Salem 400+ Celebration

Salem 400+ Celebration refers to the city of Salem's 400th anniversary celebrations that will take place in 2026 honoring the city's rich heritage. The event will kick off on January 10, 2026 at Salem High School. More information can be found at https://www.salem400.org/.

In February 2026, Salem resident Karen Scalia initiated a "sister city" discussion with East Budleigh, England for the 400th anniversary celebration. Roger Conant, a New England colonist famous for establishing the city of Salem, was born in East Budleigh in April 1592. The East Budleigh Council unanimously agreed to the proposal after Scalia delivered a letter in June 2025 from Mayor Pangallo with Bicton Parish Council. The resolution was filed by Mayor Dominick Pangallo and the connection will be celebrated during the Food at 400+ festival in June 2026.

As part of the Salem 400+ celebration, the city announced that they will be restoring its President George Washington Landsdowne portrait, which is displayed at city hall. Wellpoint, a health benefits company will be fully funding the museum-grade restoration. The portrait is set to be revealed publicly during the city's 400th anniversary celebrations.

In 2026, Harmony Grove Cemetery launched a new walking tour titled, "From City Hall to Sacred Ground: Honoring Salem's First Mayor Leverett Saltonstall and Those Who Followed". The event included a lecture by Peter Drummey, retired chief historian of the Massachusetts Historical Society about the impact of Salem's first mayor, Saltonstall as well as a self-guided walking tour of the 21 gravesites of former mayors of Salem. The tour was created for the Salem 400+ celebration. The self-guided walking tour will be available throughout the year.

In June, Salem Food Tours will be presenting a 12-day festival in honor of Salem's 400th anniversary, celebrating the culinary history and current food culture of the city. The event will be titled Food at 400+ and will feature various programming with events from historic open houses, speaker programs with topics like historically inspired restaurant menus, craft beverages, an urban farm visit, food-themed films, and an event featuring celebrity chef Scott Conant (Scott is a 13th-generation descendant of Salem's founder, Roger Conant). Over 17 restaurants will feature historically inspired menu items in an event titled Dine Back in Time. There will also be an event titled Sip Back in Time featuring Salem beverages of the past.

Salem State University announced that they will be presenting an exhibit titled Mapping a Century of Salem 1926-2026 in celebration of Salem 400+ Celebration. The exhibit will be free and available to the public from June 18-mid September at Old Town Hall. The exhibit will feature oral histories and allow the public to contribute their own stories of their experience in Salem. There will be maps, historical photographs, and other materials and was developed by Salem State University's College of Arts and Sciences and Frederick E. Berry Library and Archives. The exhibit will touch on World War II, urban renewal, historic preservation, downtown revitalization, the immigrant experience, and "Witch City" tourism of the past century. A special part of the program will be oral histories, video interviews, photographs and digital story maps featuring immigrant experiences, especially from individuals from Salem's The Point neighborhood.

Anonymous