The Salem Little League Opening Day Parade
and Ceremonies are Sunday, April 28, 2024! 

Starting location: Salem State University’s O’Keefe Center - 225 Canal St, corner of Canal and Forest Ave. All coaches need to report to the O'Keefe Center at Salem State parking lot by 9:30 AM.

• All players report to O’Keefe in full uniform by 10:00 AM.
• Cleats are not necessary, nor recommended to wear while parading.
• The parade will begin at the O'Keefe Center and end at Forest River Park. Families can park at either location.
• If parking at Forest River Park, please leave enough time for the player and the guardian to walk to the O'Keefe Center lot.
• PLEASE don't let your child cross Lafayette St. on their own.
• Please don't send your child with items to carry like equipment or water bottles.
• It's a good idea to make a "pit stop" before heading to the parking lot.

The parade is scheduled to depart from the lot at 10:30 AM, but may leave a few minutes early, or later, at the police's discretion. Players and coaches will parade up Forest Ave, across Lafayette St, onto Clifton, and into the park.

Parents will not be allowed to march with teams, nor are they allowed on the field before, during or after the ceremonies. Only current Volunteer Members of the organization are allowed to have contact with the kids. We understand that some little ones may be hesitant to march without their parents, so Tee Ball parents will be allowed to march along with their kids, but parents will not be allowed on the field unless they are a current, certified Volunteer Member.

Once we arrive on the field and get settled, there will be brief comments by members of the SLL board and invited guests. Understanding the kids don’t want to sit for very long, we will move things along as quickly as possible. There will also be a brief ceremony afterward in Coaches Corner, honoring a few individuals we sadly lost in the last year. That ceremony is most certainly voluntary, but please try to steer clear of that area as we convene, out of respect to the invited families. 

When the ceremonies are over, we will dismiss the children by age group, youngest first. Please don’t crowd around the gates as it can be very unnerving for our youngest players. Coaches will escort their teams off the field and stay with the children until parents arrive. 

There will be a full slate of games all day, including two Major league games and two Minor league games. Please feel free to spend the day or go home and come back!