2008.12.01
Plan your holiday weekend in Salem
Ready for the Christmas season? If "Black Friday's" shopping didn't kickstart the holiday spirit, then this weekend's festivities should do the trick.
Salem City events begin on Friday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. with the Farmers Market tree lighting. (See a photo of them decorating it here.) At 6:30 p.m., the Christmas Parade begins, with local marching bands and floats from schools, clubs, and businesses around the area. The Salem Montessori school is decorating its first float ever!
Santa Claus will be busy in Salem, too. He is slated to appear at the end of the parade on Friday night, and on Saturday morning from 9 to 10:30 a.m., he and Mrs. Claus will join folks at Mac n' Bob's for breakfast. Tickets are available through the Salem Lacrosse Foundation, Salem Parks and Recreation, and will be available the morning of.
And what about Ye Olde Salem Christmas and the Gingerbread Festival? Beginning at 11 a.m., Longwood Park and the Salem Farmers Market will be ready for crowds of merry visitors. Downtown at the market, look for carriage rides, Model-T rides (from Bob Hudson), hot apple cider, and holiday vendors. Santa Claus will be available for pictures there, and Mrs. Claus will be reading stories across the street at the library.
If the Christmas spirit hits you a little early, you can visit the carriage house in Longwood Park early. The gingerbread houses will be up for display beginning Dec. 2 through Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Dec. 7 from 1 to 5 p.m. Winners of the competition are determined by silent auction bid and a "Best in Show" winner will be decided by $1 votes. (Click here to see the one So Salem entered into the competition.)
The 6th annual Gingerbread Festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with a marshmallow-roasting pit, holiday musical entertainment, and merry crafters and merchants. For the first 100 children, a holiday craft will be available, too!
Christmas wouldn't be Christmas in Salem without the annual Holiday Homes Tour, either. Five spectacular East Hill Homes will be decorated and on display. Tickets are on sale at the Salem Museum, Countryside Classics, Brooks-Byrd Pharmacy, and Ram's Head Book Store. Call 389-6760 for more information.
