Monday, July 27, 2009

Salem Maritime Festival, Salem Heritage Days Start this Weekend

Mark - or should I say, clear - your calendars because Salem Heritage Days start this weekend! The complete schedule of events for Heritage Days can be found on Salem.org and Salem.com.

Good news for shoppers! In hopes you will be encouraged to spend a little longer in Salem, the City is giving you more time in the parking garages and Church Street lot! One-hour validation stamps will be worth double in the Church Street Parking Lot, Museum Place Garage, and South Harbor Garage, so you can spend a bit longer enjoying downtown. Many retailers and restaurants offer validation stamps, so make sure to inquire when you are making purchases.

If you forget to get a validation ticket, parking in these three locations is $1.50 per hour.

The Salem Maritime Festival kicks off Heritage Days this weekend with free family fun on July 31 and August 1 at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. On Friday night, there will be a free concert featuring Entrain at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. On Saturday the park will feature free events, crafts and trades demonstrations, and activities for families.
Our tall ship Friendship is out of port for some renovation work, but we will be visited by the Kalmar Nyckel from Delaware. The Kalmar Nyckel will be docked on Central Wharf this weekend, and she will be open for tours on August 1. Kalmar Nyckel was one of America's pioneering colonial ships, whose historical significance rivals that of the Mayflower, though never been widely told. Her first voyage to the New World in 1638 World brought 24 settlers of Swedish, Finnish, German and Dutch descent to establish the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. She made a total of four round trip crossings of the Atlantic-more than any other ship of the era. The replica of the Dutch-built pinnace has been sailing since 1998 as a goodwill ambassador and educational outreach for the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and the State of Delaware.

And that's just the beginning! Heritage Days is 10 days of music, food, street fairs, special events, and fun. Hope you can join us!

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