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Get Up, Get Out There, It’s YOUR National Park

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals No Responses »

Apr 202015

Discover the treasure that is a National Park this week as visitors to Salem Maritime National Historic Site are being treated to free ranger-led tours, a Junior Ranger Program, the free award-winning film “Where Past is Present” and a comprehensive audio-walking tour of the 9-acre site. It’s all part of a USA-wide celebration (April 18-26) to encourage everyone to find their park and share their stories online at FindYourPark.com.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site offers 12 historic buildings, wharves, and a reconstructed tall ship which tell the stories of the sailors, Revolutionary War privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of the world to America. But it is more, as the video below explains, the Find Your Park program invites the public to see that a national park can be more than a place — it can be a feeling, a state of mind, or a sense of American pride.

Did you know that Salem Maritime was the first National Historic Site established in the United States (March 17, 1938)?

Beyond vast landscapes, this Find Your Park campaign highlights historical, urban, and cultural parks, as well as the National Park Service programs that protect, preserve and share nature, culture, and history in communities nationwide.

In fact, the National Parks initiative works with local agencies to build trails and playgrounds, return historic buildings to productive use, revitalize neighborhoods, expand affordable housing, protect watersheds, recognize and promote local history, and introduce the next generation to stewardship opportunities.

A National Park is more than grass, trees, and some old buildings.

Visit www.NationalParkWeek.org to learn more about how you can join parks, programs, and partners in celebrating National Park Week across the country.

And then visit our own National Park, Salem Maritime National Historic Site, located at/and around 160 Derby Street. For more info, go to http://www.nps.gov/sama/index.htm or call 978-740-1650.

Global Event ‘Record Store Day’ to Have Salem Connection

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Salem Shopping No Responses »

Apr 162015

Vinyl, wax, platters, discs…. all names for the LP, more lovingly recalled as a ‘record.’ Yes, the round thing that rotated on a record player your parents or grandparents talked about from their youth. To celebrate the continued existence of records and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding independently owned record stores in the US and world-wide, Record Store Day was created. Locally the Salem Theatre is partnering with Salem’s own independent record store, The Record Exchange, to promote an entire weekend, April 17-19. (Record Store Day usually takes place on the third Saturday of April. )

The day is for the people who make up the world of record stores to celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned shops play in their communities. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day.

The Record Exchange advises from its Facebook page: Come and celebrate records, music & YOU, our amazing customers & friends, this Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Yup…it’s RECORD STORE DAY! We’ll have Ziggys and Sons Donuts for all, some very cool RSD limited edition records, and we’ll be putting used CDs & DVD sets on sale just for the day.

As for the live musical contribution from the Salem Theatre, kicking off the weekend on Friday, April 17 at 7:30pm is a returning favorite Don White with opening act Julie Dougherty.

Saturday, April 18 at 7:30pm is a CD Release for Justin Goodrich. Justin is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Independently he has released two solo-acoustic EP’s, “A Revenant Affair” and “Fallen Angels, Tears of Stone”. Each ticket purchase for the Justin Goodrich concert will include a free copy of the new album “Steadfast Hearts and Borrowed Time”.

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, April 19 at 5pm is An Evening with Chris Noran and Kevin William. Chris and Kevin are Indie Folk artists from Salem and Boston respectively. Together these two will play two full sets of Bon Iver-esque, ambient rock-folk in a warm and intimate space.

To give you an idea of how the “culture” of a record store can have an effect on someone, David Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who is the 2015 Ambassador for Record Store Day, recalls: “I found my calling in the back bin of a dark, dusty record store.

1975’s K-Tel’s Blockbuster 20 Original Hits by the original Stars featuring Alice Cooper, War, Kool and the Gang, Average White Band and many more, bought at a small record shop in my suburban Virginia neighborhood, it was this record that changed my life and made me want to become a musician. The second that I heard Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein” kick in, I was hooked. My life had been changed forever. This was the first day of the rest of my life.

I believe that the power of the record store to inspire is still alive and well, and that their importance to our next generation of musicians is crucial.”

Record Store Day is managed by the Department of Record Stores and is organized in partnership with the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (AIMS), the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS) and celebrates the culture of independent record stores by playing host to in-store events/performances, signings and special product releases on a global scale.

The Record Exchange, located at 256 Washington Street, is one of the oldest used brick & mortar record stores in the United States; it was founded in Salem, MA in 1974.

Founded in 2002, Salem Theatre aims to enrich the artistic, cultural and economic life of the Greater Salem region and build connections with new, diverse audiences and theatre artists through the performance of classic, contemporary, and new works of exceptional theater as well as through the arts education outreach. It is located at 90 Lafayette Street.

For more info on the concerts, either call The Record Exchange at 978-745-0777 or directly contact the Salem Theatre at www.salemtheatre.com or call 978-790-8546 .

(Record/turntable photo courtesy of J Fry from FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Dig Out the Delorean, Peabody-Essex Museum Party Reliving the 1980s

Salem Dining, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Workshops No Responses »

Apr 122015

“Are you telling me that you built a time machine… out of a DeLorean?” one of hundreds of quotes that filled the 1980s that still may pop up today. So it’s no surprise that PEM/PM after-hours party for April is a look back to the art, fashion, music, etc. of that decade.

Of course there are bigger quotes such as “I am your father” and “May the Force be with you” from Star Wars. Dozens must be coming to mind right now. Lots of memorable movie quotes and song lines. Lots of memories.

Remember Fuzzy Navels, Pina Colada and Tequila Sunrise?

For this month’s party, April 16 from 6-9 pm, the Peabody Essex Museum team suggests you let your inner Madonna or Boy George come to life with glam makeovers by experts from Salem’s Rouge Cosmetics. Try your hand at designing Flashdance inspired sweatshirts, or create your own friendship bracelets.

For those brave enough, there is a photo booth to show off your creativity.

Speaking of creativity, there will also be a Graffiti Wall, express yourself.

As always, the Atrium will be the base for a lively dance party as this time DJ Amphibious spins the greatest hits of the ’80s on vinyl. There will be a small plates menu from the Hawthorne hotel. You’ll also get a taste of signature ’80s cocktails served up by the talented staff of the Hawthorne.

The concept of the 3rd Thursday of the month PEM/PM parties is to have fun, learn a little, and of course provide visitors a chance to explore all of the museum’s galleries after hours.

Test yourself: the following are the 10 top-grossing films of the decade according to Wikipedia. BUT don’t click the link just yet. See if you can guess the order!

1. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
2. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
5. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
6. Batman (1989)
7. Ghostbusters (1984)
8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
9. Back to the Future (1985)
10. Return of the Jedi (1983)

No admission charge for PEM members, Salem residents and Salem State students with an ID. Otherwise there is a $10 fee for non-members, payable at the door. For more details, go to pem.org or call 866-745-1876.

Paranormal Convention to Manifest Itself at Hawthorne Hotel

History, Salem Event, Salem Festivals, Workshops No Responses »

Apr 082015

Do you sense something in the air? Some level of seismic activity of a paranormal nature? You would be tuning in to Salem Con, the first ever celebrity-filled paranormal convention, to be held in Salem Ma, April 10-12 at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Mass Ghost Hunters Paranormal Society, a Gloucester-based historical preservation and paranormal event group has established the weekend. Salem Con will be filled with celebrities, lectures and vendors. Paranormal and historical enthusiasts are welcomed.

Marc Arvilla, Founder/Lead Investigator explains “We decided to call it Salem Con because that’s exactly what it is. Yes it’s a paranormal conference, yes most folks involved are in the paranormal field, but this is also about Salem’s history, culture, and the true stories of the people that shaped this area.”

For example, among the speakers, Jeff Belanger hosts the New England Legends series on PBS and John Zaffis is the director of the Paranormal Research Society of New England.

Arvilla continues “Our goal for this conference is to teach people about the history of Salem, the history of paranormal investigating, and that they can have fun while doing it. If someone can walk away from this event learning something new it will be a success.”

The weekend begins with a “Celebrity VIP Party” on Friday April 10th from 8 pm to midnight at Nathaniel’s in the Hawthorne. Guests will mingle with their favorite celebrities and hear some of their “behind the scenes” stories.

And, who will be there on April 11th?

9 am JOHN TOBIN -“Exploring the Psychology of the Paranormal” with Chris DiCesare & Joe Chin
10 am JEFF BELANGER– “The Witches Warty Nose”
11 am BRIAN CANO – “‪#‎Paralosophy‬”
12 pm DUSTIN PARI – “The Bigger Questions”
1 pm JOHN ZAFFIS – “Q & A with John Zaffis”
2 pm TIM WEISBERG – “Maybe Ghosts WEREN’T People Too…Alternate Theories of the Paranormal”
3 pm SCOTT GRUENWALD – “God Ate My Lunch”
3:45pm MICHAEL DIAMOND – “Moving Forward

All lectures will take place in the Hawthorne’s Library Room.

“The Hawthorne Hotel seemed like the best choice for this event,” reveals Avilla. “The hotel has such a rich history and is central to everything there is to explore in Salem. When we approached Thomas MacDonald, the sales director at the Hawthorne, with the idea of a paranormal conference he offered his full support. Plus there is that ‘rumor’ that the hotel is haunted…”

Speaking of haunted, Gone Haunting will sponsor a “Celebrity Ghost Hunt” Saturday at 8pm. Location not yet revealed.

And what is a convention without vendors? The Hawthorne Ballroom will house the vendor area:

Deadly Grounds Coffee
Gone Haunting Apparel
The Generic Black Shirt Paranormal Group
Parahunter
Paranormal Warehouse
Brian J. Cano
John Zaffis
Dustin Pari
Jeff Belanger
Tim Weisberg
Scott Gruenwald
Christopher DiCesare
DTM Wicked Radio
Frank Cinelli
Paranormal For Paws
Gettysburg Ghost Gals
MGHPS
Rosalyn Bown
Salt City Paranormal
East Ghost Paranormal
S.T.U.R.S/Rise Up New Hampshire
Spirits of New England
White Light Research
Rome Investigators of the Paranormal
The Mechanical Meow
Paranormal Reactions
Author Joni Mayhan & Paranormal Xpeditions
The Mountain Gypsies
Rise Up Paranormal
Mirror Magazine
Dark Side Ink
Psychic Medium Coryelle Kramer
Raven Shoppe/Gotham Paranormal
Brooke’s Nook
Dawn Slocum
Black Cat Tours
Witch Tees

The weekend concludes with a Sunday morning breakfast at the Hawthorne where Mass Ghost Hunters Paranormal Society invites people to share some stories, revelations, even a “sighting” or two if anything happened from the previous night.

Sounds like an interesting effort to connect the dots between the paranormal and the history of Salem, while at the same time giving you the opportunity to have an entertaining & educational experience. For ticket and other information, go to http://www.mghparanormal.com/ or write to mghparanormal@gmail.com.

Express Yourself at Salem Arts Festival

Salem Event, Salem Festivals, SMS News, Volunteer Opportunities No Responses »

Apr 072015

While a work of art can be subject to interpretation by people who see it… people must indeed see it first. If you are a local artist, the 2015 Salem Arts Festival is the perfect way to attract an audience; over 5000 visitors attended last year’s festival. As a local artist, you have been invited to submit for consideration your work for the Festival which takes place June 5-7, 2015. But, deadline for submission is April 10th.

The Salem Arts Festival is looking for art and performance for the sophisticated art patron as well as for the art novice including interactive events for children. It will engage participants of diverse backgrounds and ages by reaching out to current art patrons, local students, and the community at large.

All events take place in downtown Salem, within walking distance of each other and of public transportation.

The 2015 Salem Arts Festival will consist of:

a gallery of juried artists’ work in Old Town Hall;
outdoor stage venues for performance and dance at Derby Square and Artists’ Row;
a juried street fair on Essex Street Pedestrian Mall and Derby Square;
a collaborative public arts project – Front Yard Street Art.

For applications or other info go to www.salemartsfestival.com or contact Kylie Sullivan at kylie@salemmainstreets.org or call 978-744-0004, ext. 15

The Salem Arts Festival is organized by Salem Main Streets and a collaboration of Salem organizations that provide for the festival, including Creative Salem, Salem Arts Association, Salem State University’s Center for Creative and Performing Arts, and the Peabody Essex Museum. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Salem Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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