St. Peter's Episcopal Church

Destination Salem is working with a team of students from Salem State College this semester, and they are going to be developing some information on the Heritage Trail (that's the red line painted on the sidewalks), Culinary Salem, and sites in Salem that are Green or going Green.

As they develop their content, I'll share it with you. Today I have information on St. Peter's Episcopal Church to share with you. It's a beautiful church, and it has a great history that goes back 275 years.

Here is the information Ronnie Porter from Salem State College has given me on this historic and lovely church:

St. Peter's Episcopal Church is a stunning historical church that wears its heart in its big red doors. Upon entering St. Peter's, visitors are instantly captured by its beauty. The stained glass windows, the aged boxed pews and St. Peter's shrine are just a few of the remarkable delights. The history of St. Peter's is what makes this Salem destination most appealing.

Phillip English, who was accused of witchcraft during the hysteria of 1692, founded St. Peter's Episcopal Church in 1773. In 1740 a bell from Gloucester, England, was placed in St. Peter's. It is the oldest church bell and it still rings every Sunday during worship, to celebrate weddings, and as an instrument of remembrance for a church member who has passed away. In 1774, after the Tea Party and Boston Massacre, St. Peter's became the State Church of the British Crown during the Revolution.

Renowned navigator Nathaniel Bowditch and the founder of the Second Corps of Cadets, Samuel Abbott were original members of the church.

Recently, St. Peter's has made a conscious decision to become an inclusive congregation. St. Peter's stands by their belief that "We are all one in Christ." This means that all are welcome, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation.

For more about the history of St. Peter's Church, visit their web site at http://www.stpeterssalem.org/history.html.

Easter at the Hawthorne Hotel

Check out this menu for Easter Buffet at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel! It sounds absolutely devine and delicious. Make your reservations soon!

Easter Sunday Buffet at the Hawthorne Hotel

April 12, 2009 ~~ 10:30 am-7 pm

For Reservations Phone (978) 825-4311

Adults $39.95 Children (3-12) $14.95

“Ham-What-I-Yam” Carving Station

Easter Ham, Country Style Mustard Sauce

Slow-Roasted Prime Rib of Beef, Double Jus

Garlic and Rosemary-Roasted Leg of Lamb, Mint Jelly

Easter Bunny’s Favorites including Carrots, of Course!

Baked “Eggs Benedict” Bread Pudding

Scrambled Eggs (for the Morning Reservations)

Crisp Bacon and Sausage Links

Cheese Blintzes with Fruit Compote

Carbonara-Style Cavatappi Pasta with Peas, Bacon, and Carbonara Sauce

Baby Carrots with Tarragon Butter

Spring Peas and Pearl Onions

Potato Gratin

Forty Cloves of Garlic Chicken

Baked Swordfish with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Peter Cottontail’s Choices from the Garden

Steamed Asparagus Salad, Shallot Vinaigrette with Fresh Herbs and Lemon Slices

Smoked Salmon, Capers, Red Onions, Creamy Dill, Rye Bread and Crackers

Field Greens with Grape Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Shredded Carrots,

Bleu Cheese and Balsamic Dressings

Napa Cabbage, Mung Bean Sprouts, Toasted Almonds, Tomato & Mango, Sweet and Sour Dressing

Assorted International and Domestic Cheese Display, Crackers and Breads

Baby Shrimp, Snap Peas, Shell Pasta Salad with Dill Sour Cream Dressing

Penne Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken, Smoky Bacon Dressing,

New Potato and Green Onion Salad with Black Olives and Hard-Boiled Eggs, Dijon Vinaigrette

“Easter Bread Basket” Fresh Breads, Muffins, Cinnamon Rolls and Hot Cross Buns

Seasonal Fruits, Grapes and Berries

We Saved the Best for Last, Our Easter Desserts

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Double Chocolate Layer Cake, Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Whipped Cream,

Key Lime Pie, Boston Cream Pie, Cheesecake with Berry Sauce, Lemon Cream Torte,

Raspberry Cream Torte, Mini Pastries, Assorted Cookies, Brownies and Congo Bars.

www.HawthorneHotel.com

18 Washington Square West Salem, Ma 01970

978-825-4311

Tell me you're not starving after reading all of those yummy choices...

What's Coming in Salem

I just prepared a list of select events happening in Salem this spring, and thought I'd share them with you. Things will start warming up in Salem in April (which is not to say that the current Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection exhibit at the PEM is not hot, it is, so come see it. And come to Literally Salem at the end of the month, and take advantage of many opportunities to hear and see some great contemporary writers including Hannah Tinti and Brunonia Barry), and then it's nearly summer, and Salem really shines in Summer.

So, make plans, I say. Mark you calendar and discover the magic of arts, culture, great dining, celebrations and fun - fun - fun in Salem in 2009!

Remember, this is a very short list of events in Salem - visit the calendar at Salem.org for everything that's happening. There's a lot happening. Something for everyone, I daresay.

Special Events in Salem, Massachusetts
April – July 2009

April 4
Sensational India!
This two-day festival will make connections between the rich Indian art and culture represented in the PEM collections and India’s remarkable performing arts — traditional and contemporary — in its many exciting forms. The celebration will include art, dance, music, film, food, hands-on art activities and more. Families activities include tales from India read by storytellers, fortunes told by a parrot and rangoli art projects.
pem.org

April 5-9
Spring Restaurant Week
Take this opportunity to experience Salem’s great dining options! From casual to creative cuisine, and everything in between, Restaurant Week will offer special prix fix pricing at dozens of restaurants.
salem-chamber.org

April 16-18, 23-25, 26
The Pirates of Penzance
This beloved Gilbert & Sullivan musical comes alive on the Salem State College Mainstage. Tickets: $20 general/$15 seniors.
salemstate.edu/arts

May 22 (through November 1)
Salem Ferry Opens for the Season!
Considered by many to be the best way to travel between Salem and Boston – this 55 minute ride aboard a high-speed catamaran will transport you along the Massachusetts coastline in climate-controlled comfort! Take advantage of Cruise & Dine and Cruise & Shop specials offered in both Salem and Boston. Free parking at the Blaney Street pier in Salem. The ferry docks at Central Wharf by the New England Aquarium in Boston.
salemferry.com

June 5-7
Salem Arts Festival
Discover the magic of Salem’s arts scene this June! All media will be represented through special events, gallery exhibits, and art installations in Salem.
salemmainstreets.org

June 13 (Through September 7)
Exhibit: The Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes
The Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes, an exhibition of works from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK, follows the rise of seascape painting from 1550 to 1700.
Through major works by Dutch and Flemish artists, the exhibition explores the major themes of maritime painting, from atmospheric to allegorical and nationalistic imagery. Works by Simon de Vlieger, Hendrick Minderhout and Caspar van Wittel explore methods of employing painting as a means to catalog foreign conquest and trade as the Dutch became a significant presence on the world’s seas.
pem.org

June 18-21, June 25-27
Rumors by Neil Simon
Salem State College opens its summer theatre season with this classic Neil Simon production on the Mainstage.
salemstate.edu/arts

July 4th
Salem Celebrates the 4th!
This is the way Independence Day should be celebrated! Families picnic at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, games and crafts for kids, a Pops! Concert featuring the 42-piece Hillyer Festival Orchestra, and stunning fireworks over Salem Harbor and the Tall Ship Friendship. Free.
salem.com

July 16-19, 23-26
Footloose
The second production in Salem State College’s 2009 Summer Theatre Series. Come see why Salem loves its summer theatre!
salemstate.edu/arts

(Photos credits: Peabody Essex Museum, Leighton O'Connor, Scott Lanes)

Celebrate Women's History Month in Salem

National Park Service Celebrates Women’s History Month in Salem with a Presentation by Bonnie Hurd Smith

Salem Maritime National Historic Site will host Boston Women & the Law: a Virtual Tour through Four Centuries of Boston Women's Legal History at the Salem Visitor Center on March 22 at 2:00 PM.

Women's struggles to achieve legal rights and participate fully as voters, attorneys, and judges is a centuries-long story that is still playing out today. From Quakers and "witches" who were hanged in colonial Boston to the state's first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, there are dozens of colorful stories to tell—some of them with ties to Salem!

Join Bonnie Hurd Smith, author and creator of the Salem Women's Heritage Trail, for a virtual tour of the walking trail she created for New England Law | Boston during its Centennial year in 2008.

Learn about the women who were early religious dissenters, abolitionists, suffragists, attorneys,
judges, and elected officials, as well as those of both sexes who advocated for female education,
equality, and economic independence.

This program will be held at the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, Salem at 2:00 PM on March 22, 2009. The program is free and open to the public. Smith’s book will be available for purchase through the National Park Service’s non-profit partner, Eastern National, and she will be glad to sign books after the talk. For more information, please visit Salem Maritime’s web site at www.nps.gov/sama, or call 978-740-1650.

60 Seconds on Salem!

Last month a production crew came to chilly Salem to film a piece that will be broadcast through the Armed Forces Network to the Navy. Even in February, Salem looks great!

The video is filmed at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, Salem Witch Museum, The House of the Seven Gables, The Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial, and on Chestnut Street in front of the Phillips House.

Salem Film Fest Award Winners

This just in from Salem Film Fest...

It's official!

The two best documentary films of the Salem Film Fest have been chosen and will be screened tonight, Thursday, March 5 at CinemaSalem.

The Jury Award-winner, IN A DREAM, will screen at 5:30 this afternoon. This film has also won Audience Awards at several festivals, including the San Francisco International.

Here's a quick synopsis of this ravishingly beautiful documentary: Over the last thirty years, artist Isaiah Zagar has covered forty thousand square feet of Philadelphia with grand-scale mosaics. When Zagar's son Jeremiah picks up a camera to document his father's career, he is confronted with the reality of the man in front of the lens. In A Dream is an unblinking look at a celebrated artist who may not always be the husband and father his family needs him to be.

The Audience Award-winner, LIFE. SUPPORT. MUSIC. will screen tonight at 7:30. This tale of tragedy and a family's loving, courageous, and ultimately triumphant response to it represented one of the most intensely emotional movie theater experience for many in the audience who first viewed it last Saturday night.

We hope you'll take advantage of tonight's opportunity to see these two brilliant films, which derive much of their dramatic power from the fact that they're documentaries, presenting the real stories of real people.

Spring Fling in Salem!

SALEM MA TO HOST ROMAN GALA

The Ides of March: not a good time for Julius Caesar, but in Salem, it is a time to adorn a toga, grab a goblet and celebrate the return of Spring!

On March 21st, Salem Massachusetts will host the second annual Spring Fling: A Garden of Earthly Delights sponsored by Magic Hat at Old Town Hall in the heart of this beautiful, historic seaport. The Festival, which is fashioned after the Bacchanalia - a religious festival in honor of the wine god Dionysus or, as the Romans called him, Bacchus - will kick New Englanders out of a long hibernation and jumpstart Spring by indulging in the finest wines, craft beers and mouth watering food from North Shore restauranteurs.

Historically, the Bacchanalia was held in mid-March and priests and priestesses adorned with garlands of ivy would carry wine, honey, and cakes throughout Rome, celebrating and expressing themselves freely through music and pleasure.

This modern day version - Spring Fling - will feature a tasting of over 50 fine wines and international and local craft beers. The event, sponsored by Magic Hat, also features local breweries Ipswich, Cape Ann, Harpoon and Cody Brewing. Wine professionals will be on hand with an assortment of vino from the US, Europe, South Africa, South America and Down Under. Truly a party fit for Bacchus!

Salem Restaurants such as The Old Spot, Finz, Sixty2 on Wharf, Rockafellas, Cafe Grazziani, The Lobster Shanty, The Upper Crust Pizzeria, Gulu Gulu, AJ King and more will tickle and tantalize your palate with delectable culinary delights! North Shore Artists will be offering an eclectic variety of art to please your eye and warm your home! Local favorite, Machine 475 will be performing live and free chair massages will be provided by Living Well.

Meet familiar characters from myth and legend and enjoy the goddesses and nymphs that wander the "Garden of Earthly Delights." Seek out The Oracle of Delphi to hear your fortune. Roman attire is encouraged! Experience the intoxicating power of this celebration on March 21st from 1 - 4pm at Old Town Hall on the Pedestrian Mall in Salem, MA.

ECONOMIC CRISIS? CALL DIONYSUS! Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and are available at pmousse.com, localwineevents.com or by calling 978-745-2900.

Salem Spring Fling is presented by Magic Hat, Pamplemousse (Purveyor of Fine Wines, Beer, Kitchen and Homegoods) The Picklepot (A New England Craft Gallery, Gift Store and More!), The Salem Art Association and the Salem Restaurant Group.