The sun is setting later and spring is just around the corner. Events in Salem this weekend include concerts celebrating women artists, walks in nature, local sports and Cherry Blossom Day. Here’s your guide to what’s happening from Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 17.
Cherry blossoms
Celebrate spring with Cherry Blossom Day at the Oregon Capitol Mall, across the street from the front of the Capitol on Court Street. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy taiko drummers, martial arts demonstrations and other performances. Free and open to the public. More information is on the Capitol website.
Nature center
Wildlife enthusiasts can get in the field and celebrate the new David B. Marshall Outdoor Classroom at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge south of Salem.
On Saturday, the refuge is hosting family-focused Winter Wildlife Field Days from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Gehlar Hall, the primary facility of the Nature Center. A ribbon cutting for the new classroom begins at 1 p.m.
Both events are free and open to the public.
Parking for both events is accessible from the main entrance at 130 Ankeny Hill Road S.E., Jefferson.
Sports
The Salem Capitals will have their first home basketball games of the 2024 season this weekend. On Friday at 7:30 p.m. the team takes on the Seattle Superhawks, and on Saturday, they’ll play Great Falls Electric at 6:30 p.m. Games are at the Salem Armory, 2310 17th St. N.E. Tickets start at $6. Learn more on the team website.
Cherry City Roller Derby has a double-header adult game Saturday. At 4:30 p.m., the Renegades take on Atomic City Roller Derby, and at 7 p.m., the 8-Wheel Assassins play Humboldt All-Stars. Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 cash/$16 card at the door, or $30 for two adults and unlimited kids under 13. The event is at the Madhouse, 1335 Madison St. N.E.
Concerts
She’s Speaking LIVE: A Concert Celebrating Women Songwriters, will showcase Oregon artists at Salem’s Historic Grand on Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
The show includes Salem songwriter Kristen Grainger, who co-founded it as a way for women to connect with music during lockdown before taking the show in-person in 2021. It sold-out its Salem live show last year.
Also on Friday, the Rhythm & Flow 1 Year Anniversary Show offers “a musical journey that bridges the past, present, and future,” headlined by hip-hop artist iLL Chris. The show will be at the Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St. S.E. from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets start at $12. The event is for people 18 and older until 10 p.m., with a 21 and over bar.
On Saturday, Salem alternative rock band Sunwell will play at the Infinity room, along with performances from Portland band Heirloom and Bert Django from Las Vegas. Doors open at 7 p.m., for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $12 in advance, or $15 at the door.
Budokan, a Cheap Trick tribute band, will play at the Historic Grand on Saturday. They’ll be joined by LABANSKY and Portland rock singer Don Edwards. The band is made up of “super-fan musicians who bring the fun and excitement that was the very essence of Cheap Trick’s early concerts,” according to the event description. Doors open at 7 p.m. for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $25.
On Sunday, The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform at the Elsinore Theatre. It carries on the legacy of Glenn Miller, who disbanded his popular orchestra to enlist and formed an Army Air Force Band during World War II. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. for a 2:30 p.m. show. Tickets start at $39.
Willamette University celebrates women in music at the Fête des Femmes concert Sunday at 2 p.m. Featuring performances by music faculty and guests, the program includes music from across the globe, with a special focus on Irish female composers. Tickets are $15 general admission, $12 seniors and $9 students. The concert is in Hudson Hall in the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center on Willamette’s campus.
The Salem Pops Orchestra performs its “Welcome Spring and the Wearing of the Green” concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the East Salem Community Center, 1850 45th Ave NE. Tickets are $20 general admission and $10 for students.
Theater
“The Prom” will continue shows at the Pentacle Theatre this weekend. In the musical, four Broadway stars desperate for good publicity decide to support a small town high schooler’s effort to take her girlfriend to the prom, fighting against pressure from local parents.
Friday and Saturday’s shows are at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday’s is at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $22 to $50. Students and Oregon Trail Card holders are eligible for a 50% discount. The theater is located at 324 52nd Ave N.W.
Coming up
McKay High School’s orchestra is holding a fundraiser concert Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. with Marilyn de Oliveira and Trevor Fitzpatrick of the Oregon Symphony. The performance features Vivaldi’s Double Cello Concerto and is in Willamette University’s Smith Auditorium. Tickets are $25 general admission, $5 for students.
Chemeketa Community College presents Ukrainian world music quartet DakhaBrakha on Friday, March 22, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students, $20 for seniors and $30 or adults.
Salem Symphonic Winds will perform the world premiere of a new band arrangement of Alan Hovhaness’s “The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam” on Sunday, March 24, at 3 p.m. in Rose Auditorium at South Salem High School. The performance will feature accordion soloist Tommy Thompson, and narrator Rebecca Fromherz. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for seniors and $5 for students.
“Monument,” a documentary by local filmmaker Michael Turner, premiers at Salem Cinema Sunday, March 24, at 6 p.m. The film follows Turner on a personal journey as he visits a memorial dedicated to families members who died in the Holocaust. Tickets are $11 in advance or $14 day of.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-704-0355.
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Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
