Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 2026 photos tell the story of Saturday, August 15 at Salem Willows. It was a free, all-ages day of live music, art, and music education beside the harbor. The festival’s 19th season moved from Wood & Bone’s rootsy midday set to Lydia Harrell’s soaring voice. Later, The Nth Power brought pocket-deep funk before Dwayne Dopsie

Photos from the Salem Cardboard Boat Regatta 2026 at Derby Wharf — hand-built boats, costumed crews, glorious sinkings, and the Titanic Award, all free.

The Salem Jazz and Soul Festival 2026 returns to Salem Willows on Saturday, August 15, and it’s the kind of day that tells you exactly what the North Shore values. Six-plus acts. Eight hours. One free waterfront stage. Two Grammy-touched headliners. A full education tent. More than 25 artisan vendors. And a ticket price that has stayed at zero for

Improv comedy in Marblehead returns Aug 1 — AOP’s Keg-n-Komedy at Marblehead Little Theatre with unscripted laughs and complimentary Bent Water craft beer.

For years, I’ve watched the lights go down on opening night at North Shore Music Theatre. There’s still nothing quite like it. The stage sits in the round, so no seat is far from the action. This August, that round becomes Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. Rock of Ages at North Shore Music Theatre runs August 12 through 23, 2026, in Beverly.

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 —

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

Why simply Showing Up Is The Best Thing We Can Do The average American now spends 35 minutes a day socializing in person. Not 35 minutes with friends, specifically — 35 minutes with another human being, in a shared room, breathing the same air. That number is down from 38 minutes in 2019, and it never recovered after the pandemic

Arts and culture aren’t separate from tourism. Tourism isn’t separate from arts and culture. They are integrated, and in Massachusetts communities like Beverly, that integration is driving real economic growth – more visitors, more spending, more jobs, and a stronger local identity. I’ve been saying this for years. A few weeks ago, I got to make that case on stage

The GRAYSCALE indie business summit Salem has been waiting for finally has a date. From March 31 through April 2, downtown Salem transforms into a three-day hub for creative entrepreneurs. Specifically, it’s built for indie business owners, artists, and makers who have always felt like outsiders at traditional business events. Amber Newberry and the Die With Your Boots On team