Apr 262014
 

Writing a blog about Salem Ma is fun, but it is even more enjoyable when there is more than one event going on during the same day. And in our community, that is quite often. For example among the activities today we have:

Healthy Kids Day, Noon-3pm
Salem Jazz & Soul Fundraiser, 8-10:30pm

Healthy Kids day is just what it sounds like. A day for kids to play and learn and have fun, fun , fun. The YMCA’s national initiative to improve families’ health and well-being, features games, healthy cooking demonstrations, arts and crafts and more to motivate and teach families how to develop a healthy routine at home.

Each area Y has different activities. For the Salem Y there will be:

  • Summer Camp games
  • Swim tests, swim safety, demos and family swim relays in the pool
  • Family Zumba
  • Theatre Games
  • Vendors:
  • Smoke House, with the Salem Fire Department
  • K9 Dogs, with the Sheriffs Department
  • McGruff Crime Dog, with the Police Department
  • North Shore Physical Therapy
  • Plummer Home for Boys
  • Walgreens
  • Energy assessments
  • Children Fingerprinting with New York Life
  • Woodworking workshop with Home Depot

The Salem Y is located at One Sewall St. Call 978.740.9622 for more info.

And then the night belongs to music. The sounds of Jazz and Soul will fill the air because… the Salem Jazz and Soul Spring Fundraiser takes place tonight in Ames Hall, 290 Essex St.

Salem Jazz & SoulBut more than just music, it is also a dance party featuring the band Combo Sabroso, (tasty combo) which presents “soul cleansing” Latin dance music and reggae. You will hear hard hitting “salsa dura” sounds of the 1970s (Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Oscar D’leon and Sonora Poncena), salsa arrangements of American R&B (Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Santana) plus reggae versions of pop hits  (Elton John, Steve Miller and The Police). The band’s members are from Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Saint Maarten, Venezuela and the United States.

And that’s not all! North Shore businesses and artists have also donated items for auctions and raffles!

Tickets are available from salemjazzsoul.org, as well as Pamplemousse, and In a Pig’s Eye; proceeds will fund the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival’s non-profit mission of producing free concerts and supporting music education causes on the North Shore.

From start to finish, Salem is a Saturday destination. And don’t forget in between to visit our diverse dining and shopping options in the downtown district.

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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.

PEM-PMOf 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

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Jan 082014
 

Sweet deal coming up in Salem Ma! We don’t have to sugar coat this event. The next project that Salem Main Streets presents to the community is the Annual Salem So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival.

Salem So SweetThis decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, chocolate sampling and Valentine’s Day shopping draws crowds from near and far.

So much so that we want to invite local businesses to take advantage of opportunities to participate in the Salem So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival; offer a promotion, sponsor an ice sculpture, or showcase food/wine at the kick-off event.

It may be cold outside but chocolate warms the heart and invites customers into stores as we head into the month of February.

  • Wine & Chocolate Tasting Kick-off Event: Friday, Feb. 7, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Colonial Hall at Rockafellas

  • Ice Sculptures around Town: Starting Feb. 8

  • Shopping Promotions, Events and The Golden Ticket Raffle: Feb. 8 – Feb. 16

  • and much more!

The application for participation  is due Friday, Jan. 10.

For more information or to participate, contact Kylie Sullivan at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or 978.744.0004 x15.

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Dec 042013
 

Feel like you are on a treadmill? We do here at Salem Main Streets; it has been one event after another since Halloween and we can’t stop because there are worthy causes this week which need to be publicized.

Wednesday

The Hawthorne Hotel will host a local event that has mirror images probably all over the country: a Fundraiser for the Victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan. It is set for Dec. 4 from 6 to 9pm at the Hotel. The proceeds from this evening will go to the American Red Cross in support of disaster recovery and relief efforts needed by over three million people in the Philippines.

Entertainment will be provided by The Ward Eights Band and DJ Patrick Runne. Hors d’Oeuvres will be created by the Chefs of the Hawthorne Hotel. And there will be door prizes.

Tickets may still be available; please call (978) 744-4080.

Thursday

Salem PantryGo Out Loud gears up for its 2nd Annual Give Out Loud campaign which is highlighted by two activities.

Victoria Station will be the site of a fun filled event that has to do with, oddly enough, food. Admission is free when you bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Salem Food Pantry (or you can just give a $10 donation at the door). Plus, there will be an Ugly Sweater Contest. Music by DJ Andrea, with special guest Gay Jim from Kiss 108. It begins at 7:30pm.

Go Out Loud is also donating 50% of all their Go Out Loud Discount (GOLD) Card purchases to HAWC (Healing Abuse Working for Change) in Salem.

For more info go to their Facebook page, website or contact them at info@gooutloud.com

Also on Thursday is another opportunity for you to support the local economy by shopping fresh at the Salem Winter Market. Old Town Hall, from 3 to 6pm is the locale for vegetables, breads, meats, jewelry and more— grown or produced by people within driving distance of Salem.

And that brings us to Friday.

A beloved annual tradition, Santa Claus will arrive at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel at 18 Washington Square promptly at 6pm, Dec. 6 – with assistance from the Salem Fire Department, of course. Santa’s arrival will be followed by a short stop for cocoa and caroling at the gazebo on the Salem Common. The parade will then continue to Museum Place Mall for pictures with Santa.

Salem Main Streets would like to thank the Salem Fire Department, the Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common Neighborhood Association, YMCA, Arbella Drum & Bugle Corps, 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar, Museum Place Mall, Brian Donnelly, and Salem’s Vintage Photography for their participation in this special event.

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Dec 012013
 

December is here, and so begins the “other” celebration season for which Salem is gaining a reputation. Salem Ma? Ground zero to spook central, as some have called us, becomes a tourist attraction for all things relating to a warm & toasty family holiday? Yes Virginia, there is another Salem.

We will begin with Historic Salem Inc which presents one of many must-see events to be highlighted over the next few weeks: The Christmas In Salem House Tour.

Let their own words describe this favorite event of locals and tourists:

Few communities have the rich legacy of historic houses that Salem, Massachusetts boasts. These homes, spanning four centuries, help define the character as well as the appearance of the city, and every year some of their owners invite visitors in to view their homes decked out in full holiday regalia, with the help of professional decorators and florists.”

Here is a peek at last year’s tour.

The 34th annual Christmas in Salem House Tour, Dec. 6-8, will focus this year on “Ports of Call In the Historic Derby Waterfront District” featuring nine homes.

TOUR DETAILS

  • Friday Night Candlelight Preview Tour, Dec. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m.; for advance ticket holders only

  • Saturday, Dec. 7, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

  • Sunday, Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Historic homes, decorated for the holidays by local designers, florists and garden clubs.

  • Friday night Candlelight Tour of selected houses

  • Complimentary Salem Trolley Service

  • Restaurant, Shopping and Attractions Discounts

  • A Holiday Concert

  • A historic Derby Street walking tour with Jim McAllister on Saturday morning

  • Wine Tastings at Salem Wine Imports

  • A spice tasting at the Picklepot with Salem Food Tours

Historic Salem, Inc. is celebrating its 68th year as the city’s preeminent preservation group. Christmas in Salem is its primary fundraiser, and a significant portion of the proceeds will support the interior restoration of the Nathaniel Bowditch house as well as community and educational programming through the year.

For more information, please contact Historic Salem, Inc. at 978-745-0799 or info@historicsalem.org.

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