The 77th Salem Art Fair & Festival headlines a packed September in Salem, with Hispanic Heritage Day, Xicha Fest and a new inclusive playground also on the calendar.
The art fair runs Friday, Sept. 11, through Sunday, Sept. 13, at Bush's Pasture Park, 600 Mission St. SE. The Salem Art Association says the event features more than 200 juried fine artists, three days of live music, artisan demonstrations and food carts.
Cheryl Brown is the 2026 poster artist, and the official T-shirt design, "Visitors Welcome," was created by Shoki and Sara Tanabe through a community vote. An opening night party runs 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. Tickets are $40.
Saturday, Sept. 12, is stacked. Three events compete for attention across town:
Hispanic Heritage Day runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oregon State Capitol, with live music, dancing and free activities celebrating the cultures of Oregon's Hispanic and Latino communities.
Xicha Fest returns for its ninth year at Xicha Brewing Norte, 2 to 11 p.m. The lineup includes Tijuana-based band Tijuana No!, lucha libre every 30 minutes from 3:30 to 8 p.m., vendors and tattoos. Admission is $15; kids get in free. Press Play Salem describes Xicha Brewing as the first Latine brewery in the Pacific Northwest.
Boot Scoot and Brew fills Riverfront Park starting at 11 a.m. as part of Center 50+'s 50th anniversary celebration. The senior center opened as the Salem Senior Center in 1976. Press Play Salem lists performers including Austin Gilbert of The Voice, the Catnip Brothers, Jeremy Wayne McKern and The Sweetwater Band, along with beer and wine sampling, zucchini races, line dancing and bounce houses. Admission is $8; free for ages 12 and younger. The city's event listing shows the event running until 10 p.m.
Earlier in the month, the Elsewhere Ensemble performs "Invocation," a new work by violinist Colin Pip Dixon, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Hudson Concert Hall at Willamette University. Punx in the Park, a free youth event organized by Punx with Purpose, takes over Riverfront Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, with a concert, free food and clothing.
Music at the Mill closes its inaugural season with a performance by Phoenix, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St. SE.
On Sunday, Sept. 13, the sold-out Cherry City Half Marathon starts at 8 a.m. at Riverfront Park. Spectators are welcome. That evening, country artist Terri Clark performs at 7:30 p.m. at Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE.
An OPB screening of the film "American Sons," following a group of Marines a decade after deployment to Afghanistan, comes to Elsinore Theatre at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17. Tickets are on a sliding scale up to a $20 suggested donation.
Meanwhile, Riverfront Park is building Salem's first intentionally designed inclusive playground.
The city says the play space will be ready by the end of September, featuring wheelchair-friendly artificial turf, a quiet sensory zone called the Eagle's Nest, a music station and Salem's first rock scramble using natural boulders. The carousel, splash pad and Rotary Pavilion remain open during construction.
September at a glance
- Sept. 2 — Elsewhere Ensemble, Hudson Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 5 — Punx in the Park, Riverfront Park, 11 a.m.
- Sept. 8 — Music at the Mill, Willamette Heritage Center, 6 p.m.
- Sept. 10 — Art Fair Opening Night Party, Bush's Pasture Park, 6 p.m.
- Sept. 11–13 — Salem Art Fair & Festival, Bush's Pasture Park
- Sept. 12 — Hispanic Heritage Day, State Capitol, 10 a.m.; Xicha Fest, 2 p.m.; Boot Scoot and Brew, Riverfront Park, 11 a.m.
- Sept. 13 — Cherry City Half Marathon, Riverfront Park, 8 a.m.; Terri Clark, Elsinore Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
- Sept. 17 — "American Sons" screening, Elsinore Theatre, 6:30 p.m.
- End of September — Inclusive playground opens, Riverfront Park
