There is nothing quite like spring in New England: blossoming trees, beautiful weather, and, of course, the Massachusetts Poetry Festival! Come celebrate the arrival of spring, and the return of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival by taking an immersive poetry walk through Salem. Trees will be hung with poetry written by MassPoetry headliners, Montserrat and Salem State University faculty and students, and other beloved poets. Enjoy your walk with an iced coffee from one of Salem’s incredible coffee shops, or with lunch from one of our many wonderful restaurants! This event is free, public, and family-friendly. It will run the weekend prior to the Massachusetts Poetry Festival (05/08), leading up to the festival. This event was created by Jude Nixon and Meghan Miraglia of the Salem State University English Honors Society, in partnership with the Massachusetts Poetry Festival and the City of Salem.
The Salem Poem Walk features a mapped route, as well as “bonus locations” for residents familiar with Salem. These “bonus locations” are featured along the route and are not included on the map to create a “treasure hunt” feel!
The route is as follows:
- Begin at the Salem Commons Gazebo
- Walk via Hawthorne Blvd to the Charlotte Forten Park
- Walk to Artists’ Row
- Take the pedestrian walkway on Essex Street
- Walk to Salem Armory Park
- End at the Salem Commons
