The line up for Out Night

Here are the promotions, extended hours, programs, and special events planned for Salem's first Out Night on Thursday, June 30th. Complete information can be found on Salem.org/LGBTSalem.

Celebrate Pride in Salem on Thursday, June 30, 2011!  We will be highlighting Salem's hip vibe, unique shopping, active cultural calendar and restaurant scene with the following specials, programs and extended hours.  

Let us know you're coming on Facebook!

HOTEL PACKAGES

The HawthorneHotel - Stay the night! Mention Out Night and save 20% off your overnight stay on Thursday, June 30th.

The SalemWaterfront Hotel & Marina - 25% discount on the night of June 30th, 2011, for anyone staying over for Out in Salem.

EXTENDED HOURS

• Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery
• The House of the Seven Gables 
• Omen, Psychic Parlor & Witchcraft Emporium
• Phillips House - Twilight Tours 
• HistoricNewEngland.org
• Salem Ferry
• Salem Trolley
• Salem Witch Museum 

 

PRIDE PROMOTIONS

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery

285 Derby Street | (978) 740-0500 | NightmareGallery.com

Everyone who speaks the word "Pride" gets the kids' admission price! 

Glass & Etc.

Museum Place Mall, Suite 129

(978) 745-1900

15% Cash discount on all purchases over $15! 

Frankenstein's Art

233 Washington Street, Salem

FrankensteinsArt.com

Buy one wood craft in party section get one FREE!!

Green Land Cafe

87 Washington Street

(978) 744-7766 | GreenLandCafe.com

Mention "Out Night" and save 10% off your meal all day! 

J. Mode

17 Front Street | JModeFashions.com

Red Ribbon Sale! Special pricing on collections marked with a red ribbon.

Omen, Psychic Parlor & Witchcraft Emporium

184 Essex Street

978) 666-0763 | OmenSalem.com

Special for Out Night, 15 minute readings will cost $25, and customers who mention Out Night will receive a Rose quartz (for Self Love) or Carnelian (for Courage).

Regatta Pub at the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Marina

225 Derby Street

978) 740-8788 | SalemWaterfrontHotel.com

Free dessert with any purchase on Thursday, June 30th. Click here for printable coupon.

A Sacred Place Wellness Center

2 East India Square, Inside Museum Place Mall suite 112

978-744-1600 | ASacredPlaceSalem.com

Offering a sampling of services at a discount and extended hours, 6:00 PM - 8:45 PM.

Salemdipity

86 Wharf Street, Pickering Wharf

(978) 745-5556

Free rainbow bumper sticker or button with $20 purchase while supplies last. Open until 8:00 PM.

Salem Witch Museum 

19 1/2 Washington Square North

(978) 744-1692 | SalemWitchMuseum.com

10% off in Gift Shop. Click Here for printable coupon.

Signatures Apparel

181 Essex Street, on the Pedestrian Mall

(978) 825-0015 | SignaturesApparel.com

Offering 20% off everything in the store, and light refreshments will be served!

The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel

On the Common

(978) 825-4342 | HawthorneHotel.com

10% Off any Tavern entree on June 30th when you mention Out Night.

The Trolley Depot

191 Essex Street, The Pedestrian Mall

(978) 745-3003 | TrolleyDepot.com

Free rainbow bumper sticker or button with $20 purchase while supplies last. Open until 8:00 PM.

Urban Elements Home & Gift Boutique

83 Washington Street, Salem

(978) 666-4408 | UrbanElementsHome.com

Save 15% at check out on all purchases of $30 or more when you mention PRIDE.

Witch City Segway

283 Derby Street

(781) 626-4000| WitchCitySegway.com

25% off tours on June 30th. Reservations recommended. Enter coupon code "OutSalem" on-line or mention Out Night when calling. 

PROGRAMMING

Love Song for Salem: A Visual Tribute | 5:30 PM & 7:30 PM.

Salem Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, Salem

(978) 745-6314 | CultureCorner@gmail.com for reservations and tickets

An impressionistic portrait of Salem, a visual poem, a nostalgic time capsule containing more than 300 images representing four seasons, five neighborhoods, and fifteen years (1978-1993) of photography by historian Jim McAllister. Admission is $10, all proceeds will benefit the Essex National Heritage Area and the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the tourism promotion they do for the region.

Gay Mixer at Omen Psychic Parlor & Witchcraft Emporium | 8:00 PM - 11:00 PM

184 Essex Street, Salem

(978) 666-0763 | OmenSalem.com

Celebrate Out Night at Omen! Bring your own wine or snack.

Open Door Celebration | 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 24 St. Peter's Street, Salem

(978) 745-2291 | StPetersSalem.org

St. Peter's is extending a special welcome to all LGBT folk and their friends on Out Night and at all times.  The church will be open on June 30 for tours, and there will be refreshments.  The rainbow flag will be joyfully displayed by the Red Doors of the church entryway. St. Peter's Church seeks to be a fully inclusive church and is pleased to live out its life under the biblical mandate to be "A House of Prayer for ALL People." 

Real Estate Open House - 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

46 Chestnut Street, Salem

Donna Lee Caramello | 978-741-4404 | NewEnglandMoves.com

Elegance and light bathe this colonial home on architecturally famous Chestnut Street. The home offers 10 rooms of grace and stature with working fireplaces, central air, and Beacon Hill style garden, brick patio and a deck. A delight to show! 

Peabody Essex Museum - Art After Hours

161 Essex Street, Salem

(978) 745-9500 | pem.org

Experience PEM and its special exhibition, Soundscapes, at this after hours garden party.  Soundscapes is offered in conjunction with FreePort [No. 003]: Susan Philipsz. Sound artists James Forrest, Scott Buchanan and Noel Snow create unexpected atmospheres using voice, acoustic and electric instruments, recorded music and digitally created sound. Modern dancer Sarah Slifer and her ensemble offer an immersive dance performance in East India Marine Hall. Also, make your own sound art, listen to tracks from the DIY recording projects The RPM Challenge and hear what’s new from Dorkbot Boston, a group inspired by the creative blending of art, science and electricity.  Members & Salem Residents $8, Nonmembers $10 | Cash Bar

Salem Farmers' Market | 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Derby Square at Front Street | SalemFarmersMarket.org

Shop fresh, shop local and the wonderful Salem Farmers' Market! 

Salem Theatre Company - SMUDGE

90 Lafayette Street, Salem

978-790-8546 | salemtheatre.com | info@salemtheatre.com

Music & More Series presents The Ghostlight Theatre production of SMUDGE, a pitch black comedy by Rachel Axler, Directed by Devon Scalisi. "Parenthood never looked weirder or more terrifying than it does in Smudge.” (Rachel Saltz, New York Times)  A dark comedy about the changing face of the American family and the limits of love and cheesecake, as a hopeful young couple gives birth to a smudge, written by two-time Emmy Award winner Rachel Axler (The Daily Show, Parks & Recreation).

7:30 PM; Adults: $18, Seniors: $15, Students: $10

Salem Trolley

(978) 744-5469 | SalemTrolley.com

Shuttle service between downtown and Salem Ferry will run until 7:30 PM.

Salem Trolley presents their Tales & Tombstones Tour   

8 Central Street

(978) 744-5469 | SalemTrolley.com

Dusk transforms the city of Salem.  As the city of renown seafarers and distinguished architecture fades into the shadows, a new Salem of the occult and paranormal emerges. Visit scenes of grisly murders and ghastly executions, hear tales of ghosts, both mischievous and malevolent, of Salem's haunted hotels and restaurants of long forgotten underground passageways, ancient curses and legends of ghost ships and haunted islands. You will experience all of this and more as you ride the Salem Trolley's Tales & Tombstones Tour and explore Salem of the Shadows.  Tour is approximately 1 hour.  Tour departs from 8 Central Street.

6:30 PM & 7:30 PM; Adults $20.00, Seniors (60+) $15.00 and Children (6-14) $10.00

Twilight Tours at the Phillips House | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (last tour at 7:30 PM) 

(978) 744-0440 | 34 Chestnut Street | HistoricNewEngland.org

$5 Adults, $4 Seniors, $2.50 Students

Wedding and Milestone Planning & Open House | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

First Universalist Society of Salem (UU), 5pm-8pm.

211 Bridge Street (front entrance is off of Federal Street)

(978) 744-3224 | SalemUU.org

FUSS welcomes and performs same-sex and opposite-sex weddings, and milestone ceremonies for families of all types. We also offer general building rental. Staff will available to show our facilities and answer questions.

BEYOND OUT NIGHT 

Pride Party at UE | Friday, July 1 · 6:00pm - 8:00pm

83 Washington Street, Salem

Pride PARTY at UE! The day after Out Night in Salem. No cover, but they will be collecting donations to benefit Stongest Link AIDS Services in Danvers.  Come celebrate your Pride Friday July 1st from 6-8pm or later. As always you can expect a fabulous evening with lots of friends, FAMILY, music, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres!  Space is limited, RSVP at Facebook.com.

Out Night in Salem

This Thursday we will celebrate our first Out Night in Salem, which is our way of celebrating Pride Month, rolling out a rainbow carpet, and promoting the hip, eclectic, "not a dull moment in four centuries," vibe in downtown Salem. 

Tell me, where else can you celebrate art after hours at the 15th largest art museum in the country (PEM), have a psychic reading, and shop for awesome home goods in one evening?  Many of our museums and attractions will be open until 7pm or later, and there are special events and promotions throughout Salem planned for Thursday.

The Farmers' Market will be happening in Derby Square.  There is a real estate open house on Chestnut Street (as well as extended hours at the Phillips House on Chestnut Street, giving you the opportunity to see the public and private sides of Salem's most beautiful street).  The House of the Seven Gables will be open until 7pm, and if you haven't been to the Gables recently, you need to go to the Gables.  They have done extensive research and excellent curatorial work, and the resulting "redecorating" is stunning. 

The Salem Witch Museum will be open until 7pm, and this may be one of the most apropos stops for Out Night.  Their primary exhibit interprets the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, which is a story we all need to know because history repeats itself.  The second exhibit at the Witch Museum, though, that's where the meat is.  That is where we learn the history of the word "Witch," and have the opportunity to understand the ingredients of a witch hunt.  These are the lessons of tolerance that are so important, because it is only through these lessons of tolerance that we are able to celebrate diversity and recognize all lifestyles, all backgrounds, all people. 

Salem has learned from the Witch Trials of 1692.  It's one of the reasons we are a community that celebrates diversity, culture, and fun.  Our history is why we can celebrate Out Night, all the while knowing that Salem is always welcoming to all families, friends, and loved ones.

Out Night is our way of saying that Gay and Lesbian visitors, residents, friends and families are important to us as a business community.  We want Thursday nights to become a great night out for everyone to enjoy downtown Salem, throughout the summer and throughout the year.


For the complete list of events, promotions, and extended hours planned for Thursday night, visit salem.org/lgbtsalem.  

 

 

Salem Celebrates the Fourth

OK, I'm taking the easy way out this morning and posting the poster for Salem Celebrates the Fourth instead of writing a long blog about how fantastic this celebration is, and how the orchestra is wonderful, the kids will love the games and music, and fireworks over the Tall Ship Friendship are just stunning.

For more information, visit Salem.com. And join us. Really. This is one of Salem's best traditions. Don't miss it.

The New Salem Museum

Salem has a new museum that is telling the rich history, from the Native Americans in Salem all the way to tourism in Salem today.  Located in Old Town Hall and overseen by the Instititue for Public History at Gordon College, this new public space provides an opportunity to connect with the many chapters of Salem's history. 

The Hawthorne and Civil War panels.

Detail of the Witchcraft Trials panel.

Currently featuring nine panels, the Salem Museum will eventually have thirty displays, each focusing on a different era in Salem's history.  Panels will take you on a journey from the Founding of Salem in 1626 through the Salem Witchcraft Trials, the Revolutionary War, China Trade, Samuel Mcintire, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Women in Salem History, The Great Fire, and Parker Brothers.  The panels, which hang from the ceiling are complimented by display cases filled with historic artifacts and significant pieces from Salem's past. 

Parker Brothers exhibit

Admission to the Salem Museum is free, but a $3.00 donation is recommended. The museum is open daily from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM, and until 7:00 PM on Thursdays. For more information, visit OldTownHall.com.

July 4th at The House of the Seven Gables

Join The House of the Seven Gables for its traditional Independence Day celebration and seaside picnic July 4th and honor our Nation’s birth and Hawthorne’s 207^th birthday. The House of the Seven Gables has marked the fourth of July with great gusto for decades, making the 4^th of July at The Gables a long-standing tradition for many families. This year, to honor the 161^st anniversary of the writing of the book, The Gables will introduce a new tradition. Beginning at 9:30 in the morning and extending through to 6:00 in the afternoon The Gables will host a marathon reading of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The House of the Seven Gables. Area politicians, Salem State University professors, and local best-selling authors have signed-up to take part in the event. The reading will take place in The House of the Seven Gables’ Visitor Center and feature Hawthorne’s antique desk. The reading of the novel is open to the public free of charge. Hear a classic piece of American literature read aloud from the very desk on which it was written and the house it made famous in the background.

In the evening, The Gables will once again host a picnic dinner and celebrate Hawthorne’s birthday. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs, and enjoy a boxed-picnic dinner from Wichit gourmet sandwiches at 7:00PM. These deliciously creative sandwiches feature artisan breads, hand-made condiments, and organic meats and vegetables. The evening concludes with birthday cake and a front row seat for the City of Salem’s extraordinary fireworks display over the harbor. This event is family friendly, so there is no alcohol permitted on the grounds. Tickets for the evening picnic and fireworks display are $25 for adults, $12 for children under 12. Members of The Gables are $20 for adults, $10 for children.  For Evening Tickets, please call in advance to 978-744-0991 ext. 104. 

Visit 7Gables.org for complete information.

Patriotic Sloops

Show your patriotic side with these limited edition Sweet Sloops! Foiled in red, silver and blue, these are the perfect addition to your July 4 celebration! 

Visit HarborSweets.com or the shop at 85 Leavitt Street before June 30th to get your festive sloops!  I highly recommend timing your visit to Harbor Sweets for a factory tour, which is given on most Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 AM. 

Shop hours are 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Monday - Friday and 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM on Saturdays.

Two Free Lectures on Salem's History

Salem Maritime, the national park in Salem, welcomes two Salem State University faculty to speak at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Salem on Tuesday, June 21, 2011.  The presentations are free and will be held in the Auditorium at the Visitor Center on New Liberty Street.

9:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Salem and the North Shore in the Seventeenth-Century

Professor Emerson W. Baker, Professor of History, Salem State University

Professor Baker will discuss 17th Century colonial life here in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, especially in Salem.  The presentation will encompass Native American history and Saugus, the site of  Saugus Iron Works, the national park in Saugus.

11:00 AM - 12:30  PM

Salem and the China Trade: A “Glocal” Approach

Professor Dane A. Morrison, Professor of Early American History, Salem State University

Professor Morrison will discuss the experiences of Salem’s merchants in a way that makes the China Trade relevant to visitors to Salem today, connecting global history to the local resources in Salem. 

The lectures are free and all are welcome! 

The British are Here! The British are Here!

"By His Excellency's Command:"
General Gage and the British Army in Salem

They are encamped at Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, to be specific.  Salem is the happy host to a British encampment this weekend.  The encampment commemorates the arrival of General Thomas Gage in Boston in June, 1774. Gage was dispatched to move the capitol of Massachusetts to Salem, where the King hoped cooler heads would prevail over increasing troubles in Boston.  By the end of the summer, there were two regiments of regulars encamped around Salem, and the legislature had defied Gage's authority, and set about creating the Provincial Legislature, independent of Royal Government. 

Salem Maritime and the Center for 18th Century Life at Minute Man National Historic Park have teamed up to invite some of the best reenactors in Massachusetts to give a taste of what Salem was like in the summer of 1774.* 

The encampment began on Saturday, and continues through Sunday.  Sunday's schedule is:

11:00 AM: Morning parade and Service for the Troops
11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM: "Awkward Squad:" learn how to drill like a Regular, using wooden muskets.

1:00 PM, 2:00 PM: Drill and musket firing demonstration
3:00 PM: Salute to the ship and end of event

 All Day: Surgeon's tent, camp life, meet the troops, Junior Ranger programs, Milliner's Shop, Gage's Headquarters, Colonial Games

It is wonderful to walk through the camp and talk with the reenactors, see the meat and bread cooking in the fires, and watch demonstrations in the field. 

 *Copy adopted by the schedule and program distributed by the National Park Service at Salem Maritime.

Take the Salem Ferry to the Bruins Victory Parade!

MVP Goalie Tim Thomas with the Stanley Cup, from BostonBruins.com

The Salem Ferry has added a 7:00 AM trip into Boston on Saturday morning, to help everyone get to the Bruins' celebratory parade in style, in time, and without traffic and parking hassles.

The parade begins at 11:00 AM.  Visit Boston.com for details.

Regular Ferry service continues after the 7:00 AM trip, with trips into Boston at 9:00 AM and on the "odd hours" until the last trip in at 9:00 PM.  The ferry returns from Boston to Salem on the "even hours," beginning at 8:00 AM, last trip to Salem on Saturday at 10:00 PM.  

Buy your tickets online at www.salemferry.com to guarantee your seat!

Congratulations, Bruins!!

Things Dad might love

Here are a few Father's Day shopping ideas from The Picklepot on Pickering Wharf:

- Hand painted silk ties for Ellen Hardy
- Wine glasses for Jack Walsh @ Dancing Sands ... The new Salem logo, the Friendship.
- Coasters with the logos of all his favorite Boston Sports teams
- Birdhouses made from drift wood collected on the North Shore
- photos from his favorite places

Rockafellas will be holding their annual "Golfafellas" event on Sunday - featuring indoor golf, prizes, food and ample drink.  

Schooner Fame sails at 2, 4, and 6 PM on Sunday.  The forecast looks perfect for a Schooner sail with dad.  I recommend making reservations! 

The Salem Farmers’ Market Opens Today!

Come to downtown Salem on Thursday, June 16 for opening day at the Salem Farmers’ Market and enjoy delicious local fruits, vegetables, lobster, breads, pastries, cheese and much more! 

The market bell will ring promptly at 3 p.m. signaling the start of the market, which will feature many of the same farms and vendors from 2010, as well as numerous new vendors. 

Opening Day Festivities

3:30 PM . . . Chef Tony Bettencourt from 62 Restaurant and Winebar will do a cooking demonstration

4:15 PM . . . Kiwi Kids will sing songs about recycling and what we can all do to help our Earth. Kids in the audience can join along with instruments provided by the Kiwi Kids. 

5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Live music performed by Qwill.

In addition, Health Coach Diane DeGuzman will be at the market talking about healthy ways to use the foods you buy. This week she will discuss Strawberries for Breakfast, and how to spice up those all important whole grains with delicious strawberries. Recipes will be available! 

Salem Farmers' Market

Derby Square on Front Street 

Thursdays June 16 – October 20

3:00 PM - 7:00 PM 

EBT card accepted.

SalemFarmersMarket.org

Salem Farmers Market is organized by Salem Main Streets.

More pictures of our new public art

Here are pictures of the new public art on Essex and Front Streets.  If you missed my earlier post about the sculptures and their installation, click here. Each of the four pieces are done by artist Rob Lorenson. 

You have to check them out - they are different from each angle, and they really seem to want to be touched and interacted with.  We had a great time watching people watching the sculptures.  One passer-by quoted Steve Martin and announced, "I don't know what it is, but I want my picture taken with it!" (We aren't sure if that quote is from The Jerk or L.A. Story, if you know, please let me know.)

The corner of Front and Washington Streets.

Essex Street looking at Derby Square and Old Town Hall

Essex Street at Central Street (I want to sit in this one, and sip a latte).

Essex Street at the East India Fountain, by the Mall and the Peabody Essex Museum

 What do you think?!

Public Art in Salem - New Sculptures Displayed Today

Four contemporary sculptures by Massachusetts artist Rob Lorenson are being installed in downtown Salem today.  Three pieces will be located on the Essex Street pedestrian mall and the fourth will be placed by the intersection of Front and Washington streets. The sculptures will be in place through early November.

Installation begins of the first of four sculptures to be displayed on Essex and Front Streets this summer in Salem.

“One of the things we heard earlier this year at the Essex Street pedestrian mall meetings was that people would like to see more public art," says Mayor Kim Driscoll, "We’re looking at a number of ways to accomplish that, and one was to install these sculptures for the season. We see it as a way to test some ideas before moving forward with a full public art program.”

The public art program compliments the already dynamic arts and theatre scene in Salem, including the Peabody Essex Museum, the Salem Arts Association, Artist's Row, Salem Theatre Company, and several other galleries and arts festivals. 

I'll post more pictures of the sculptures when they are installed - and I'd love to see your pictures with and of the new sculptures!  Send them to me at destinationsalem@gmail.com.