Author: Nichole S.

All pretty and lined up in a row.  Sure doesn’t feel like the first day of spring. These boats look ready to go.

Happy ducks and pigeons hanging in Pigeon Cove Harbor together.

Pick #1: Power of Play Festival

Sunday, March 18th

Please join the Gloucester Education Foundation at the Power of Play Festival at Gloucester High School

The Gloucester Education Foundation is proud to host the Power of Play Festival, a day of play for Gloucester families and kids of all ages. Play is an important learning tool that promotes creative and innovative thinking. Play also helps kids develop skills that are a foundation for life-long success, including critical thinking, communication, problem solving, and collaboration.  The Power of Play Festival will feature fun family activities like: an obstacle course, art projects, lego building, games, music, dance, fort-building, goop-making, sand and water play and LOTS more.

Hosted by Gloucester Education Foundation and Sponsored by Cape Ann Savings Bank and Cape Ann Savings Trust & Financial Services Department

Pick #2:  Boston Flower and Garden Show

March 14th to 18th:  Seaport World Trade Center, Boston

READ MUCH MORE AND PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

The Boston Flower & Garden Show is about inspiring, educating and motivating the region’s gardeners. Whether for curb appeal, backyard, kitchen, indoor, rooftop or community gardens, this is where New England’s green lovers go to discover new ideas while having fun with family and friends.

This March, as winter wanes, the Boston Flower & Garden Show’s designers, exhibitors and marketplace vendors will whet your appetite for the sumptuous joys of the season ahead. Colorful life-sized gardens, intricate floral arrangements, informative lectures and demonstrations and exciting special events will incorporate elements of the popular food gardening trend. Learn about organics, small-space gardens, homesteading hobbies, edibles as ornamentals and family-friendly spaces for outdoor dining and entertaining. Enjoy the first taste of Spring while gathering the recipes and ingredients you’ll need for this year’s successful garden.

Pick #3:  South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Sunday, March 18th.  Parade start, 1:00

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

As always, for a comprehensive list of family friendly activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid

Look at this gorgeous photo sent to me by Paul Horovitz.  Lobster Cove looks so serene and quiet right after last week’s Nor’Easter.

Salem Five is running a pretty fun promotion.  There are only a few days left to enter the Dustin & Disney Sweepstakes.  “Seven days of sunshine to uncomplicate your winter!”  Yes, please.

I, for one, would love to chill with Dustin and spend some time at both Sox Spring Training and Disney….all expenses paid, thanks to Salem Five.

One lucky family will be swept off to Spring Training in Fort Myers to see Dustin and the team take on the defending World Champion Houston Astros at Jet Blue Park and, get this – you’ll hang out with Dustin Pedroia before the game!  From there you’ll take a beach day on the Gulf of Mexico in Fort Myers before heading to Walt Disney World for two full days, with park passes to hop around all four of the planets most amazing theme parks.  All in all, like we said – seven days of sunshine to uncomplicate your winter.

To enter, all you have to do is head into a Salem Five Bank branch and ask about Dustin and Disney.

How to Enter: Visit any Salem Five branch to enter

Entry Period: February 12 – March 12, 2018

Sweepstakes Drawing: March 13, 2018

READ MUCH MORE HERE

I had to do some business at the City Hall Annex this week.  How could anyone walk by this without snapping a photo of it?  Pretty.

I was fortunate to be able to attend the Next Generation Cape Ann’s Young Professionals Event at Pier 23 last night.  Much thanks to the Markos family for opening Pier 23’s doors (on Nick’s birthday nonetheless) to this crowd of young and passionate Cape Ann enthusiasts.  It was a wonderful opportunity to network and meet likeminded young professionals who were eager to share their ideas, careers, passions, and goals for Cape Ann. I was happy to be there as both a contributor to Good Morning Gloucester and the Direction of Communication for Harborlight Montessori.  I enjoyed a night out with friends and definitely met some contacts whom I look forward to contacting in the near future.

I look forward to Next Generation Cape Ann’s next gathering and will surely keep you all in the loop.

I love the things you encounter on drives around the Cape.  I hope to see her out on the water soon as well.

Pick #1:  Sugaring Off Tours at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Saturdays & Sundays, March 3–18

On our naturalist-guided tours, learn how to identify a sugar maple, observe tapping and sap collection methods, watch the sap being boiled down in the sugarhouse, and get a sweet taste of the final product.

Afterwards, warm up by the woodstove in the Barn, where hot dogs cooked in maple sap (aka sap dogs) and delicious soups and desserts made by our volunteers are available for purchase. Visit our gift shop to browse a selection of maple products, and be sure to bring home a bottle of our own freshly made maple syrup.

$10/$8 Members • $11/$9 Nonmembers

Tours last about an hour and run in all weather. Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER ONLINE

READ MORE HERE 

Pick #2: Awesome Cultural Festival at Harborlight

Free Event on Saturday, March 3rd 9:00-12:30

We welcome you to Harborlight to experience our second annual Cultural Festival.  Journey through our halls on a trip through Spain, Peru, Hungary, England, Mexico, China, Nigeria, Japan, Ireland, Morocco, Portugal, and America. Also make a stop along the way to learn Sign Language. Begin in our library where guests will enjoy music and stories from around the world.  Grab your passport and begin your adventure! Have your passport stamped while enjoying art, crafts, recipes,and activities from a variety of cultures.

The morning will end with live entertainment.  A group of youth performers from the Chinese Folk Art Workshop will perform a traditional dragon dance, a Diablo yo-yo performance, and leave time for hands-on demonstrations.   Some of Harborlight’s own faculty and parents will perform the Flamenco, and Harborlight students will sing international songs.

READ MORE HERE

Pick #3: Treasure Island at the Larcom Theater

LARCOM THEATER

Performances:

• Saturday, March 3rd | 11:00 AM

• Saturday, March 3rd | 2:00 PM

• Sunday, March 4th | 11:00 AM

• Sunday, March 4th | 2:00 PM

Tickets:   $15 | $17 | $21

The company that brought you The Little Mermaid last year is back by popular demand with Treasure Island.

Experience the thrilling tale of adventure on the high seas in this fun-filled yarn of piracy and buried treasure. Jim Hawkins, the cabin boy on the sailing ship “Hispaniola,” is drawn into this action-packed story full of unsavory characters, including the infamous Long John Silver, who leads a scramble for buried treasure on an exotic isle. The greedy mutineers fight each other for treasure as friendships come unraveled, and new alliances are formed. Good ultimately triumphs, but not without lots of twists and turns! Enjoy this amazing family musical that springs to life with all the great action and talent that The Panto Company USA is known for!

The performance duration is approximately 60 minutes with one intermission. The story is written for children 4 to 13 years old, but it is a true family show that everyone will enjoy!

As always for a comprehensive list of family activities please visit our friends at North Shore Kid

If you have young kids who enjoy learning about cultures from around the world, this is a fantastic free event!

Saturday, March 3rd 9:00-12:30 at Harborlight Montessori in Beverly.

We welcome you to Harborlight to experience our second annual Cultural Festival. Journey through our halls on a trip through Spain, Peru, Hungary, England, Mexico, China, Nigeria, Japan, Ireland, Morocco, Portugal, and America. Also make a stop along the way to learn Sign Language. Begin in our library where guests will enjoy music and stories from around the world. Grab your passport and begin your adventure! Have your passport stamped while enjoying art, crafts, recipes, and activities from a variety of cultures. The morning will end with live entertainment. A group of youth performers from the Chinese Folk Art Workshop will perform a traditional dragon dance, a Diablo yo-yo performance, and leave time for hands-on demonstrations. Some of Harborlight’s own faculty and parents, Harborlight Sevillanas, will perform the Flamenco, and Harborlight students will sing international songs.

Pick #1:  Sugar Shack Saturdays at Appleton Farms

Morning Session: 10:00-11:30

Afternoon Session: 1:30-3:00

Spring is coming and the sap is running! Experience the time-honored tradition of maple sugaring with Sugar Shack Saturdays at Appleton Farms. Spend the morning with us and see how we turn sap into sweet syrup. Start by getting creative with some maple themed crafts in the Appleton Old House then get outside and explore our very own sugar shack! Learn how we tap our trees every spring, see the evaporator in action, and taste the freshly made syrup.  We will end back inside with a farm snack, including Appleton Farms cheese, apple slices, and homemade maple ice cream while we read a story about maple sugaring!

Recommended for ages 8 and under but everyone is welcome! Space is limited. Registration is by the family- if you have 5 or more in your family, please register 2 families.  Crafts and snacks included and we want to have enough for all.

Register now:

Morning session >>

Afternoon session >>

Read More HERE

Pick #2: Winter Wander on Peddocks Island

BUNDLE UP AND WANDER

February 24, 2018 – 11:30AM to 2:45 PM

Adults:  $20

Children: Over 3 years old: $15

Seniors: $15

READ MORE ABOUT THE TRIP HERE

READ MORE ABOUT PEDDOCKS ISLAND HERE

Experience an unforgettable winter day as you wander the trails in search of winter tracks and traces. Look, listen and learn as you discover hidden treasures of the island. Play in the snow (if the weather cooperates), join us for cocoa and gorp in our “winter lodge” or by the fire for s’mores on the beach. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own snowshoes, lunches, binoculars and cameras to enhance their day.

Pick #3: Lego Maritime Festival at the USS Constitution

Let your imagination set sail this February School Vacation Week!

Inspired by the different ship designs on display in Masters of Miniature, head to the USS Constitution Museums to build your own ship with LEGO® and DUPLO® Bricks! In the hands of a creative kid – or kid at heart – a pile of colorful bricks can become an aircraft carrier – or USS Constitution! The nautical fun continues with a “Float Your Boat” LEGO Challenge, “Picture Yourself” LEGO Selfie Masks, a scavenger hunt through our Masters of Miniature exhibit, and much more!

Is your family no longer playing with your LEGO® and DUPLO® Bricks? Donate them to the Museum!

READ MORE HERE

As always, for a comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid

This was an unexpected sight on the highway the other day.  Pretty cool and some fine craftsmanship for sure.