The annual Englewood Forest Festival returns Saturday with free, family-friendly fun in Salem’s Englewood Park.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature a full day of music and dance performances on two stages, 50 local art vendors and free environmental and educational activities, all under the shady tree canopy at the park on 1260 19th St. NE.
The festival was founded in 2017 by residents to celebrate the historic park and bring the community together.
“The 7-acre Englewood Park is a major highlight of the festival,” festival organizers said. “Developed by the renowned Lord & Schryver design team, Salem’s oldest park is a historic and hidden gem that is full of oaks, pines plus numerous bird, wildlife and a multitude of plants and flowers.”
Activities include learning to help injured wildlife at the Chintimini Wildlife Center booth, painting a paper mâché sculpture at the Corazon Handicrafts booth and making plantable seed paper at the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School booth. Festivalgoers can view pollinators under a microscope and discover more about local birds, butterflies, invertebrates, beavers, trees and native plants.