Dr. Marquis Victor walked to the front of the room before a single data slide hit the screen. That was the choice. That was the message. Last Thursday, June 11, roughly 500 people gathered at Endicott College for ECCF‘s State of Essex County 2026 — nonprofit leaders, elected officials, donors, and business owners. Before anyone read a statistic, Marquis —

Step into a former bank vault in downtown Lynn, and instead of safe-deposit boxes you’ll find a 150-seat black-box theatre buzzing before showtime. That’s the home of Stand Up Stick Up, Lynn’s monthly comedy show at The Neal Rantoul Vault Theatre. The next edition lands this Thursday, June 25, with doors at 7:30 p.m. and the show at 8:00 p.m.

Interviewee: Joshua Nagle (He/Him) In your own words, tell us about your business, organization, or initiative. We are a locally focused group that is looking to build community and promote local artists. Games help people bond, make friends and talk about difficult things in a more accessible way. They are great for mental health and stimulation. They create unique memorable

We grabbed our cameras and headed to the Point this June — and watched Eternal October Salem take a big step. The city’s only Black-owned alternative brand cut the ribbon on its new storefront inside North Shore CDC’s retail pop-up incubator at 104 Lafayette Street. A pink ribbon, oversized scissors, neighbors packed into the mural-covered courtyard, pizza and cold drinks

About Coming Into The Light Edition Sevening (v.): the act of showing up after seven(ish) — for your people, your community, and honestly yourself, somewhere in Essex County. New to sevening? Me too. The stars have charted the full definition in our About Time Edition. The rest of you are already in alignment. Oh hey there, Essex County. Nothing’s in

There are days when you can feel a whole city show up for each other — and Juneteenth Jam 2026 in Salem was one of them. On Friday, June 19, Charlotte Forten Park filled up with music, crafts, a Black-owned pop-up market, and a community honoring freedom together. We grabbed our cameras and spent the day soaking it in, and

Community Catalysts: Celebrating Juneteenth and Empowering Black Business Excellence   Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, which is the day enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas finally learned of their freedom, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s a day rooted in delayed justice, hard-won freedom, and the resilience required to keep moving forward. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom isn’t

Sevenings: About Overflowing Edition Sevening (v.): the act of showing up after seven(ish) — for your people, your community, and honestly yourself in Essex County. We’ve been sevening it up. Brand new? We love newbs! Check out the whole def in our About Time Edition.  Oh hey there, Essex County. Drag out your cauldron. Actually, summon up two — because

Salem RenFaire makes its debut Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Notch Brewing, 283R Derby Street — and the organizers proudly call it the tiniest Renaissance faire you’ve ever been to. Entry is $10 ($5 for kids), and all ages are welcome. The medieval marketplace, tap room, and biergarten open at 11 am. At noon, an interactive quest from Salem’s own

The first-ever Beverly Fringe Festival runs June 5–20, 2026, filling downtown Beverly with two weeks of bold theater, improv, comedy, and brand-new work. The anchor programming happens June 11–19 at The Bower, the new 36,000-square-foot creative complex at 248 Cabot Street in Beverly’s Cultural District. Montserrat College of Art organized the festival in partnership with Beverly Main Streets, The Cabot,