From electric guitars to paint bucket drums, Salem celebrated the longest day of the year Wednesday with music across town.
The eighth annual celebration featured 250 artists performing at 50 venues across the city, with performances concentrated in and around downtown. Hands-on activities let people dry out steel drums and other instruments in alleys downtown.
Salem streets buzzed with energy as people enjoyed dinner and drinks while taking in the soundscape. Kids played on the lawn at Riverfront Park while string musicians from the Oregon Symphony serenaded the crowd. The Unipiper, a Portland fixture who plays bagpipes on a unicycle while dressed as Darth Vader, also made an appearance downtown.
The 2023 lineup marked a return to the pre-pandemic size of the event.
Vista Quartet performs Lord and Schryver Conservancy during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)
The audience listens to Vista Quartet performing at Lord and Schryver Conservancy during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)
Vista Quartet performs Lord and Schryver Conservancy during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)
Watching Singing in the Shower during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Andrew Hussey performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Happenings in Electric Alley during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)SMF performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Jimmy Jazz performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Happenings in Electric Alley during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Happenings in Electric Alley during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)SMF performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Happenings in Electric Alley during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Sound and Fury performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Sound and Fury performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Sound and Fury performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Sunset Band performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Luke Gmazel performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)The Reverberations perform at the Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater during Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)People watch The Reverberations from the amphitheater lawn in Riverfront Park on Salem’s Make Music Day, June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Grimiss performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Enjoying Make Music Day Salem on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Enjoying Make Music Salem on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Enjoying Make Music Salem on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Enjoying Make Music Salem on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Renegades performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Listening to Renegades during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Dee Swindle having his chest marked after the Happy Death Men concert during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Enjoying music on Liberty Street during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Acting Captain performs during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)People listen to Acting Captain performing during Salem’s Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Eric Schuman/Special to Salem Reporter)Rock band “Wire Monkey Mama” performs for onlookers in downtown Salem during Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)The Vista Quartet performs at the Lord & Schryver house for Make Music Day in Salem on June 21, 2023 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)The Garden at the Lord & Schryver House was in full summer bloom for a performance by the Vista Quartet for Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)Children try their hands at paint bucket percussion during Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)Rock musicians perform during Make Music Day on June 21, 2023 (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)
Correction: This article originally misspelled the names of Grimiss and Happy Death Men. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
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