Dec 262016
 

What is better than one great New Year’s Eve party? Two!!! In conjunction with the City of Salem and Creative Salem that is what you are going to get to bid farewell to 2016 and say a big hello to 2017 with LAUNCH! and LAUNCH… Light It Up!

“When we organized LAUNCH! for the first time a few years ago, 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.

“This event has always been family-focused and kid-friendly, which is fantastic, but there was an opportunity to do more to serve the adults in our community. The City approached Creative Salem to develop a concept, and we’ve been working closely together to program and connect the two events.”

“We were very excited to create a new concept event featuring local creative organizations coming together to create a truly unique and wholly Salem happening that could also support the amazing family event that Kylie and Salem Main Streets have run and we have supported since its inception” states John Andrews, owner of Creative Salem.

Launch!

The early portion of the evening (4-6pm, Old Town Hall) will be the traditional LAUNCH! event. This event is free to all and family-friendly, with a $5 suggested donation to help support Salem Main Streets’ “Holiday Happenings” initiatives, including the Holiday Tree and the wreaths and ribbons around the downtown. Family programming will include hat making, photo booth, kids’ silent disco, interactive art exhibit with Phil Wyman, and more! There will be an early countdown just before 6 pm.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs:

  • Set up (2 to 4pm): Volunteers should ideally be able to lift up to 25 pounds.
  • Greeters (4 to 6 pm): Greet people at the door and collect optional donations.
  • Craft activity support (4 to 6 pm): Help activity leaders as needed.
  • Face painters (4 to 6 pm): We’re not looking for high levels of artistic talent – ability to paint hearts, stars, and “Happy 2017!” is sufficient.  We’ll provide the paint and brushes.
  • Break down (5:45 to 7pm): Volunteers should ideally be able to lift up to 25 pounds.

Launch… Light It Up

Come back at 9 pm for LAUNCH…LIGHT IT UP, new this year, as Creative Salem and Retonica transform Old Town Hall into a Black Light Dance Hall! This 21+ event will be $20 per person with a cash bar, live performance by local group Dandrew, sounds by DJ Seth, arcade games courtesy of Bit Bar, hat making with Grace & Diggs, plus a photo booth, food by Bambolina, interactive pop up art exhibit, and a special countdown at midnight. Tickets are available at https://creative-salem.ticketleap.com/launch-light-it-up-nye-salem/

About Salem Main Streets

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.  SMS produces and supports numerous community events and initiatives throughout the year, including the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, Salem’s So Sweet, and the October Information Booth.  SMS operates thanks to the generosity and partnership of the City of Salem and Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Destination Salem, and many other local business sponsors and community volunteers.

About Creative Salem

Creative Salem is an organization of like-minded creative individuals with the mission of ensuring creativity and the arts are a relevant part of daily community and small business life, and operates through the support of its partners and members. Creative Salem celebrates the city of Salem as a hub of creativity, and is dedicated to promoting collaboration, facilitating quality artistic events, and providing contemporary tools for local creative professionals to find and connect with new audiences while encouraging them to apply their skills to help solve challenges facing the community.

For more information about these events, contact Kylie Sullivan, Salem Main Streets Executive Director, at (978)744-0004 or kylie@salemmainstreets.org, or visit http://salemmainstreets.org/

 

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Aug 072016
 

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Short of going to a Museum of Ice Cream, the next best thing is going to the Salem Main Streets Ice Scream Bowl this Tuesday from 6-7:30pm where, for a small fee, you will sample a variety of ice cream from multiple local vendors. As in past years, the event will take place on the Salem Common.

This Heritage Days Festival favorite gives “kids of all ages” a chance to taste some classic flavors as well as some exciting new combinations from the area’s premier ice cream shops.

Window Contest 041A few of the businesses serving samples at the event include Captain Dusty’s, Cherry Farm Creamery, Maria’s Sweet Somethings, and Melt Ice Cream.

Kylie Sullivan, SMS Executive Director says, “North Shore 104.9 will also be in attendance with fun games and takeaways. New this year, we will be featuring a ‘community fair’ of sorts, where a number of kid-focused community groups and organizations (such as Salem Youth Soccer, Girl Scouts, Mass in Motion, and the SPUR Backpack Drive) will be present.”

The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children. Tickets for the Ice Scream Bowl are purchased on site at the event. A spoon and napkins will be supplied with the purchase of a ticket.

Proceeds go to Salem Main Streets; we are a nonprofit organization with the goal of revitalizing downtown Salem as a vibrant year-round retail, dining, and cultural destination. Salem Main Streets organizes the Salem Farmers’ Market, Salem Arts Festival, and many 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, (978) 744-0004 x15 or email at kylie@salemmainstreets.org.

Kylie adds, “Salem’s Ice Scream Bowl is a fun event for both children and adults to cool down from the heat and enjoy tasty ice cream. Current weather forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 82 degrees. Ice cream sure sounds like a good idea!”

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Aug 022016
 

More than 40 different events over 10 days — if that doesn’t convince you to put Salem’s Heritage Days festival on your “to do” list for summer events, we don’t know what will. As we have already given the Festival a full write up, let’s consider this a gentle reminder! It takes place Aug.4-14th at Derby Wharf, Salem Common and other locales around Salem, inviting residents and visitors to explore Salem’s past and present through music, food and events.

Window Contest 037While most of the schedule is set, there are always possible changes, so just another reminder to check the schedule before attending.

Look it over. As the saying goes, there is something for everyone, no matter what your age.

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Apr 232015
 

You don’t have to be a member to join the fun for Healthy Kids Day on April 25th, states Kevin Washington president and CEO of YMCA of the USA. It’s all part of the Y’s commitment of outreach to the communities served and the children that live there. The seven branches of the YMCA of the North Shore will be among over 1300 Y’s across the country taking part in the Healthy Kids Day national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids.

Events are open to all children and families; they are filled with fun, active play and educational opportunities. For the full scope of Healthy Kids Day, check out this link and the embedded video.

Healthy kids dayIn other words get your kids and yourself off the couch, away from the TV, computer, video games and mingle with others in a lively atmosphere where running and jumping are healthy alternatives.

In Salem, special events from noon – 2pm will include

Little Ninja Warrior obstacle challenge

Fun Camp Activities

Balloons, Facepainting

Family Membership Raffle and more!

The Y is all about more. The more support, guidance and opportunities it provides community youth…the more amazing qualities they’ll get out. The more your kids get out, the more they can achieve growing up. That’s why the YMCA provides kids a healthy, caring environment of fun, learning and belonging to help them reach their fullest potential. Reason enough to celebrate Healthy Kids Day — and for you and your children to join in.

The Salem YMCA is located at One Sewall Street. For more info, call 978.740.9622 .

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Dec 022014
 

People always ask us what we think is the most popular costume seen in Salem Ma. Witch? Ghostbuster? Vampire? We like to say that it depends on the time of year. And for the winter season, without a doubt it is the bright red outfit worn by a certain Kris Kringle during his annual landing atop the Hawthorne Hotel on the first Friday of December.

This year at 6 pm on Dec. 5th, hundreds of on-lookers, children and adults, will be stationed around the Hawthorne on Washington Sq., looking up, up, up to the roof to await Santa’s arrival.

Assisted by the Salem Fire Department, the jolly one will climb down the side of the hotel on a ladder to meet/greet his fans. There will be a procession to the Salem Gazebo for cocoa and caroling, then the parade heads over to the Museum Place Mall for pictures with Santa.

Weather forecast as of today calls for partly cloudy skies on Friday, with temperatures in the mid to low 30s. Perfect weather for reindeer. And kids too, of all ages.

For those of you who have never seen this: here is a Vine video we ran last year (thank you Salem News & Hawthorne Hotel).

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