Easter Egg Hunt: The City of Salem’s annual Easter Egg Hunt is moving to the home of the Salem Red Sox this spring. This year’s free event will take place on the Salem Memorial Ballpark playing surface on Wednesday, April 9, from 6-8 p.m. Once again, the egg hunts will be spread out 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.
Bingo to benefit teacher classroom grants: An April 12 Saturday bingo event will help Lambda Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa fund classroom grants to enhance learning in Roanoke County and Salem City classrooms for 2026. 2025 grants went to teachers at Bonsack Elementary, East Salem Elementary and Arnold R Burton Center for Arts and Technology. The doors will open at 9:00 a.m. at College Lutheran Church-310 S. College Avenue in Salem. Pampered Chef Bingo begins at 10:00 a.m. All bingo prizes will be Pampered Chef products. There are 10 rounds of bingo, plus a cover-all round for the grand prize valued around $150. The purchase of a bingo ticket gets a bingo card package for all rounds. Additional bingo cards, cover-all cards, 50/50, raffle and door prize tickets may be purchased at the door. There will be vendor shopping before and after bingo and during breaks. There will also be a 50/50 drawing, door prize raffles, a bake sale and snacks and breakfast food for purchase. Advance tickets with an extra cover-all card are available for $20 from Diane Taylor (540)520-7967 or Susan Bowman (540)798-1211. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the event.
Roanoke College event: Exploring High and Deep: Monday, April 14, 7:00 p.m. Olin Theater. The 2025 Shirley C. and Donald E. Morel Lecture, with additional sponsorship from the Henry H. Fowler Program Lecture Series, invites you to join the first American woman to ever walk in space for an engaging conversation about the challenges and rewards of exploration. Dr. Kathy Sullivan, an astronaut and oceanographer, will inform and amuse you as she shares her experiences flying aboard the space shuttle and diving to the deepest point in the ocean. Sullivan was one of the first six women to join the NASA astronaut corps in 1978 and holds the distinction of being the first American woman to walk in space. Her submersible dive to the Challenger Deep in 2020 made her a triple Guinness World Record holder: most vertical person in the world, first person to both orbit the planet and reach its deepest point, and first woman to dive to full ocean depth. Her lecture will be followed by a Q&A and book signing.
Blue Ridge Kite Festival: The festival at Green Hill Park on April 19 is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Food Truck Thursday: The food truck offering is on April 24 from 11 a.m.2 p.m.
Salem After Five: “Empty Bottles” on April 25 at the Salem Farmers Market. Food Trucks: Dale’s Diner Express, Kettle Cooker Express, Cabo Fish Taco, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream. Gates open for each performance at 5 p.m. and the shows will last until 9 p.m.
Community 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 26 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at their office located at 300 E. 2nd Street in Salem, VA. Hot dogs, chips, and soda will be provided, and you 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 nonpaper material can be in boxes or bags brought for shredding.
The Greater Blue Ridge Breakthrough T1D Walk: The walk will take place Sunday, April 27 at Salem Memorial Ballpark to raise funds for Type 1 diabetes research. The event, organized by Breakthrough T1D—formerly known as JDRF—supports efforts to prevent, treat, and cure Type 1 diabetes. Participants can choose between a 1-mile or 3-mile walk route. Check-in begins at 2 p.m., and the walk starts at 3 p.m. The event will also feature music, dancing, children’s activities, prizes, concessions, a photo booth, and live entertainment. The walk is scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. Breakthrough T1D funds research into diabetes prevention, improved treatments, and potential cures. To register, visit breakthrought1d.org/walk. For more information, contact Sara Bell at sarambell61@yahoo.com.
Ernest “Pig” Robertson Fishing Rodeo: The City of Salem Parks & Recreation Department has announced it will once again host the Ernest “Pig” Robertson Fishing Rodeo at Lake Spring Park this spring. This is the 73rd year for the always entertaining angling event and it will once again feature four days of fishing. Participants must provide their own fishing equipment and adults cannot fish for the children at the Saturday events. Each child can catch up to six trout, and they must keep all the fish they reel in. In addition, the popular special needs and nursing home fishing days are back in 2025. Participants and organizations participating in either special needs or nursing home days must pre-register. Schedule: Children Ages 3-8: Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. – Noon, Special Needs Children: Monday, April 28 from 10 a.m. – Noon, Nursing Home Residents: Wednesday, April 30 from 10 a.m. – Noon, Children Ages 9-12: Saturday, May 3 from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. The Bank of Botetourt, Salem Kiwanis Club, Yokohama, and Re/Max Real Estate One, and Renewal by Anderson are sponsoring this year’s rodeo which is free for area children. Prizes will be awarded throughout the events and the top anglers each Saturday will receive a trophy. In addition, “The Tailgate” food truck will be onsite for all to enjoy. Lake Spring Park is located at the corner of W. Main Street and Green Street.
Salem After Five: “Phlegar Hill” on May 9 at the Salem Farmers Market. Gates open for each performance at 5 p.m. and the shows will last until 9 p.m. Food Trucks: Roanoke College Food Truck, Kettle Cooker Express, Customs BBQ & Grill, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream.
Mother’s Day Brunch: On Saturday, May 10 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Hidden Valley Country Club there will be a fundraiser to support Mrs. Dorsey’s Clothes Closet. Tickets may be purchased at: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/MjI3MTk5?fbclid=IwY2xjawJH6idleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbRPN9pd_OCxgJUyVxawdJZ14cI00c2Dv7lvPeE6KioZh6pQJLyyErC1ig_aem_DSKds6QY61NBdkATO_wE9Q
Roanoke Lebanese Festival: This year marks the 24th Lebanese Festival and will be held May 30, 31, and June 1 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. The festival features delicious Lebanese food, Lebanese music and traditional Lebanese folk dancers in full costume. Admission and parking are free. Visitors may purchase a wide variety of home-style Lebanese food, and children can participate in activities for an affordable fee. Menu offerings include meat pies, vegetarian grape leaves, spinach pies, spinach-feta rolls, falafel, grilled lamb and beef kabobs, beef kafta, chicken shawarma wraps, lubee (Lebanese green beans), tabbouleh, cabbage rolls, kibbie, pita bread, hummus, Lebanese cheesecake, baklava, other Lebanese pastries and more. In addition to onsite dining, takeout will be available throughout the day and evening. Orders may be placed online. For more information, visit the website: www.LebaneseFestival.StEliasChurch.org or contact St. Elias Church at 540-562-0012.
Salem After Five: “The Kings” on June 13 at the Salem Farmers Market. Gates open for each performance at 5 p.m. and the shows will last until 9 p.m. Food Trucks: Countryman Jamaican Grill, Kettle Cooker Express, Dale’s Diner Express, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream.
Salem After Five: “Matt Tucker” on July 18 at the Salem Farmers Market. Gates open for each performance at 5 p.m. and the shows will last until 9 p.m. Food Trucks: Rocky Mount Smokehouse, Kettle Cooker Express, Countryman Jamaican Grill, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream.
Whiskey Myers: Whiskey Myers is set to stop in Salem for its “What We Were Born To Do Tour.” The tour stops at the Salem Civic Center on Sunday night, July 20. The genre-bending band Whiskey Myers has played more than 2,500 live shows to ever-growing crowds since its emergence in 2007. In addition to headlining their own sold-out shows from coast to coast at iconic venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the Ryman Auditorium, plus performing at marquee festivals Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, the band members were also personally selected to open The Rolling Stones’ Chicago stadium show. Tickets start at $41.50. They can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office or online at www.ticketmaster.com
Aaron Lewis and The Stateliners: Aaron Lewis and The Stateliners will be performing at the Salem Civic Center on July 24. The Vermont native first found success and notoriety with the band Staind that was formed in 1995. The group is still alive and kicking, but Lewis’ creativity stretches beyond the rock and metal genres. By embracing his roots and love of country music he has achieved incredible success on Music Row. He has two No. 1 Billboard Country Albums in “Town Line” from 2011 and “Sinner” in 2016. And perhaps he is best known for his platinum collaboration “Country Boy” with two of his with heroes – George Jones and Charlie Daniels. His 2021 single, “Am I The Only One” also hit number on the charts and in 2022, he had the top-selling country album in America with “Frayed At Both Ends.” Tickets start at $35 and go up to $129. Tickets can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and online anytime at www.ticketmaster.com.
Salem After Five: “Blackwater” at the Salem Farmers Market on Aug. 1. Gates open for each performance at 5 p.m. and the shows will last until 9 p.m. Food Trucks: Dale’s Diner Express, Kettle Cooker Express, Sweet Surrender Ice Cream.
Gavin Adcock: Fast-rising country music star Gavin Adcock is scheduled to make his first Salem Civic Center appearance on Friday, Aug. 29. Over the course of 12 months, Adcock’s album, “Actin’ Up Again,” was crowned the largest major-label country debut from a solo male artist released in 2024, and with more than 15 million on-demand U.S. streams week of release, Actin’ Up Again was also 2024’s top streaming major-label debut across the whole genre. Tickets start at $38.50 and go up to $79.50: https://www.ticketmaster.com/gavin-adcock-salem-virginia-08-29-2025/event/0100623E921043FA
Alice Cooper: Electric chairs, guillotines, fake blood, and boa constrictors are on their way back to the Salem Civic Center. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper is bringing his Too Close for Comfort tour to Salem, Aug. 19. Cooper’s legendary shows draw equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock, and his performances are designed to heighten all of your senses. Cooper last played at the Salem Civic Center in 2017, but his first appearance at the historic venue dates all the way back to January 28, 1972, when the building was still named the Salem-Roanoke County Civic Center. Tickets are available at the Salem Civic Center Box Office Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Alison Krauss: Bluegrass music icon Alison Krauss is coming to Salem on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. The 27-time Grammy winner revealed this week that she and her band, Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas, will embark on their first tour together in a decade next year. The tour will make a stop at the Salem Civic Center on Tuesday, September 23. The Arcadia 2025 Tour will see the acclaimed group play 73 dates across the United States and Canada. Tickets are available at the Salem Civic Center Box Office Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or online at Ticketmaster.com.
Warren Zeiders: Warren Zeiders announced his 27-date “Relapse, Lies, & Betrayal Tour” this morning and one of the stops includes the Salem Civic Center. Zeiders will pull into Salem on Nov. 13. Reserved seats: $39.50, $49.50, $59.50, $69.50 & $89.50. Tickets can be purchased at the Salem Civic Center Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Public meetings:
- The Salem City School Board will meet on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m.
- The Salem Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.
- The Salem City School Board will meet on Tuesday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
- The Salem City School Board will meet on Tuesday, June 10 at 7 p.m.
- The Salem City School Board will meet on Tuesday, July 8 at 7 p.m.
