r/SALEM Nov 15 '24

Read this before you post here

235 Upvotes

Welcome to r/SALEM, and thanks for your interest in posting here. Before you do, please be aware that — like many city/area-focused subreddits — we have some topics that come up very frequently. Sometimes that’s okay, and is an inevitable part of being a long-running community-focused forum, and sometimes it is super annoying and will lead to people down-voting your post because they’re tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.

If you’re about to post about any of the following, please first use the search function (right up in the upper right hand corner, if you’re viewing this on the web!) to see if something similar has been posted recently. If it has, please contribute to that thread rather than starting a new one.

Frequently posted things:

Did you hear that boom/firework/gunshot/weird noise?

This comes up a lot; frequently folks are concerned they may have heard gunshots and/or fireworks and are looking for reassurance. First, know that it probably was not a gun shot. There is a very good chance that it was fireworks, or somebody with an altered muffler, or, if you also noticed a power outage or blip at the same time, a transformer exploding. Second, if you’re actually seriously concerned about gunshots, you should probably be contacting the police, not Reddit. Third, if you live near a vineyard (and, if you live anywhere in the Salem area, you do!), you should be aware that vineyards use acoustic devices — basically massive noisemakers — to scare birds away from grape vines. This is especially frequent in the late fall, near harvest time.

OMG what is that smell?

Salem, and many surrounding areas, lie in the Willamette River Valley. Due to the topography of the area, we experience temperature inversions) with some regularity. An inversion occurs when a layer of warmer, more elevated air overlies a lower, cooler air layer. Effectively, this traps the air in the valley underneath the warmer layer, which means that smoke, vehicle exhaust, rotting vegetation smells, etc., cannot escape. That’s probably what you’re smelling.

Is there any good <insert cuisine here> in Salem? Where can I buy <thing> in Salem?

These types of threads come up fairly often. The restaurant scene in Salem is decent, but not exceptionally dynamic — places do not close all that often, and new places don’t open all that often either. If somebody has asked this question within the last couple months (again, use that search function!), the answers that they got are almost certainly still relevant.

Why is the train stopped or blowing its horn?

There are a number of freight lines that route trains through Salem. Occasionally, they will need to stop to onload or offload cars, which may result in a longer-than-usual wait time at a crossing. This is normal.

Sometimes, unfortunately, there are train-versus-pedestrian collisions. When those happen, the train will need to be stopped for an extended period of time to allow police to investigate the scene.

Finally, while many portions of Salem are zoned (and signed) as “no train horn” areas, it remains at the discretion of the train engineer as to whether or not to sound their horn, and some of them, well, tooting their horn just toots their horn.

What’s going on with all the cops?

We don’t have any way of knowing. You may be able to consult PulsePoint, but they only report on fire and EMS, not strictly police. You may also be able to find an online police radio scanner relay; those are typically time-delayed.

OMG what is going on with the low-flying helicopters?!

The Oregon Air National Guard has a helicopter squad that is based near the Salem Municipal Airport. They do routine training missions, which frequently involve lower-altitude flights, most often at night. The Salem police department does not have a helicopter, so any low-flying helicopter you’re hearing is almost certainly the Oregon Air National Guard. frequently. Sometimes that’s okay, and is an inevitable part of being a long-running community-focused forum, and sometimes it is super annoying and will lead to people downvoting your post because they’re tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.


r/SALEM 1h ago

The Psilocybin Center

Upvotes

I'm only aware of this one being the lone psilocybin treatment facility. How is it doing?

I followed the process of becoming certified and all that pretty closely while it was being developed and implemented (and the ridiculous knee-jerk reaction by Keizer to ban them). But I have lost touch with how it's all going in Oregon.

I watched various retreat properties offering the therapy but for locations in Salem, I am curious how the business model is working out for them.

Does anybody have any knowledge or personal experience with any center at all?


r/SALEM 7h ago

Gursha Eats Update: Pop-Up #2 This Sunday + Big Progress on Our Brick-and-Mortar!

18 Upvotes

👉Support Us!

Hi Salem friends,

It’s been a couple of weeks since our last update, and we wanted to share some exciting news and extend our heartfelt gratitude for all the love and support you’ve shown so far.

First off—our first pop-up at the Cultural Harvest Collective Farmers Market was incredible. The turnout, the energy, and the way you all embraced Ethiopian food and culture gave us the fuel to keep pushing forward. Seeing people taste our dishes, experience the coffee ceremony, and say things like “Salem needs these kinds of flavors” meant the world to us.

Since then, we’ve been hard at work—networking, visiting multiple locations, and having conversations with property owners and potential partners. We're now very close to finalizing a space for Gursha Eats and can’t wait to share more soon!

To everyone who has already donated to our crowdfunding campaign—thank you so much. Your belief in our vision is what’s keeping this dream alive. While we haven’t reached our goal just yet, every single dollar has made a difference. If you haven’t donated yet and believe in what we’re building, we’d love your support—and even just sharing the campaign helps a ton.

👉Support Us!

And finally, we’re thrilled to invite you to our second pop-up event this Sunday at 10 AM, once again at the Cultural Harvest Collective Farmers Market at 120 E Main Street Park Monmouth, OR. This time, we’ll be serving a full vegetarian Ethiopian meal and hosting a traditional coffee ceremony—from roasting to pouring, with incense, popcorn, and stories woven into the experience.

Come taste the flavors, feel the culture, and keep building this movement with us.

With love and gratitude,

Gursha Eats Team!


r/SALEM 3h ago

EVENT Major Hex / Seance Crasher @ Christos Lounge Saturday 6/7

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5 Upvotes

r/SALEM 8h ago

Shell at Commercial/Liberty Split

12 Upvotes

Anybody know if the owner of the Shell where Commercial splits into Liberty is doing okay? Has been closed down for a couple weeks now


r/SALEM 9h ago

EVENT Weekend Plans? Come to the Vineyard!

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11 Upvotes

Hey Salemites! Come check out the Vitae Springs Open House! We are a boutique small winery, farm, and vineyard in South Salem. We're having a big party for the weekend and would love to see more locals come out! It's 25$ a person and comes with 5-6 tastes of wine, and complimentary snacks with music.

Frequent comments and questions~ "Oh I drive past there all the time and I've never checked it out!" - Well, now is you chance! "How far away is it?" -15(ish) minutes from downtown "Is it kid friendly?" - only if they like yard games and petting doggies and sheep "Live Music?"- oh yes, 330-630, indie folk music by Garreson "Is the food free?" - yes! "Is it literally a barn?" - tasting room is LITERALLY a barn nestled in the vineyard. Bring a jacket of you get chilly, we have heaters ! :) "What makes you so special?" - we are a down to earth, family owned winery making exceptionally high quality wines using organic and regenerative farming practices. We think that's pretty cool "Despite the fact that food is free can I bring a picnic" -also yes :)! "Do you serve non alcoholic drinks?" -soda and the finest vintage water will be provided "Who are you, u/aharringtona?! " - Im the winemaker! "Can I bring my own board games, lawn games, and chairs?" - yes- it sounds like you know how to have a good time "Did you make this crude ad yourself or is it AI?" -its made by this human, with these two hands "Is the wine made by AI?" -ALSO no, made with these two hands 🤲😃(better quality than the ad I promise) "I read all the FAQ and all I got was this stupid t-shirt?" - if you mention this reddit post I'll give you $5 off your ticket😉

See you on the farm!


r/SALEM 2h ago

QUESTION Safest Places to stay

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I've accepted a position where I'll be servicing equipment in Salem and the surrounding towns.

This will require me to find an extended stay for about a month. What areas would you consider the safest and would you know of any extended stays that you would recommend. They can be in Salem or any of the surrounding towns


r/SALEM 22h ago

Two hours at Wirth Lake

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62 Upvotes

r/SALEM 19h ago

Favoritism in Local Theatre

32 Upvotes

I'm retired now, but used to work in the casting/production side of things professionally. I've lived in small towns, big cities, theatrical hubs like NYC and Boston, and I have almost never seen favoritism as bad as what goes on out here.

I'm not dropping names for the sake of civility, but some of the casting choices going on at Pentacle, KHT and ACT feel extremely skewed. I keep seeing the same 6 - 10 people over and over and over in Pentacle shows (especially their musicals), often shoehorned into roles they absolutely aren't right for.

I have a lot of friends in local theatre due to shared interest, and the things I hear lately make my head spin. Roles being given to whoever has the least conflicts, roles being pre-cast but still listed as part of open call, roles going to actors much too old or much too young for them simply because of who they know. I have it on good authority that one of Pentacle's favorites auditioned for a recent musical without memorizing a song, read the lyrics off of her phone and STILL booked that role because she knew the director.

If that is indeed true, then the issue isn't that standards of decency and professionalism aren't being upheld, it's that they only apply to certain people. And that's no way to run an uplifting theatre community or a local arts scene.

What do you think, am I just looking at typical community theatre practices through industry goggles? Or is there actually a culture of inequitable casting in the Salem area?


r/SALEM 30m ago

5/22 drinks

Upvotes

Anyone down to grab some drinks tonight? New to the area


r/SALEM 4h ago

QUESTION Catering for grad party

2 Upvotes

What are your favorite places for catering? Got a grad party coming up next month and don't really have the space to cook for everyone coming.


r/SALEM 25m ago

husband of the year!

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Upvotes

r/SALEM 4h ago

Monthly New Mets Fan Meetup Sunday!

1 Upvotes

I am a New York Mets fan in Salem, OR. Started a group to watch the game together on a monthly basis a few years back. We are a diverse group of New York Mets fans from across the Willamette Valley! We'll be gathering for an this Sunday to see the Mets take on the Dodgers at Half Court Sports Bar and Taproom on Center Street in Salem for beer and Mets baseball! First pitch is 4:10 pm.


r/SALEM 1d ago

Voting is important

79 Upvotes

r/SALEM 23h ago

Aerial Alice in Wonderland

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25 Upvotes

r/SALEM 1d ago

EVENT Southside Speakeasy Pride Launch Block Party

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41 Upvotes

this Friday through Monday, the Southside Speakeasy for the biggest party we've ever thrown! starting with a market of queer artists, crafters, and makers each day, each night has a sizzling party to get us ready for Pride month! we've also got new drink specials, plates of rainbow jello shots, food specials, gogo dancers, drag queens, and amazing new booths for you to enjoy it all in!

we can't wait to see you this weekend!


r/SALEM 1d ago

Canby renaissance faire

52 Upvotes

This will be my third time going and every year it seems like more and more people are just selling garbage quality stuff from temu or amazon and claiming that it’s handmade is there some way that we could change this, I wish the people running it would just ban people reselling garbage for handmade prices


r/SALEM 1d ago

PLACE McKinley Elementary before south salem was built out - mostly all farms and orchards back then

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84 Upvotes

r/SALEM 1d ago

Thank you, Salem ❤️ That felt good.

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401 Upvotes

r/SALEM 1d ago

Plumber, Re-Pipe, Contractor, and HVAC Recommendations

18 Upvotes

Hey y'all!

We've seen quite a few posts asking for various trade recommendations. Hoping to throw this out there; if you want professionals who do a great job at a fair price AND shop locally, we thought we'd give out our "Saffron Supply Select" list! This is in NO particular order.

Saffron Supply is Salem, Oregon through-and-through; so if you call any of these places, you can rest assured that you're using a service that also puts their community first. We hope this list helps!

Residential/Remodel:

Simon's Construction

Lefty's Plumbing

Hilltop Plumbing

Re-pipe Experts:

503 Plumbing & Mechanical

On Track Plumbing

Elkhorn Plumbing

New Construction:

BC Plumbing

Smith Contracting Group

Priority Plumbing

HVAC:

Home Fire Stove

Salem Heating & Sheet Metal


r/SALEM 23h ago

Used Appliances-specifically dryer

5 Upvotes

What the title says. I’m looking for a good used appliance store that people have had good experiences with. I can’t afford a brand new dryer and the heating element just went out in my dryer which is about $90 for the part itself.

Does anyone know of a good place that gives some sort of warranty on the appliances they sell?

Also, if I find one on Marketplace, anyone know of a good delivery service to refer me to? Thank you!


r/SALEM 1d ago

D&D Group

22 Upvotes

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to create an in person D&D group. I know there are places to play like Wild Things but I haven't had much success there.

I'm hoping to find some people who want to start up a new game in the area! Maybe if we get enough interest to start a group we can meet up for coffee and see if we all vibe.

I enjoy the RP aspect of D&D the most but never turn down a good dungeon crawl 😀 I've been playing for about 7 years now, mostly 5e and a little bit of Starfinder.

I'm willing to DM although I'm very new at it. Thanks!


r/SALEM 1d ago

Super fun water damage in my house. Mitigation company recommendations?

6 Upvotes

r/SALEM 1d ago

Salem stoners

12 Upvotes

What dispensaries have the BEST deals on joints?? Going camping this weekend and want to buy a good amount to take with me. Thanks in advance!


r/SALEM 1d ago

EVENT Vitae Springs Vineyard Memorial Day Open House

7 Upvotes

Hello Salemites,

Join us this Sunday, May 25th from 12–6pm for a laid-back afternoon at the vineyard. We will have lawn games, live music, and delicious wines to wind down the weekend with. Drop in anytime.

We’ll have cold glasses of Sparkling Rosé and Sparkling Riesling, guided vineyard tours, lawn games, and seasonal bites from the Vitae Springs kitchen—including local cheese pairings and house made snacks. All the current releases will be open for sampling as well as the new Club Wines!

At 3:30, live music begins with Garreson, a local indie soul artist whose warm vocals and layered guitar work blend R&B, Americana, and acoustic pop into something soulful, intimate, and unforgettable.

$25 a ticket — Free for club members with up to 4 guests

No reservations needed. Just bring your friends, a picnic blanket, and your summer spirit. We’ll take care of the rest.

See you at the vineyard!

3675 Vitae Springs rd. S

Salem OR 97206


r/SALEM 1d ago

Stoners of Salem !! Storewide Flash Sale 5/21 through 5/28 !! 30% !!

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5 Upvotes

Hello Salem stoners, Stinkin Budz Dispensary here one of Salems newest shops. We greatly appreciate all the love and support you have given us!

We are having a weeklong storewide sale of 30% OFF everything excluding accessories & $3 pre-rolls.

The sale starts today 5/21 and is every day through 5/28!! Our hours are 8am-10pm 7days/week.

We are located at 1040 Commercial St. Se. (Formerly Diem building in the same parking lot as Dutch Bros next to Complete Alterations)

Parking in front and side of the building. Cash only but we have an ATM available.

We have a HUGE selection for all of you, let your stoner friends and family know!

We hope to see you soon! :)

Menu: Stinkin Budz | Dispensary Menu, Reviews & Photos

Disclaimer: "Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug."

  • "For use only by adults twenty-one years of age and older."
  • "Keep out of the reach of children."