April 24–26, 2026  |  Salem, Massachusetts  |  Theme: Song of the Sea By John Andrews, Creative Collective A Magical Weekend in the Witch City Grab your knitting bag, your favorite tarot deck, and a pearl-dripping sea-witch ensemble. The Fiber Witch Festival Salem returns April 24–26, 2026. This year’s edition is shaping up to be the most enchanting yet. Circle of

For one weekend this spring, Salem’s Derby Street stops being a row of shops and restaurants and becomes what it always was: a working waterfront full of rogues, merchants, and the kind of characters who built this city. Pirates! The Battle for Derby Street returns April 24 – 26, 2026, and it is the most ambitious maritime weekend Salem has

By John Andrews, Creative Collective MA Journee LaFond stood in front of a sold-out theater in Salem on Transgender Day of Visibility. They said, “I am planting the seeds of a forest that I’m not gonna see.” That was Day One of GRAYSCALE. There were still two days left, and already, the atmosphere felt transformed. I wrote the first version

by John Andrews Salem Film Fest has always been about more than movies — it’s about the stories that pulse underneath them. And for music lovers, this year’s all-documentary lineup is unusually rich. Whether you’re drawn to the defiant stomp of flamenco, the ancient-meets-punk revival of Irish folk, or the way a single song can carry an entire people’s memory,

by John Andrews Some films play by the rules. They find a compelling subject, follow it faithfully, and deliver something solid and safe. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the films that tend to stay with you longest are the ones made by people who decided the rules didn’t apply to them. These are the filmmakers who found subjects who

By John Andrews, Creative Collective — Women’s History Month 2026 Baanner Image photo by Tracey Westgate Photography Over the past year, host Mikki Wilson has sat down with sixteen women — entrepreneurs, artists, organizers, and storytellers — who are building something real across Essex County and beyond. Their businesses range from gourmet cheese and handmade crochet to social impact filmmaking

By John Andrews, Content Director, Creative Collective Salem’s 400th anniversary year is already packed with landmark moments. Now, one of the most ambitious celebrations yet is taking shape. Food at 400+, a 12-day culinary and cultural festival running June 11–22, 2026, will transform the city into a living timeline of food, community, and shared heritage. Produced by Salem Food Tours

By John Andrews, Content Director at Creative Collective — covering the North Shore’s creative economy and cultural programming Every March, something quietly remarkable happens in Salem. A small city on Boston’s North Shore — better known for witch trials and Halloween — transforms into one of New England’s most compelling documentary film festivals. There are no Hollywood blockbusters and no