Salisbury, MD – The relationship between the City of Salisbury and the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District will take a new direction beginning July 1, 2023.
In 2022, the City of Salisbury created the Arts, Business & Culture Department (ABCD), a main function of which is to oversee all planning and production of the City’s large-scale community events, including the Maryland Folk Festival.
For the past seven years, the City of Salisbury has provided funding to the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District to contract an executive director to oversee the planning and execution of Downtown Salisbury events. Among these events were 3rd Fridays, the Friday Night Live Concert Series, and the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop.
As the current contract between the City of Salisbury and Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District nears expiration, the two organizations have reached a mutual decision to shift event operations to the City. With the growth of ABCD over the past year, the City is now equipped to manage these events.
“Thanks to a fully staffed events team, upgraded equipment, and new facilities, the City is well suited to take on this important responsibility,” said ABCD Director Allen Swiger. “Planning and executing events are exactly the kind of projects our team excels in.”
Using the funding that had been provided to the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District, the City plans to hire an events coordinator, a position that was first offered to Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District Executive Director Jamie Heater.
“The Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District has always had a great relationship with the City of Salisbury,” Heater said. “We have the common goals of bringing arts and entertainment to this community, and I know we will continue to work together on these efforts.”
The Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District will remain a separate organization from the City, but ABCD will take on duties relating to the Arts & Entertainment District designation.
“We are grateful for the many years of collaboration with the Salisbury Arts & Entertainment District and look forward to supporting their future initiatives,” said Mayor Jack Heath. “The City will continue to produce these staple events to the high standard our community expects, and there will be no change to the great programming we know and love.”
