The InstigatorCelebrate the mother in your life with these local events, offerings and activities —
Things to do
Pop in to Minto Island Growers Farm Stand 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for a small menu with spring produce, mimosas, beer, wine and cider, plus free flower seed planting. On Sunday only, there will be the addition of a pop-up from Manna Bakery (that’s the new bakery downtown!)
Check out the Little French Market in the vineyard 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Stangeland. Taste through Botaneity wines, enjoy mom-osas (zero-proof option available) and complimentary chocolate croissants. There will be sweet “little somethings” for mama like fresh flowers from @crowleyhouse, handmade linens from @madrelinen, and Botaneity’s signature soy candles and more.
Common People Yoga will be at The Holman Hotel on Sunday, May 14 for a gentle morning yoga class followed by a refreshing brunch. Call 971-915-2935 for details and to register.
Stomp Tasting Room by Croft Vineyards is offering a complimentary glass of wine for all mothers on Sunday, May 14. Call or text 503-364-3085 to make a reservation.
Mother’s Day Yoga at CreativiTee — Celebrate the empowering, loving women in your life with a one-hour yoga class. From sisters, aunts and grandmothers, to step-mothers, mothers-in-law, friends and mentors, motherly love and support can come from all kinds of people in your life, and you are invited to share your love of yoga with them. Class includes a one-hour flow practice led by Catherine Albertini, and a limited-release yoga tank designed by CreativiTee’s owner, Roanna. After class, have wine and treats while you shop. Space is limited.
When: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 12
Where: CreativiTee & rofe designs, 110 Commercial St NE
Cost: $42 individual; $79 Individual + friend (includes class, tank, drink, snacks and private shopping) Click here to purchase.
Catch the action of Salem Capitals Basketball 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14 vs Vancouver Volcanoes at The Salem Armory, 2310 17th St NE. The team is celebrating Native American Appreciation, Mother’s Day and Sunday Fundray. Doors open one hour before tip-off. Cost: $6 to $30. Click here for tickets.
Mother’s Day Comedy with Susan Rice & Eliza Butler — One of the first Portland comedians ever, Susan Rice celebrates her 40th year as a professional stand-up this year. She started in 1983 and quickly found herself working with comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Paula Poundstone, Bob Saget, and more legendary names. Her time in Los Angeles bought her television credits on Comedy Central, Showtime On the Road, Evening at the Improv, CBS and ABC. She has never stopped performing, and in 2021 Rice became a producer when she mounted the first neighborhood Comedy Festival in North Portland: The St. Johns Comedy Fest, which brought a much-needed laugh to her hard-hit area and allowed her show off the wonderful, talented comedians that reside in the Pacific NW.
Eliza Butler is a Portland-based standup comedian and writer from the high desert of New Mexico. She captivates audiences with her upbeat storytelling style. When she isn’t on stage, she’s gawking at the beauty of the PNW and losing mind games to her cats. She co-hosts Bangerz Comedy weekly and Sorry Not Sorry monthly in Portland.
When: 7 p.m. May 14
Where: Infinity Room
Cost: $15 in advance/$20 at the door. Click here for tickets.
Age: All ages welcome
Capital Futbol Club’s female league Athletica hosts its season opener vs Lane United FC 2 p.m. Sunday, May 14 at McCulloch Stadium. The match will honor all moms with free entry, an opening day parade, and more. On top of the match and Mother’s Day specials, enjoy the beer garden, concessions, taco truck, Coerver Fanzone and more. Tickets are $10 adult; $5 youth. Click here to purchase.
Wine and Watercolors: Mother’s Day Bouquet — Instructor Elisa Mack invites you to explore your creative side and enjoy local wine, too. In this workshop, you will paint a floral arrangement and make it uniquely yours. No experience necessary, artists of all levels are welcomed and encouraged. All materials, instruction, and hors d’oeuvres are included in price. Wine is NOT included in the cost. Wine tasting and/ or bottles of wine to be purchased separately.
When: 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 14
Where: Chemeketa Cellars, Northwest Wine Studies Center, 215 Doaks Ferry Road NW
Cost: $40 (wine, beer, cider, non-alcoholic drinks and charcuterie platters can be purchased separately in the tasting room) Click here to register.
Bring MOM to the Pops for Salem Pops Orchestra’s signature mix of popular and light classical music. The show will include The Sound of Music, Grease, Strike Up the Band and more, 3 p.m. May 14, at East Salem Community Center, 1850 45th Ave NE. Cost: $20; $10 students. Free for children younger than 6. Click here for tickets.
Gifts
Downtown Salem is home to a wonderful variety of shops for your gift-giving needs. Here are a few of our favorites —
Visit One Fair World, 474 Court St NE, for fair trade crafts from artisans around the world.
Pop by Perle Holistic Skin and Body Care, 170 Liberty St SE, for gift items and gift cards.
Cruise into Ernie & Gray, 329 State St., for functional craft and fine art by PNW makers.
Plus, The Arbor is hosting a pop-up with Fig Custom Jewelry 1 to 5:30 p.m. Friday, May 12.
Salem Art Association offers a variety of unique, one-of-a-kind, artistic gifts. Stop by the Bush Barn Art Center to pick something out. Learn more here.
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Sewell Sweets is offering Buttercream Boards for the sweet “mother” in your life. Available in both Vanilla Flowers and Chocolate Lover’s, a Buttercream Boards features a center spread of their lusciously creamy Italian Meringue Buttercream and/or rich and heavenly ganache, bordered with fresh fruits, cookies, brownies, scratch-made marshmallows, and other yummy treats meant for dipping through that gorgeous buttercream. Buttercream Boards are eaten charcuterie-style and make a fantastic addition to any brunch, lunch, or dessert spread for your Mother’s Day celebration! Available for pre-order only, pick up 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14, at Sewell Sweets, 155 Liberty St Suite 160. Call the shop to order and pay over the phone at 971-287-7171.
Eat Up!
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Venti’s South is offering Brunch, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 14, featuring special cocktails — Blackberry Bellini and Passion fruit Mojito — and breakfast items (biscuits and gravy, French toast and more!) including vegan options.
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Little India at Beehive Station Food Pod is offering a Mother’s Day special of a combo box with butter chicken, Chana aloo, rice and cucumbers plus a side of a whole naan for $18 available May 13 and 14.
Xicha Brewing is hosting Mother’s Day Brunch at both their West Salem and North Salem locations on Sunday, May 14 with specials including Torrejas De Arandano, Spanish sweet toast topped with blueberries and powdered sugar, and Chilaquiles, fired tortillas and zucchini served with 2 eggs in a green salsa, cotijia cheese and crema.
Gamberetti’s has a special Mother’s day menu featuring baked saccottini, French toast casserole and lobster benedict. Make your reservations by calling 503-339-7446.
Treat Mom to The Queen’s Tea Time Tower featuring three tiers of treats —
Tier 1. Salmon sandwich, cheese and cucumber sandwich (the late Queen’s favourite), egg salad sandwich, cheese and tomato sandwich and coronation chicken salad.
Tier 2. Meat, cheese, sausage roll, and malt pickled. onion.
Tier 3. House-made deserts.
Comes with a pot of English Tea for $29.95
Available 11 a.m. to close Saturday and Sunday. Reservations recommended. Call 503-689-1260 to make yours.
Not directly Mother’s Day related, but still something fun to do with the mother in your life…
Adelman’s Peony Garden is open for the season. Read more in our Press Play Salem story here.
The Second Friday Ceili, hosted by Ceili of the Valley Society is a no-experience, no partner needed event. Even if you are not a dancer, you can do it. But really, the music alone is worth it! Doors open at 7 p.m. followed by a short dance lesson and live music from 8 to 11. All dances are taught before the live music begins. The motto of every dance is to have fun, so wear comfortable shoes, bring some water and try out something new.
When: 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 12
Where: VFW Hall, 630 Hood St NE
Cost: $10; $5 student, $30 family
After a few years’ hiatus, On Your Feet Friday! returns on the second Friday of the month in downtown Salem. A partnership between Willamette Valley Road Runners and Salem Main Street Association, On Your Feet Friday! encourages people to get active and have fun while exploring downtown Salem in a scavenger hunt-like walk/run. Each month features different checkpoints. Click here for our Press Play Story
When: Starts at 5:45 May 12 (recurring June 9, July 14 and August 11)
Where: Salem Convention Center sculpture garden
Chapel Hart: Glory Days Tour — Chapel Hart has found a way to gift wrap their Mississippi roots & Louisiana spice and share it with listeners around the world. With special guests Rosevelt and Ryan Necci & The Buffalo Gospel.
When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 12
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE
Cost: $30 to $125. Click here for tickets.
Classical Gershwin with the Oregon Symphony — Steeped in jazz, blues, and ragtime, Gershwin’s Concerto in F Major is a quintessentially American take on the classical concerto, making it the perfect vehicle for the dynamic pianist Aaron Diehl. Shostakovich’s brooding, deeply personal Tenth Symphony pursues great extremes in emotion and orchestral color, from wistful wind solos to menacing marches.
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 12
Where: Smith Auditorium at Willamette University
Click here for tickets.
Pentacle Theatre presents Rabbit Hole, the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama written by David Lindsay-Abaire exploring grief, family, forgiveness and love, 7:30 p.m. May 11-13. Get your tickets at www.pentacletheatre.org
Becca and Howie Corbett, along with their son, Danny, have a happy life until unspeakable loss strikes their family. After tragedy strikes, Becca and Howie face a grief that threatens to tear them apart. With the help of each other and family, Becca and Howie learn how to move forward in their new lives. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day.
Delgani IV: Shadow and Light — Delgani completes its season with three quartets that showcase the vibrant color and dynamic contrast of the string quartet. Jennifer Higdon’s In the Shadow of the Mountain (2020), opens the program. Mozart’s Dissonance Quartet gained its moniker with its haunting slow introduction, disorienting the listener with its slippery harmony. Ravel’s String Quartet, famous for its lush melodies and the unique (and incredibly catchy) pizzicato textures of its second movement, closes the program.
When: 3 p.m. Saturday, May 13
Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 5090 Center St NE.
Cost: $28. $5 student. Age 12 and younger is free. Click here for tickets.
Rob Schneider: I Have Issues Tour — Rob Schneider is an accomplished actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in films, television and continues his word-wide standup tour.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 13
Where: Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St SE
Cost: $47 to $147. More on day of show. Click here for tickets.
Drag artists Saint Syndrome and Nicole Onoscopi bring you live vocals and piano, mixed with comedy and storytelling. It’s a spectacular night of drag, music and comedy. Full kitchen and bar menu available before and during the show. Masks are appreciated but not required.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13
Where: Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St SE
Cost: $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Click here for tickets.
Age: 16 and older
Salem Parks Foundation hosts Take a Walk in the Park — Take a two-mile walk, stopping at the four stations and collecting passport stamps as you go…and get a cookie at the end. Completed passports will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
When: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13
Where: Starts at Riverfront Park Pavilion or at Wallace Marine Park (west side of the Union Street Railroad Bridge)
Cost: Free but donations are accepted.
Carlee Wright
