The Christmas Celebration in Salem will be bigger this year.
The City Council was told Monday night representatives from the city, YMCA, downtown businesses, and the Salem Community Activity Center are developing plans for a Friday and Saturday, December third and fourth event.
Committee member Tabitha Meador says activity would begin on Friday night with family games and activities at the Salem Community Activity Center. She says the arrival of Santa would then be expanded on Saturday to an event entitled “Christmas on Broadway”.
“What we are hoping to do is to have the option of using Bicentennial Park for a craft/vendor area. It will be minimal just due to the size of the park itself but what we are hoping is the traffic by the parking lot there, come through Bicentennial Park and Sweeney Corner. The ABC will be participating in the event along with the Theatre, there is going to be the cartoon shown, I believe it’s the Grinch that Stole Christmas, and then that night will be the Christmas Concert.”
Meador says further details will be announced as plans are finalized.
The council officially named the new inclusive playground in Bryan Memorial Park as the Salem Lions Addie and Friends Inclusive Playground. While the name had been discussed, it had not been formally adopted by the city.
City Manager Rex Barbee invited everyone to the official dedication of the inclusive playground at four Friday afternoon. He reports it will be ready to open following dedication. Barbee says a few small details are being completed by the Salem Public Works Department this week.
Finance Director Kelli Barrow says she will be tabulating how much money is left in the Lion’s Club fund for construction of the facility and will be returning it to the Lion’s. The club is then expected to look at some other projects related to the inclusive playground.
