Salem Heritage Days Return For 2024 Starting Saturday

SALEM, MA — Eight days of entertaining, community-building and family-friendly events are returning to the Witch City starting Saturday as part of the 2024 Heritage Days festival.

"I'm excited that our community will be able to celebrate over the course of this popular festival with so many special events," Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "I want to thank all of the organizations that coordinate these festivities to ensure the continuance of Salem's Heritage Days."

The festival kicks off with the National Park Service's Salem Maritime Festival on Saturday, which will include the Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta at Derby Wharf.

A Tour-a-Truck event will take place at Salem Willows on Sunday and a community concert, under the direction of Cynthia Napierkowski, at the Salem Willows shell is set for Monday night. On Tuesday, the North Shore Concert Band will perform a program of All-American composers.

The Salem Police Department Community Impact Unit are planning a community cookout this year at Mary Jane Lee Park on Monday as well.

Residents are invited to the Salem Common for the very popular Ice Scream Bowl where SPS Superintendent Steve Zrike will be on hand to chat with families about our public schools. Proceeds will benefit Salem Main Streets.

A screening of the movie "Jumanji" is set to follow the ice cream event at dusk.

Salem will host the weekly Farmers Market on Front Street on Thursday.

The conclusion of Heritage Days is Aug. 11, which includes the 21st Annual Phillips House Car Meet on Chestnut Street, the S.C.E.N.E.'s Sunset Hang at the Willows, and the second-annual Fusion Fest at the House of the Seven Gables, celebrating Salem's immigrant communities.

Many of the downtown museums and attractions are free for the week and discounts are available for the Salem Ferry.

A complete schedule of events can be found here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)