Community invited to visit and reconnect with the City’s more than 40 beloved public parks
SALEM – The City of Salem will celebrate Parks Days on September 12 and 13, during which all residents are invited to visit and reconnect with the City’s more than 40 beloved public parks as part of the Salem 400+ quadricentennial celebration.
Parks Days is an opportunity to showcase the Salem Signature Parks Initiative, a multi-year effort to improve the city’s most heavily used parks and open spaces. The initiative addressed accessibility, historic features, and upgrades to the parks, to address the effects of climate change and ensure these parks remain enjoyable for future generations of Salem residents.
While the Signature Parks Initiative focused on investments in those busiest spaces, Parks Day is a celebration of community and all the city’s greenspaces. Residents are encouraged to gather in parks throughout the city, not just the Signature Parks. All permitting fees will be waived for the weekend.
Rather than a single scheduled program, the City invites residents to get out and enjoy their local park. Waiving permit fees for the weekend is intended to make it easier for families, neighbors, and community groups to gather in the parks they love. Residents are encouraged to picnic, play games, or host a block party in their own neighborhood park.
“Our parks are where Salem comes together – where families gather, kids play, and neighbors become friends.” said Mayor Dominick Pangallo, “As we celebrate over 400 years of Salem, there’s no better way to honor that legacy and look to the future than by celebrating in the green spaces that bring us together every day.”
The Signature Parks:
- Forest River Park — 29 acres established in 1907, recently renovated with new pools, a splash pad, accessible trails, and a restored bathhouse.
- Palmer Cove Park — Established in 1913 in the Point neighborhood, receiving a new multi-use field and improved lighting and pathways.
- Salem Common — A historic green space dating to 1667, with ongoing restoration of the 1926 bandstand and Washington Arch.
- Salem Willows — A 35-acre seaside park established in 1858, with an ongoing pier restoration and trail and parking upgrades.
- Winter Island — A 45-acre maritime park home to Fort Pickering, with erosion studies underway ahead of future improvements.
Event Details:
- What: Salem 400+ Parks Days
- When: Saturday September, 12 and Sunday September, 13
- Where: Municipally owned park locations, citywide
- Cost: Free and open to the public — park permit fees waived for the day!
- More Info: Salem400.org
About Salem 400+
Salem 400+ is the City of Salem’s quadricentennial celebration, marking 400 years of Salem’s history under the theme “Salem through the ages” — honoring the city’s past, present, and future. For more information and a full calendar of events, visit Salem400.org
The land we recognize today as Salem is Naumkeag, or fishing place, where generations of indigenous people have lived and passed through for centuries. Read the City of Salem‘s Indigenous Land Acknowledgment here.
