SALEM — The Christmas in Salem house tour and the Marblehead Christmas Walk are doing something unusual this year: They are joining forces to promote each other and to boost local businesses.
The two annual holiday events, which are both this weekend, worked together to print 10,000 promotional cards that were distributed to Boston hotels, a AAA office, a highway information booth and tourism agencies.
The cards also advertise restaurants and businesses in the two communities.
The two traditionally separate events were united by two old friends, Marblehead Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ann Marie Casey and Mary Hayes, a board member at Historic Salem Inc., which is hosting its 29th annual holiday house tour from Friday through Sunday. Hayes and Casey once worked together at the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism.
"She called me up and said, 'Let's put our heads together,'" Hayes said.
In addition to promoting Marblehead's event, HSI is working with Salem businesses to entice some of the expected 3,000 visitors to the house tour to head downtown to shop and dine.
Salem Main Streets, an organization which promotes downtown businesses, is being given a table this weekend at Hamilton Hall, which is headquarters for the house tour. The Salem Trolley will pick up and drop off visitors at city garages and lots, and also make other stops downtown.
"They really did reach out to us this year, which was fantastic," said Jennifer Bell, the Main Streets program manager.
There are a number of events in Salem this weekend to capitalize on the crowds. Santa Claus is visiting Museum Place Mall Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will return every weekend until Christmas. The Salem Theatre Company is presenting "A Child's Christmas in Wales" at the Salem Athenaeum, 337 Essex St., Friday through Sunday.
From Thursday through Sunday, several retail stores are offering discounts as high as 20 percent for city employees.
For more information, go to www.historicsalem.org, www.visitmarblehead.com and www.salemmainstreets.org and click on "shop and dine in Salem."
