Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 30, 1995 TAG: 9511300101
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-23 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
There will be something for those inclined toward music, the historically minded, shoppers and those who enjoy just basking in the Christmas atmosphere.
Disadvantaged people also will benefit from the event. Boxes will be at Library Square, Market Square and Longwood Park for donations of cash, food, clothing and new toys being collected by Salem's D.A.R.E. program.
The holiday season officially will kick off Friday at 6 p.m. with the annual lighting of the community Christmas tree at the Farmers' Market, followed by the Christmas Parade.
This will be the second of three Christmas parades in the Roanoke Valley. Vinton will hold its parade tonight, and Roanoke will have its Saturday.
Salem's parade starts at 6:30 at the corner of Main and Shanks streets and continues along Main Street to College Avenue and Roanoke Boulevard.
The annual Ye Olde Salem Christmas will be held throughout downtown from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Most of the activity for this event will be at the Library Square, Market Square and Longwood Park.
The celebration will feature musical entertainment, rides in horse-drawn carriages, children's games and storytelling, ice sculptures, carol singing and Santa Claus at the public library. Most of the children's activities will be at the library's parking lot.
The day's activities will end at 4 p.m. with a yule log burning at Longwood Park.
A continuing center of interest throughout the season will be the Salem Museum on East Main Street on the southeast corner of Longwood Park.
The museum will sponsor its second annual Holiday Homes Tour on Dec. 10 from 2 to 5 p.m. This year's tour will include five houses on North Broad Street. Tickets and information about the tour are available at the museum.
The museum also will sponsor a downtown Christmas walk Dec. 8 at 4 p.m. It will begin at the museum and will view some of the little-known historic sites in Salem's downtown.
Also a part of Christmas in Salem will be the third annual Community Christmas Store, which will cater to the Christmas needs of several hundred low-income families that have been cleared through social service departments.
The store, at 504 Roanoke St., just off Fourth Street, is continuing to accept donations Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.
The store will be open Dec. 8 and 9 for shopping.
by CNB