Carlee Wright
Winter is often framed as a quiet season, but for Salem’s creative and small business sectors, it’s a critical one. This is the time of year when our local economy feels the difference between communities that show up… and those that don’t.
Arts and culture are sometimes treated as optional, but the data tells a different story. They are a revenue engine. Performances, exhibitions, classes, and events generate spending at restaurants, shops, hotels, and venues across the city. They sustain jobs. They attract visitors. They keep money circulating locally. And here in Salem, we see that impact every day, not as an abstract concept, but as measurable economic activity that helps our city thrive.
The same is true for our independent retailers and makers. Shopping local isn’t a seasonal slogan or feel-good gesture; it’s an investment. It keeps doors open, lights on, and ideas moving. It’s the reason our neighborhoods feel unique. Small businesses contribute more than character. They provide employment, stability, and reinvestment in the community. Where we choose to spend matters.
So as you flip through this issue, consider how participation—buying the ticket, visiting the shop, choosing the local option—fuels the very experiences that make Salem shine. Supporting the arts and supporting small businesses aren’t separate acts; together, they build the kind of community we’re proud to call home.
Thank you for showing up for our arts community, for our small businesses, and for Press Play. Your engagement helps keep Salem vibrant, and we’re grateful to share the season (and the stories) with you.
Carlee Wright
Instigator (& Editor)
This story originally ran in Press Play Salem issue 26 (Winter 2025/26)
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Author: Carlee Wright
Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.
