It’s safe to expect a warm and sunny weekend in Salem, which will make way for a hefty calendar of events.
The National Weather Service’s latest reading at McNary Field forecasts a high near 80 degrees on Saturday and 85 on Sunday.
You’ll find belly dancing, a beer festival, a flea market and more in this weekend events guide for June 9-11 in Salem.
Get your dance on
The Céilí of the Valley Society will host the Second Friday Céilí on June 9 with live music and dance for all ages.
“A variety of Irish musicians and dance callers rotate throughout the Céilí season, exposing the community to a wide selection of traditional Irish musical instruments and sounds as well as Céilí social and set dances,” according to its website.
Popular dances include Walls of Limerick, Siege of Ennis, Haymakers Jig, Harvest Time Jig, Clare Lancers and Caledonian.
Doors will open at 7 p.m. Live music will start at 8 pm. and go until 11 p.m.
Around 7:15 p.m., there will be a free basic lesson on the dances.
Riverfront Park on Sunday will host a family-friendly event where people can dance to classics of the 50s, 60s and 70s for charity.
“Let’s Dance“ will be held the second Sunday of each month through September at the Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater, 200 Water St. N.E.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and there will be dancing from 7-9 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each. Proceeds will go to Salem’s YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and Center for Hope and Safety, all of which serve local youth.
On the stage
Salemites can once again watch live, competitive performances from some of the best belly dancers in the country.
The Belly Dancer USA competition returns to Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre, 187 High St. N.E., this weekend with dozens of dancers from Colorado, California and Washington competing in both solo and large troupe performances.
Tickets for the Saturday Night Gala are $25 and free for ages 5 and under. The competitions will be held during the day and evening on Saturday and Sunday, with prices ranging from $15 for daytime events to $60 for the full weekend.
The Belly Dancer USA portion of the competition is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, with the winner being crowned at 8:30 p.m.
Students at Salem’s American Ballet Academy this weekend will perform the Shakespeare comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. S.E.
“With both adorable young dancers and accomplished older dancers, beautiful costumes, and professional sets, the ballet will bring something for every audience member to enjoy. Coupled with Mendelssohn’s enchanting score, the performance will be unforgettable,” according to the academy’s website.
Tickets range from $17 to $22. Profits will be donated to Camp Kesem, a regional organization dedicated to helping children who have lost a parent to cancer.
Salem Symphonic Winds on Sunday will perform the last show of its 48th season
Conductor John Skelton will lead the program, which will feature “An Impulse to Soar” by Salem composer David A. Jones as well as symphonies by Aaron Copland and Julie Giroux.
The show will mark the first performance of the band version of “An Impulse to Soar,” which was originally written for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble.
“Jones was commissioned by a consortium of seven ensembles, including Salem Symphonic Winds, to transcribe the work for concert band. The expanded work takes full advantage of all the sounds and soloists within the band,” according to an event listing.
The concert will take place at 3 p.m. at the Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School. Tickets range from $5 to $25.
Live, local punk music can be found at the Dehn Bar, 157 Commercial St. S.E., starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
The show will include performances from Joe Kyle, Wire Monkey Mama, and End of Conflict. There will be no door cover. Must be at least 21 to attend.
New plays debut
Willamette University’s Theatre 33 on Thursday will debut its performance of “Solastalgia.”
“Somewhere in the west, as the environment burns, an owl, a deer, and a wolf meet up at their usual generator-run bar to drink beers and lament the constant smoke, helicopters, and road closures when a youngster with a Nintendo Switch decides to join them,” the theater’s website said.
There are performances scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. People can make reservations online to attend the shows in Putnam Lounge at the university’s Pelton Theatre.
The Pentacle’s cast will perform their rendition of “Exit Laughing,” winner of the American Association of Community Theatre’s NewPlayFest award.
“When the biggest highlight in your life for the past 30 years is your weekly bridge night out with ‘the girls,’ what do you do when one of your foursome inconveniently dies? If you’re Connie, Leona and Millie, three Southern ladies from Birmingham, you ‘borrow’ your friend’s ashes from the funeral home on bridge night, so she doesn’t have to spend her last evening alone in the funeral home. And that simple act of enduring friendship leads to the wildest, most exciting night of your lives, including a police raid, a stripper and a whole new way of looking at all the fun you can have when you’re truly living,” director Karen McCarty said in the event listing.
The play is for teens and adults who can handle mature comedy. Ticket prices range from $17 to $37. Frontline healthcare workers, students and people with Oregon Trail Cards are eligible for a 50% discount.
Buy tickets online or by calling 503-485-430. They will also be available at the theater box office 45 minutes before each performance. Half-price student tickets will be available for last-minute open seats 15 minutes before each performance with a valid school ID at the box office.
Care for a beer?
A south Salem McMenamins on Saturday will host the 25th Barley Cup Brewfest.
Tickets are $18 for the all-day event at Thompson Brewery & Public House, 3575 Liberty Rd. S., including a taster tray. Brewery tours will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All ages can attend but people must be 21 to drink.
There will be live music with Mick Overman from 1 to 3 p.m. Sonny Hess from 4 to 5 p.m. and Dead Lee from 7 to 9 p.m.
Flea market
The Cherry City Flea Market will be held on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. S.E.
The event will include vintage and handmade clothing, art, jewelry and decor from local “makers, curators and collectors,” according to its website.
The market will collect donated goods and cash donations for the Center for Hope and Safety. People can check the nonprofit’s donation list and bring items to the market’s merchandise booth on Sunday.
Get on your feet
On the second Friday of every month until August, a scavenger hunt takes place throughout downtown.
On Your Feet Friday invites Salemites to run or walk to collect stamps from eight businesses and nonprofits.
The free event on Friday, June 9, is for all ages and fitness levels, an event listing said.
People can sign up between 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. that day at the Salem Convention Center Sculpture Plaza. The crowd will then head into downtown and Riverfront Park, 200 Water St. N.E., to collect stamps and return back by 7:15 p.m.
“Participants create their own routes as part of the challenge,” the event post said. There will be raffles for items donated by sponsors and businesses.
Riverfront, Wallace, and Minto-Brown Island Parks will also host the STRIDE 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, June 10, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Participants will meet at the Riverfront Pavilion. Dogs on a leash and strollers are allowed. Bibs will be given out on race day and can also be picked up in the Customer Service Center Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This race will be on hard and soft pathways. “Perfect for the first-time or less experienced runner whose goal is to be active and healthy,” the city of Salem’s website said. Registration can be done there.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
