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
Shredding Event: In an effort to help local citizens protect themselves from identity theft, Vested Partners will host a free community shredding event on Saturday, April 27th from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at their office located at 300 E. 2nd Street in Salem. Hot dogs, chips and soda will be provided, and those who attend can enter a drawing to win a desktop paper shredder. No RSVP is required. This shredding event is for personal papers with a limit of three bags or boxes per person. Business shredding will not be allowed. Except for paper clips and staples, no metal, batteries, electronics or other non-paper material can be in boxes or bags brought for shredding.
Easter Egg Hunt: The city of Salem’s annual Easter Egg Hunt is back at the Salem Civic Center for the second straight year. Due to the ongoing construction work at the Moyer Sports Complex, this year’s free event will again take place on the grounds of the Taliaferro Complex on Wednesday, March 27, from 6-8 p.m. The egg hunts will be spread out on the fields located on the right side of the Civic Center’s main entrance to ensure that all children have a fair chance to participate. The hunts will start every 15 minutes with approximately 25 kids and parents in each event. The youngest age groups (3-4) and (5-6) will hunt for eggs on the back fields with age groups (7-8) and (9-10) participating on the front fields. There is plenty of free parking for the event. Kids are only allowed to hunt eggs in their respective age group. Parents may enter the hunt area with their child, but only the children can collect the eggs. The following vendors will be in attendance: Little Critters Petting Zoo, Inflatables, Crafts, Salem Fire & EMS, MousePro Travel Agency, Salem Rescue Squad. The Tailgate will be offering concessions. Organizers said the event will happen rain or shine.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
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. It will take place at the Salem Parks and Recreation Senior Rec Center at 110 Union Street, Salem.
Public meetings:
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.