Salem’s beloved Make Music Day celebration is hitting a meaningful milestone this year, marking its 11th annual event while paying tribute to one of the community members who helped bring it to life.

Make Music Day Salem, the free, citywide music festival held each June 21 — the longest day of the year — has grown into a cherished local tradition since its founding, filling public spaces across the city with live performances open to musicians and music lovers of all ages and skill levels.

This year’s edition carries special significance as organizers honor a late co-founder of the Salem event, adding a heartfelt layer of remembrance to an otherwise joyful day of community celebration. The milestone reflects more than a decade of dedication by volunteers and local music enthusiasts who have kept the spirit of the event alive and growing year after year.

Make Music Day is part of a global celebration observed in hundreds of cities around the world, but Salem’s local chapter has made it distinctly its own — a grassroots gathering that invites anyone with an instrument, a voice, or simply a love of music to take part. Performances typically pop up in parks, sidewalks, storefronts, and other public venues throughout the city, making music accessible and free for all.

As Salem’s version of Make Music Day enters its second decade, the community has a chance both to celebrate how far the event has come and to remember those whose vision made it possible in the first place.

Sources: Salem Reporter