By Chris Cassidy
Staff writer
July 30, 2008 06:30 am SALEM — With more than 40 events over 10 days, Salem Heritage Days has grown into a whirlwind of concerts, festivals, kids' activities, sports competitions and food contests. The 48th annual summer festival begins Friday and continues each day through next weekend. Most events are either free or under $10. "We have all the bases covered," said Ellen Talkowsky, who organizes the city's special events. "Old, young, food, desserts, dancing, you name it." Nearly all of last year's most popular events are back this year, along with several new ones. The first All Ages Track Meet will be held Sunday at 9 a.m. at Bertram Field, where Salem residents ages 6 and up will compete in a variety of events. Salem State College students will display floating art sculptures, called Waterworks, which will drift in the water near Hawthorne Cove Marina from Aug. 2 to 16. Two new dance companies will also perform this year: Dance Etc., which will dance to live rock music on Saturday, and Dance Enthusiasm on Wednesday night. r Food and sports are two common themes each year at Heritage Days. The popular Super Scooperbowl is set for Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Salem Common. For $5 (or $3 for kids), ice cream lovers can sample some of the area's best creameries. On Thursday, Aug. 7, the city's pizzerias take center stage for the annual pizza contest at Salem Common from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Amateur pizza critics can weigh in on their favorite slices by voting for the tastiest pizza. To burn off the added calories, you can always compete in one of several sporting events: one- and two-mile swims (this Saturday, noon at Collins Cove), the Haunted City junior triathlon (Aug. 9, 8 a.m., Dead Horse Beach, ages 5-17), and the YMCA Witch City Triathlon (Aug. 10, 7 a.m., Forest River Park). r For the kids, there's Tour-A-Truck from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday at Salem Willows, where the city's littlest will sit behind the wheel of some of the largest vehicles, from a firetruck to an 18-wheeler. Lip Sync Night is back this year, when groups of two or more between the ages of 6 and 14 can mouth the words to the music they select. The event is set for Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at the Salem Willows Shell. Kids Night, hosted by the Salem YMCA, will offer bounce houses, rides, games, and arts and crafts on Friday, Aug. 8, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Salem Common. r Music lovers should also find plenty to do. The Salem Jazz & Soul Festival will host jazz pianist Manami Morita and her trio on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Derby Square. The next day, two bands will perform in the downtown, one at Derby Square from 1 to 3 p.m. and the other at the Museum Place Mall from 2 to 4 p.m. The North Shore Concert Band will perform its Salute to Summer on Tuesday at the Willows from 7 to 9 p.m. r Seniors will also be in the spotlight, as the city hosts a series of special events each day, beginning Monday. And all week, residents will receive $2 off a ticket on the Salem ferry, and merchant one-hour validation stamps are worth double in the Church Street lot and both garages. "They can spend a little bit longer in the downtown," Talkowsky said. r Even dogs will have their day. The popular dog show will be held this Sunday from 4 to 6 p.m. at Salem Common. This year's show has a patriotic theme, where owners can enter their dogs into categories such as Best Speaker (owners translate their dogs' barking) and Best Liar (dog that lies on the ground the longest wins). Everything starts Friday night with the Salem Maritime Festival's concert by Entrain, a six-piece band playing rock, blues, calypso, zydeco and more. Or you can sample hors d'oeuvres with Mayor Kim Driscoll at the Mayor's Night Out Restaurant Sampler. "We are ready to go," Talkowsky said. Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salemnews.com.
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