November in Salem, Massachusetts is full of cozy Autumnal fun and culinary treats! The leaves are peaking and painting our beautiful coastal town of Salem, Massachusetts in a rainbow of fall colors. Enjoy warmth and harvest here in town with a wonderful selection of local restaurants. Our lineup of November events includes Santa’s Arrival at the Hawthorne and Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, November 24th, and The 2023 Salem Awards Ceremony on November 10th in collaboration with Voices Against Injustice. North Indian Classical Music Concert at Salem State University on November 19th. The Salem Arts Association Holiday Artists’ Market at the Old Town Hall on November 25th, and the “Christmas Carol” Salem Trolley & Gallows Hill Theatre holiday trolley ride. Are you looking for some cozy indoor activities? The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Arts Association, the House of the Seven Gables, and the Salem Witch Museum offer indoor fun all year round!
The Salem Arts Association Holiday Artists’ Market at the Old Town Hall
The Salem Arts Association is pleased to put on their Holiday Artists’ market this November which is a great place to purchase all of your Holiday present needs! The festive market will have live music with cheery holiday themes to put you in the holiday spirit. Artists will be selling handcrafted treasure that make the perfect unique gift. The market will feature a variety of local artisans and crafters offering original fine art, unique gifts, and hand-made housewares to delight yourself or gift to others. In addition to vendors the Real Krampus will be at the market ready to take holiday photos with attendees. The Salem Troop 24 of the Boy Scouts of America will sell holiday wreaths and decor. Proceeds benefit the scouting program.
The 2023 Salem Awards Ceremony on November 10th in collaboration with Voices Against Injustice
Join Voices Against Injustice for an unforgettable evening at The House of the Seven Gables, where we will recognize history educator and author Sam Mihara with the 2023 Salem Award for Human Rights and Social Justice.
As a survivor of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, Mihara has spent more than 20 years speaking to audiences about both his family’s experience and contemporary injustices around mass incarceration and the detention of undocumented immigrants. In 2014, Mihara joined the Board of Directors of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, which “works to preserve what remains of the World War II Japanese American confinement site in Park County, Wyoming, and to tell the stories of the more than 14,000 people unjustly incarcerated at the site.”
Mihara is also the author of Blindsided: The Life and Times of Sam Mihara, which describes his family’s harrowing experience with Japanese American incarceration. In 2022, he received the Japanese American of the Biennium Award for Education and Humanities. The award honored his work educating more than 100,000 students and teachers worldwide by sharing the history of Japanese incarceration and the human costs of detention.
Voices Against Injustice is delighted Mihara will be joining us in person for this special event. We will begin welcoming guests at 6:00, with a speaking program to begin at 6:30. Stay after the program for coffee, tea, and sweets and an opportunity to meet Mihara.
North Indian Classical Music Concert at Salem State University
Stop into Salem State University for an evening of music and culture at their North Indian Classical Music Concert. Santoor maestro Kunal Gunjal, disciple of the legendary Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma, presents an evening of North Indian classical music in memory of his late teacher, accompanied by tabla virtuoso Aditya Kalyanpur. Aditya Kalyanpur is no stranger to Salem State. He first performed here in 2009, has conducted numerous workshops with our students on the Indian tabla, and co-taught a course on Zoom with Salem State music professor Dr. Peter Kvetko during the pandemic. A child prodigy who was groomed by the colossal figures of tabla, Ustad Alla Rakha and his son and world music superstar Ustad Zakir Hussain, Aditya Kalyanpur carries the torch of the Punjab gharana through an intense touring schedule and by teaching a vast array of students throughout the world. Enjoy an evening of world class music and fanfare.
“Christmas Carol” Salem Trolley & Gallows Hill Theatre holiday trolley ride
Now entering its 37th season, the Salem Trolley & Gallows Hill Theatre “A Christmas Carol” trolley ride is truly a delight this holiday season. Trolley riders step into the classic story “A Christmas Carol” written by Charles Dickens for a little over an hour, coming face to face with the lively characters that we all know so well. The enclosed trolley takes you through the streets of Salem as you accompany Scrooge on his journey and encounter the spirits of Christmas past, Christmas present, and Christmas future.
Santa’s Arrival and Tree Lighting at the Hawthorne Hotel
Join Salem Main Streets and the City of Salem as we celebrate two of our most beloved annual traditions – Santa’s Arrival and the lighting of Salem’s Holiday Tree – all in one evening!
Santa Claus will arrive at the top of the Hawthorne Hotel (18 Washington Square W) promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, with assistance from the Salem Fire Department, of course. Organizers recommend arriving to the Salem Common by 5:45 p.m. to catch the arrival. Bring the whole family out for carols, festivities, and fun!
Santa’s arrival will be followed by a procession down the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall to Lappin Park (next to the Bewitched Statue at the intersection of Essex Street and Washington Street), where we will join Santa, Mayor Dominick Pangallo, and carolers from History Alive for the Holiday Tree Lighting. Participants are encouraged to bring lanterns (store-bought or homemade) to carry in the procession. Safety first, though – electric candles are highly recommended!
Salem Main Streets would like to thank the City of Salem, the Hawthorne Hotel, and the many other community partners who make these special events possible.
