Each week, Salem Reporter highlights a selection of upcoming local events.

For a more complete list, browse our events calendar here. You can submit an upcoming event here.

Here’s a roundup of happenings for Thursday, June 18, to Wednesday, June 24. 

*Starred events are free to attend, although they may include ticketed components or a suggested donation.

*Friday, June 19: Juneteenth is a federal holiday that recognizes the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Two free events around town will celebrate the day with education and community gatherings.

1. Community meal and market: The Salem-Keizer NAACP will have a celebration in Riverfront Park with a free meal, vendors, entertainment, activities, crafts and educational opportunities. It will be “a day dedicated to honoring Black freedom, resilience and excellence,” an event posting said. The event will run from 12 – 6 p.m. The park is at 200 Water St. N.E.

2. Guided walking tours: The Willamette Heritage Center will have several free guided walking tours centering the lives of William P. and Elizabeth Walker Johnson, a Black American couple who lived in Salem around the mid-1800s. Tours will start at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m., with introductory videos running 15 minutes before each tour. The tours will span 2.25 miles, starting and ending at the museum, 1313 Mill St. S.E. Attendance is capped at 50 people per tour.

*Saturday, June 20: Superheroes of all ages can show off their powers at a fun run in Riverfront Park. The run raises funds for CASA of Marion County, a nonprofit advocating for children in foster care. Runners and walkers can choose between a free one-mile course, or a ticketed 5K or 10K course. The 5K and 10K are $45 per person. Costumes are encouraged. 

Check-in opens at 7 a.m. in the park pavilion, with the festival starting at 7:30 a.m. The festival will have community booths, food and activities. The opening ceremony will start at 8 a.m., with youth and adult costume contests starting at 8:30 a.m. The 5K and 10K start at 9 a.m. and the one mile run starts at 9:10 a.m. Courses close at 11 a.m. and the festival ends at 1 p.m. The park is at 200 Water St. N.E.

*Saturday, June 20: The public is invited to visit the excavation site of the former Oregon Indian Mission Manual Labor School at Willamette University. Opened in 1842, Methodist missionaries used the old school to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children, teaching them Christianity, English and obedience. For about a year, archeologists and volunteers have been working to uncover the school’s buried history. Anyone can visit the site from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. to see the work being done and view recovered artifacts. The site is on the university campus at 900 State St., east of Smullin Hall. 

Saturday, June 20: Over 40 vendors will fill the Grand Theatre ballroom for Market for the Strange’s first night market of the year. The event brings together alternative artists, makers and creators from across Salem for an evening celebrating everything from unusual to unconventional. Attendees are encouraged to show off their strange side by dressing in elaborate costumes, witchy laces or other eye-catching looks. The market will run from 5 – 10 p.m. Tickets are $5. The theater is at 191 High St. N.E.

*Sunday, June 21: Salem’s annual city-wide celebration of music is returning for its 11th year. The annual celebration features dozens of artists bringing music to venues around Salem. There will be nearly 150 musicians and groups, including Bluebird Moon Band, Capital City Jazz Collective, Constant Billy, Flying Nimbus, Giantess and more. Venues this year will include the Gerry Frank Amphitheater in Riverfront Park, the Cherriots Transit Center, Salem’s Riverfront Carousel, Santiam Brewing, Harvest Music, Precious Pizza and more. A full schedule can be found here.

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] .

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