History – Page 25 – Salem Main Streets

Retro Dance Party At PEM

Apr 132014

“Celebrities and TV icons” will flood the streets of Salem on April17th as the Peabody Essex Museum presents “Tune In“, its next episode of the highly popular monthly PEM/PM open late party series. The theme is a tribute to pop culture, especially 1960s TV sitcoms.

Of course the attendees will really be the general public in costume, representing their favorite over-the-top TV icons. Considering the creative minds on the North Shore, we can expect to see Lucy, Samantha, and Jeannie. Because this is Salem, no doubt a few vampires and werewolves will join in as well (remember the Addams Family and The Munsters?).

This dance party is being presented in collaboration with Go Out Loud, Salem’s LGBT & modern equality organization; entertainment for this high-energy dance party will be by DJ Gay Jim Clerkin (KISS 108, Matty in the Morning).

Other activities of the evening include a chance to show off your ‘60s sitcom knowledge in a trivia contest, a drag performance by Joslyn Fox of RuPaul’s Drag Race, an appearance from The Boston Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and a photo booth with fashion photographer Corey Banda.

You can also enjoy cocktails and small plates from the Hawthorne Hotel, try your hand at making far-out paper dolls and tour PEM’s newest exhibition, California Design, 1930-1965: Living in a Modern Way.

This evening of music, dancing, cocktails, costuming, art making and games will take place from 6-9pm. Entry is free to members and Salem residents; admission to nonmembers is $10 at the door.

For more info call 866‐745‐1876 or visit the PEM Web site at www.pem.org

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.

Gables Tour— Christmas Banned In Salem

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Dec 082013

Christmas in New England. Today a warm picture of snow outside the home with family gathered around a tree & gifts, or family gathered around the dinner table, smiling and ready for a feast of food. But ’twas not such in early Massachusetts history. And no, you can’t blame the Salem witches for that.

As part of the annual Christmas Tours of the Gables, this year you’ll find much discussion about the fact that Christmas was banned in New England for nearly two centuries. The House of the Seven Gables is offering daily, now through Dec. 31 from 10am to 5pm, a special tour blending the unique history of the mansion with the little known history of Christmas in colonial Massachusetts.

The Puritans bristled at the day being used solely for “reveling.” It was seen as sacrilegious that the day was given over to drinking, feasting and all manner of over-indulgence, instead of quiet contemplation.

Take the tour to hear the story of how the Puritans got their way outlawing Christmas in 1659 and how the holiday inched its way back into the hearts of the population so that Massachusetts officially legalized Christmas in 1856.

Explore the maritime, architectural and literary history of the house and discover Christmas’ transformation from a rowdy seasonal celebration to the peaceful family-centered traditions we recognize today. The rooms of the mansion will be decorated for the holiday tour by local interior decorators, historical societies, and florists.

200 years of history in a walking tour— and you get to see the charming rooms of the House of the Seven Gables; that is a nice present to give to your family, or just yourself.

This special tour is offered during regular hours in December except during the production of A Classic Christmas. Closed Christmas Day. Open on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, 10am-2pm. For more details on the Tour, please call 978-744-0991.

Sights and Sounds of Santa in Salem

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Dec 072013

Ho Ho Ho! Had you been part of the crowd we had at the Hawthorne on Friday night, you would have been shouting that along with the bright-eyed kids anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus.

It was a great evening and we thank the moms and dads who brought their children out.

We also want to thank all the people and organizations that helped to publicize and share the news about this event so residents and neighbors could participate. There were blogs, Tweets and Facebook postings.

And we especially need to thank all those who participated in this special event: The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common Neighborhood Association, 62 Restaurant, Salem YMCA, Arbella Drum & Bugle Corps, Singers in Common, Brian Donnelly, the Museum Place Mall, Salem’s Vintage Photography, Witch Tees, Bewitched in Salem, Glass and Etc., and the Paul Madore Chorale – not to mention the City of Salem and our incredible Fire Department!

For those of you who could not make it there: the Vine video below (thank you Salem News & Hawthorne Hotel).

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like…

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Nov 232013

No not Halloween. We do celebrate other holidays and traditions here in Salem Ma. In fact, we are building quite a resume as a December event destination for residents, North Shore neighbors and tourists. You will read about these in upcoming blogs.

As a lead-in have you noticed some subtle changes in Salem as you walked around (we love walking around the Downtown district, everything is so conveniently located) this weekend?

Ribbons and wreaths are appearing all over the place. Elves? Gremlins? (Well, it is Salem…).

There is a really tall tree in Lappin Park. Did Samantha twitch her nose and it magically appeared?

As residents know, every year we join Mayor Kimberley Driscoll in lighting Salem’s Holiday Tree at Lappin Park (next to the Bewitched Statue at the intersection of Essex and Washington Streets).

This year’s event will take place on Friday, Nov. 29 at 6:30pm. We invite you to bring the entire family to enjoy carols with the Paul Madore Singers; there will also be cocoa and snacks on hand!

The event is organized by Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem. This year’s tree comes from Benjamin Nutter Architects in Topsfield, thanks in part to a donation from the Meetinghouse Church. Decorations and lights are made possible by individual contributions and donations from a number of local businesses. Salem Main Streets would like to thank North Shore Marine and Bill’s Auto Clinic for their services in delivering the tree.

And keep an eye open for changes to the storefront windows of merchants along such Salem locales as Essex, Washington, Front and Derby streets. They will also be getting into the Holiday Spirit.

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