Christmas Tree Bonfire

Mayor Kimberley Driscoll
and the
Salem Park and Recreation Commission
invite you to join in the fun at the
City of Salem's
9th Annual Christmas Tree Bonfire
Friday, January 6, 2012
6:30 PM
Dead Horse Beach at Salem Willows
Free Hot Chocolate & Music by The Gathering
(Rain/Snow/Wind Reschedule Date: Saturday, January 7th)
(check salem.com for rescheduling information)

sponsored by:
The City of Salem
Salem Park, Recreation & Community Services Department
The Gathering

You can see a video of last year's bonfire on Salem.Patch.com.

Ring in the New Year in Salem

What better way to ring out the old year than with fantastic food and wine a 62 Restaurant?  What better way to ring in 2012 than with live music, dancing and dessert at Finz?  These are just two of several options for New Years Eve in Salem.  

Here's a quick list to help you plan:

• New Years Bash Upstairs at Finz ~ Ring in The New Year at the New Years Eve Bash upstairs at FINZ with live music by the Mystics, dancing, a decadent dessert buffet, and champagne toast. $25 per person, $10 per person if you've dined at Finz that evening. HipFinz.com
• Ring in the New Year with 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar ~  Featuring a special four-course prix fixe menu for $70.00 per person ($90 with wine pairing) featuring his modern take on regional Italian dishes as well as the regular dinner menu. 62Restaurant.com
• Dinner at the Hawthorne Hotel ~ Enjoy an elegant seven-course, prefixed dinner.  Live Jazz music (no dancing).  Nathaniel's and Sophia's. Price $85 per person. Reservations strongly recommended. HawthorneHotel.com 
• New Years Eve Celebration at Victoria Station ~ Shake off the old and welcome in the New Year at Victoria Station with DJ Bobby V., party favors, DJ, Dancing, Light passed appetizers and a free champagne toast at midnight! And, of course, there's no cover charge! VictoriaStationSalem.com
• New Years Eve at 43 Church ~ Ring in the New Year at 43 Church, a Fabulous New Years menu and Music by Glass Onion. 43Church.com
• Ring in the New Year at Capt.'s ~ Special dinner menu includes a complementary Champagne toast. Capts.com
• Two Exciting Events at Rockafellas ~ Celebrate upstairs in Colonial Hall or downstairs at Rockafellas. Choose DJ or live band, tapas or three course prixe fix dinner! RockafellasofSalem.com 

Wherever you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Happy Holidays from Destination Salem

Thank you for a wonderful 2011...

We are looking forward to an exciting 2012!   

Kate Fox, Executive Director

Stacia Cooper, Sales Manager

Destination Salem
The Office of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Inc.
Salem, Massachusetts

Salem.org

Winter in Salem

Gazebo on Salem Common

It has been unseasonably warm in Salem for the past few days, and I am craving a crisp breeze and snow.  So, as we prepare to depart for the Christmas holiday, I am going to share some lovely Salem winter scenes.

Salem Common

I'm sure the snow and cold weather will be here before we know it, and then we will be longing for this balmy winter weather that allows us to enjoy being outside along our harbor walk, pedestrian mall and architectural districts.

Samantha Statue at Essex and Washington Streets

I'll be sure to post some inspiring spring images in the middle of winter to remind us of the thaw that's soon to come!

The House of the Seven Gables

Sale at QuintEssentials

I am really, really sorry to say that QuintEssentials on Pickering Wharf is closing.  Located next to Capts, it was a perfect place to shop for the women in my life - including me!  Hair accessories, scarves, hats, jewelry, bags... it really was quintessential. 

It's not over, yet, however.  There are five shopping days left, and QuintEssentials is having a CLOSING SALE that will make your holiday festive and bright! 

• Everything in the store is 25% off! 
• Now through Christmas, save an additional 25% on all merchandise that is already marked-down. 
• All customers who pay in CASH will save an additional 3% (that would normally be paid to a credit card company for processing)!
• And there is free gift wrapping, and free gifts for each purchase of $50 or more.

Holiday Hours:Tuesday December 20th:   11am - 5pm
Wednesday, Dec. 21st:     11am - 5pm
Thursday, Dec. 22nd:     11am - 8pm (Our last Girl's Night Out)
Friday, Dec. 23rd:     11am - 8pm
Saturday, Dec. 24th: 11 am - 4pm... or until the last present is purchased!

Salem featured in Good Housekeeping... in 1982!

This morning a fantastic travel piece about Salem from a 1982 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine came into our world at Destination Salem.  It tells us a lot about what has changed, and what has not in our bewitching seaport.

Click here to see the article.  

Here are a few things that have not changed... 

• In the early 1980s, Salem was inviting visitors to "Stop by for a spell!" Today we are still making history! 
• "Salem remembers [the Witch Trials of 1692] part of its past not with pride, however, but as a warning of what can happen when rational reasoning gets drowned in a flood of emotionalism."
• We are still a "city to walk in - ideal for visitors - with attractions of interest for every age group." 
• And we still boast "fine residences to house [sea captains'] curious from distant lands. These historic gems, many designed and built by Samuel McIntire, are a proud testimonial to the past."

And what has changed... 

• We remember the Trials with the Witch Trial Memorial
• The Peabody Museum and the Essex Institute merged into the Peabody Essex Museum, and then expanded into the PEM of today.
• Shops and restaurants are not restricted to Pickering Wharf! There are more than 150 businesses throughout the downtown, including Pickering Wharf.  
• The Voyage of the India Star is gone, but we now have Where Past is Present, the free film shown daily at the Salem Regional Visitor Center. 
• The Hawthorne Inn is now the full-service Hawthorne Hotel, and rates are slightly more than $30 - $40 per night! (And worth it!)  Visitors today have a variety of accommodations to choose from, which can be found on Salem.org. 

Lots of things have changed, and continue to change, in this vibrant city, but one thing remains the same: We hope you will visit for a day, a night, an afternoon, or a weekend.  Especially if you haven't been since 1982!

Congratulations to the 2011 Photo Contest Winners!

The results are in!  965 people voted, and I am happy to reveal the winners of Destination Salem's 2011 Photography Contest.

FIRST PRIZE, and $100, goes to Mark Wade for his image of Tall Ship Friendship.

SECOND PRIZE, and $50 in Salem Chamber of Commerce gift certificates, goes to Linda J. Orlomoski for her image of Tall Ship Friendship.

THIRD PRIZE, and $25 in Salem Chamber of Commerce gift certificates, goes to Susan Washeba Plutsky for her image of the Tall Ship Friendship's stern.

The people have spoken, and they love our tall ship! Thanks to all of the photographers who submitted to the 2011 contest, and to everyone who voted.  

Congratulations to our winners! 

Salem Winter Market - Only two weeks left!

I love the Winter Market.  It is warm and flavorful (samples abound), there are seasonal gifts including gingerbread houses, wreaths, and kissing balls, and there are staples from farms in the region including squash, potatoes, carrots, eggs, and more. 

And it's inside. 

The Salem Winter Market is being held in the stalls of Artist Row, so no matter the weather, there are treats and necessities to sample and buy in the protected space of Artist Row.  Only two weeks remain, so if you have not yet visited the market, stop by on Thursday between 2pm - 6pm. December 22nd - next week - is the final market of the year, and then we have to wait until June for the Salem Farmers Market to bring us the strawberries of early summer.

A word to the wise regarding the Winter Market - the lobsters go fast, so get there early if lobster is on your shopping list.  In the event the lobsters are sold out by the time you arrive, I recommend the seafood chowder and homemade pasta with a mixed green salad.  A fabulous dinner.

The homemade salsas are pretty awesome, too, as are the flavored butters, which are conveniently sold next to the artisan breads.  Oh, and the mushrooms... I've never seen such mushrooms! 

Cookies, marvelous cookies!

And the cookie samples....

Root vegetables!

The final fresh apples of the season.

Inside the Market

Wally's Vegetables

Homemade pasta

One more note - if you miss the Market, Milk & Honey on Church Street carries local produce, grass-fed beef, homemade soups, and local milk, cheese and eggs.  Milk & Honey is here year-round, and it's a lovely store. 

But try to get to the market on Thursday, because it will soon be gone, leaving us longing for fresh local produce during the winter months ahead. 

Salem Open House Shopping Night on Friday

Friday, December 16 will be a night of holiday shopping, discounts, refreshments, prizes and fun for all as businesses around downtown Salem stay open late for Salem Open House Night!

Shoppers can enjoy a nighttime walk throughout the festively decorated and warmly lit downtown as they purchase the perfect gifts for the special people on their lists. More than 50 businesses will be participating in Salem Open House Night, from clothing stores to cafes, boutiques to quirky shops and much more.

Shoppers will be able to take advantage of many special discounts and offers including:

• Free cocoa and samples of winter ice cream flavors at Ben & Jerry’s
• Free chair massage at Body and Soul Massage and Wellness Center with a donation to the Northeast Animal Shelter as well as free hand paraffin, a free gift with a purchase and homemade cookies and cider
• Refreshments and specials at Boston Bead Company
• Christmas cookies at Caffé Graziani
• 20% off at Coon’s Card & Gift Shop
• 10% off at Fool’s Mansion
• $10 off readings for the night at Omen
• 20% off at Penelope’s Pet Boutique
• Refreshments and a free gift with any $50 purchase at Rouge Cosmetics
• 10% off at Seedstitch
• Stocking stuffer weekend at Signatures Apparel, complimentary refreshments and 20% off a purchase of $100 or more
• A chance to enter a free drawing to win a Sid Dickens Memory Block at Sophia’s
• Free $9 gift certificate to Thai Place or Cinema Salem with a $49 dinner purchase (excluding drinks) at Thai Place
• Free gift with $20 purchase at Trolley Depot
• 10% off at Two Girls Shop.

Shoppers who have their Open House Night cards validated at 7 different businesses and handed in at Rockafellas by 8:00 p.m. could become the lucky winner of $100 or a variety of other fun prizes!

Open House Night Participating Businesses:Addicted Fashion, Angelica of the Angels, Angels Landing, Artemisia Botanicals, The Barking Cat, Beehive, Bella Hair Salon, Ben & Jerry's, Bernard's Jewelers, Body and Soul Massage and Wellness Center, Boston Bead Company, The Boutique, Caffe Graziani, Coons, Fool's Mansion, Fountain Place, Glass and Etc., Harrison's Comics, Hex, The Hungry Whale, J. Mode, Laura Lanes Skin Care, Living With Pets, Magic Parlor, Mighty Aphrodite, Mud Puddle Toys, The Official Witch Shoppe, Omen, Pamplemousse, Peabody Essex Museum Shop, Penelope's Pet Boutique, The Picklepot, Radiance Aveda, re-find, Roost, Rouge Cosmetics, Salem Cycle, Salemdipity, Scrub, Seedstitch, Signatures, Sophia's, Sweet Anthem, Thai Place, Treasures Over Time, Trolley Depot, two girls shop, The Urbane Cyclist, Witch's Hide, and Witch Tees.

For more information, visit SalemMainStreets.org.

Canned Food Drive at Gulu Gulu with the Dejas

Salem's own The Dejas is doing a concert and canned food drive at Gulu Gulu Cafe this Friday, December 16, at 9:00 PM.

Stop by for some good music and great cheer, and don't forget a canned good!  All food will be donated to the St. Joseph's Food Pantry.




If you can't see the video, click here.  It's cute and will make you smile. 

Calling all Runners

Start of the 2011 Wild Turkey Run

The schedule of 2012 Salem Road Races just came across my computer, and it's amazing how much running we do here in Salem!

Here are the many options during the course of the year.Races range from one-mile to a half-marathon.  There's even a Snow Shoe race! 


The 2012 race series includes:

Sunday, January 1

Wicked Frosty Four New Years Day Race - 10 a.m. 4 mile, relatively flat course, some rolling hills. In partnership with the Wicked Running Club; a portion of proceeds support youth scholarships.

Saturday, January 7

3rd Annual Olde Salem Greens Snow Shoe Race - 5k snowshoe run through Olde Salem Greens Golf Course, a portion of proceeds to Salem Woods.

Sunday, March 25

5k Cross-Country Run at Olde Salem Greens -  9 a.m. 5k, hilly and challenging course. A portion of proceeds benefit Salem High School Cross Country team.

Derby Street Mile Finish

Friday, July 13

Miles Over the Moon - 8 p.m. 4 mile, Club of Greater Salem. flat course through the historic district of Salem. A portion of proceeds support local high school track programs.

Friday, August 17

The Derby Street Mile - 7 p.m. One mile, flat and fast course; great family run. A portion of proceeds benefit Salem Youth Basketball.

Saturday, September 22

Wicked Half Marathon - 8 a.m. 13.1 mile loop through Salem and Marblehead. In partnership with B & S Fitness.

Saturday, October 27

Devil's Chase  - 8 a.m. 6.66 miles through Salem, starting at Salem Willows Park. In partnership with B&S Fitness.

Thursday, November 22

Wild Turkey 5 Mile Run - 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, fairly flat course along scenic waterfront route. A portion of proceeds benefit Boys & Girls

Proof that Salem is a runner-friendly community!  For more information, visit SalemRoadRaces.com.

2011 Photography Contest

It's time to vote for your favorite picture in Destination Salem's 2011 Photography Contest.  With only 42 submissions, this is our smallest pool of entrants in the three years of the contest.  The competition was strong, however!  The Destination Salem Marketing Committee met to review all of the submissions, and they selected seven finalists.  

Now it's your turn.  Review the images here, and then click here to vote. 

The winning photographer will win a $100 cash prize.  Second and third prizes are Salem gift certificates (good for everything from restaurants to spa services to oil changes!).  All images submitted to the photography contest will be considered for use in the 2012 Salem Guide.

Thanks to all of the photographers who submitted images to the contest.   We really enjoyed reviewing all of the images! The winners will be announced on Friday, December 16.  Good luck!  

Click here to vote!

 Click here to vote!

Click here to vote!

 

 Click here to vote!

Click here to vote!

 

Click here to vote!

 

The images are also posted on Salem.org/photocontest.  Thanks for voting!

A Very Grinchy Christmas

The Griffen Theatre is offering a fun re-telling of the classic tale about The Grinch with music, audience interaction, Max the dog, The Who family and Thing One and Thing Two!  This is going to be a great holiday show for all ages, featuring Erik Rodenhiser as The Grinch. 

After the show, kids can meet The Grinch and tell him what they want for Christmas!

There will be only two shows, December 17th and 18th 11am.
Tickets: $15 general seating, Family of four: $40.00
Call 978-825-0222 or go to griffentheatre.ticketleap.com

Hawthorne Hotel is in the holiday spirit

 

The Hawthorne Hotel has the holiday spirit!  They are offering 20% off your gift card purchase of $100 or more! Celebrate the holidays with an excursion to Salem by purchasing your gift certificates online now, or call the Hawthorne Hotel at (978) 744-4080.  You can also purchase gift cards at the Front Desk of the hotel.

Visitor Center Open House to Feature Talk and Book Signing

Local author Robert Booth is going to do a talk and book signing at the Salem Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, on December 15 at 7:00 pm.  The talk is going to coincide with an Open House in the Visitor Center gift shop, giving you two reasons to stop by the visitor center on the 15th (perhaps after the Winter Farmers' Market, which ends at 6pm!). 

Here's the scoop on the talk and signing:  

Marblehead-based historian and author Robert Booth will be presenting an illustrated lecture entitled When Salem Ruled the World: Salem’s Global Empire of Trade and Why it Failed, 1790-1830, based on his new book Death of an Empire: The Rise and Murderous Fall of Salem, America’s Richest City.  Salem was once a global capital of commerce, with 200 ships and a fabulously lucrative trade to the Orient starting in the 1780s. The story of Salem’s friendship with India, China, and the Muslim world is as fascinating and instructive as its abrupt fall from greatness, ending in the rise of a local crime lord and a sensational murder.

If you haven't shopped in the Visitor Center Shop, you may not be aware that it carries many books for adults and children, as well as gifts, stocking stuffers, and herbs and spices for holiday cooking needs.  The bookstore is operated by the National Park Service non-profit partner Eastern National, and all profits from sales go to support the interpretive and educational programs at Salem Maritime.

Essex Heritage members, teachers with an ID card, and Eastern National members will get 15% off the purchase price of Death of an Empire.

For more information on Death of an Empire, click here.  For more information on Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, and the Visitor Center, visit nps.gov/sama.

A holiday weekend in Salem

I made it to Christmas in Salem this weekend, and it was - as usual - a fantastic event.  If you were not able to join Historic Salem, Inc. for their annual tour of private homes that were exquisitely decorated for the holidays, I highly recommend marking your calendar for December 1 & 2, 2012.  In addition to the homes, there are concerts, lectures, and lots of shopping and dining. 

Scores of volunteers make Christmas in Salem work, including tour guides and house captains - thanks to everyone involved for another wonderful event.

I also got to stop in at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie for their annual Holiday Open House, which included a candy cane making demonstration, candy canes formed into children's initials, and free samples.  It was decadent, sweet, and festive. 

Visit Salem.org/holidays for the schedule of upcoming events, including candlelight tours of The House of the Seven Gables, a Big Band night at Rockafellas, and Salem's Open House Shopping Night on December 16.


'Tis the season!

The 17th Century Corwin House. Not on the house tour, but lovely with its wreath.

31 Chestnut Street

Not on the tour, but a beautiful McIntire doorway

Peering through windows to watch candy making at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie.

Candy cane in process

Rolling out the candy canes

Rolling - a rhythmic process that required three men!

Festive souvenirs!

An Empty Plate

I got to go to opening night of the "comic tragedy," An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf at Salem Theatre Company last night, and it was indeed tragic, and it was indeed funny. 

Sebastian Konarski as Antoine, Andrew Winson as Victor, and Dann Anthony Maurno as Claude.

The Salem Theatre Company consistently produces plays that are a delight to watch.  I became so attached to the characters in An Empty Plate, I was sad to see the curtain close at the end of the second act.  I wanted more!

An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boef is on stage through December 17. It is poignant, funny, and at times absurd - a lovely respite from the holiday chaos swirling outside. 

Here is the show description from SalemTheatre.com: 

Billed as “a comic tragedy in seven courses,” An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf takes place in the title’s café. No menu necessary at this, the world's greatest restaurant, because they have everything! On this hot summer night, the staff awaits the imminent arrival of Victor, the Café's owner and sole patron. But when "Monsieur" returns from the bullfights in Madrid, disheveled and morose, his wish is simple: to die of starvation at his own table. The frantic staff, whose very lives depend on Victor's appetite, try all means to change his mind, but to no avail. Finally, they make a last-ditch plea: out of respect for their life's work, will he let them prepare one final meal—provided they leave it in the kitchen? Instead they will describe it, course by course, over a series of empty platters. Victor reluctantly consents, and the "feast of adjectives and adverbs" begins, celebrating the joys of cooking, sex, bullfighting and the collected works of Ernest Hemingway. The Boston Globe calls it "…an absurdist tragicomedy…that manages to pay homage to Hemingway and Beckett in an…often hilarious existential romp."


Pair the play with one of the Theatre's restaurant partners, and you have a great date night.  The shopping can wait until tomorrow!

Open Houses at J. Mode, Rouge on Friday, December 2nd

First of all, we must acknowledge that Santa - SANTA! - arrives in Salem in his traditional manner, atop the Hawthorne Hotel, on Friday, December 2nd at 5:30 PM.  Bundle up the kids and get ye to the Common for this festive welcome.

And then there are two festive and fabulous Holiday Open House shopping events that will help the ladies look fantastic, and give guidance to Mr. Claus and anyone else looking to successfully navigate a season of shopping for one or more women!

J. Mode on Front Street is celebrating Black Friday with Jenny Johnson, host of the popular show TV Diner, from 6-8pm on Friday, December 2. They will be presenting the Alex & Ani Holiday Collection, and 10% of sales December 2-5 will be donated by J. Mode to HAWC.  If you haven't seen the Alex & Ani Bangles, you should.  They're very cool, great gifts, at a perfect price point to buy one or many. 

Around the corner on Derby Street, Rouge Cosmetics is celebrating their seriously glamorous annual holiday open house.  There will be make-up, skin-care and hair tips from the professionals, and free gifts wtih purchase.  Register to win prizes, including a Rouge basket and a gift certificate to the Caudalie Spa in New York City!  Rouge asks for a $5 donation, which goes to Girl's Inc. of Lynn.  If you plan to attend, please let the lovely ladies at Rouge know with a quick email to info@rouge.com.

For a complete listing of all Salem Holiday Happenings, visit Salem.org.