Uncategorized – Page 26 – Salem Main Streets

Salem Film Fest – Come to Salem, See the World

Feb 282014

Global spotlights focusing on Salem, MA, are not unusual during October with Haunted Happenings festivities ensue. But we’re now getting used to world-wide attention and engagement in March for the Salem Film Fest.

From March 6 – 13, the largest all-documentary festival in New England will be presented at multiple venues in Salem by an all-volunteer organization of passionate film-lovers who have worked long hours to really make it a festival of film and more.

According to the website, “Besides presenting great documentary films, Salem Film Fest offers a rick schedule of discussions, parties, meet-and-greets, family-friendly screenings, student film showcases, and opportunities to meet visiting filmmakers in intimate settings.”

To just list the films would not do justice to the quality and variety selected, therefore we suggest you go to their website for the full effect.

To highlight the importance of this event, look no further than the fact that two-thirds of the featured filmmakers from all over the world are expected to attend and engage in post-screening dialogue.

Businesses around town are starting to decorate their windows in anticipation of this special festival, and “SFF super-fans” already have their viewing strategies planned for the full festival. This is a truly unique Salem event that you can’t miss!

Festival passes and General Admission tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased through the website or at the CinemaSalem box office.

Chocolate Gets the Salem Treatment for Valentine’s Day

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Jan 302014

What can we say? The city that gives Halloween an entire month to be celebrated, can’t just do Valentine’s… “Day”. We wrap it up into a nice festival package which runs from Feb 8-16. The 12th annual Salem’s So Sweet, Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival kicks it all off Friday, February 7th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Colonial Hall in Rockafellas, 227 Essex Street.

That is the night when everywhere you turn will be table after table of wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores and sweet shops. Within the walls of Colonial Hall you will sample light & dark chocolate, chocolate covered fruits or nuts, chocolate ice cream or mousse. Well, you get the point.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 978-744-0004, online at SalemSoSweet.EventBrite.com, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101. See the festival homepage for a full list of participating restaurants.

Kylie Sullivan, Manager of Salem Main Streets, says, “This event is the highlight of the season and sells out quickly!”

Salem Main Streets, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and Destination Salem, along with local retailers, restaurants and businesses also invite you to attend events within Salem leading up to Valentine’s Day.

This year there will be more than 14 large ice sculptures, chocolate samplings and great discounts around downtown Salem the weekend of February 8-9, with some continuing until February 16th in celebration of Valentine’s Day!

The beautiful ice sculptures will grace downtown Salem starting February 8, with themes including a seahorse, a rubber ducky, a sailboat, a film projector, and more!

The Salem Trolley will be offering trolley rides around the festival route (weather permitting) on February 8 & 9 for a minimal fee. More information about trolley routes, times, and price will be available closer to the festival.

Many downtown businesses will offer discounts and special offerings during the festival. With over 60 places in which to dine, downtown Salem is the perfect place to have a romantic dinner or casual lunch.

In celebration of the chocolate festival, many of Salem’s finest restaurants will feature special chocolate offerings on their menus, including desserts, cocktails, and inventive sauces. Participating Salem retailers will offer in-store promotions, innovative displays and items geared toward chocolate and Valentine’s Day, ranging from a chocolate fondue fountain to discounts on diamond jewelry.

Specific store and restaurant offerings will be available on brochures distributed throughout the downtown or online at http://www.salemmainstreets.org.

Once again, Golden Tickets will be available in downtown Salem for a chance to win the Salem’s So Sweet Gift Basket. Pick up your Golden Ticket at a participating location and have it validated at participating businesses (no purchase necessary) to enter to win a Salem’s So Sweet gift basket which features many fine items from area retailers.

Salem’s So Sweet – Chocolate & Wine Tasting Tickets on Sale!

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Jan 162014

The moment you’ve all been waiting for is here! Tickets for Salem’s So Sweet’s Chocolate & Wine Tasting are officially on sale!

Chocolate & Wine Tasting

Kick-off Event

Friday, Feb. 7

6:30 to 8:30 pm

Colonial Hall at Rockafellas

This luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores, and sweet shops.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased over the phone at 978/744-0004, online here, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101.

For more information about the Salem’s So Sweet Festival, please see the festival page at http://salemmainstreets.org/festivals/salem-so-sweet/ or contact Kylie Sullivan at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or 978/744-0004 x15.

New Year’s Resolution: Open A Business In Salem Ma

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Jan 042014

You have been talking about launching your own business for the last year; you’ve been dreaming about it for longer than that. We are of course biased in support of the diverse Salem Ma Downtown District as your future location. So don’t take our word for it. However, Small Business Trends has mapped out the “Top 50 Small Business Shopping Destinations to Visit” and not one but six Massachusetts communities are on it— including Salem:

“… retail has become big box stores and moved to strip shopping centers and malls. But there are still communities across the United States that have thriving small business districts where local entrepreneurs abound. We’ve identified 50 of the standouts…”

While the survey may have as its purpose to give shoppers a bird’s eye view of small business friendly destinations, it is also a close-up on communities which are successful incubators for budding owners of such businesses— notably Salem Ma.

From the January 2012 report of the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy:

“Small businesses continue to be incubators for innovation and employment growth during the current recovery. Small businesses continue to play a vital role in the economy of the United States. They produced 46 percent of the private nonfarm GDP in 2008…”

That could be your business.

And, according to the US Census Bureau Data (2009):

“There were 5.8 million employer firms in the U.S. Firms with less than 20 workers made up 89.7 percent of these businesses.”

Salem stands ready to support you. Salem Main Streets. The Salem Chamber of Commerce. The City of Salem. Destination Salem. We are rich in organizations to answer every question and help you along the way. We actively support and work with our businesses through festivals, events, and national activities such as Small Business Saturday.

And then there are the businesses along the Downtown District themselves. Best resources of info. Don’t take our word for it. 2014 is here. Resolve it’s time to stop thinking and time to act on your dream.

A Toast To All: Well Done!

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Jan 012014

“Anybody in Salem Ma feel like the final credits scene of Hocus Pocus as they walked out of the party dazed and exhausted? Happy New Year” —- SalemAMB at 7:27am 1/1/14 on Twitter

That fairly well describes Salem Ma this morning.

Whether you went to our LAUNCH of New Year’s Eve (thank you very much) and an event at the Hawthorne, Opus or any of a dozen other celebrations last night, we hope you brought in the New Year with old and new friends.

2013 started out as one of transition for Salem Main Streets. Our previous manager Jennifer Bell had moved on and Matthew Caruso very capably stepped up to be interim manager so the search committee could find the right person to take over. And that they did with Kylie Sullivan (and no, I did not get paid to say that.)

Merchants in the Downtown District can attest to seeing her as a whirlwind of action these past few months. And especially so, working with the City and other groups to organize and launch last night’s fun filled event on such short notice.

On behalf of the volunteers, thank you Matt, thank you Judy & Mira (Haunted Happenings Volunteer Booth co-cordinators), and most importantly—thank you Kylie. Job well done.

Now… how many days is it until Haunted Happenings 2014……???

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