Sounds of the Street, on Essex Street Pedestrian Mall

 Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping  No Responses »
Aug 082014
 
Essex Street Fair 2013 - Photo Credit Social Palates

Essex Street Fair 2013 – Photo Credit Social Palates

Salem has many interesting sights and locations to serve and service our community. One that offers many uses is the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall. And especially so Aug. 9 & 10 when the 2014 Essex Street Fair will unfold from 10 am – 6 pm.

Regularly lined with stores and merchants offering delights to visitors and residents, this weekend our Essex Street Pedestrian Mall will be bright and musical and loud with the life of an annual Street Fair, sponsored by the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

What will you see? Crafters displaying their wares. What will you smell? Food vendors with tasty treats. What will you hear? Artisans discussing their methods.

The is a family friendly event, bring the kids. You will find something for everyone. Even possibly for Samantha the cat and Duke the dog!

This free event will run the length of Essex St. from the Daniel Low Building (Essex and Washington St.) to the Hawthorne Hotel (Essex and Washington Sq W.) The events are part of the Salem Heritage Days festivities.

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It Won’t Ruin Your Supper– Have Another Ice Cream in Salem!

 Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Aug 042014
 

mariasweet53Time to steel yourself for possible brain freeze! Ice cream galore will flow on the Salem Common Tuesday, Aug. 5th from 6 pm – 7:30 pm. Ice Scream Bowl 2014 returns as part of the year’s Heritage Days Festival.

Always a favorite among the youth of Salem, the ice cream lines fill up quickly and have been known to stretch back several hundred people in length.

For the price of admission ($5 for adults and $3 for children), you will be given a ticket that is the key to going down aisles which lead to booths where some very nice local merchants have set up shop to give you a free sample of their ice cream. That’s right, one sample from each participant!

No need to feel bad about consuming all that ice cream. According to IceCream.com, the U.S. enjoys an average of 48 pints of ice cream per person, per year, more than any other country.

Participating will be:

A spoon and napkin will be supplied with the purchase of a ticket. There will also be free face painting for kids and music by DJ Doug.

Trivia Question: What are the top 10 ice cream consuming countries? Don’t peek. Answers.

This is a fundraiser for Salem Main Streets, a non-profit organization; tickets are purchased on site on the day of this special event which is in keeping with our goal of revitalizing downtown Salem as a vibrant year-round retail, dining, and cultural destination. Salem Main Streets also organizes the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, and other events in downtown Salem.

The Ice Scream Bowl is coordinated in partnership between Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem as part of Salem Heritage Days, a 10 day event to celebrate the people of Salem.

For any other questions or comments regarding this event, please contact Kylie Sullivan at Salem Main Streets at (978) 744-0004 x15 or email at kylie@salemmainstreets.org.

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Salem Mayor Wants to Talk & Walk with You!

 Salem Dining, Salem Event, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Aug 012014
 

Mayor2Recent star of print, broadcast, and the internet, Salem’s own Mayor Kimberley Driscoll will be walking & talking with those of you interested in joining her for an exciting night on the town during our Heritage Days Festival  (Aug.1-10)!

That’s right! Salem’s annual Mayor’s Night Out Restaurant Sampler evening is back: Monday, Aug. 4 from 5 pm – 7 pm.

Join Mayor Driscoll on a tour of three of Salem’s hot dining spots, kicking off at Brodie’s Seaport, continuing along to Victoria’s Station, and finishing with a beautiful view of Salem Harbor at Capt’s Waterfront Bar & Grill. The Mayor’s Night Out event, focusing this year on Pickering Wharf, gives residents a unique opportunity to spend time with the Mayor, ask a few questions, chat, hear stories and most tantalizingly a chance to explore and enjoy tasty hors d’oeuvres from a few of Salem’s popular restaurants.

The Mayor’s Night Out Restaurant Sampler costs $20 to participate— that’s $20 for hors d’oeuvres at three locations— with proceeds to benefit Salem Main Streets. We are a non-profit organization with the goal of revitalizing downtown Salem as a vibrant year-round retail, dining and cultural destination. We organize the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, and other events in downtown Salem.

Different from most Heritage Days activities which usually (for example) run the length of the Salem Common and attract hundreds of observers, this is a more intimate, interactive gathering wherein participants actually move the event along.

Pre-registration for the Mayor’s Night Out  is required. You may obtain tickets in person at the Salem Main Streets office (265 Essex Street), or by phone at 978-744-0004 or email at kylie@salemmainstreets.org.

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Do We Know How to Party in Salem?

 Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Jul 302014
 

Of course we do — when was the last time you saw a one day festival around here? And the upcoming Heritage Days celebration of “yesterday & today” runs from Aug. 1 to Aug. 10, proving our point. When we want to share the fun and food of our community with friends, neighbors and tourists, we make it last.

Window Contest 037“Heritage Days has been a long standing tradition in Salem and this year we have ten days of fun-filled events,” comments Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “With almost 40 different activities to choose from, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Come join us as we celebrate Salem being such a great place to live, work, and visit.”

In the coming days Salem Main Streets (as well as every other local organization with a mission to promote Salem) will be advising you of the highlights of Heritage Days. For now let’s just point out the “perks” of actually living here (in other words proof of residency gets you the following…):

The Peabody Essex Museum and the Salem Witch Museum are always free to Salem residents.

The Salem Trolley is free to Salem residents through September 30, 2014. Residents can receive a Resident Ticket by providing proof of residency at the Trolley Depot (8 Central Street). Resident Tickets are only available at the Trolley Depot and cannot be purchased on the Trolley itself. The trolley runs daily 10 am – 5 pm.

The Salem Ferry offers 20% discount plus $5 off for Salem residents on their round-trip Salem Ferry ticket.

The Witch House will be free to Salem residents during Heritage Days.

Pioneer Village will be free to residents on Saturday August 2nd.

Forest River Pool—- Red, White and Blue Blowout, Tuesday, August 6th from 6 pm – 8 pm. It’s July 4th in August! Salem residents wear your red, white and blue to the pool and participate in themed games and activities. (the pool is only open to Salem residents).

And that’s not even counting the fun to come, including some of Salem Main Streets’ own interactive ticketed events like Mayor’s Night Out and Ice Scream Bowl! Stay tuned!

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Embrace Diversity; It’s On Display at Salem CultureFest

 Salem Festivals  No Responses »
Jul 182014
 

Salem Culture Fest DiversityTypecast in recent years as solely a Halloween destination, Salem MA has been expanding its appeal with a number of theme festivals throughout the rest of the year. This weekend we offer a diverse event, the 8th Annual Salem CultureFest, courtesy of A3D.

This event features live bands who showcase many cultures and styles, as well as other performers (storytellers, martial artists, dancers, and more) who entertain while you enjoy exploring the unique arts, crafts, and wares of our area’s fine artists and crafters.

Over 2,000 visitors are expected to attend this fun family-friendly event on the Salem Common, Saturday from 10 am – 8 pm and Sunday from 10 am – 6pm.

The mission of A3D (which means literally “African Development through Drum and Dance”) is to raise money, acquire assets, and start microenterprises to help specially targeted West African Non-Profit Organizations. Go to their website to learn more of their beginnings and projects.

Closer to home, proceeds have provided much needed support to local Greater Salem area organizations including HAWC (Help for Abused Women and their Children), the Salem School Foundation, the Gathering of Salem, and the Plummer School.

Funds raised at Salem CultureFest 2014 will be utilized to further efforts to acquire and distribute medical equipment and educational supplies to areas of need in West Africa. In addition, a portion of all funds raised at Salem CultureFest 2014 are to be set aside to another local non-profit to be announced at a later date.

Salem Culture Fest 1Saturday Schedule (subject to change)

10 am : Festival begins – Vendors located throughout the Salem Common

10 am – 4 pm : Moon Bounce/Children’s Face Painting/Henna/Assorted International Games – It’s A Small World/Kids section

1 am – 2 pm : J&J Pony Rides – near It’s A Small World/Kids section

11:30 am – 12 pm : Opening Ceremonies: National Anthem sung by Maria Chaves – A3D Drumming – Main Stage

12 pm – 12:30 pm : Sisters In Dance (Belly Dancing) – Main Stage

12:45 pm – 1:15 pm : Joe Hayes (Native American Storytelling) – Near Main Stage

1:15 pm – 1:45 pm : Siren of the Circle (Hoop Dancer) – Near Main Stage

1:45 pm – 2:30 pm : Greg Coles (Dance) – Main Stage

3:15 pm – 3:25 pm : Parade around the Commons, followed by a Mexican piñata party – It’s A Small World/Kids section

3:30 pm – 5 pm : Hot Like Fire (Reggae) – Main Stage

6 pm – 7:30 pm : Michael Gabriel (Reggae) – Main Stage

Salem Culture Fest 2Sunday Schedule (subject to change)

10 am : Festival begins – Vendors located throughout the Salem Common

10 am – 4 pm : Moon Bounce/Children’s Face Painting/Henna/Assorted International Games – It’s A Small World/Kids section

1 am – 2 pm :  J&J Pony Rides – near It’s A Small World/Kids section

11:30 am – 12 pm : Opening Ceremonies: National Anthem sung by Martine Bernard – A3D Drumming – Main Stage

12:pm – 1:15 pm : Hipshot (High Energy Horns) – Main Stage

1:15 pm – 1:35 pm : The Dragon Within (Karate Demonstration) – Near Main Stage

1:35 pm – 2 pm : Police K-9 Demonstration – Near Main Stage

2 pm – 3 pm : Julio Bare (Dominican/Caribbean) – Main Stage

3:15 pm – 3:45 pm : Peter Stewart (Children’s Music) – Near Main Stage

3:45 pm – 4 pm : Parade around the Commons, followed by a Mexican piñata party – It’s A Small World/Kids section – Near Main Stage

4 pm – 5:30 pm : Hills & Valleys Roots Reggae Band (Reggae) – Main Stage

5:30 pm – 6 pm : Closing Ceremonies – Main Stage

Music, dance, laughter, fellowship, fun for the entire family. And donations help people on the other side of the world as well as in Salem. How much more diverse can you get than that? For more info, call 978-306-3142 . (Salem CultureFest photos by Angel Green)

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