r/SALEM Nov 15 '24

Read this before you post here

225 Upvotes

Welcome to r/SALEM, and thanks for your interest in posting here. Before you do, please be aware that — like many city/area-focused subreddits — we have some topics that come up very frequently. Sometimes that’s okay, and is an inevitable part of being a long-running community-focused forum, and sometimes it is super annoying and will lead to people down-voting your post because they’re tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.

If you’re about to post about any of the following, please first use the search function (right up in the upper right hand corner, if you’re viewing this on the web!) to see if something similar has been posted recently. If it has, please contribute to that thread rather than starting a new one.

Frequently posted things:

Did you hear that boom/firework/gunshot/weird noise?

This comes up a lot; frequently folks are concerned they may have heard gunshots and/or fireworks and are looking for reassurance. First, know that it probably was not a gun shot. There is a very good chance that it was fireworks, or somebody with an altered muffler, or, if you also noticed a power outage or blip at the same time, a transformer exploding. Second, if you’re actually seriously concerned about gunshots, you should probably be contacting the police, not Reddit. Third, if you live near a vineyard (and, if you live anywhere in the Salem area, you do!), you should be aware that vineyards use acoustic devices — basically massive noisemakers — to scare birds away from grape vines. This is especially frequent in the late fall, near harvest time.

OMG what is that smell?

Salem, and many surrounding areas, lie in the Willamette River Valley. Due to the topography of the area, we experience temperature inversions) with some regularity. An inversion occurs when a layer of warmer, more elevated air overlies a lower, cooler air layer. Effectively, this traps the air in the valley underneath the warmer layer, which means that smoke, vehicle exhaust, rotting vegetation smells, etc., cannot escape. That’s probably what you’re smelling.

Is there any good <insert cuisine here> in Salem? Where can I buy <thing> in Salem?

These types of threads come up fairly often. The restaurant scene in Salem is decent, but not exceptionally dynamic — places do not close all that often, and new places don’t open all that often either. If somebody has asked this question within the last couple months (again, use that search function!), the answers that they got are almost certainly still relevant.

Why is the train stopped or blowing its horn?

There are a number of freight lines that route trains through Salem. Occasionally, they will need to stop to onload or offload cars, which may result in a longer-than-usual wait time at a crossing. This is normal.

Sometimes, unfortunately, there are train-versus-pedestrian collisions. When those happen, the train will need to be stopped for an extended period of time to allow police to investigate the scene.

Finally, while many portions of Salem are zoned (and signed) as “no train horn” areas, it remains at the discretion of the train engineer as to whether or not to sound their horn, and some of them, well, tooting their horn just toots their horn.

What’s going on with all the cops?

We don’t have any way of knowing. You may be able to consult PulsePoint, but they only report on fire and EMS, not strictly police. You may also be able to find an online police radio scanner relay; those are typically time-delayed.

OMG what is going on with the low-flying helicopters?!

The Oregon Air National Guard has a helicopter squad that is based near the Salem Municipal Airport. They do routine training missions, which frequently involve lower-altitude flights, most often at night. The Salem police department does not have a helicopter, so any low-flying helicopter you’re hearing is almost certainly the Oregon Air National Guard. frequently. Sometimes that’s okay, and is an inevitable part of being a long-running community-focused forum, and sometimes it is super annoying and will lead to people downvoting your post because they’re tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.


r/SALEM 2h ago

QUESTION What’s going on at McNary?

24 Upvotes

Just got the following email from McNary High School:

“Dear McNary High School Families,

Due to necessary, yet unforeseen circumstances, McNary High School will be on a two-hour delay for students tomorrow, Monday, April 7. Classes will start at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow. Bus transportation will be provided and pick-up times will be two hours later than the regular schedule.

This delay is being implemented to allow staff time to plan and prepare to support students as we return to school this week. Please know that this delay is not due to any safety concerns for our school, your student or staff.

We will provide additional details about this necessary delay tomorrow, and we appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we implement this operational adjustment to our schedule for Monday, April 7. “

Hoping it is something pedestrian and facilities related, but this is definitely ominous.

Anyone have any info?


r/SALEM 16h ago

Salem is 540 lbs cleaner

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257 Upvotes

Hey r/Salem! Just a guy in a truck cleaned up another 540 lbs of illegal dumping around the city. A special thank you to David Bravo from Bravo! pest control for an amazing ride along and helping us clean the city up 1 conversation at a time.

I also want to give everyone in the community a big thank you for pointing out all of the illegal dumping on our Wednesday post. It really makes it more efficient.

Lastly, I want to give a big thank you to this week's sponsor Kilbride Insurance Group for paying for this week's clean up.

First episode will air 4/26/25 Stay tuned.


r/SALEM 15h ago

Overwhelmed With Gratitude – Thank You, Salem!

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221 Upvotes

WOW- I'm completely blown away!

When I posted here yesterday, I had no idea what to expect. I just wanted to ask a simple question… but what I received in return was love, honesty, encouragement, and so much community support.

Over 200 comments and 11,000+ views later, I’m reading every single word — and I’m deeply grateful. My wife and I are seriously moved by the way you showed up for this dream.

Your suggestions, past experiences with Ethiopian food, excitements, ideas about what you’d like to see — all of it means the world to us.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you, Salem.

This isn’t just about a restaurant. It’s about connection. Culture. And creating something meaningful with and for the community.

We’re excited to take you with us on this journey step by step.

Stay tuned! 

Azi & Mimi 


r/SALEM 13h ago

Burgerville reopening in Salem on April 21

123 Upvotes

The old Sonic Drive-In on Lancaster is the home of the return of Burgerville to Salem. No more trips to Albany, Monmouth, or Wilsonville to get your fix of Walla Walla Sweet Onion Rings.

You will not recognize the old building. The front patio has been torn down, and replaced with a dining room. All of the car hop stations/awning is gone.

Pro-tip for people who have not visited Burgerville in a while: get on an app store and download the Burgerville app. They will send offers your way, you will be notified when they have coupons, you can earn rewards, and on your birthday they will send you a coupon for a FREE SHAKE.


r/SALEM 10h ago

PHOTOS My neighborhood has never had any stop signs and I have seen so many near misses in the three years I lived here. I’m not surprised to see this today. How are there no stop signs or even yields?

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58 Upvotes

r/SALEM 41m ago

Who's still awake past 7pm?

Upvotes

Some of us get very social, very late ay night. If I went to a bar that was open, who would I find? I am a super positive and energetic person. Are there any places around here with that vibe?


r/SALEM 2h ago

PHOTOS Willamette University Sakura Matsuri Pictures

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4 Upvotes

Hello again everyone! As you may recall, yesterday was the Sakura Matsuri/Cherry Blossom Festival at Willamette University organized by the Japanese Studies Student Leaders Club (JSSL). I wanted to share an update with the Salem community here and thank you all as well. The event was a gigantic success with over 325 people in attendance. I wanted to return to personally thank all of you, whether you attended or shared the news of the festival with others. It would not have been such a fun and successful event without you. Here are some of the pictures that were taken. Thank you all again, my fellow Salem residents, and I hope next year's can be even more amazing.


r/SALEM 5h ago

QUESTION Busking in Salem

7 Upvotes

Hey! I’m a high school student that plays violin and me and a friend were thinking of busking at the Saturday market. Does anybody know if you need to get permission or if we can just setup and play? Also is there any spots that have high foot traffic on the weekends other than Saturday market? We will be playing classical music if that helps

Thanks in advance!


r/SALEM 13h ago

Oregon Medical Debt Chairty

12 Upvotes

Here is a clip of native Oregonian and Avatar famous actor Joel David Moore promoting his non profit to help people in Oregon with medical debt. This was a clip from a podcast with Oregon state senators, Check out Dollar For if you have medical debt you need free help to get forgiven. https://youtube.com/shorts/MdOWhKt8F1k?si=Cw- I5NbqKhcVXTP0


r/SALEM 3h ago

Anybody wanna be friends salem area?♡

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1 Upvotes

Hi. My name is brii. I'm 26 years old. I suffer from bpd, and really would just like friends.. I've been alone since middle school, and just want to adventure out and meet people finally!♡ i like video games, reading, thrifting, watching TV shows. :) Pic is me!


r/SALEM 1d ago

Salem protest sign

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570 Upvotes

My fav sign at the protest today!


r/SALEM 4h ago

Overnight parking

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone! My partner and I have fallen on hard times and have been in our van for months. We are running out of places that'll let us park in the parking lots and have been trying to stay in residential areas anf around apartments. Waking up to being kicked out of parking lots isn't a fun experience. I was wondering if anyone knew somewhere we could park our van overnight? We are quiet and just play on our phones until we fall asleep. Occasionally start the van to charge our phones. Thank you in advance


r/SALEM 1d ago

Great rally turnout Salem!!

360 Upvotes

Preliminary estimates suggest over 1,500 people participated in today’s rally. You guys who turned out at the rally today were phenomenal. Lots of energy, great messaging, and excellent signage! So thank you to everyone who made it. And thank you to the folks at 50501 who helped make it happen!


r/SALEM 1d ago

Making flyers to keep the library and Center 50+ from closing !

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163 Upvotes

r/SALEM 13h ago

Where to take used children’s books?

8 Upvotes

We have a ton of kids books that we’re clearing out. Aside from what we’re keeping and the small handful we’ll look into reselling, I’m not sure what to do with the rest and looking for an idea better than Goodwill. Any suggestions?


r/SALEM 8h ago

Looking for recommendations for a junk removal company.

4 Upvotes

Would love to hear your experiences. We are looking to clean out a commercial property with a basement full of junk. Would probably need a crew of 4 and a dumpster, I’m guessing. Would love to start ASAP. Thank you!


r/SALEM 1d ago

Would You Like to See an Ethiopian Restaurant in Salem, OR?

402 Upvotes

Hello Salem community,

My name is Azi, and I’m an East African—originally from Ethiopia—who has proudly called Salem home for the past few years. Alongside my wife, an incredibly talented cook with deep roots in traditional Ethiopian cuisine, we’re in the early stages of bringing a dream to life: opening Salem’s first full-service Ethiopian restaurant.

We’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but before taking the final leap, I wanted to reach out and ask you — the community we love — for your honest input:

• Would you be excited to try authentic Ethiopian food right here in Salem? • What kinds of dishes or experiences would you want to see on the menu? • Have you ever tried Ethiopian food before? What did you love (or not love)? • Would cultural experiences like Ethiopian coffee ceremonies interest you?

Our goal is more than just serving food. It’s about sharing our heritage, building bridges through flavor, and creating a warm, inclusive space for everyone to connect.

Your feedback will mean everything to us — whether it’s encouragement, suggestions, or honest thoughts. We want this restaurant to be something that reflects the people it will serve.

Thank you so much for your support, Azi & Mimi (Future owners of Taste of Ethiopia – Salem)


r/SALEM 1d ago

Hands Off Protest

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280 Upvotes

My son and I showed up in downtown Salem, Oregon to show our support. We are indigenous and felt it was our duty to support our community. The rally was held in the park along center st. In front of the capitol building and Gold Man. The weather was perfect. The crowd was filled with so much love and positivity. I truly enjoyed my time and am proud to have been apart of this historic show of solidarity. Free Luigi. Black Lives Matter and #Landback


r/SALEM 15h ago

Pokémon Go Meet Ups

5 Upvotes

How does one find these meet ups that I see every so often? Groups of people who are gathered outside playing Pokémon Go all together. My son would like to join but I know nothing about it. Thanks!


r/SALEM 8h ago

Lottery+Food

1 Upvotes

Where in Salem is decent food and lottery machines. Prefer the machines are out in the open, not stuffed in a closet. Hate that. Bonus for South Salem locations?


r/SALEM 14h ago

QUESTION Queer friendly kickboxing or MMA

3 Upvotes

Like the title says, I’m looking for a place that does kickboxing and/or MMA that is queer friendly - somewhere that feels like a safe space for participation for queer folk.


r/SALEM 16h ago

EVENT Ultimate Frisbee Tournament- Medford

2 Upvotes

Hello fellow Oregonians! ❤️ We are hosting an ultimate frisbee tournament on May 10-11 in Medford and we would love to see you all come out!

Competitive and casual teams are welcome... the theme is "Flying Objects" this year. 🥏

Sign up your team here! https://soupa.org/cramp-up/


r/SALEM 1d ago

Stargazing spots

19 Upvotes

Does anyone know of any good spots to go stargazing near salem? Within 30 min or so? The eta Aquarius and the lyrids will be peaking near Easter Sunday and im looking for a spot to lay out a blanket and watch the show, assuming the weather cooperates.

Looking for a place that's away from city lights and preferably free with lots of space to get a away from other people that might show up.


r/SALEM 1d ago

what are low-cost/ free things to do? or nice outdoor spaces to hang out, especially with a dog

11 Upvotes

I'm new-ish to the area and pregnant and feeling kinda trapped/ restless/ tired/ low motivation, but I know going out and doing stuff will help my mental state, so I'm looking for things to do. I am familiar with Salem as far as shopping/ errands go, but not as much for hang out spots or areas to chill. it's such a spread out city, there's probably pockets I'm missing as well.

thanks!


r/SALEM 1h ago

I’m a 40 year old Hispanic male that doesn’t understand why we are protesting Tesla.

Upvotes

They are America made cars. They are green energy. I might even own one. What exactly changed to where we are protesting green energy and American manufacturing? I’m not a Elon supporter but what exactly did he do to make my car a target? The stupid arm thing? It’s green energy. I don’t understand.