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.

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.

Sweet weather, sweet performance, sweet art in Salem over the weekend

Congratulations to Salem Main Streets and the organizers of the Salem Arts Festival this past weekend.  Fantastic weather was a golden backdrop to excellent art - and art of all kinds.

Here are a few pictures I took of the Main Stage on the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall.  The hula hoopers were awesome.  The weather, the music, the dancing, the take-out from Comida or Essex's NY Pizza (how often does everyone in your family agree on what to eat?!)... all ingredients for a near perfect day in Salem. 

Jazzy Blues Brunch

Here's a fun idea for brunch on Sunday, May 15.  I hear that Whose Muddy Shoes is a great band, and the Waterfront Hotel is a lovely location.  Proceeds from the brunch benefit Salem Main Streets, which needs our support to continue producing the excellent events that bring vibrancy to downtown Salem, including the Farmers' Market, Salem Arts Fest, Salem So Sweet, and others. 

Tickets for Jazzy Blues Brunch are $35 per person and are available in advance at the Salem Chamber of Commerce at 265 Essex Street in Salem, at Rouge Cosmetics on Derby Street or by calling 978-744-0004. 

More information on Jazzy Blues Brunch and on Salem Main Streets is available at www.salemmainstreets.org.

Spring into Health the Witch City Way

 

The second annual Salem Health & Wellness Week is right around the corner!  Our health and wellness businesses are collaborating to provide a week to refocus your health and exercise routine.  We'll all need it after April vacation and the April holidays!

Scheduled for May 1 - 7, 2011, Health & Wellness Week is organized by Salem Main Streets and will feature eighteen participating businesses.  There will be discounts, raffles, promotions and prizes throughout the week.  Each business will be giving away raffle prizes so the more businesses you visit, the more chances you have to win! Health and Wellness postcards are available at all of the participating businesses as well as in local shops in and around downtown.

Participating businesses include: A Sacred Place Wellness Center, Aleris Dental, B&S Fitness Programs, B&S Sport Science, Body and Soul Massage and Wellness Center, The City of Salem Park, Recreation, and Community Services Department, DWMMA Dragon Within Mixed Martial Arts, Extra Effort Fitness, Green Tea Yoga, Healthworks Fitness Center, Lasting Impressions Skin and Nail Boutique, Laura Lanes Skin Care, LivingWell, Salem Chiropractic Center, Sankofa Massage & Bodywork, Susan MacFarlane Massage Therapy and the Wicked Running Club. Be sure to visit the Salem Main Streets website for the latest information and schedule of events.

Ice sculptures worth a trip

21 ice sculptures were installed throughout downtown Salem this morning.  The weather was gray, but the sculptures were wonderful, and the chocolate plentiful - proving yet again that Salem is So Sweet.

My boys and I walked around town and saw 18 of the 21 sculptures today.  Here are our pictures... 

Dutch Tulips at the Peabody Essex Museum.

Dragon at the Trolley Depot.

Salem Five on Essex Street.

Rapunzel at Mud Puddle Toys.

Jazz piano at Rockafellas.

Snowflake at Lappin Park (by the Bewitched statue)

Salem State University at Lappin Park.

Champagne Glasses at Adriatic Cafe.

Sled at Maria's Sweet Somethings.

Always a highlight of Salem So Sweet - Maria's Sweet Somethings' chocolate fountain.

Beautiful lady at Rouge.

Anchors Aweigh at the Salem Waterfront Hotel.

Big Tuna at Finz.

Mermaid on Pickering Wharf.

Through the Looking Glass at Sophia's.

Salem Film Fest at CinemaSalem.

The sculptures will stay up as long as the weather allows, and many of them are under tents or tarps to protect them from rain.  These are definitely a great excuse to get out and walk around a snowy, wintery Salem.

For more information on Salem So Sweet, which continues through February 14, visit SalemMainStreets.org.

Salem So Sweet Starts today!

The chocolate is brewing, the ice is chilling, and the weather is going to hold off just long enough so we can revel in chocolate, wine, and all things Valentine.  Salem So Sweet kicks off tonight, and the specials run all week.  Visit Salem.org/Valentine for a list of events, and visit SalemMainStreets.org for a list of ice sculptures and Valentine-themed promotions.

 

Salem So Sweet is produced by Salem Main Streets & The Salem Chamber of Commerce.  We appreciate all of their efforts to make Salem come alive in February! 

Mark your calendar for Salem's So Sweet!

Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival features 18 ice sculptures!

Organizers Salem Main Streets, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and local retailers, restaurants and businesses invite you to attend the 9^th annual Salem’s So Sweet, Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, held on Saturday, February 5^th & Sunday, 6^th.  Over 35 downtown businesses will offer discounts and free chocolate during the weekend.  The festival officially kicks off with a scrumptious Chocolate and Wine Tasting event in Hamilton Hall February 4 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Don't miss Salem's sweetest event of the year, a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures and Valentine’s Day shopping! 18 sparkling ice sculptures will grace downtown Salem and Pickering Wharf starting February 5 as part of the 9^th annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate and Ice Sculpture Festival.   Sculpture Themes will range from the Rapunzel, the Salem Witch, a Mermaid, a Fish, a Dragon and Champagne Glasses, and the Museum Place Mall is dedicating their Ice Sculpture to the memory of Pep Cornacchio (featuring a football).  Maps showing the locations of the ice sculptures can be picked up at participating retailers and restaurants.

For the first time this year, Salem Trolley will be offering free trolley rides around the festival route weather permitting on February 5 & 6 from 12 – 4. Pick up locations include the Salem Visitor Center, Pickering Wharf and Washington Street (near Eastern Bank).

The festival kicks off with a Chocolate and Wine Tasting, on Friday, February 4 from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, at Hamilton Hall, 9 Chestnut Street.  This luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from restaurants, stores and sweet shops. The Chocolate and Wine Tasting is sponsored by the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites.  Participants include 62 Restaurant & Winebar, Adriatic Restaurant & Bar, Busa Wine & Spirits, Café Polonia, Café Valverde, Caffe Graziani, Capt.'s Waterfront Grill & Pub, Captain Dusty's Ice Cream, Coffee Time Bakeshop, Coven Artisanal Market, Finz Seafood & Grill, GreenLand Café, Gulu-Gulu Café, Maria's Sweet Somethings, Milk & Honey Green Grocer, Pamplemousse, Rockafellas, Salem Waterfront Hotel, Salem Wine Imports, Victoria Station, and Ye Olde Pepper Co.  Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street.  

In celebration of the chocolate weekend, many of Salem’s finest restaurants will feature special chocolate offerings on their menus, including desserts, cocktails, and inventive sauces.  Participating Salem retailers will offer in-store promotions, innovative displays and items geared toward chocolate and Valentine’s Day.  Once again, Golden Tickets will be available in downtown Salem.  Pick up your Golden Ticket and have it validated at participating businesses (no purchase necessary) then enter to win a Salem's So Sweet gift basket.  The Salem's So Sweet gift basket features many fine items from area retailers.

For more information please contact Salem Main Streets / Salem Chamber of Commerce at T. 978-744-0004 or visit www.salem-chamber.org

Downtown Salem Holiday Window Contest

This is the last week to vote in the Downtown Salem Holiday Window Contest!  Every vote enters you into a raffle for a holiday stocking! 

Here are some pictures from last year's competition...

This is a great excuse to walk around downtown Salem, window shop, and check out all of the great retail and restaurants.  For complete details and a list of participating businesses, visit SalemMainStreets.org.

Your help is needed to choose the winner - the competition is fierce!

Salem's So Sweet... this weekend!

Here's a summary of what's happening in Salem this weekend for Salem So Sweet, presented by Salem Main Streets. You can download the brochure, or pick it up at the Salem Chamber of Commerce or any participating retailer. (I noticed Rouge Cosmetics is stuffing their bags with the brochure. Quite handy!)

Salem's So Sweet Chocolate & Wine Tasting

Friday, February 5 | 6:30- 8:30 PM

Hamilton Hall, 9 Chestnut Street, Salem, MA
SalemMainStreets.org | 978.744.0004

Join some of Salem’s best chocolatiers for this perennial favorite! Salem So Sweet is a decadent evening of chocolate sampling and wine tasting. This event does sell out, so tickets ($20) are a must!

Salem's So Sweet Ice Sculpture Festival

Friday, February 5 - Sunday, February 7

SalemMainStreets.org | 978.744.0004

In celebration of the chocolate weekend, many of Salem’s finest restaurants will feature special chocolate offerings on their menus, including desserts, cocktails, and inventive sauces. Participating Salem retailers will offer in-store promotions, innovative displays and items geared toward chocolate and Valentine’s Day. Pick up your Salem So Sweet Brochure prior to the event which will have a Golden Ticket. Have your Golden Ticket validated at 8 participating businesses and be entered to win a Salem's So Sweet Basket. Click here for the brochure.

Don't miss the ice carving demonstration at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 6 at 1:00 PM on Pickering Wharf!

J.Mode

Friday, February 5th, 5:30 – 8:00 PM

17 Front Street, Salem, MA 01970

JModeFashions.com | 978.744.7007

Ladies Night Out

There will be gifts, Champagne, chocolates & cheese. Meet greet Jenny Johnson from NECN’s TV Diner, and receive a J. Mode $25.00 gift certificate that can be used on any purchase of $100 or more thru Feb 28th

Phillips House, Historic New England

34 Chestnut Street, Salem MA 01970

HistoricNewEngland.org | 978.744.0440

Salem So Sweet

During the Salem So Sweet celebration sponsored by Salem Main Streets, you are invited to see an ice statue of Prince, the Phillips family dog, carved by local artist Josh Gerloff in the Phillips House garden. On February 6 and 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., tours of the house will be offered at the special rate of 2-for-1 admission, and all visitors are welcome to enjoy a cup of cocoa in Stevie’s playroom. When: Friday, February 5 through Sunday, February 14. Admission: Free to Historic New England members, $5.00 nonmembers for tours. Donations suggested for refreshments. Museum is only open for tours Saturday and Sunday in the winter.

The Salem Inn

7 Summer Street, Salem MA 01970

SalemInnMa.com | 800.446.2995

Sweet Stay in Salem, February 5-7, 2010

Come visit Salem and the Inn at a time when the hectic pace of the holidays has slowed down. This popular festival starts Friday, February 5th with a delicious Chocolate and Wine tasting at Hamilton Hall, included with your 2 night stay. During your stay, stroll downtown and enjoy beautiful ice sculptures, window displays, fantastic discounts, a golden ticket contest and much more! After your busy day, unwind and relax in the serenity of a cozy guest room complete with your choice of a working fireplace or a whirlpool bath. A hearty continental breakfast is included each morning. All this for the sweet price of $299, plus tax for 2 adults. Package valid February 5-7. Chocolate and Wine tasting on February 5th at 6:30 based on availability and double occupancy. Must be requested at time of booking and not valid on previously booked reservations. Cannot be combined with any other offer.