Salem Arts Festival Returns For 15th Year Downtown Starting Friday

SALEM, MA — Three days of art, music, dancing and theater performances are set for downtown in the Witch City this weekend with the return of the Salem Arts Festival for a 15th year.

The festival begins on Friday and includes free events at multiple outdoor performance areas, interactive art-making exhibitions, local artisans making and selling their creations, art galleries in businesses throughout the city, a mural slam and a temporary public art installation.

Salem Main Streets and the Creative Collective present this year's festival that celebrates the arts, culture and creative workforce across the city.

The event begins Friday at 5 p.m. with a juried art gallery at Old Town Hall, and the Salem Halloween Girls house and dance music at 5 p.m. at Derby Square, followed by Greek music from Tactical Bouzouki, and a performance from the Cultura Latina Dance Academy.

A funk performance from Big Ol' Dirty Bucket will cap the night from 8 to 9:15 p.m. in Derby Square.

Saturday's events run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with a street fair and art-making activities throughout the day, the "For The Record" community art installation at Artists' Row and music of several different genres, as well as poetry and belly dancing, throughout the day in Derby Square beginning at 11 a.m.

Performances will also take place in Armory Park, Artists' Row, and at Old Town Hall.

Sunday's program will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a continuation of the street fair and the mural slam at Artists' Row.

Music and dancers will take place at Derby Square, Front Street, Armory Park, Artists' Row, Old Town Hall.

The ska band Threat Level Burgundy will conclude the festival with a performance from 5 to 6 p.m at Derby Square.

Some volunteers are still being sought with signups here.

A full schedule of events can be found here.

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