Jul 18, 2021
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Yemen
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from United States
Salem Common in Salem, Massachusetts
Salem Common, the large, attractive park in the heart of the city, has been public land since Salem’s early days. However, a portion of these eight acres was originally swampy area, with several ponds and small hills. The higher ground was used as pasture for goats and cows which were brought out to graze for the day and then returned to their owners at night by the town cowherd.
From as early as 1685, the dry part of the common was used also as the designated area where people could practice shooting in order to be prepared for military duty. Needing a place for regular military drills, it was voted in 1714 by the commoners to be “forever kept as a training field for the use of Salem”.
George Ropes Jr.’s painting, Salem Common on Training Day (1808), is a beautiful reminder of Salem’s new center of community activity. Annual Training Day brought local militia units from neighboring towns and communities parading in dress uniform through Salem streets to meet at the Common. Memoirs of early Salem residents fondly describe this day of colorful parades, puppet shows, athletic events and socializing.
In 1801, Salem’s Elias Hasket Derby, 2nd, who was a colonel in the militia, raised $2,500 which was used to improve the field conditions. Ponds were filled in, the surface leveled and rows of poplar trees were planted. Unfortunately, all the poplar trees were destroyed in 1815 by a great gale and were replaced with elms a couple of years later.
Salem Scene - Spring Tweed Ride 2017
Boston Tweed rode through Salem for the first ever Spring Tweed Ride! Starting at the Salem Common the riders visited Winter Island, the Salem Willows and finished at one of Salem’s fave watering holes (and our partners) The Lobster Shanty! The organizers were very happy with the turnout and will probably be back next spring so stay tuned! Spring Tweed Ride 2017
Creative Salem provides community coverage of events like this for free and is funded by our community.. Please consider supporting us and sign up for a membership! The more members… The better the coverage.. It is that easy!
[foogallery id=”25505″]
Full set at the link below
Spring Tweed Ride Salem MA
Photo collection by Creative Salem
Salem Scene - Innonorth Marketing at a local level
Innonorth event. Local businesses today are in a unique position....
Spring Tweed Ride Swings into Motion Saturday
Join Boston Tweed as we explore historic Salem on our...
“A Stroll Through the Gardens of Salem” McIntire Historic District
âA Stroll Through the Gardens of Salemâ McIntire Historic District...
Creative Salem Podcast Ep.25 - Kate Babcock - Hunter Creative Labs
On this episode of the Creative Salem Podcast, we have...
Salem Scene: SJSF Jazz Appreciation Day 2017
The performance this year was by the North Shore Jazz...
Members Only: The Friendship of Salem dry dock in Gloucester
[foogallery id="24952"]
The Write Space: Timothy Quigley
The Write Space: Timothy Quigley The Write Space is a...
CALL TO ARTISTS - 2017 Mural Slam!
CALL TO ARTISTS 2017 Salem Mural Slam Artistsâ Row, Salem,...
America’s Top Prize-Winning Poets Converge in Salem, MA for the Three-Day Mass Poetry Festival
The 9th Massachusetts Poetry Festival brings Americanâs most admired poets...
Salem Scene - Salem Arts Festival Fashion Show Fundraiser
Annually, Salem Main Streets presents Salem Arts Festival and the...
#soliloquy-container-17510{opacity:1}#soliloquy-container-17510 li > .soliloquy-caption{display:none}#soliloquy-container-17510 li:first-child > .soliloquy-caption{display:block}
Salem Scene – Spring Tweed Ride 2017 was originally published on Creative Salem
Unique Fusions and Classics Coming to the Salem Food Truck Festival
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
City leaders and event organizers eye potential future in community
By Keith Spencer
SALEM – Food trucks are the quintessential innovators and small businesses. They are quick to bring about flavors you’ve never considered from twists on classics to fusion creations. This unique blend of cuisine will be available for the first time to residents at The Salem Food Truck Festival on October 1 and 2.
Twenty-five food trucks, DJ's and family fun is planned for both days as the community launches into their popular Halloween season. The lineup includes a range of cuisine from grilled cheese to whoopie pies to a variety of ethnic availabilities.
Previous experiences show that Salem is always looking for new and exciting programs, especially with Mayor Kim Driscoll at the helm. Over the last several years, constituents have requested different street food options to be available at Haunted Happenings, going beyond the usual carnival fare.
"The opportunity to showcase some really innovative chefs and cuisines through a diversity of food trucks seemed like a great approach," Mayor Driscoll said during a recent interview.
“A Food Truck Festival has a lot of moving pieces and complicated logistics. We wanted a partner that knew how to do this kind of event and how to do it well."
New England Open Markets has been selected as they had the experience and track record needed to be able to host an event of this size. Chris Masci has been running the company for the last 13 years, hosting highly successful arts and crafts festivals as well as food truck meetups that began in the South End. They have hosted a craft and art market called the Salem Open Market the last several years, but have believed the community is the perfect place for these and other events.
"The City of Salem awarded another bid last year for us to operate another three years of the market, and we love doing it." Masci said. "The energy in Salem during the month of October just can’t beat and we really enjoy working so closely with the fantastic local businesses and artisans that call Salem home all year"
After the city recently eased regulations making the appearance of food trucks easier, Masci and the Mayor hoped to bring a movement that has been growing in popularity since 2010. This first festival will allow both residents and visitors to experience something previously unavailable in the community while also allowing organizers to gauge the popularity and desire for potential future events.
“I think that Salem is a great city to host food trucks because of the high density of our downtown and the extra tourist traffic we bring in,” City Councilor Josh Turiel said. “When all the restaurants have lines much of the day that means there are people being underserved."
"It’s quick, it’s attainable, it’s unique and the food is excellent," Masci explained about the popularity of the food truck craze. "It really has opened people’s eyes to the fact that they can get really delicious and quality food out of a truck and experience cuisine they wouldn’t typically find in the restaurants that they frequent."
A lot more is happening this weekend as well including the zombie walk, zombie kickball, and other special programming at the House of the Seven Gables, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Witch House, and many other historic and cultural sites to kick off Haunted Happenings.
" The food truck concept lends itself well... because we are a walkable community known for our diverse dining options." -- Kim Driscoll
Visitors should also take the time to dine at the brick and mortar restaurants on this or future visits as Salem has become THE dining destination north of Boston with an array of restaurateurs and other food and beverage innovators. With over 30 restaurants within walking distance of the Salem Common, this weekend will be a food lover’s nirvana.
Local media partner Creative Salem has also been pushing to see food trucks on the insanely busy Salem "festival circuit" and views them as not a competition but a great compliment. "Creative Salem supports all the local arts and cultural festivals and even with the offer extended to local businesses to participate the logistics are very challenging to take an entire operation on the road leaving festival attendees with a real lack of quick serve options." says Chief Creative Officer John Andrews. "This food truck festival falls on a traditionally slower October weekend and the thousands of people that come to attend will shop and dine and drink downtown as well"
“We value all that our local small businesses and their employees bring to our community and work hard to support their endeavors,” Driscoll added. “The addition of this festival will round out the activation of the entire month of Haunted Happenings programming and bring much-needed foot traffic to the downtown at the beginning of the month which will benefit the surrounding businesses immensely”
"It’s quick, it’s attainable, it’s unique and the food is excellent" -- Chris Masci
When asked about the future of food trucks in Salem, Driscoll reiterated the city’s commitment to elevating the game and providing opportunities for restaurant and business growth. Food Trucks attract more people to Salem who the Mayor hopes will return for future visits, supporting local business and restaurants while also trying out new opportunities.
“I can see us expanding food trucks in a fashion similar to this festival as a special event, whether it is at the Common, at Winter Island, in the Point, near Salem State University, or any other number of places around the City,” the Mayor said.
Councilor Turiel agreed.
"I've been fighting for two years to create a regulatory path to encourage that development," Turiel explained. "If located right, trucks help liven up the streetscape and can really do a lot to activate a neighborhood."
"Festivals are fun, but we need to make food trucks a more regular part of Salem life."
Looking for something Bold, Fresh & Fun? Look no further than #SEOpenMarket vendor @BonMe pic.twitter.com/GXi4RNyMyc
— SE Open Market (@seopenmarket) September 17, 2016
Participating Food Trucks include Roxy’s Grilled Cheese, Bon Me Food Truck, The Whoo(pie) Wagon, Bon Me Foods, Pomaire Boston Chilean Food Truck, Tenoch Mexican, The Roving Lunchbox, The Dining Car, ChikChak Food Truck, Aurora’s Gypsy Cafe, Frozen Hoagies, Sheherazad Truck, North East of the Border, Mo’Rockin Fusion, Trolley dogs, The Chuck Wagon, Taco Party, Vulgar Display of Poutine, Morning Salute , Sach Ko Truck, Japalicious, The Cookie Monstah, and Friskie Fries.
Organizers are reminding visitors and residents that the festival is expected to draw a large crowd, and they are encouraging patrons to visit on both days of the weekend with more than 20,000 fans providing an RSVP on Facebook. The event is rain or shine.
When? October 1 & 2, 2016 from 11AM to 6PM on both days
Where? Salem Common, Salem MA
Cost? Free admission to event with purchases made individually at trucks
For more information, visit New England Open Markets website or RSVP to the event on Facebook.
Photo Highlights from New England Open Markets Off the Wall Graffiti Block Party - FULL SET HERE
Sam’s Journey: From “Questionable Art” to “Local Landmark”
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
If you happen to be in the Artist Row area make sure and check out the Samuel Mcintire sculpture. There is a really interesting history to this piece and we will be putting it up on the site shortly. We were happy to be put in charge of Sam and thank the @lobstershantysalem for letting us put it on Artist Row for October! #salemma #publicart #creativesalem
A photo posted by @creativesalem on Oct 6, 2015 at 10:25am PDT
By Chris Ricci
It’s amazing how things can change over the course of twenty years. We’ve seen three different presidents, countless changes in technology, and the city we knew as Salem in 1995 is almost entirely different. Even more remarkable is the story of Samuel McIntire. No, not the famous McIntire Historic District architect, the wooden statue made in his likeness. If you’ve lived in Salem long enough, you’ve certainly seen him before: a tall wooden chainsaw carving created by artist Ken Dudley. However, many people seem to gloss over the rather controversial history of Sam. It started in 1995, when the statue was proposed, and the Salem News was inundated with letters claiming that the “Common Carving” didn’t make any common sense. Ken was lambasted, but people quickly rose to his defense. In an open letter to the Salem Evening News, Paul Brotchie slammed detractors, stating that “questioning the appropriateness of a carved wooden likeness of this national icon who personally designed and influenced the architecture for many of the very homes beautifying the circumference of the Salem Common is, in itself, an act of questionable common intelligence.”
The statue was eventually completed, and was unveiled and remained at the commons for many years. However, in July of 2001, the news broke that Sam was stolen from his spot. However, the response to the disappearance was quite different than the response was when the project was first brought to light. Samuel was referred to as a “Salem landmark” and various locals interviewed expressed their deep love for the statue. “I don’t know if I should say this,” said local author Margaret Press, “but I often hugged him.”
The reactions of horror and frustration were calmed by the members of ARTSalem, who had actually taken Sam from his post to save his life (with some major help from Margaret Press). Sam fell victim to carpenter ants, which was an issue ARTSalem were trying hard to rectify. Even then-mayor Stanley Usovicz was fully behind the restoration of Sam, stating clearly “The instructions were quite clear – To save Samuel at all costs.”
In 2007, the Salem News again reported on Sam, but this time, it was marking his comeback to Salem. “An Old Friend Returns” was the headline, and the opening sentence summed up the city’s thoughts on this now beloved icon: “welcome back, Sam. We’ve missed you.” In honor of the actual Samuel McIntire’s 250th birthday, Sam was completely restored by Ken Dudley and made his way to his new post, located on Artists Row. As the article clearly stated, “It’s always nice to run into an old friend in Salem.”
Unfortunately, nature was not kind to Sam and, yet again, he was taken from his post to protect him from the elements. For a few years, Sam has been housed safely in Margaret’s garage waiting for a new home. Where will he go? What’s next for Sam? Is his journey over?
No, not quite.
Sam will be getting a permanent home now, thanks to JohnAndrews, the creative mind behind this very publication and the Creative Salem mission of supporting creative professionals and endeavors through all of Salem celebrating past, present and fitter creatives. So, in the future, when you see Sam standing proudly in our creative suite, be sure to thank him and his creator for making it from “controversial ‘art’ piece” to “Downtown Salem Landmark.”
Click images to see the stories and police log mentioned above. News articles by Salem News
SUPPORT CREATIVE SALEM
Fox 25 News Zip Trip visits Salem MA. - Media Gallery
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
Two Days of Sun
Two Days of Sun
Two days of sun has resulted in nearly (but not absolutely) all of the snow disappearing from the streets of Salem, so finally I am able to show you colors other than white. It is an early New England spring, so the predominant color out there is brown, and there remain several hills of dirt-covered snow out at the Willows–a striking reminder of just how much of the white stuff we received in…
View On WordPress