July 4th Photos

Here are some more pictures from last year's July 4th Celebration on Derby Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. This year's celebration starts at 4pm on the 4th.

The Kidspace opens at 4pm.

Pack a picnic and hang out on the lawn!

Music on the Main Stage begins at 5pm with Sandra Lee.

The Hillyer Festival Orchestra begins at 7pm


The cast of Footloose from Summer Theatre at Salem State College will entertain us during intermission.


Fireworks over Salem Harbor at approximately 9:15pm.

It is an excellent, patriotic celebration of our Independence Day!


All photos (c) Scott Lanes.

What's the Best Way to Visit Salem?

It's been a busy day, so I'm going to let the blog post speak for itself. Spend 30 seconds getting excited for Salem - and look for this ad on WBZ and Channel 38 in July and August. I hope it inspires you to plan your next trip to Salem soon!

(If you are receiving this blog as an email, please click through to see the video.)

Trashimals at the PEM

I stopped into the Peabody Essex Museum on Friday to see the Trash Menagerie exhibit, and it was fantastic. I highly recommend adding it to your itinerary when you visit Salem.

My traveling companions (we'll call them my "focus group") were 8 and 5, and I could have left them at the Trashimal table for hours. This exhibit definitely passed the kid test.

Trash Menagerie is a celebration of the recycled. The animals on exhibit were made from umbrella pieces, old bike parts, corrugated cardboard (like them monkey on the right), bunt pans (My favorite! The green glowing centipede on the right.), campaign buttons, pots and pans, plastic bottles, old sweaters and more.

The artists' creativity inspired my kids to want to go home and make something out of nothing, and the recycling bin is now considered art supplies.

The kids really enjoyed the Trashimal board where they could use magnetized features to create their own animal - real or fictitious. We had a 5-headed-animal and a 2-headed-bird before too long.

Now, we went to the museum specifically for the Trash Menagerie exhibit, but the banner promoting the Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes exhibit absolutely drew in my 5 year old. so the focus group headed upstairs to this wonderful new exhibit of seascapes painted by the Dutch masters.

This gave me the opportunity to talk to the kids about art and looking at art - we talked about angry water, and rainbows, the very big ships sinking, and how amazing it was that a painter can make all of the details of a ship's rigging look so real.

The Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes is certainly not an exhibit geared for young children, but it was fascinating, nonetheless. There is a conservator's station in the exhibit, which fascinated the kids just as it had fascinated me when I first saw the exhibit.

The Boston Globe and The Salem News and Northshore Art Throb have each covered the Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes. I recommend checking them out, and then visiting the PEM for the Trash Menagerie, the Seascapes, and everything else. It's a brilliant place to spend the afternoon.

Salem Farmer's Market

The Salem Farmer's Market kicked off its 2009 season - the first of what we all hope is a grand annual tradition! It was awesome. I know how hard Salem Main Streets and the Farmer's Market committee has been working to pull this together, and they did a tremendous job.

Hats off to Mother Nature for giving us a break in the clouds for the market! Moods were high, sales were strong, and the place was packed. When Mayor Driscoll rang the market bell at 4:00 PM Sharp, I was standing next to the Gibney Gardens table where stacks of monkey bread stood ready to sell, and sell they did! About 6 loaves flew from the table with magical speed. It was quite something.

I took a few pictures of the market - which will be every Thursday through the end of October, 4pm - 7pm. More than 100 downtown businesses are staying open late on Thursdays, too, so make sure to allow time to shop or grab a bite to eat before or after the market.

Chef Tony Bettencourt from Sixty2 on Wharf did a cooking demonstration, preparing Gnocchi (with Risotto, I think?). There was music, and vendors were selling everything from strawberries to hanging plants, soaps, lobsters, fish, cookies (really good cookies!), zucchini, lettuce.

Next week we'll see peas, as well as more lettuce. I'll find out what else we can expect (more monkey bread!!) and post it on Wednesday.

Hope to see you next Thursday!!

One of Salem's FAM Tours

Destination Salem hosts dozens of familiarization (FAM) tours a year. Here's a picture of our new friends from the UK, who were in Salem last week.

Left to right, we have Gemma from Bon Voyage, Laura from America as You Like It, Julie from MOTT (the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, the people you want to talk to when you want to explore the rest of Massaachusetts - after you're quite done in Salem, of course), Tim from Thomas Cook, and Nan from New England Vacations. On the far right is our Trolley driver and guide extraordinaire, Ron.

This group was on a whirlwind tour of Massachusetts, stopping in Salem as part of a 10-day journey that took them to Boston, Plymouth, Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and to the outlets in Wrentham.

I have it on good authority that visitors from the UK love to shop for jeans and shoes when they come to Massachuestts.

We made the most of their 14 hours in Salem - they stayed in The Salem Inn, had dinner at Capt.'s, explore the nightlife on Washington Street at Rockafellas and Gulu Gulu Cafe, saw the city from the Salem Trolley, and visited the Salem Witch Museum.

They were most disappointed to have to leave at about the time the shops were open, because a couple of our guests really wanted to have their Tarot read at one of the witch shops. Next time, ladies!!

I hope Tim, Nan, Gemma, Laura, and Julie left with a better understanding of Salem as a destination for their clients and guests. And if you are in the UK looking to book a trip to Massachusetts, I hope you will look for these companies and their itineraries that include Salem!

Welcome to the World History Association

This week Salem welcomes the World History Association's 18th Annual Conference.


I would like to extend a warm welcome to the 400+ historians, teachers, academics, conferees and their families who are coming to Salem to explore the theme of "Merchants and Missionaries in World History." I hope you have a great conference, and a wonderful experience exploring Salem!


I wish it were sunny with blue skies so the welcome banner looked a bit more exciting over Essex Street, but I am optimistic the weather will break and all of Salem's guests will have a somewhat dry (or at least dryer) experience during their stay.


So, in honor of the World History Association coming to Salem, I have a few Salem trivia items for you - all along the theme of Merchants and Missionaries in World History.

• In 1798, Salem residents pooled their money, their lumber and their time to build the frigate Essex for the US Navy. This wasn't unusual behavior for Salem residents - in the 1920s residents of Salem pooled their resources and took out subscriptions to finance the building of the Hawthorne Hotel.

• Salem native Nathaniel Bowditch wrote the definitive navigation guide, The New American Practical Navigator, in 1802. The Bowditch, as it is commonly called, can still be found on the bridge of US Navy vessels today.

• The Salem Athenaeum (pictured) holds what was once considered the finest scientific library in the United States. Novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne was a member of the Athenaeum, which still operates in its Essex Street location today.

• The Salem Maritime National Historic Site is the first national historic site in the National Park system.

• Merchant Elias Hasket Derby opened trade between Salem, China, and Russia. He was America's first millionaire. His home is part of the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, and is open for guided tours.

• Finally, The Ye Olde Pepper Companie (pictured) produces the Gibralter, which was the first commercially produced candy in America. Because of the Gibralter, Salem was once known as the candy capital of the world, and ships sailing from Salem would be wont to leave port without a load of the candies on board! You can still purchase Gibralters, and a host of other sweet treats, at Ye Olde Pepper Company on Derby Street across from the House of the Seven Gables.

Salem is a fascinating seaport! Enjoy your visit!

Salem Will Celebrate the Fourth!

The Fourth of July is coming... despite all appearances, it really is summer, and next weekend (not this weekend) Salem will celebrate the Fourth of July on Derby Wharf for the 9th time! This is a great celebration that is fun, patriotic, celebratory, beautiful, and fun. Did I mention fun?

This year we will applaud the return of the Hillyer Festival Orchestra to the stage, we will ooh-and-ahhh at the military flyover, and we will delight in fireworks overhead as we listen to the 1812 Overture. We will clap along to Footloose with the cast from Salem State College's Summer Theatre, and we will picnic while Sandra Lee sings to us as the opening act.

The kids will dance, make patriotic crafts, and have red-white-and-blue shapes painted on their faces. There will be funnel cake, hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, and kettle corn.

We've done this in the rain. We've done it in shine. It's a wonderful Salem tradition that is all at once American, New England, and all of us who attend.

It all starts at 4pm on July 4th at Derby Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. I hope you can join us. (Photography of July 4, 2008 (c) Scott Lanes)

CityView's New Trolley

Check out the snazzy new CityView trolley! This new Salem Harley Davidson Trolley is spending its time shuttling visitors from the Salem Ferry Landing as well as running CityView's one-hour tour of Salem.
For more information on CityView Trolley Tours, visit www.salemtrolleytours.com.

More Happy Pets!

Sasha's trip to Salem, which I wrote about on Friday morning, was downright inspiring. Here are some more pet-friendly spots and some of their recent visitors...

Yup. That's a pig. A potbellied pig. Olivia the Potbellied Pig visited the Hawthorne Hotel last year. Click on her picture to read all about it on the Hawthorne's blog.

Here are two pictures from Salem's Vintage Photography in Museum Place Mall. I love the idea of bringing in your dog for a souvenir photo, and may just have to do just that with my dog.


Your well-mannered dog is also welcome at Spellbound Tours, 192 Essex Street, and you may run into Magnum Force, a young Akita who belongs to Spellbound owner Mollie Stewart, working in the museum.

Gulu Gulu Cafe welcomes pets on their patio at 247 Essex Street. All pets will be served a complimentary bowl of water.

I'll let you know as I hear about more pet-friendly spots in Salem.

Pet Friendly Salem

Salem is such a pet-friendly place! Here's my happy dog story of the week.

This is Sasha (see right). Sasha came to visit Salem from Connecticut. She was visiting friends and family in the area - more than 40% of travelers to this region come here to visit friends and family - and to take in the history, heritage, and culture.

It wasn't raining (for a few minutes) so Sasha's family grabbed a slice at Upper Crust on Washington Street and they sat outside so they could keep Sasha close. The staff at Upper Crust happily provided Sasha with a bowl of water, which she appreciated almost as much as the extra crusts she got to nibble on.

After lunch, Sasha stopped into Penelope's Pet Boutique for a little shopping and a lot of browsing. I'm pretty sure she made a list.

Sasha's family's favorite spot in Salem is the Peabody Essex Museum, and Sasha is quite interested in the new Trash Menagerie exhibit that opens tomorrow. I wonder if there's a Labradoodle in the exhibit? They also like the House of the Seven Gables, Reds, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. Sasha had to get back into the car after Penelope's, but she assured me that she had a great time.

Next time she may book a VIP Package at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Three Free Weekends at Salem Maritime NHS

First of all, I want to clarify for all of you that "NHS" stands for National Historic Site, but National Historic Site is wordy and a bit clunky to type over and over again, so we say NHS. As in the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Some know Salem Maritime National Historic Site as Derby Wharf - a half-mile wharf extending into Salem Harbor with the charming Derby Light Station at its end. Derby Wharf is great for walks, for fishing, for hanging out and watching the Schooner Fame and other boats travel in and out of the harbor. And it is historically significant because when you stand at the end of Derby Wharf and you look back toward Derby Street, the Custom House, Derby House, tall ship Friendship, and the Salem skyline, you can almost imagine what Salem looked like 200 years ago when dozens of wharves just like the Derby's extended into the harbor and were the heart and soul of a bustling, prosperous maritime community.

Some know Salem Maritime NHS for the Custom House, which is significant because it is an authentic US Custom House, where author Nathaniel Hawthorne worked prior to penning The Scarlet Letter. This is the same Custom House that Hawthorne refers to in the preface to The Scarlet Letter. You can visit the Custom House and imagine Hawthorne working unhappily in the office on the left, and you can imagine a trunk the the attic in which was found a scarlet A.

And some know Salem Maritime NHS for the Tall Ship Friendship. This replica of a 1797 East Indiaman docks on Derby Wharf and is our own piece of living maritime heritage. She was the Mack Truck of her day, shuttling cargo around the globe. Unfortuanetly, Freindship is not here this weekend because she has been hauled out in Boothbay, Maine for her Coast Guard inspection. She will be back, we hope, for the July 4th celebrations.

Regardless of how you know Salem Maritime NHS, this weekend and on two other weekends this summer you can know her free of charge. And not just Salem Maritime - all of the 147 National Parks that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission on the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. That's a nice summertime treat, isn't it?

So, if you are familiar with the free aspects of Salem Maritime NHS - Derby and Central Wharves, the Scale exhibit, the Bonded Warehouse, the free films at the orientation center and the Regional Visitor Center, the free Junior Ranger program (yes, that's right, all of these things are free already, every day!) - take advantage of this generous invitation and explore the historic buildings. Take a tour of the Custom House, the Derby House, and the 17th century Narbonne House. They are some of Salem's treasures.

And on your way out, make sure to stop at the West India Goods Store. It's a great gift shop. Many locals favor the spices they sell.

Salem Maritime National Historic Site is at 193 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970. nps.gov/sama. For information on all of the National Parks that are waiving their fees, visit nps.gov.

Al Fresca Yum Yum

It's gorgeous out today - hooray! Grab your lunch and head outside. We all need the sun's vitamins after this stretch of gray. Check out the outside dining at these Salem restaurants:

On Washington Street, which is being called "Eat Street" by the locals, you can dine outside at the new tables in front and back of Caffe Graziani. The tables in the back are in a delightful shaded corner of Derby Square. Continue up Washington Street to Rockafellas, and across the street behind the Bewitched Statue, Gulu Gulu Cafe and Upper Crust Pizza each have outdoor dining.

Down on the water, you can sit harborside at Capt.'s, Victoria Station, Finz and the Regatta at the Salem Waterfront Hotel.

On Essex Street you can eat sushi fountainside at Asahi.

And on Front Street in the vicinity of Old Town Hall, you can sit outside at the Lobster Shanty (particularly fun when they have live music in Artists' Row), and you can eat ice cream at Maria's Sweet Somethings.

Don't feel limited by these restaurants that offer table service out of doors. If you're looking for something more casual, grab a dog at Boston Hot Dog or a sandwich at Reds, Brothers, or Essex Pizza and head to the picnic tables at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site or the cafe tables behind Old Town Hall on Front Street.

The steps of Old Town Hall and the Gazebo in Salem Common are also excellent picnic spots, as are the walls of Armory Park adjacent to the Salem Regional Visitor Center.

Bon apetit!

Animals All Around

On Saturday, June 20th, the Peabody Essex Museum invites families to celebrate the opening of PEM’s newest exhibition Trash Menagerie, with an action-packed day of activities focusing on creatures and creativity. Make a giant sea turtle from recycled paper, create a fabulous finned fish from discarded detergent bottles, and build moveable 'trashimals' to bring home. Visitors can enjoy a screening of the Oscar-winning animation, Wall-E, and stay on for Garbage Warrior, a documentary about sustainable architecture. All activities are free with museum admission. Full event details may be found below:

• Plastiquarium Creations: An Artist Demonstration with David Edgar (Noon - 4pm) Trash Menagerie contributing artist and arts educator David Edgar makes fish of all sizes from discarded plastic containers. See the transformation from laundry detergent bottles to fabulous finned fishes.

• Moveable Trashimals: Drop-in Art Activities (Noon - 4pm) Create your own moveable animal from discarded materials with Trash Menagerie artist Anne Cubberly. Display your creature in our temporary menagerie, then take your work of art home to live with you!

• Scrap-Paper Animal (1 - 3pm) Collaborate with environmental artist Kyle Browne to create an enormous paper collage sea turtle!

• Wall-E (Rated G) (1 - 2:40pm) Set in the early 29th century, this Oscar-winning computer-animated film follows the story of a robot named Wall-E who is designed to clean up a polluted, abandoned earth.

• Garbage Warrior (Not rated) (3 - 4:20 pm) This inspirational film documents renegade architect Michael Reynold and his battle to build earthships -- long-lasting, eco-friendly, off-the-grid homes built out of garbage.

On view in PEM’s interactive Art & Nature center from June 20th, 2009 through May 2010, Trash Menagerie presents over 30 inventive animal sculptures made from what most of us throw away, from baking tins to water bottles, piano keys to plastic bags. Purchase tickets for the films and ticketed events here and see an image slideshow here.

About the Peabody Essex Museum

The Peabody Essex Museum presents art and culture from New England and around the world. The museum's collections are among the finest of their kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture (including four National Historic Landmark buildings) and outstanding Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime and Photography collections. In addition to its vast collections, the museum offers a vibrant schedule of changing exhibitions and a hands-on education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 24 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States.

HOURS: Open Tuesday-Sunday and holiday Mondays, 10 am-5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

ADMISSION: Adults $15; seniors $13; students $11. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $5. Members, youth 16 and under and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang.

INFO: Call 866-745-1876 or visit our Web site at www.pem.org.

Rumor has it...

Summer Theatre at Salem State College returns this week with Neil Simon's Rumors. And rumor has it that the show is going to be fantastic! I haven't seen the play (yet!) but I have it on good authority that it's a great date night activity - the comedy has been described to me a classic and slapstick.

Can't have too much comedy, now can we?

In their press release, Salem State College describes the play as "a classic farce, in which several posh couples attend a dinner party only to find the hostess missing and the mayor has been shot - but their biggest concern is their reputations if they are connected to the scene of the crime!"

Summer Theatre at Salem State College is a professional troupe in residence. The second show in the 2009 season is Footloose, which will run on the College's mainstage July 16-26.

Rumors opens this Thursday, June 18, and runs until July 12. Check SalemState.edu/arts for performance times and ticket prices. Rumors is playing in the smaller Callan Theatre, which does sell out, so it is advised to get your tickets in advance.

Grab your discount code from Salem.org/deals to save a bit on your ticket!

Salem Lifestyle Open House this Sunday

Come Check Out the hip, urban lifestyle in downtown Salem, Massachusetts!

This weekend the Salem Chamber of Commerce is organizing the first (annual, I hope!) Lifestyle Open House. This means that on Sunday, June 14 from noon - 3pm you can tap into your inner house-hunter and come to Salem for some good, old-fashioned house hunting. And condo hunting. And apartment hunting.

Discover the diversity of properties within walking distance of downtown Salem - from Federal style mansions to Victorian homes to contemporary condos in new developments to redeveloped historic buildings. Wherever you step in downtown Salem, you are a short walk from the MBTA Commuter Rail (Newburyport/Rockport Line to Boston), the Salem Ferry (stopping at the Seaport District AND Long Wharf North), Salem arts and culture, museums, restaurants, nightlife, beaches, bike paths, parks, and more!

It's an awesome urban environment, and you should check it out!

Grab a map of the open house locations online at Salem-Chamber.org or at the Chamber office at 265 Essex Street. (For more information, call 978-744-0004.) More then 30 downtown properties will be open!

Plan to stay for lunch and dinner, catch the new Golden Age of Dutch Seascapes exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, browse and shop on Pickering Wharf, Essex Street, Front Street, Derby Street; visit The House of the Seven Gables, Salem Willows, historic Chestnut Street. It won't take very long for you to understand why the American Planning Association ranked downtown Salem, Massachusetts one of America’s 10 great neighborhoods! Visit Salem.org for shopping, dining, and exploration ideas.

Discover the magic of living in Salem!

Don't forget the Living Green Fair is this weekend!

Here's a non-traditional way to spend your visit to Salem this weekend! Check out the 2nd Annual Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair!

The Fair will be held on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 from 10 am to 3 pm at Salem's historic Old Town Hall. Over 40 vendors will be showcasing their "green" products and services. This year's speaker series includes Green Materials in Historic Renovations, Be Green by Eating Green, and Solar Energy Incentives.

The City of Salem has proclaimed June 13th, 2009 as Clean Energy Day. Like last year, there will be a free screening of a film at CinemaSalem to kickoff the event. This year's film is Addicted to Plastic and will begin at 10am. Also, there will be a children's play area, Kids Green Scene, hosted by Crunchy Granola Baby.

For further information about the Fair, including a complete list of vendors and detailed information about the speaker series and film, visit the following link: http://www.salem-chamber.org/livinggreenfair34.html

The Salem Witch Museum is a Top Place for Families

Visit Boston.com to see a great story that features 20 family outings for under $50 in Massachusetts.

The Salem Witch Museum is featured as the ninth site to see.  

The Salem Witch Museum is one of many great stops for families in Salem.  Visit Salem.org for our list of 10 free things to do in Salem. 

Use your MassValuePass in Salem!

The summer MassValuePass is in full swing.  Visit massvacation.com to download your free pass, and then use it to receive great deals and discounts at these Salem accommodations and attractions!  

LODGING DEALS

*Please check with each individual property for additional restrictions or blackout dates

Amelia Payson House, 978-744-8304 | 25% off rates Sunday-Thursday, non-holiday.

Clipper Ship Inn, 978-745-8022 | 25% off your third night when you stay two nights.

Hawthorne Hotel, 978-744-4080 | Special $82 rate! Regularly $109. Go to hawthornehotel.com, click on Make a Reservation, click on Groups and type in MAVA0114 to get a standard room at this special discount!

Henry Derby House, 978-745-1080 | 25% off three night stay, Friday-Sunday. Save 35% any four weekdays - arriving Monday departing Friday Save 30% any three weekdays - arriving Monday departing Friday.

The Salem Inn, 978-741-0680 | 25% off best available rates. Offer only available Tuesday-Thursday.

Stepping Stone Inn, 978-741-8900 | Free tickets to the Witch Museum and parking with your weekend package.

 

ATTRACTION DEALS

The House of the Seven Gables, 978-744-0991 | One free child admission per paying adult in a party.

New England Pirate Museum, 978-741-2800 | 25% off adult admission.

Salem Witch Museum, 978-744-1692 | Special Rates: Adult - $6.00, Senior Citizen - $5.25 and Child (6-14) $4.00

Witch Dungeon Museum,  978-741-3570 | 25% off adult admission.

Witch History Museum, 978-741-7770 | 25% off adult admission.

The Witch House,  978-744-8815 | $2 off of admission.

RETAIL DEALS

Crunchy Granola Baby, 978-741-0800 | 25% off your entire purchase. One pass per household. Some restrictions apply.

Rouge Cosmetics, 978-740-1044 | 30% off special event makeup application fee! Excludes bridal.

Witch City Consignment & Thrift Store, 978-744-4433 | 25% off entire purchase of $25 or more. Buy any item and receive a second item of equal or less value at 50% off.

OUR REGIONAL PARTNERS’ DEALS

Cape Ann's Marina Resort, Gloucester, 978-283-2116 | 25% off our regular room rates based on availability. This offer does not apply to previously booked reservations.

Captain Bill & Sons Whale Watch, Gloucester, 978-283-6995 | 25% off current spring rates.

Comfort Inn Danvers, 978-777-1700 | 25% off our regular rates. Ask for the MOTT rate.

Essex River Cruises & Charters, 978-768-6981 | $7 dollars off per person on our daily cruises.

Harbor Light Inn, Marblehead, 781-631-2186 | Stay two nights, get a third night free! 25% off any night Sunday-Thursday.

For even more Salem deals and discounts, visit Salem.org! 

Pictures from a Mahi Mahi Sunset Cruise

I went out on a Mahi Mahi Sunset Cruise last night, and it was a lovely (if not a bit chilly) evening. a point about the chillness - remember, when embarking on a harbor cruise, it is always cooler on the water - bring a fleece or sweatshirt!

The chill in the breeze didn't affect the fabulous time we had. Brother & sister team Will and Phoebe Cole do a great job - from hospitality to kabobs off the grill, to taking us into the nooks and crannies of Salem and Marblehead harbors so we could check out the yachts.

Here are my pictures of the sunset - which was a wonderful surprise to appear through an otherwise gray sky!

17th Century Saturdays Return

Seventeenth Century Saturdays return for their third year this weekend. Beginning Saturday, June 6, First Period properties throughout the north of Boston region will be open to the public.

This Saturday, June 6, they will all be open free of charge!

Here is a list of the properties in Salem that are participating. Visit EscapesNorth.org for complete information on the program and to download the brochure.

Here are the properties in Salem that are participating:

Gedney House, 1665

21 High Street

June, July, August, Sept., Oct.

(pictured, right)

The House of the Seven Gables, 1668

115 Derby Street

June, July, August, Sept.

Kalmar Nyckel Replica, 1638 ship

Docked at Central Wharf
August only

Narbonne House, 1675

71 Essex Street

June, July, August, Sept., Oct.

Peabody Essex Museum

161 Essex Street

A Point in Time: 1692 tour

June: 1 p.m. only

John Ward House, ca. 1684

(pictured, right)

June: Open house 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Tour at 11:30 a.m. only on other dates

Salem in 1630 (Pioneer Village), 1930 (Replica of 1630)

Forest River Park

June, July, August, Sept.

The Witch House (Jonathan Corwin House), Before 1675

310 Essex Street

June, July, August, Sept., Oct.

Learn how to Spin your Electric Meter Backwards

Learn how to Spin your Electric Meter Backwards

at Salem’s 2nd Annual Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair

Saturday, June 13 - 10am-3pm

Commonwealth Solar rebates along with State and Federal tax credits are providing Massachusetts residents and business owners the opportunity to spin their electric meters backwards. Learn how to get off the grid and much more at the 2nd Annual Living Green & Renewable Energy Fair. The fair will take place on Saturday, June 13th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in and around Old Town Hall in Salem.

The fair will include numerous exhibits from local, regional and national companies, a Kids “Green Scene”, a Green Speaker Series and a free screening of “Addicted to Plastic” at CinemaSalem. The fair will feature everything from cars that run on waste vegetable oil to free one-on-one consultations on how to green your home.

In recognition of the fair, the City of Salem will celebrate June 13th as Clean Energy Day, and all Salem citizens are encouraged to sign up for Clean Energy Choice, a Massachusetts Technology Collaborative program (MTC). For more information on this program, bring your National Grid electric bill to the Renewable Energy Taskforce exhibit at the fair.

The fair is sponsored by Sunlight Solar Energy and Salem State College. The organizers of the fair are the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem Renewable Energy Taskforce. For the entire schedule of events please visit http://www.salem-chamber.org/. For more information contact the Salem Chamber at 978-744-0004.

Schedule of Events
10 a.m. – 3 pm

Vendor Booths & Exhibits in Old Town Hall Kids “Green Scene” in Old Town Hall

10 a.m.
Screening of Addicted to Plastic in CinemaSalem (55 mins)

11 a.m.
Clean Energy Day Proclamation by Mayor Driscoll at The Gathering

11:15 – 12:15 p.m.
Presentation: Green Materials in Historic Renovations – by The Green Roundtable

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Presentation: Be Green by Eating Green – by Revitalive

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
Presentation: Solar Energy Incentives – by Sunlight Solar Energy

Cancer Walk Beach Party Fundraiser

There is a lot going on this weekend in Salem! Here's the scoop on a fundraiser for the North Shore Medical Center's annual Cancer Walk that is being held at the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites.

Join us for Salem Waterfront Hotel Cancer Walk Beach Party with special guests, The Jumbo Circus Peanuts, an 11 piece swing/funk/soul band. The event will take place on June 6th from 2 pm to 6 pm under a tent in the marina parking lot next to the Salem Waterfront Hotel rain or shine.

Food and beverages, including hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, giant pretzels, cookies, popcorn, chips, and soda will be available for sale with proceeds going to the NSMC Cancer Walk. Beer and wine will also be available.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance by calling 978-740-8788.

Proceeds from the ticket and food sales will go directly to the North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) Cancer Walk.

The Salem Arts Festival Kick-Off Celebration

Salem Main Streets is proud to announce The Salem Arts Festival, June 5 – 7, 2009 free fun for the whole family and a great way to start the summer with family friendly entertainment, a collaboration of world-class artists, and activities for children. The event will be held downtown Salem in Old Town Hall and also on Pickering Wharf.

The three day festival starts on Friday, June 5 with a Kick-Off Reception at Old Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. The reception will include a Juried Art Exhibition and an Arc Works Exhibition that will showcase local artists and their work including local favorite Racket Shreve. There will also be a special show of Presidential Inauguration 2009 Photos taken by First Class Petty Officer Mark O’Donald while on assignment as a photojournalist with the navy reserves covering President Obama’s Inauguration.

During the exhibit enjoy the eclectic sound of the East West Trio, a Jazz, Funk and Blues band.

At 7 p.m. Accumulation Dance, a contemporary, modern dance company based in Boston, will be performing and at 8 p.m. Rebecca Hains, a professor at Salem State College, will present her soprano singing to Gilbert & Sullivan arias.

The reception is small preview, with large talent, of what is to come for the Salem Arts Festival. It is a chance to experience the talented, local artists and enjoy downtown Salem.

At 8:00 p.m., Soprano Rebecca Hains will present a recital of Gilbert & Sullivan arias. Selections will include highlights from The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, and other G&S operas, with songs that range from the humorous to the romantic. With guest appearance by Tom Frates, baritone. Accompanied by pianist Thomas Dawkins.

For information on all of the events going on this weekend in Salem, visit Salem.org.

Schedule & exhibitors subject to changes. Visit the website www.salemartsfestival.com periodically for updates and for the full festival schedule.

Destination Salem at NH Leisure Expo this weekend!

Come visit Destination Salem and the North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau at the New Hampshire Leisure Travel show in Portsmouth, NH, this weekend. We will be there on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7.

Representatives from the Hawthorne Hotel, History Alive, The House of the Seven Gables, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Salem Ferry, and the Salem Witch Museum will be staffing the booth for Salem. In addition to North of Boston CVB staff, representatives from the Atlantis Ocean Front Inn (Gloucester), Seaport Gloucester, the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, Ipswich, Marblehead, Marriott hotels, and the Essex National Heritage Commission will be there.

Admission is $10, kids under 12 are free, and your admission ticket is also a raffle ticket (check out the raffle prizes on NHLeisureExpo.com... the Hawthorne Hotel and the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites both donated prizes).

We will have fun and games and prizes all weekend long. Stop by and enter to win destination packages for Salem and the North of Boston region. Under the fun-and-games category - On Sunday (only Sunday) the Peabody Essex Museum will have two people at the booth doing interactive crafts from recycled material to upcoming Trash Menagerie exhibit.

It's going to be lots of fun. Hope to see you there!