The next week in Salem will be packed full of events, starting with Father’s Day weekend and ending with Juneteenth.
Here’s your guide to what’s happening in Salem from Thursday, June 13, to Wednesday, June 19. Event descriptions come from posts and listings by organizers.
Juneteenth
Take a walk through downtown and learn about the history of Black Salem residents who lived through emancipation in celebration of Juneteenth. The walk will be hosted by the Willamette Heritage Center in partnership with Oregon Black Pioneers and Just Walk Salem Keizer. It will follow the footsteps of Rev. Daniel Jones, who was born in 1830, and his family who founded a church in Salem.
The 2.4-mile free history walk will start and end at the Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St. S.E. There are options to start at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 12:15 p.m. on June 19. The heritage center recommends registering to secure a first-come, first-served spot. There will also be free maps available to pick up at the center or download online for self-guided tours.
The Salem-Keizer NAACP is also planning a Juneteenth block party on Northeast Cottage Street, just north of the Micah building at 680 State St. according to spokeswoman Melanie Zermer.
The free event is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. There will be food, music and a guest speaker, Johnny Lake. “Dr. Lake’s work focuses on the influence of diversity, race and culture on student academic achievement & business performance,” Zermer said. More information about the event is available online.
Theater and other live entertainment
Chemeketa Community College auditorium, 4000 Lancaster Dr. NE Building 6
Friday, June 14: Salem Aerial Dance Company presents “Nightfall,” a performance by the youth company. The show is at 7:30 p.m. at Chemeketa Community College theater auditorium in building 6 of the Salem campus. Tickets are $22 general admission and $10 for children.
The Grand Theatre, 191 High St. N.E.
June 14-16: The Belly Dancer USA competition returns to Salem. Tickets for spectators range from $15 for a single competition to $60 for a weekend pass. View the full schedule here.
Keizer Homegrown Theatre, 980 Chemawa Rd NE
June 14-30: The theater is showing “Lifespan of a Fact” on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through June 30. The play follows a fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York Magazine, who comes head-to-head with a writer over an essay that could save the magazine from collapse. Tickets are $15, or free for Oregon Trail Card holders and their dependents.
The Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. S.E.
June 15, 16: The Premiere Academy of Performing Arts presents its spring dance recital with shows at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $18.
June 16: The academy is also performing “La Sylphide.” The ballet follows Scottish farmer James, who is enchanted by a Sylph—a beautiful, mystical being, a spirit of the air invisible to all but him. When she appears at his wedding and snatches the ring from his hand, James turns his back on a future of domestic bliss to follow the creature into the woods. Show at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $18.
Live music, dance, nightlife
June 14: Infinity Room presents live music featuring The Promise Drive (Georgia-based Pop-punk/Emo), Sunwell (Salem-based Power Progressive) and Sadgasm (Salem-based Emo Alternative). Show at 7:30 p.m., tickets $12 in advance or $15 at the door. The venue is located at 210 Liberty St SE #150.
June 15: Infinity Room presents live music featuring Alamance (metal from Salem), Vice of Us (rock from Medford) and Spirits (post hardcore from Portland). The show is a fundraiser for the family of Justin Haeckler, a local musician who died in December. Show at 8:30 p.m., tickets $12 in advance or $15 at the door.
June 15, 16: Salem Philharmonia Orchestra presents “A Fantastic Father’s Day” concerts Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Directed by the orchestra’s artistic director, Jonathan DeBruyn, the concert features two compositions by his father, composer Randall DeBruyn. Maestro DeBruyn’s pre-concert talks begin 45 minutes before each concert. East Salem Community Center, 1850 45th Ave. N.E. Tickets $20, $18 for students and seniors, free for youth 17 and under.
June 16: Salsa Night at Fork Forty takes place every Sunday. A lesson starts at 6:30 p.m. and dancing at 7:30 p.m. The event is 18+ and there is a $5 cover charge.
Sports and recreation
June 14: The annual Salem Summer Solstice 5k and 10k run returns to Minto-Brown Island Park, with ice cream sundaes available at the end of the race. The 10k run starts at 7 p.m. and registration is $25, while the 5k run and walk starts at 7:10 p.m. and costs $20 to register. Proceeds will go to the McKay High School cross-country team. Register and find more information online.
June 15: The Capital Pioneers, Salem’s semi-pro women’s tackle football team, plays its final home game of the season Saturday at McNary High School, 595 Chemawa Rd. N. in Keizer. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the gate and free for kids 12 and under. More information about the team is on its website.
Cinema
June 15: The Salem Public Library presents a free viewing of curated short films from the TAG! Queer Shorts Festival, which celebrates queer cinema, from 3-5 p.m. “We are partnering with TAG! to provide a physical space where queer and trans filmmakers can exhibit their art. Everyone has a role to play in helping bring visibility, reach new audiences, and support LGBTQIA+ creators,” according to an event description. All adults are welcome and the event is free. Seating is first-come, first-served. The library is at 585 Liberty St. N.E.
Festivals, markets, community events
June 14: The library is also hosting a preschool concert, Sing with Teacher Brittany, where preschoolers and their grownups can sing and dance in English and Spanish. “Through the magic of imagination, skill games, and exercises with the guitar, kids will exercise fine motor skills, mind and body awareness, and language,” according to an event description. The event is in the library’s Loucks Auditorium starting at 11 a.m. Doors will open 15 minutes before the free event, and seating is first-come, first-served.
June 15: Powerland Heritage Park is putting on its first annual Train & Trolley Fest from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for ages 13 and over, $5 for 12 and under. Activities include unlimited trolley and Willow Creek Railroad rides, pedal rail bikes, trolley car barn tours and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Model Railroad Museum. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. The park is at 3995 Brooklake Rd. N.E. in Brooks. People can buy tickets and find more information online.
June 15: The “Cruisin’ for Salem Firefighters” car show will feature a variety of makes and models, plus Salem Fire Department Vehicles, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The free event will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Cozzie’s NY Deli and the Salem Fire Foundation and will have food for purchase, a variety of vendors, raffle prizes and a chance to vote for your favorite car. The event will be at the deli, 3723 Fairview Industrial Dr. S.E. For more information or to register a car, see the event webpage.
Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the Salem Public Market at 1240 Rural Avenue S.E.
Salem Community Markets will bring local produce, food and products to various places throughout the city all week.
The Wednesday Chemeketa Market runs from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. and is held at the Chemeketa Community College Agricultural Hub at 4000 Lancaster Drive N.E.
The Thursday West Salem Farmers Market will be from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at 1260 Edgewater St. N.W.
The Saturday Market will be 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 865 Marion St. N.E.
The Monday Hospital Market will be 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Salem Hospital’s campus, 875 Oak St., between building A & C.
Art shows
See what art and cultural exhibits are on display this month here.
Coming up
Browse our full listing of June Salem events.
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.
