Salem Main Streets is looking for local Salem enthusiasts to help greet visitors at the October Information Booth.  Volunteers will staff the booth at the start of the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, handing out maps and sharing information about Salem’s wide variety of attractions, events, and businesses.  Last year volunteers assisted over 22,000 visitors during the weekends and holidays in October.

All volunteers are asked to be available for a minimum of two shifts for two hours each and will be required to complete a one hour orientation session.  The orientation will take place on Saturday, September 14 at 9:30 a.m. at the National Park Service Regional Visitor Center. 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.  Sign up for the Orientation here – https://signup.com/go/EfVkPPU

Volunteers are needed for two hour shifts throughout the day each weekend in October, as well as some additional dates including October 3 (Parade night), October 14 (Columbus Day), and of course, October 31 (Halloween Night). We are also looking for multi-lingual volunteers to assist the many international visitors who come to Salem. If you have availability some of these days, enjoy helping visitors by showing them your enthusiasm for our cultured and historic city, and want to make it fun and easy for visitors to explore all of Salem’s sites and attractions, please join us! 

For more information or to become a volunteer please contact Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets’ Executive Director, at (978)744-0004 x115 or kylie@salemmainstreets.org. This program is organized by Salem Main Streets in partnership with the City of Salem, with support from Destination Salem and the National Park Service.

On the second Thursday in June, the Salem Farmers’ Market will officially kick off its eleventh season on Derby Square. With over 35 vendors, the market will be held at Derby Square on Front Street in Salem, MA every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. from June 13^th through October 17^th, 2019.

“The Salem Farmers’ Market has truly become a destination for the community for over a decade now – it’s a gathering place as well as an opportunity to get fresh, local produce and other one-of-a-kind goods,” Salem Main Streets Executive Director Kylie Sullivan said, adding that the market typically draws over 2,000 market-goers weekly. “With the great range of vendors that we have, there’s something for everyone at our farmers’ market.”  

For five months every year, the largely volunteer-run market gives residents and tourists alike the opportunity to buy farm-fresh produce, seafood, baked goods, meat, and a variety of other goods. At the heart of the market are seven major farms: Clark Farm, Gibney Gardens, Maitland Mountain Farm, Grant Family Farm, Heavens Harvest Farm, Long Hill Orchard, and Wally’s Vegetables. They are complemented by an array of specialty foods, bakery products, spices, and non-food vendors. Exciting new additions to the 2019 market include The Herb Farmacy, The Cheese Shop of Salem, Romeo’s Juices, Roseadela’s, The Branch Olive Oil, Nubble Hydro Microgreens, Crepe du Jour, Chrissy’s Crumble, Bauman’s Best Botanicals, Giuseppe’s Ice Pops, and Uncommonly Good Bakery,  along with many other surprises and additions throughout the season. Every week the market offers live music and representation from different community groups and initiatives.

The market is made possible through the leadership of Salem Main Streets and the Farmers’ Market Committee, as well as the generous contributions of numerous volunteers.  We are actively looking for volunteers to help with weekly set up from 1:30 to 3:00, help at the info table between 3:00 and 7:00, and break down help from 6:30 to 7:30. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact salemfarmersmarket@gmail.com.

As in previous years, the market will continue to take EBT through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.  In compliance with the City of Salem’s plastic bag ordinance, we encourage attendees to bring their own bags – or buy a tote bag at the market to support our work!

To get the latest updates about the farmers’ market, visit our website at www.salemfarmersmarket.org, or follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SalemMAFarmersMarket) or Twitter (@salemfarmersmarket).

Join us for the sixth annual Salem Arts Festival Fashion Show Fundraiser – Friday, April 26, 7-10 pm – for a night of fashion, food, drink, and fun in support of one of Salem’s greatest festivals! The event is moving to a new location this year, the historic Hawthorne Hotel, at 18 Washington Square West.

“The Fashion Show gets bigger and better every year. It’s really the perfect way to introduce the dynamic, locally-focused energy behind the Arts Festival,” says Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director of Salem Main Streets (SMS), the community nonprofit that founded the Festival. “The need for financial support is critical for the success of the festival, which welcomes 7,000 attendees to downtown Salem every June. We are committed to keeping the festival free and open to the public, but we’re also committed to paying artists and performers – that means we need to raise some substantial funds.”

The one-of-a-kind event will feature fabulous fashions from renowned local boutiques and shops, including Curtsy, J. Mode, Lifebridge Thrift Shop, Modern Millie Shop, the Peabody Essex Museum Shop, re-find, The Boutique, Vampfangs, Beach Bride Baubles, RJ Coins & Jewelry, and Hive & Forge, as well as some final polish by local stylists Laura Lanes Skin Care and Rouge Cosmetics. Attendees can also expect outside-the-box accessories and surprises from local creative genius Grace & Diggs and other local makers from the Salem Arts Association on the catwalk.

Karen Scalia of Salem Food Tours returns as the mastermind behind fashion show logistics and staging, and with festival co-organizers Salem Main Streets and Creative Collective at the helm, locals know it’s going to be an incredible night. The Fashion Show will tap into the 2019 Salem Arts Festival theme of “Roots.” Lighting and ambience by Retonica will completely transform the historic ballroom throughout the night. The 2019 Fashion Show Fundraiser is generously sponsored in part by Salem Five and Derby Square Architects.

Advance tickets are $40 per person with a cash bar, tickets purchased the day of the event are $45 – but this event regularly sells out, so we don’t recommend waiting. VIP tickets are already sold out!

Purchase tickets over the phone at 978-744-0004 x115, in person at 265 Essex Street (Salem Main Streets), or online at https://salem-main-streets.ticketleap.com/fashion-show-2019.  Proceeds directly benefit the Salem Arts Festival.

About the Salem Arts Festival

The 11^th annual Salem Arts Festival will be held June 7^th to 9^th, 2019.  SAF is organized by Salem Main Streets, the Creative Collective, and a collaboration of Salem organizations, including the City of Salem, Salem State University, Salem Food Tours, the Phoenix School, Peabody Essex Museum, the Salem Arts Association, and a significant number of dedicated locals. The festival also relies on the gracious support of its other creative partners, including Retonica Event Lighting, The Scarlet Letter Press, and Octocog Marketing and Design.

If you would like to support this dynamic annual cultural mainstay for its 11^th year, please contact kylie@salemmainstreets.org or visit www.salemartsfestival.com/support.

Salem Main Streets mission is the continued revitalization of downtown Salem as a vibrant, year-round, retail, dining and cultural destination through business retention, recruitment, and the promotion of the downtown district. The Creative Collective connects creativity, community and commerce through a series of traditional and non-traditional marketing efforts, advocacy, events and resources.

For more information about the Salem Arts Festival, please see www.salemartsfestival.com or contact Kylie Sullivan at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or (978)744-0004 (x115).

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