It’s the season to get out into parks. Two popular free community festivals in city parks return to the Salem area this weekend, and Riverfront Park will host a concert, a play and a free movie for families.
Here’s the lineup of Salem events for the week from Thursday, Aug. 8, to Wednesday, Aug. 14. Browse all of Salem Reporter’s events coverage here.
Event descriptions come from posts and listings by organizers.
Englewood Forest Festival
*Aug. 10: The annual celebration of native plants, science, art and culture returns to Englewood Park Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It includes hands-on environmental and educational activities like making wildflower seed bombs, as well as music and dance performances and more than 50 local art vendors. Free, with food and beverages available for purchase. Read our preview of the festival here. The park is located at 1260 19th St. N.E.
KeizerFEST & Art Fair
*Aug. 8-11: Keizer’s largest community celebration at Keizer Rapids Park runs Thursday through Sunday and features live music, a cornhole tournament, a carnival, food trucks and more. A full schedule and more details is available on the Keizer Chamber website. The park is located at 1900 Chemawa Rd. N.
The Keizer Art Association is also hosting its first Riverwalk Art Fair as part of the festival. About 50 Oregon artists will have work on display at the park from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Read to a four-legged friend
*Aug. 10: Read to a Pet, a favorite Salem Public Library event, returns Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. Young readers can build confidence and help socialize furry volunteers by reading out loud to them. Hosted in the children’s corner on the second floor of the Salem Public Library’s main branch, 585 Liberty St. S.E.
Live music, comedy, improv and local performances
Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St. S.E. #150
Aug. 8: Chaos Open Mic at 7 p.m. Comics sign up to do comedy, but they have no idea what they’re in for. Each set contains an element of chaos that is guaranteed to send the show off the rails. Tickets $10 in advance and $15 at the door. 18+ show.
Aug. 9: Last Light presents the Amerakin Overdose Artificial Infection CD Release Party at Infinity Room, with special guest performances by Proven and To Die Elsewhere. Show at 8 p.m., tickets $18 in advance and $25 at the door. Tickets and information for all Infinity Room shows is available on the venue’s event page.
Aug. 10: Live music by 2 Shadows, When the Broken Burn and Illusence at Infinity Room. Show at 7 p.m., tickets $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Tickets and information for all Infinity Room shows is available on the venue’s event page.
Grand Theatre, 187 High St. N.E.
Aug. 8: Grand Theatre hosts a musical speed dating event for musicians to get to know other musicians and find potential bandmates. Musicians are free to bring instruments, but the event is not an open mic. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $5.
*Aug 9: Singer Paul McDonald takes the stage following opener Jake and the Hill People. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show is from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. All ages are welcome, and the show is free.
Aug. 10: The Revival Brothers Band will perform a tribute show to the Allman Brothers Band. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $25.
Aug. 13: At 7 p.m., singer Bryan Hopkins will begin his performance at the Grand Theatre. Tickets for the show cost $20.
Other venues
Aug. 10: Stone In Love, a Journey tribute, will play at Salem’s Riverfront Park with opener Red Light Romeos. Gates open at 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. all-ages show. There will be vendors with food and beverages. Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 day of.
Live theater and cinema
*Aug. 9: Salem’s First Congregational Church, 700 Marion St. N.E., concludes its climate film festival with “2040” on Aug. 9. Screenings of climate-focused films are at 7 p.m. and followed by a discussion group. Free and open to the public.
Aug. 13, 20, 27: Catch the musical “Oliver” under the stars in Riverfront Park. Chemeketa Community College puts on the play Tuesday evenings starting at 8 p.m. at the Gerry Frank Amphitheater. Audiences can bring blankets, low-profile chairs and picnic meals to watch the show. Tickets are $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors.
*Aug. 9 “Elemental,” will show for free at Riverfront Park, part of Salem’s Movies in the Park lineup. In a city divided by water, earth, fire and air, fire element Ember Lumen and water element Wade Ripple discover they have a lot in common. The show starts around sunset, approximately 8:30 p.m.
Aug. 10-11: “Metropolis the Musical,” a science-fiction musical based on the 1927 silent film “Metropolis,” shows at the Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. S.E. on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets for both shows range in price from $49 to $74.
Aug. 11-12: A film of the National Theatre’s production of “King Lear” starring Ian McKellen will play at Salem Cinema, 1127 Broadway St. N.E. The Sunday show is at noon, and the Monday show is at 6 p.m. Tickets are $15.
Aug. 14: Salem Cinema presents an early access screening of the film “Sing Sing” at 7 p.m., followed by a discussion with Oregon filmmaker and podcaster Lydia Smith. The film yells the story of a man imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit who finds purposed in a theater group. Smith’s latest project, the multimedia podcast “Cellblocks to Mountaintops,” shines a light on how artistic expression is transforming the lives of inmates in Oregon through theb story of one man incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Tickets are $11.
Aug. 14: At the Grand Theatre, actor Greg Sestero will come to Salem for a 20th anniversary screening of “The Room,” in which he played the character Mark. The movie starts at 8 p.m. and afterwards there will be a live Q&A with the actor. Tickets are $21.50 with fees.
Markets and shopping
Aug. 10: The Fussy Duck hosts the Fussy Flea Market in the store parking lot at 3170 Commercial St. S.E. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features dozens of vendors who don’t sell items inside the store.
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. at the Chemeketa Community College Agricultural Hub at 4000 Lancaster Drive N.E.
The Thursday West Salem Farmers Market runs from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at 1260 Edgewater St. N.W.
The Saturday Market is 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.
Correction: This article originally listed an incorrect date for the Salem Cinema special screening of “Sing Sing.” It is on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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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.
