SALEM – Organizers are putting on an event tonight to honor and send off Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll who will become the Lt. Governor later this week. The event will be held at the Hawthorne Hotel, 7-9:30 p.m. as a “thank-you” gathering for her 17 years as service as Salem’s Mayor. The speaking program is expected to begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. There will be refreshments available and live music. The event is free and open to the public. (Below – Update on 1/5 TD Garden Event)
Note: Mayor Driscoll will deliver her final “State of the City” address on Wednesday, she is expected to officially resign from office and will be sworn in as Lt. Governor on Thursday afternoon. The Salem City Council is also expected to name an interim mayor.
Healey-Driscoll Inaugural Committee announces local talent participating in events at State House and TD Garden
Line-up spotlights dance, music, and arts performers from across the state (Including Salem)
BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll Inaugural Committee today announced a line-up of local talent acts that will participate in the swearing-in ceremony at the State House and the inaugural celebration at the TD Garden.
“It was important for these inaugural celebrations to encompass the geographically diverse gifts we see in each corner of the Commonwealth,” said Inaugural Director Katie Prisco-Buxbaum. “From the regional events in the days leading up to the formal swearing in, through the celebration at the TD Garden, our talent represents different customs, styles, and expressions of love, unity, and teamwork.”
The formal swearing-in ceremony at the State House will feature the National Anthem performed by Berklee College of Music alum and instructor, Lydia Harrell. The ceremony will feature an additional musical performance by fellow Berklee alum Precious Perez, a classically trained pop/R&B and Latin vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and disability advocate.
In a nod to the basketball theme, Celtics legendary public address announcer Eddie Palladino will serve as the event emcee. Todd Angilly, the official anthem singer of the Boston Bruins, will provide the National Anthem alongside The Spirituals Ensemble from Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts, serving students who reflect the diversity of Boston’s neighborhoods.
The TD Garden celebration will feature talent from high schools across the Commonwealth, including the award-winning marching band from Everett High School and Witch Pitch, Salem High School’s award-winning a capella group.
The event program will also include performances from:
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The Boston Gay Men’s Chorus, one of New England’s largest and most successful community-based choruses. Founded in 1982, the over 200-voice ensemble is celebrated for its outstanding musicianship, creative programming, groundbreaking community outreach and an innovative educational program.
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Lynn native DJ Frenchy, recent recipient of the “Advancing Equity Award” from Mass Now and a Board member of Trans Resistance MA.
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Abilities Dance Boston, a dance company dedicated to using dance as a tool for intersectional disability rights in the greater Boston area and beyond. The company focuses on engaging with the community to further promote their mission, organizing intersectional disability rights lectures and movement workshops for all ages.
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OOMPA is a nationally-acclaimed, Boston-born, hip hop artist. She was named one of NPR’s 2020 Slingshot Artists to Watch and her engaging, interactive performing style has earned her 3 Boston Music Awards, including a recent victory for Best Live Act in 2022, amongst an unprecedented 14 nominations.
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SciTech Band, the award-winning Springfield High School of Science and Technology Band Program and subject of a national documentary about the transformative power of student ownership in the classroom. Known to city residents as “The Pride of Springfield,” the SciTech Band Program is committed to empowering student leaders. Band students received the Massachusetts Commonwealth Award, the state’s highest honor given for achievement in the arts. Following their motto “Seek to Serve,” band leaders actively mentor younger students through Springfield’s Mentoring Through Music Program.
The headliner for the inauguration will be announced soon.
The theme of the inaugural celebration is “Moving the Ball Forward.” Tickets are now available for the celebration to be held at TD Garden on Thursday, January 5th, 2023 at healeydriscollinaugural.com/
