City of Salem cancels First Friday concerts, Movies in the Park

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - This summer, some beloved Salem events are being canceled.

“I think it would be a bummer to see it go,” Mikayla Tukufu, who lives in Salem, said.

That includes Movies in the Park, First Friday concerts, and Kids Relays, events that brought the community to parks like Bush’s Pasture Park and Riverfront Park.

SEE ALSO:

The City of Salem said voters didn’t approve a new revenue source for the general fund, so now they’ve adopted a mid-year supplemental budget to eliminate seasonal staffing positions dedicated to the summer programs. They said their five-year budget forecast shows increasing shortfalls.

To help balance the budget, the Salem Parks and Recreation Advisory Board decided to cut the summer events this year.

“Salem is very nice and I’m just disappointed that they’re going to do that, to cancel,” Sherri Porter, who lives in Salem, said.

The city said they expect to save $50,000 by cutting Movies in the Park and $30,000 by cutting Kids Relays. Salem parents like Alisha said this will be a loss for the community.

“I think that it’s really unfortunate because there’s really not a whole lot to do in Salem as is so taking away those few events that are offered to our community would be a pretty poor decision, especially for the children that like to go with their families,” she said.

SEE ALSO:

Mikalya Tukufu, another Salem parent, can attest her family will miss going to Movies in the Park this summer.

“I’m all about memories and good times and family and friend gatherings so it was always a good experience when we came, I would bring my kids and invite other people, we always had a blast,” Tukufu said.

With the uncertainty ahead of them, the city said they can’t go ahead with the contracting and planning needed for these events.

Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.