From Destination Salem
Salem, Massachusetts has prepared a full year of festivities for 2022 that offer opportunities for residents and visitors to embrace the best of every season. From a celebration of ancestral connections to nights of laughter to food festivals – including a chocolate fountain – Salem is always open for entertainment.
“Community partners in Salem have work collaboratively to offer vibrant festivals and events throughout the year,” said Kate Fox, Executive Director of Destination Salem. “So bring your artists, history buffs, and foodies…Salem is ready to entertain all interests.”
Schedule of events:
Salem Comedy & Spirits Festival
Thursday, January 13 through Saturday, January 15
Lift your spirits and laugh the cold away with this three-day celebration of comedy in historic Salem. Featuring top local and national performing comedians, locally crafted spirits and beer, and related special events at a variety of renowned Salem venues.
www.SalemComedyFestival.com
20th Annual Salem’s So Sweet
Thursday, February 10 through Sunday, February 13
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Salem hosts its sweetest event of the year. Salem’s So Sweet is a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping. Don’t miss the ice sculpture illumination! www.SalemSoSweet.com
Salem Restaurant Week
March – Dates to be confirmed
Salem Restaurant Week is the perfect time to dine out at the dozens of excellent eateries. Featuring a wide variety of delicious foods, including steak, seafood, Italian classics, contemporary cuisine, American favorites, and exotic ethnic treats. Restaurants will offer multiple choices for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. www.Salem-Chamber.org
Salem Film Fest
Thursday, March 24 through Sunday, April 3
The largest all-documentary film festival in Massachusetts returns to Salem for its 15th season. For 10 days, attendees can view more than 30 films from around the world and engage with visiting filmmakers at screenings, parties, and forums. Each year, Salem Film Fest also showcases a variety of local musicians and bands. www.SalemFilmFest.com
Salem Women’s History Day
Sunday, March 27
As women’s history month is celebrated worldwide, this is the time to honor the work of remarkable women in Salem’s history. The House of the Seven Gables, Salem Maritime National Historic Site, History Alive!, Salem Witch Museum, the Witch House, and the Phillips House Museum will host programs that share 400 years of stories. www.Salem.org
Salem Ancestry Days
Friday, April 29 through Monday, May 2
Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate their ancestral and immigrant connections to Salem. The weekend will feature lectures, tours, research opportunities, and information on the people who connect us all to Salem.
www.SalemAncestry.org
Salem Arts Festival
Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 5
The Salem Arts Festival celebrates the arts in all its forms: painting, photography, sculpture, installation, dance, music, writing, film, new media, performance, theater, poetry, culinary, visual art, and more. The 2022 festival will consist of a gallery of juried artists’ work in Old Town Hall, performances in an outdoor stage venue, indoor performances, a street fair, and opportunities for the community to actively participate in the arts. Individuals are welcome to contribute at multiple venues and events.
www.SalemArtsFestival.com
Salem Farmers’ Market
Thursdays, June 19 through October 13
The Salem Farmers’ Market is a tradition that dates back to 1634. At its peak around 1930 more than 40 vendors sold goods in collapsible wooden stalls and an estimated 10,000 people visited the market on a single Saturday. In the early 1970s, the market ended, and the Salem Redevelopment Authority redesigned the square into what we now know as Derby Square. The Salem Farmers Market features local farms every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
www.SalemFarmersMarket.org
North Shore Pride Weekend
Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26
A full weekend to celebrate Pride with local businesses, faith groups, and community organizations at the fifth annual North Shore Pride Parade and Festival. All are welcome to attend any activity during the four day-long event celebrating unity in the community which include the North Shore Pride Parade and Festival, North Shore Pride Afterparty, North Shore Pride Drag Brunch, and North Shore Pride Interfaith service.
www.NorthShorePride.org
Salem Celebrates the 4th!
Monday, July 4
Bring your beach blankets and folding chairs to enjoy the 42-piece Hillyer Festival Orchestra on Derby Wharf at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site for a grand celebration of our nation’s Independence Day. Featuring a Pops concert, a Kid Space play area, and fireworks launched over Salem Harbor, this is a quintessential celebration of the 4th of July. www.Salem.com
Salem Heritage Days
August – Dates to be confirmed
Celebrate the past and the present during the annual Salem Heritage Days. Featuring food, fun, and activities for all ages, highlights include the Essex Street Fair, the Ice Cream Bowl, and the Car Show on Chestnut Street. www.Salem.com
Antique & Classic Boat Festival
August – Dates to be confirmed
Come aboard and see a wonderful variety of rare vintage motor yachts and sailboats from 1900-1960s. Meet skippers and crews and vote for your favorite boats. Children get to make their own wee boat, and all can board real ones! Boat rides, crafts market, artists, old-time band music, the Blessing of the Fleet and more! www.BoatFestival.org
Salem Spice Festival
September – Date to be confirmed
Celebrate Salem’s four centuries of history with herbs, tea and spices. There will be vendors, exhibits, colonial music and song, open hearth cooking, herbal remedies demonstrations, games, storytelling, spiced cider and other autumnal treats! www.SalemSpiceFestival.com
Salem Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival
Saturday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25
Food Truck Festivals of America returns to Salem with the ultimate food truck experience for a two-day festival that will feature some of the area’s most popular food trucks. The vendors will be dishing out fan favorites as well as dozens of regional and national craft breweries. www.FoodTruckFestivalsofAmerica.com
Salem Haunted Happenings
Saturday, October 1 through Tuesday, October 31
An internationally renowned celebration of Halloween and fall in New England, more than a half-million visitors come to Salem Haunted Happenings each year. What started as a Saturday in 1982 has grown to become the largest celebration of Halloween in the world. Events include the Grand Parade, Howl-o-Ween Pet Parade, Family Film Nights on Salem Common, costume balls, ghost tours, haunted houses, live music, and chilling theatrical presentations.
www.HauntedHappenings.org
Salem Holiday Happenings
Friday, November 25 through Sunday, January 1, 2023
Celebrate, shop, and dine in Salem during the holiday season. Festival highlights include Historic Salem, Inc.’s annual Christmas in Salem Historic House Tour and Santa’s arrival atop the Hawthorne Hotel. And don’t miss the annual Launch! on New Year’s Eve, featuring an early family-friendly event. www.Salem.org These events are just a sampling of the programming that takes place in Salem each year. In addition to these annual events and incredible exhibitions, programming at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem State University, the House of the Seven Gables, Historic New England’s Phillips House, and the many restaurants and bars guarantee a different experience for every visit. Visit www.Salem.org or reach out to Destination Salem any time to find more information on everything happening in Salem, Massachusetts.
About Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a destination recognized around the world for its rich history, which includes the tragic Salem Witch Trials of 1692, the glorious maritime era that left its indelible mark on Salem through architecture, museums, and artifacts, and for its month-long celebration of Halloween.
About Destination Salem
As the destination marketing organization for the City of Salem, Destination Salem cooperatively markets Salem as one of Massachusetts’ best destinations for families, couples, domestic, and international travelers who are seeking an authentic New England experience, cultural enrichment, American history, fine dining, unique shopping and fun. For more information, visit Salem.org.
Creative Collective’s 2021 #StayLocal Campaign
Initiative encourages community to shop small and support local small businesses this November and December
The approaching Holiday season is putting people in the shopping, eating, and drinking mood as small businesses across the North Shore are gearing up for the busiest time of the year. Following up the successful 2020 #StayLocal campaign, Creative Collective is launching #StayLocal2021, encouraging individuals to shop and support small this upcoming holiday season. Learn more.
