Jewelry – Salem Happenings

Alex and Ani: Charity by Design

Do you have a friend, significant other, daughter, niece, or other individual in your life who’s really into charm bracelets and/or necklaces? Would you love to buy some jewelry as a gift and give to charity at the same time? Well, if you would, you’re in luck because it just so happens that Alex and Ani has a collection of bracelets that will allow you to do exactly that. In fact, Alex and Ani will donate 20% of the proceeds from any of the bracelets or necklaces purchased from their Charity by Design collection. This collection features a number of different designs and each design is associated with a different charity, including well-established charities such as the Alzheimer’s Association, the American Heart Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, March of Dimes, Toys for Tots, UNICEF, and a whole lot more. For more information and/or to purchase items from the Charity by Design collection straight from Alex and Ani, please visit the Charity by Design Collection page on the Alex and Ani website.

Photo via JamesDeMers via Visual hunt

The Salem Open Market 2016

Did you miss the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair in Salem last week? Are you looking for another way to mix your love of Halloween with your love of shopping? Well, if you did miss the Biz Baz (A.K.A. the Bizarre Bazaar) and you’re looking for a place where you can find the ambience of the season and check out a whole bunch of cool stuff, there’s nothing to fear. Salem has you covered. In fact, the Salem Open Market will open for business on Essex Street and Derby Square this weekend. This street fair, which will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. until Halloween, will feature dozens and dozens of artists, artisans, crafters, designers, and other vendors who will be happy to show you everything from artwork to zombie-themed t-shirts (and all of the items in between.) Best of all, if you’re not really into shopping but you have a spouse or child who is, you can always bring them to the Open Market and then check out all of the tours and events that are happening throughout Salem. For more information on the Salem Open Market, please visit the New England Open Markets website.

Photo credit: HBarrison via Visual hunt / CC BY-SA

Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair 2016

It’s almost that time of year again. One of my favorite times of year (and no, it’s not Christmas.) It’s Halloween, and if you’re looking for a way to get into the spirit of the season, there’s no better place than the Witch City. In fact, it just so happens that the annual Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair is scheduled to take place in Salem this Saturday and Sunday (October 8th and 9th, 2016) from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. each day. This fair, which was originally known as the Bizarre Bazaar (and is still known as such by many of the locals), will give you the opportunity to peruse the wares of over 70 vendors selling art, crafts, jewelry, and a whole lot more. Best of all, if you’re accompanied by someone who isn’t really into shopping (a child or spouse perhaps), there’s no need to worry because there are always a number of street musicians and other performers who are certain to keep your friends and family entertained. For more information on the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, which is free (until you decide to buy everything in sight) and open to everyone, please visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce website or the Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair Facebook page.

Photo credit: GWP Photography via Foter.com / CC BY

The 35th Anniversary of King Richard’s Faire

If you read my post a couple of weeks ago about the Silver Kingdom Renaissance Festival, you probably already know that King Richard’s Faire is right around the corner. In fact, if you’re a renaissance fan who’s been counting down the days to one of the largest and longest-running renaissance festivals in the area, you’ll be happy to know that the wait is finally over. This is because King Richard’s faire will open its gates for the 35th time tomorrow (Saturday, September 3, 2016) at approximately 10:30 A.M. This year’s Faire will feature some new acts plus all of the tried and true entertainment of years past, including acrobats, comedy acts, fire eaters, games, jugglers, jousting, magicians, minstrels, rides, tigers and more 16th-century style entertainment than you can shake a sword at. And, speaking of swords, the Faire will also feature a huge assortment of vendors that will allow you to purchase armor, weapons, and everything in between. Best of all, there are a number of coupons and discounts available for the Faire, including a Groupon that will allow you to save over 30% on admission for a group of two or four. For more information on King Richard’s Faire, which runs from September 3, 2016 to October 23, 2016, please visit the King Richard’s Faire website.

Photo credit: Wolfrage via Visualhunt.com / CC BY

Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market: Cole Porter

There’s a pretty good chance that, unless you’re a huge Broadway fan, you probably haven’t heard of Cole Porter. However, Cole Porter is the man behind many of the musicals (or at least the songs in many of the musicals) that have truly stood the test of time, including Paris, Fifty Million Frenchmen, and the show that he is best-known for, Kiss Me, Kate. As a result, the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market in Salem MA, has decided to celebrate what would be the Broadway songwriter’s 125th birthday if he was still alive.

This celebration, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Saturday, June 18, 2016), will bring together a number of local vendors that will be selling antiques, art, collectibles, handmade goods, jewelry, vintage clothing, vintage furniture, and a whole lot more. If you’re wondering what the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market actually is, it is a monthly pop-up market that occurs throughout the summer, and each market has its own theme. The theme of this month’s market, as you might have already guessed, is of course Cole Porter and some of the things that might be associated with him, including cocktails and garden parties. For more information on the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market, please visit the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art website.

Photo credit: GWP Photography via VisualHunt / CC BY

The Snowflake Festival: Embrace the Winter!

Winter may have gotten off to a late start, but it appears that the colder weather has finally arrived. In fact, this past Christmas was certainly one of the warmest Christmases that I can remember, but the warmth of the holiday season now appears to be past (both figuratively and literally.) Now, I will admit that it’s certainly not as cold as it could be (as it’s been somewhere in the 30s or 40s), but it’s certainly not the 60 to 70 degrees that it had been for months in the Northeast. As a result, if you’re not quite ready for the winter to arrive in force, you may be looking for something to ease your way into the spirit of the season. Fortunately, if that is indeed the case, the Brookline Arts Center may have exactly what you’re looking for.

This is because the Brookline Arts Center is hosting their annual Snowflake Festival from 12:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. tomorrow (Saturday, January 9, 2016.) This festival will allow you and your family to watch a number of artistic demonstrations, participate in two free workshops, and help the center create a community art project that will be donated to a local charity. The two free workshops at the festival include a bangle-making workshop that will teach you to make your own copper and brass bracelets and a Monoprint Workshop that will show you how to use printmaking and oil painting to create a truly original piece of art. For more information on the Snowflake Festival, please visit the Brookline Arts Center’s Events page.

Photo credit: yellowcloud via Foter.com / CC BY

Escape the Heat in Salem

If you’ve been hiding in your house for the past couple of weeks huddled in front of your air conditioner for the chilly comfort it offers, you’ll be happy to know that the heat wave that has been plaguing the Northeast is finally over (at least for now). In fact, the weather this weekend is supposed to be great, especially along the coast, which means that if you are looking for a way to take advantage of the cooler weather, you’ll definitely want to head down by the water. And, if you’re looking for something to do by the water, it just so happens that Salem’s Annual Heritage Days Celebration ends this weekend. As a result, there’s probably no better way to spend your weekend by the coast than heading down to Salem to check out these events.

First, if you’re a history fan or a fan of American literature, the House of the Seven Gables may have the perfect program for you. This is because the House of the Seven Gables is hosting a Living History Lab from 10:30 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. and 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. on Saturday and Sunday. This educational workshop will allow you and/or your kids to experience what it was like to live in the mid 1600’s by attempting things like writing with a quill, preparing some of the food that people in the 1600’s would have eaten, performing some of the chores that people had to perform in the 17th century, and playing with some of the toys and games from the era. For more information on the Living History Lab at the House of the Seven Gables, please visit the House of the Seven Gables website.

Secondly, if you’re more of a shopper than a time-hopper, you may want to head down to Essex Street in Salem. This is because the Essex Street Fair is scheduled to take place from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday (August 8th and 9th, 2015). This fair will give you the opportunity to peruse and purchase art, books, clothing, crafts, jewelry, and an assortment of other one-of-a-kind items from dozens of small, independent vendors. For more information on the Essex Street Fair, please take a look at the Salem Heritage Days flyer.

Photo credit: lcm1863 / Foter / CC BY-ND

Unique Holiday Gifts

With 21 days until Kwanzaa, 20 days until Christmas, 16 days until the Winter Solstice, 11 days until the beginning of Chanukah, and less than 30 days for whatever other December holiday that you celebrate, you may be trying to find the perfect gift before time runs out. In fact, you may already be tearing your hair out trying to figure out what to get your loved ones this year because you want to get something uniquely awesome, but you have no idea what that is. Fortunately, if you are looking for a unique gift idea, there are several events this weekend that are devoted to one-of-a-kind gifts that your family is sure to love (and if they don’t, they’ll learn to love them because some of these gifts are awfully hard to return.)

First, if you’re looking for a gift that would be considered part of the apparel, accessories, and/or food family (and don’t worry, the food isn’t actually part of the clothing until you wear it for the first time and spill it all over yourself at dinner), you should definitely check out Boston’s Downtown Holiday Market. The Downtown Holiday Market, which is located at 459 Washington Street in Boston, will feature a different set of local vendors each week from now until January 10, 2015. Some of the vendors that you can expect to see this week include Alex’s Ugly Sauce, Epoca Amber Jewelry, Golden Rule Honey, Karol Peralta Jewelry, Mao Sim Silk, and Recycled Glass Jewelry. For more information on the Downtown Holiday Market, which is open from 11:00 A.M. to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, please visit the Downtown Boston website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a hand-crafted gift or a gift that is truly one-of-a-kind, you may want to head over to the Hynes Convention Center this weekend. This is because the Hynes Convention Center is hosting the CraftBoston Holiday 2014 show, which will feature 175 artists and crafters that are planning to exhibit and/or sell their carefully crafted apparel, baskets, ceramics, furniture, glassware, jewelry, leather, metal art, wood crafts, and more. For more information on the event, including a complete program guide with all of the artists and crafters that will be exhibiting their work, please visit the Society of Arts and Crafts CraftBoston Holiday page.

Finally, if you’re looking for a truly unique gift that you can get without making the trek into Boston, you may want to check out the Lexington Arts and Crafts Holiday Marketplace. The Lexington Arts and Crafts Holiday Marketplace, which is located at 130 Waltham Street in Lexington, MA, is a large arts and crafts fair that runs from now until Christmas Eve (December 24, 2014.) This fair will feature dozens and dozens of artists and crafters who will be more than happy to sell you baskets, beads, cards, ceramics, decorations, jewelry, metal art, needle art, paintings, photographs and prints, and more. For more information on the Holiday Marketplace, which is open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 12:00 to 6:00 PM on Sunday, please visit the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society website.

Photo credit: John Drake Flickr / Foter / CC BY-ND

Friday Fun: Harvard Square

Black Friday may be over, but the holiday season has just begun. As a result, almost every mall, plaza, and independently-owned store will be filled with people who are still desperately trying to find gifts for all of the hard-to-shop-for friends and family that they didn’t cross off their list last weekend. Unfortunately, with the forecasters predicting rain followed by a significant temperature drop, it’s probably not going to the best weather to be wandering around looking for gifts. However, if you are determined to get some shopping done this weekend or you’re just looking for a way to have some fun without your extremities getting too frosty, Harvard Square is definitely the place to be.

First, if you’re looking for a way to stay warm while you’re shopping, Yelp Shops Local is hosting a Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square tonight (December 6, 2013) from 5:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. This event will give you the opportunity to try some of the best hot chocolate around and includes stops at Algiers Coffee House, Black Ink, Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, Crema Cafe, and LA Burdicks. For more information on the event and to find out more about the exact times that the Yelp crew will be in each shop, please visit the Hot Cocoa Crawl in Harvard Square’s Yelp page.

Once you’re done with your hot chocolate or if you just want to skip the hot chocolate and get straight to the shopping, you can head over to the Harvard Square Holiday Fair. The Harvard Square Holiday Fair, which is hosted by the First Parish Church, is a craft fair that will give you a chance to peruse and, as far as the vendors are concerned, hopefully purchase a wide assortment of handmade calendars, cards, clothing, jewelry, pottery, and other similar holiday gifts. For more information on the holiday fair, which runs every weekend until Christmas, please visit the official Harvard Square website.

Photo credit: stefg74 / Foter.com / CC BY

Friday Fun: The Season of the Witch Has Begun

As we approach the end of the first week of October, many people are already in the process of planning out their Halloween costumes and looking for ways to partake in all of the merrymaking and treats that All Hallows’ Eve has to offer. Unfortunately, the celebrations that people typically associate with Halloween are now being overshadowed by the events that are dragging on in our nation’s capital. In fact, with the government shutdown, there are approximately 800,000 government employees wondering when they are going to see another paycheck and countless government contractors and other businesses that are trying to figure out what they’re going to do with their own employees if something doesn’t happen soon. As a result, there is a growing number of people who simply don’t have the funds to enjoy Halloween in the way that they typically would, and some of these people are already looking for a way to keep their kids happy this All Hallows’ Eve.

Fortunately, if you are one of the people looking for a way to keep your kids happy or just someone looking for a way to get your mind off of your politically-induced financial woes, there are a number of Halloween-themed activities that will allow you to get an early start on the festivities without breaking the bank.

First, if you’re a big fan of shopping or your friends and family members have a strange interest in shiny things, there’s no better way to start off the Halloween season then in the Witch City itself, Salem. This is because the Salem Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual Haunted Biz Baz Street Fair, which is more commonly known as the Bizarre Bazaar, this weekend from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday (October 5, 2013) and from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday (October 6, 2013.) This street fair, located at the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall, features over 75 vendors selling everything from doll clothes and jewelry to books and souvenirs. However, it is important to remember that the Biz Baz isn’t your typical street fair, as there will not only be vendors but also music and street performers as well. For more information, please visit the Salem Chamber of Commerce website or call 978-774-0004.

Secondly, if you’re already in Salem for the Biz Baz and you’re looking for something to keep your kids entertained, you may want to take a quick walk around the corner to Salem Common. The Common has a bunch of activities for kids this weekend, including contests, food, games, inflatable slides, moon bounces, and even a movie on Saturday night. For more information on the events taking place on the Common this weekend and other events happening in Salem throughout the month of October, please visit the Haunted Happenings website.

Photo credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection / Foter