Two free things this weekend, and neither costs you a dollar. Sunday, Salem Porchfest puts 49 sets on porches across South Salem for eight straight hours. Friday, Arpeggione Ensemble plays the House of the Seven Gables, one night only, program built entirely around the sea. That one needs registration and seats are limited, so handle it now.
Live Music in Salem This Weekend
Salem Porchfest: Sunday, 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Forest Ave and Wisteria St, South Salem. 49 sets across 7 porches plus 2 indoor venues, all of it free, all of it walkable. Bring a chair, wander the block, donate if you can. Details or see the full lineup and map
Songs of the Seafarer, Arpeggione Ensemble: Friday, 7:30 PM, The House of the Seven Gables. Schubert, Mendelssohn and Mahler in new chamber arrangements, played in a house whose whole history runs to the water. Free with registration. Details
Markets, Comedy and Workshops This Weekend
Ghost Ship Market Summer Series: Saturday, Derby Square. The summer market takes over the square again. Check the listing for hours, the feed doesn't state a start time. Details
Damned Funny Standup Comedy: Saturday, 6:00 PM, Salem Art Gallery. A gallery is a strange room for a comedy show, which is exactly why this one works. Details
Orb Weaver Pinning Workshop: Saturday, 8:00 PM, Nocturne. Mount a spider in motion. Not for everyone, deeply for some of you. Details
Things to Do in Salem During the Week
Tour en Español: Sunday, 12:00 PM, The House of the Seven Gables. The full house tour in Spanish. Overlaps with Porchfest, so pick your Sunday. Details
Monday Evening Conversations: Monday, 7:00 PM, Salem Athenaeum. The Athenaeum's weeknight discussion series. Details
"SPRINKLES" Decoded: Wednesday, 7:00 PM, CinemaSalem. Screening plus discussion, hosted by the Athenaeum. Details
Free Museum Day and Night Out at PEM, Saturday the 15th
Free Admission for August Adventures: Saturday the 15th, from 10:00 AM, Peabody Essex Museum. PEM drops admission for the whole day. If you've been putting off the current shows, this is the day. Details
Queer Community Gathering: Salem Night Live! Saturday the 15th, 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Peabody Essex Museum. Same building, nine hours later, entirely different energy. Details
Also On
Sunset Paddle Tour, Friday 6:45 PM, Salem Willows
Salem Farmers' Market, Thursdays 3:00 PM, Derby Square
Crustacean Band, Saturday the 15th at 2:00 PM, Far From The Tree
Open Mic, Thursdays 7:30 PM, Gulu-Gulu Cafe
On the Horizon
TVG Shakespeare does Romeo and Juliet in the Far From The Tree taproom on Tuesday the 18th, 6:00 PM, free.
If you only do one thing
Go to Porchfest on Sunday. Eight hours, 49 sets, free, and it only happens once a year.
Everything else happening in Salem
We picked eight things. There are more than 70 events in Salem over the next twelve days, from run clubs and taproom sets to museum drop-ins and ghost tours. See the full Salem events calendar and find your own.
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We're also building a Salem dinner club, DNNR, for people who'd rather eat their way through the city than walk it. More on that soon.
From Witch City, a local's guide to Salem, MA.