, as always,” said Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Executive Director. “We give the judges the freedom to create new award categories based on what they see each particular year – but even then, and with a record-breaking number of participating windows, we didn’t manage to squeeze in all the windows we loved!”

Some award categories highlight good retail design – use of store products or display of a business’ services – or types of design, like most traditional. “I was especially impressed by how much work and detail went into so many of this year’s windows,” said Sullivan. “I encourage everyone to take their time and look closely at the competing windows to see how many fine details went into the trees and tableaus.”

A full set of images can be found online at https://bit.ly/3BxnqFJ.
 

Best Overall: Hive & Forge
            Runner-up: Mark Your Spot

Best Traditional: Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry
            Runner-up: Emporium 32
            Honorable Mention: Partridge in a Bear Tree

Best Dark Holiday : Vampfangs
            Runner-up: Nocturne
            Honorable Mention: The Ossuary

Best Use of Product: The Good Witch of Salem
            Runner-up: Moody’s Home & Gifts

Most Amusing (TIE!): Coven and Pamplemousse

Best Wearable Window: ReFind
            Runner-up: Salem Bespoke Boutique
            Honorable Mention: Modern Millie

Best Design: HausWitch
            Runner-up: Gulu Gulu Café
            Honorable Mention: Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor

BONUS – Best Non-Window Display: Die With Your Boots On

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Nov 162022
 

LAUNCH!

4:30 pm to 6 pm

Charlotte Forten Park, 289 Derby Street

Free, $5 suggested donation

Countdown at 6 pm

Come ring in the New Year with us!  Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem are teaming up to throw LAUNCH!, our family-friendly New Year’s Eve party, on Saturday, Dec. 31 from 4:30 pm to 6 pm on Charlotte Forten Park (289 Derby Street). There will be an early countdown just before 6 pm.

“It was emotionally really difficult having to skip this event for the past 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When we organized LAUNCH! for the first time in 2013, 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!”

Programming will include art-making activities, face painting and/or temporary tattoos, a silent disco, and more! The event this year is being hosted by the Anthem Group’s Frozen Fire Festival, which is transforming Charlotte Forten Park into a winter wonderland from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Additional Frozen Fire features will include curling rinks, a S’mores and Hot Chocolate Garden, and The Polar Bar, featuring a selection of beer and wine.

Event activities are 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. Please note that food and drink do require a fee. LAUNCH! is made possible thanks to the City of Salem, our Salem Main Streets volunteers, and a grant from through the City of Salem and U.S. Economic Development Administration. 

Contact Elise at Elise@salemmainstreets.org if you want to hear about our event sponsorship or volunteer opportunities.

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