Rain Postpones Salem Mack Farm Harvest Fair Fundraiser

SALEM, MA — The Salem Mack Park Harvest Fair fundraiser planned for Saturday has been postponed for one week with more rain forecast for this weekend.

The festival will now be held on Sept. 30.

Salem's Mack Park Farm will host its inaugural Harvest Farm to help raise money for the community farm that distributes organically grown food to The Salem Pantry and for free through its own farmers' markets.

The festival will take place at the new, accessible recreation area on Grove Street from 3 to 7 p.m.

There will be food, a cash bar, live music, and garden tours, and guests can take home free produce while supplies last. Tickets are $15, which includes a meal ticket, and can be purchased here or by emailing kmurphy@salem.com to pay by cash or check.

All proceeds from the event will go towards maintaining the farm and growing food for Salem residents.

"The Mack Park Food Farm and Food Forest is a point of pride for Salem," said Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. "I am so grateful to all the volunteers and city staff who have come together to rehabilitate an underused and overgrown area of a city park to create a vibrant recreational space where all Salem residents can have the opportunity enjoy the food forest, farmers' markets, and to volunteer."

The Mack Park Farm began in 2020 when the city contracted with two local farmers to transform a neglected ball field at Mack Park into a growing space to provide healthy food for the Salem community.

The farmers oversee a crew of volunteers each week who help with the planting, harvesting and distribution of the food. All the produce is organically grown with no chemical pesticides or fertilizers used.

The farm has grown over 20,000 pounds of food that is distributed for free at biweekly farmers’ markets at the farm, and through The Salem Pantry.

"This is an outstanding example of our community members working in tandem to support one another, and especially those of us who are most in need," Pangallo said. "At a time when our world has faced so much challenge — navigating a global health pandemic — Salem joined together to produce and distribute fresh produce and nourish our neighbors.

"The Mack Park Food Farm is truly a success story and one more example of how our community has come together to support one another and make sure Salem works for everyone."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)