Bonsai and Japanese Gardening Class taught by Jackie Fujikawa: Born and raised in Japan and came to the United States when in his youth. Being taught by his father and experienced in the Japanese culture and tradition, he has been involved in teaching and consulting the techniques of Japanese gardening and bonsai. Bonsai class will be with a focus on care and maintenance, learning all the basics of bonsai design. Select a tree, learn how to prune, transplant, landscape with rocks, and discover what the art of bonsai is all about as you create your very own bonsai to enjoy at home. Fujikawa is currently teaching Japanese at Roanoke College. The class will be Monday, March 4-April 8 from 6-7:15 p.m. at the Salem Senior Center. The cost is $10 for the class instructor will give you a list of the things you will need to purchase and the cost for this could be anywhere from $40 to $100, depending on the size of pot, etc. that you purchase. All supplies can be purchased from Lowe’s, Walmart, Amazon, etc. Sign up on Active Net or call 540-375-3054
REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield: Classic rock and roll hitmakers REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield are once again joining forces on the road in 2024 and bringing their tour to the Salem Civic Center on Tuesday, March 26. Tickets range in price from $35 to $169. Tickets can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com.
Community Easter Drama: Riverside Evangelical Church will stage its 13th annual community Easter drama of “The Life, Ministry, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ” on March 28, 29 and 30 at 8 p.m. Admission is free.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, April 1: 7-9 p.m. – Maynard & Lee Palmer.
Rend Collective: Rend Collective, the popular Contemporary Christian worship band from Northern Ireland, is coming to the Salem Civic Center on Sunday, April 7, 2024, for a night of uplifting and upbeat praise music. The band is an eclectic collection of multi-instrumentalist performers who have produced two No. 1 albums on the Christian charts and produced a song of the year in “Counting Every Blessing.” Tickets, which can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com, start at $28 and go up to $48.
Dustin Lynch: “Kill the Cowboy” tour: Country musician Dustin Lynch will perform at the Salem Civic Center on Friday, April 12, 2024, as part of his “Killed the Cowboy” tour with special guest Skeez. Tickets start at $35.50. Lynch first appeared in Salem in 2015 when he starred on the final day of the Blue Ridge Music Festival at Salem Stadium. He was just starting to crank out hit songs back then, but he now has eight No. 1 songs, four top-5 albums, 10 gold and platinum certified singles, and he has tallied over 5.4 billion cumulative global streams. His sixth studio album is “Killed The Cowboy.”
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, May 6: 7 p.m. – Mike Conner and 8 p.m. – Rarely Available.
Happy Trails Film & Television Festival: The festival will take place at CommUNITY Church in Salem on May 17, 18 and 19. There will be panels, workshops, special programming, autographs and a banquet. The event is billed as a “nostalgia/faith media convention for the whole family.”
Lebanese Festival: This year marks the 23rd Lebanese festival and will be held May 31 and June 1-2, 2024, at St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, 4730 Cove Road, N.W., Roanoke, VA. The festival is open Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, June 3: 7-9 p.m. – Eastern Divide.
Shane Gillis: Shane Gillis is coming to Salem this summer to headline the arena with his standup comedy on June 21. In 2021, Gillis released his debut comedy special “Shane Gillis: Live in Austin “on YouTube. It has been viewed over 14 million times. Gillis is one-half of Patreon and Apple’s top 10 podcasts Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. Tickets start at $42.50 and go up to $92.50. Tickets can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, July 8: 7 p.m. Virginia-Carolina Band.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, Aug. 5: 7-9 p.m. – Maynard and Lee Palmer.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, Sept. 9: 7-9 p.m. – The Guard.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, Oct. 7: 7-9 p.m. – Franklin Station.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, Nov. 4: 7-9 p.m. – Luv Buzzards.
First Mondays: The family-friendly events are held by Gary John, who manages the “Mason Creek” bluegrass group, and Vicky Sword from the center. The bluegrass/acoustic shows are free, but a tip bucket will be passed around for donations to the musicians. Cake raffles and door prizes will be offered. The event is on Monday, Dec. 2: 7-9 p.m. – The Bluegrass Brothers.
Public meetings:
The School Board will meet on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. (special meeting)
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The School Board will meet on Tuesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
The School Board will meet on Tuesday, May 14 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, June 10 at 6:30 p.m.
The School Board will meet on Tuesday, June 11 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, June 12 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, June 24 at 6:30 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m.
The School Board will meet on Tuesday, July 9 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m.
The Salem City Council will meet on Monday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m.
