Salem Heritage Days Parade and Festival

NPS

SAVE THE DATE! The 2026 Salem Heritage Days Parade and Festival will be held on Saturday, August 1st from 10 AM to 6 PM.

 

Join us on Saturday, August 1 at Salem Maritime National Historical Park on Derby Street for the Salem Heritage Days Parade and Festival celebrating both the 250^th anniversary of America and the 400^th anniversary of Salem. This event is free and open to the public.

The festivities begin with the return of the Heritage Days Parade, traveling from Salem State University’s O’Keefe Center to Salem Maritime National Historical Park. Following the parade, the fun continues with a festival along the waterfront. Cheer on your friends and neighbors at the annual Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta, step aboard the visiting tall ship Pride of Baltimore, try new food from local food trucks, and so much more!

The Salem Heritage Days Parade and Festival is a partnership between Salem Maritime National Historical Park and the City of Salem.

Schedule of Events

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Salem Heritage Days Parade

11:00 AM – 6:00 PM: Salem Heritage Days Festival

• Pride of Baltimore II Open Ship
• Historical Demonstrations and Craftspeople
• Free Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals
• Food Trucks and Beer Garden
• Custom House and Public Stores Open

12:30 PM - 1:00 PM: Festival Opening Remarks

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM: The Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta (races and award ceremony)

2:30 PM – 6:00 PM: Live Music

 

The PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II

Author: Acroterion (Wikimedia Commons)

Salem Heritage Days Parade

10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

After more that thirty years, Salem’s beloved Heritage Days Parade returns for the city’s 400^th and America’s 250^th anniversaries. Organized as a timeline of Salem’s illustrious history, the parade will kick off from the O’Keefe Center at Salem State University, travel down Lafayette Street before turning on to Derby Street and finishing at Salem Maritime National Historical Park. Spectators are encouraged to line the streets to enjoy this parade.

Pride of Baltimore II

11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Step aboard the Pride of Baltimore II to expertise the reproduction tall ship. Built in 1988, Pride II is a Baltimore Clipper topsail schooner. Free deck tours will be available during the festival.

 

A reenactor at a festival in Salem

NPS Photo

Historical Demonstrations

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Join a variety of historical demonstrators on Central Wharf to experience cultural aspects of Salem’s history. Learn from canoe makers, lobstermen, dressmakers, and others as you explore unique demonstrations. Explore Colonial life leading up to the American Revolution with skilled artisans.

Free Kayak and Paddleboard Rentals

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Take a kayak or paddleboard ride out into Salem Harbor. Safety equipment and training will be provided.

Historic Custom House and Public Stores

11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Take in the views of this prominent building where Nathaniel Hawthorne once worked and the U.S. Custom Service operated. Built in 1819, the U.S. Custom House in Salem contains exhibits on the tools of the Custom Service, the work of the Customs inspectors, and the office of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the famous American author whose three-year-long stint in the Salem Custom House inspired his classic novel, The Scarlet Letter.

Food Trucks and Beer Garden

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Looking for a snack during all the fun? A dozen food trucks will be on site serving everything from Italian and Indian foods to seafood and desserts. A beer garden will also be availble throughout the festival.

 

The Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta (2023)

NPS Photo

The Great Salem Maritime Cardboard Boat Regatta

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Join us for Salem's favorite cardboard-themed event! Taking place during the festival, local teams will race their homemade cardboard boats in Salem Harbor. Spectators are encouraged to line Derby Wharf and watch the creativity and athleticism. Cardboard boats will be designed based around the American Revolution and other moments in Salem's history.

 

Live Music

2:30 PM - 6:00 PM

What's a festival without live music? Local bands will be performing on an outdoor stage by Derby Street throughout the afternoon. Bring your own lawn chair or picnic blanket and listen to some great local artists.