My View of Life on the Dock
We are just 11 days away from the Annual Parade of Lights Boat Parade
Please help spread the word! The more boats, the more fun! Start decorating your own boat and calling all of your boating friends to dress up theirs!
All boats gather at the end of the Annisquam River near Jones Creek at Sunset (7:00 pm) on Saturday, Sept 1st.
Please help keep this traditional alive.
The boys and I spent the weekend out in Saratoga and drove home with my sister and nephew. We opted to take the scenic, albeit much longer, ride home along Route 2. It took us by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and through Troy, through Williamstown and past Williams College, through North Adams and even into Florida, Massachusetts. We stopped at a pretty cool river, scoped out potential weekends away and then took a detour to check out the Wachusett Brewing Company and its awesome Brew Yard.
Any place with super fun lawn games like corn hole, Connect Four, and Jenga, live music, order up window and tons of picnic tables, super yummy craft beer, fried pickles, tons of dogs, and an awesome Airstream-turned-bar is a place I’m happy to be. The Brew Yard has a super funky vibe and lots of places to sit and chat with one friend or twenty. My only regret is that it ins’t closer to home!
38th Annual Gloucester Waterfront Festival
Location: Stage Fort Park, Hough Avenue
Show Hours: Saturday 9-6 / Sunday 9-5
Free Admission – Outdoor Event
Thursday, August 16, 2018 – Sunday, August 19, 2018
The Fisherman’s Feast is an annual event that began in Boston in 1910 and is based on a tradition that goes back to the 16th century in Sciacca Sicily. The Feast is based on the devotion of the fishermen from Sciacca to the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). When the fishermen immigrated to America in the early 1900’s, they brought their traditions with them. Today’s Feast is much the same as it was over 100 years ago with lights adorning the street and the smell of sausage in the air. The current Feast is organized by the descendants of those original immigrants and still includes a procession of the Madonna through the streets of the North End.
Each August since 1910, the Feast has been held in Boston’s historic North End on North and Fleet Streets, making it the North End’s oldest continuously running Italian festival. The Feast traditionally starts on Thursday when the statue of the Madonna is moved from her home in the Fisherman’s Club to a chapel at the center of the feast. This will be her home throughout the weekend. Thursday is also when the fishermen that founded the Feast are remembered with a blessing of the fishing waters. Each night and during weekend days there is entertainment on the bandstand and vendors selling food (Italian sausages, calamari, pizza, pasta and much more) as well as crafts. The Feast culminates on Sunday night with the spectacular “Flight of the Angel”.
One of our favorite summer activities is still to pack a little snack and tour the island by land or by sea. Hop on the Cape Ann Harbor Tours Water Shuttle and get on and off all day long at your convenience….or do the very same thing on the CATA Stage Fort Park Trolley.
Water Shuttle Information can be found HERE:
Stage Fort Trolley information can be found HERE:
As always, for a comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid
When Finn saw this photo of himself kayaking he said, “I look stuck.”
Last month Thatcher and the Sandy Bay Yacht Club Race Team spent three days, in somewhat snotty conditions, sailing at Marblehead Race Week. About 25 different clubs and sailing programs were represented in the three day event at Pleon Yacht Club. Upon dropping Thatch off each morning I sat, completely impressed, and watched the scene unfold around me. I couldn’t believe how independent, confident, and dedicated all of the young sailors were. Rigging boats is no joke and takes it hard work and preparation…and often times, commitment to jump in and help others. There is no simply show up and race.
Here is a little time lapse video of just some of the action as about 175 boats set sail….
The fog was creeping up on the State Fish Pier…and everywhere else….yesterday.
Saturday, August 11th
Saturday, August 11th
Saturday, August 11th
As always, for a comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid.
Who would have thought bait buckets could be pretty?
Cape Ann’s Marina Resort is the place to be right now. A confirmed 4 fish coming into the dock for weigh-in beginning at 4:30 and GoodMorningGloucester’s Very own Joey throwing it down on the barbecue for a cook-off against Peter Zappa from the Causeway Restaurant. Joey will be backed up by his fantastic daughters and Peter will have the support of his two rockstar sons. Bid live in the crowd for one of the judges’ seats…. alongside Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Warren Waugh of Lyon-Waugh Auto Group, and Karen Hanson!
Tons of great shopping to be had and lots of great family fun activities under the tent! You are missing out if you’re not here!
I mean, I’m a little biased….but this tournament has something for everyone! Beginning at Friday at 1:00 under the tent at Cape Ann’s Marina Resort you can enjoy Family Fun Day. From there the action just keeps going and going!
Children’s Fishing Derby, shopping, live music, DJ Scottie Mac, rides in a Lyon-Waugh Auto Group Luxury Car, a BBQ Cook-off with local celebrity chefs (including GMG’s very own Joey C.), watermelon eating contest, epic Corn Hole Tournament, tuna coring demonstrations, silent auction, live auction, food, drinks….. All to raise money to #endalz and find a cure for Alzheimer’s
55 Boats with some of the best bluefin tuna captains and crews around will compete to land the biggest fish. Watch the weigh-ins live and be in the center of the action!
Don’t forget that Friday night IT WILL BE TEAM CIARAMITARO VS TEAM ZAPPA IN A BBQ COOK-OFF
Read all about the Bluefin Blowout HERE
SEE THE FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS HERE
READ ABOUT FRIDAY’S FISH DERBY HERE
August 2nd-4th
The 60th sidewalk Bazaar will take place on Main Street in downtown Gloucester. With more than 120 vendors, street food, live music and children’s activities it promises to be a great time!
Saturday, August 4th
READ MORE AND PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
As always, for a comprehensive list of family activities, visit our friends at North Shore Kid
I am in love with this amazingly cool shot captured by Cristy Grace and I’m so glad she was willing to let me share it. Talk about a perfectly timed photo bomb by one of Gloucester’s “finest.” If this photo doesn’t scream Gloucester, I don’t know what does. Thanks, Cristy!
When you need to ice your foot, but don’t have a way to hold it in place….you obviously grab a bait bag to do the trick.
Thanks to Paul Horovitz for sharing this only in a coastal town photo.
Snakes of New England and the world with Rick Roth
Saturday, July 28th at 10:00 a.m. ALL WELCOME
*Not for children under the age of 4
Boat & Light Station Tour Schedule
Essex Heritage will be hosting guided boat tours aboard landing craft, Naumkeag, to Bakers Island Light Station again this June – September!
As always for a comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid
I was fortunate enough yesterday to be able to sit near Marblehead Light yesterday afternoon as I waited for Thatcher to sail back into Marblehead Harbor. I hadn’t been there in years!
Another gorgeous sunset over Plum Cove Beach in Lanesville.
45 Fern Ave, Amesbury
July 21 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
The 2018 International Sand Sculpting Festival will take place from July 20th -22nd. Come on down to America’s first public beach and enjoy the magnificent sand sculpting competition, delicious Food Trucks and Vendors, and amusements and fun for the whole family! Plus, don’t miss the spectacular fireworks display on Saturday night. This is an event that you won’t want to miss!
July 21& 22, 201811am-5pm
ADULTS – $15.005-11years – $10.004 and under FREE
Come and Enjoy!Live Music, Magic, Comedy!Knights, Storytelling, Merchants!
Parking is at Stage Fort Park with free busing to and from the castle.
As always, for a comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid.
The Gloucester Sea Cadets – David G. Ouellet Division were honored to be State Senator Bruce Tarr’s guests at the Massachusetts State House yesterday. Thank you also to Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante for helping to host them so graciously.
Pack a picnic dinner, a beach chair, and a blanket and head to the bandstand at Back Beach in Rockport for this week’s Music on the Beach concert.
None other than Satch Kerans will be performing tonight from 6:00-8:00.
Tom “Satch” Kerans wears many hats here in Rockport — husband, father, Little League Coach, member of Town Rights of Way Committee, and we can’t forget he is the front man for the Satch Kerans Band.
If you have never heard the Satch Kerans Band you are in for a Rock & Roll treat. In a feature story that ran about Satch on May 22, 2009, Boston Globe music critic Jonathan Perry wrote, “years after settling into an entirely different identity and new set of priorities – reemerges with some of the best songs he’s ever written… nodded in sound and temperament to his longtime heroes Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, as well as ex-Dream Syndicate front man Steve Wynn and Mark Knopfler. At the collection’s core was a clutch of sturdy melodies and classic pop structures”.The Satch Kerans Band has just finished as the opening act for the great Southern band, “The Outlaws”, so get ready for a great night of ROCK.
PS The Legion will have Popcorn, soft drinks and the famous Jimmy’s Sunrise Steamed Hot Dogs for sale this Monday night.
Cape Ann Youth Hockey is thrilled to once again be hosting the Bruins Academy Learn to Play hockey program this year for children ages 4-8. Sessions will run Saturdays in October at Talbot Rink, Gloucester. Your $100 registration fee includes four sessions and a full set of equipment valued at $500. You really can’t beat this opportunity. This year’s dates are:
| Oct. 6, 13, 20, 26 | 4:00PM |
Registration is required through the Boston Bruins website at https://learntoplay.nhl.com/bruins
Registration is limited to 60 participants and will fill up quickly. Local folks should take advantage of the pre-sale code!
Promo Code Pre-Sale will go live: July 16 at 10:00 AM. This will allow you to register before the general public. Our unique code is CAPE7
Registration will go live for the general public: July 19 at 10:00 AM.
ENTER THE PROMO CODE IN TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE WEBSITE, CLICK ENTER, AND THEN FOLLOW PROMPTS (as seen in this photo below).
The Boston Bruins are excited to continue and grow the Bruins Academy Learn to Play Hockey Program presented by Pure Hockey (previously called “Little Bruins”) to help aspiring, youth hockey players develop their skills. For the first time this season, the program is expanding to over 80 locations across New England and over 5,000 youth players will have the opportunity participate. The program is available to boys and girls ages 4-9. For a registration fee of $100, the program includes a full free set of CCM equipment to keep valued at $500 retail, which includes skates, a professional personalized fitting, and four weeks of on-ice instruction led by certified coaches. The Boston Bruins are thrilled to share their passion for hockey with the next generation of hockey players.* This year, $2,500,000(retail value) worth of equipment will be donated through this program. *
Equipment fittings will take place at the six stops of the 2018 Bruins Fan Fest Tour in August and at designated Pure Hockey locations in September. Following the fitting, the gear will be shipped and delivered to participants between August 23 and September 14.
For whatever the reason, it seems that so far this summer I never time it properly. The Bridget is always up when I drive down the boulevard. I can’t say that I mind. Plenty of people watching, nice view, and great weather make it more than tolerable.
