Schooner Festival 2021 Begins with Schooner Challenge

It was a beautiful night on the harbor for the Schooner Challenge 2021. This friendly competition is an obstacle course to challenge the crews (including guests) in their skills. Here we see the Lewis H. Story, Redbird, Thomas E. Lannon, Ardelle and Tyrone. Gorgeous in the harbor with a calm sea and setting sun.

GRAND FINALE OF SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSIC ON MEETINGHOUSE GREEN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 3, 2021

GRAND FINALE OF SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL MUSIC ON MEETINGHOUSE GREEN

The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents the Cape Ann Big Band in the last free Friday evening concert on Meetinghouse Green at the corner of Middle and Church Street, September 10th at 6:00 p.m.

The nine-event summer series free-will donations go to each evening’s featured local non-profit partner. Donations from the September 10th concert go to the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation for the ongoing preservation of the 1806 Meetinghouse. Delicious seafood will be offered by the Causeway restaurant.

The Cape Ann Big Band features performances that are built on a repertoire without borders. Their high-energy concerts have audiences on their feet dancing to Jazz, Swing, New Orleans Street Bands, Soul, and Rock n’ Roll. Concertgoers will appreciate familiar standards from the “Golden Age” of Swing, Pop, and popular show tunes. Add in a vocalist drawn from their diverse group of talented musicians, and you can count on a memorable evening with something for everyone.

The 2021 summer music series is dedicated in memory of Harry Hintlian for his encouragement, generosity, and for making the Meetinghouse a net zero building. For more information, a full schedule of upcoming concerts, and to sign up for the GMF newsletter, visit www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org.

CONCERT DESCRIPTION

The Cape Ann Big Band is a local favorite and prides itself on its deep connections to the Cape Ann community. The band traces its origins to 2010 when local musician and director Carlos Menezes, Jr. teamed up with talented colleagues to talk about forming a band and within a week signed on the full 17-piece ensemble.

Music on Meetinghouse Green, now in its sixth season, features nine free Friday evening concerts with great music, favorite foods from local vendors, and benefits a different North Shore non-profit organization each week through free-will donations from the audience. Concert goers bring lawn chairs and blankets to spread out across the spacious green. Performances are handicapped accessible, parking on the Green is limited to persons with disabilities only.

ABOUT THE GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE FOUNDATION
Founded in 2015, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is dedicated to preserving the landmark building as a civic hub, entertainment venue, and community center. In addition to its work to preserve the historic 1806 Meetinghouse, GMF is currently raising funds to restore Meetinghouse Green to provide a safe and more flexible outdoor concert and event venue.

OUR SPONSORS
Thanks to our Sponsors all the series’ expenses, such as for the musicians, are pre-paid. 100% of the free-will donations go to our non-profit community partners.

Platinum              John & Janis Bell, J.J. & Jackie Bell, Cape Ann Savings Bank, J. Linzee Coolidge,
Scobie Ward

Gold                      BOMCO, Michael & Mary Ann Bresnan, Landesign, Inc.

Silver                     Anonymous, Tom Burger & Andrée Robert, JoeAnn Hart & Gordon Baird, Pat Johnson & Jeff Henderson, Susan McKain & Ken Steiner, Charles Nazarian, John & Sandra Ronan

Bronze                  Jerry Ackerman, Karen Bell, Pamela Bynum & Henry Ferrara, Peter Calkins & Susan Casey, Frederick Cowan, Richard Gardner, Rev. Janet Parsons, Dick Prouty, Joe & Maggie Rosa, Peter & Kathleen Van Demark, Kathleen Williams, Sarah Willwerth-Dyer & Michael Dyer

 

 

Gloucester Schooner Festival Schedule (I’ll leave this at the top of the blog through the weekend for your reference)

Thursday, Sept 2

  • SCHOONER CHALLENGE – 6:00 to 7:30pm – Gloucester Harbor

Join our local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an “obstacle” course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners. Check various schooner websites for ticketing details.Festival Schedule

Friday, Sept 3

  • All Day – The SCHOONERS ARRIVE – Gloucester Harbor with shoreside viewing

Historic Gloucester Harbor sets the scene for the arrival of over 2 dozen schooners throughout the day and. Spend the day viewing these wonderful vessels filling our harbor. Details of schooner arrival times will be provided as possible via social media.

  • 6:00 to 10:00pm – Gloucester Block Party – Main Street, Gloucester

Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and local businesses roll out the red carpet on Main Street for Gloucester Schooner Festival with a street party!  Shopping, food, entertainment, and fun are on the agenda all evening.More Info

Saturday, Sept 4

  • Maritime Heritage Day – 10:00am to 4:00pm – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

The heart of land-based activities is Maritime Heritage Day! Maritime Gloucester opens its campus for a day of maritime heritage, live demonstrations, schooner sails, family fun, and food. Plan your day at Maritime Gloucester to be part of this historic year. See the full Maritime Heritage Day schedule  View MHD Schedule

  • International Dory Committee Exhibition – 9:00 to 11:00am – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop – 

*NEW THIS YEAR!*

We are excited to have the International Dory Race Committee be part of our 37th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival in 2021. As we celebrate the 101st anniversary of the International Fisherman’s Race, we honor the heritage of the International Dory Races that coincided with the IFR since 1923.  At 9:00am, the committee will run an exhibition race from Maritime Gloucester Pier toward the historic Tarr & Wonson Paint Factory and back.  At 10:00am, visiting schooner crews will join for a second round of exhibition races. Solomon Jacobs Park will be a great viewing location.

  • Schooner Viewing and Deck Tours! – 10:00am to 4:00pm –

               THREE Locations: 

  • Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop
  • Schooner Floats – I4C2 parking lot, 65 Rogers St
  • *NEW THIS YEAR!* Ocean Alliance – 32 Horton Street, Rocky Neck

Thanks to generous support from our sponsors, we are again able to provide a visitor-based dockside experience that puts the public on schooners for deck tours.  Public viewing will take place at Maritime Gloucester’s pier and at I4C2. This is a free option for the public, but donations for Gloucester Schooner Festival are appreciated to support this experience. 

  • Gertrude L. Thebaud Pennant Viewing – 10:00am to 4:00pm – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

*NEW THIS YEAR ONLY!*

For the first time in over 50 years, the Gertrude L. Thebaud Pennant will be displayed live at Maritime Gloucester’s Gorton’s Seafoods Gallery. This 25ft by 11ft pennant was proudly flown on the Gertrude L. Thebaud and is a site to behold in pure scale.  After a small amount of work, we are once more able to hang this priceless piece of history for a limited time for public viewing. 

  • Schooner Tour by Water – times TBD (check back!) – Gloucester Harbor Tours, Solomon Jacobs Park 

Gloucester Harbor Tours teams up with Gloucester Schooner Festival to provide a narrated tour of the Schooners at the dock and on their moorings.  This water-based tour will give ticketed customers a chance to hear about local maritime history and view these vessels from a unique perspective.  This is a fun way for groups to experience the Gloucester Schooner Festival.

  • 6:30 to 10:30pm – Concert on Stacy Boulevard

Live music and light effects light up the night overlooking the harbor on Stacy Boulevard.

More Info

  • 7:00 to 9:30pm –  Boat Parade of Lights – Annisquam River and Inner Harbor

Open to all who wish to decorate their boat and enter, this is a fantastic visual display starting in the Annisquam River and ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harborMore Info

  • 9:15 – FIREWORKS!

The night sky lights up with the annual fireworks display over Stage Fort Park.  Get on a schooner charter, watch from your boat, or enjoy from nearly anywhere in the city, this spectacle is a great way to enjoy Schooner Festival.More Info

Sunday, Sept 5

  • Parade of Sail – 10:00am to 12:00pm – Gloucester Harbor, Stacey Boulevard and Eastern Point viewing

The entire fleet of schooners joins together for a Parade of Sail not to be missed!  Whether you get aboard a schooner or watch from the shore, this is a memorable experience for all. Prime viewing areas are Stacy Boulevard, Stage Fort Park, and Eastern Point.  On the Boulevard, our Festival Chair Daisy Nell Collinson, Michael Costello, and Maritime Gloucester Historian Justin Demetri will provide live commentary. Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fisherman’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. 

  • 11:00 am to 1:30pm – Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light

Catch the CATA shuttle from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Ave) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of charge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation AuthorityMore Info

  • Mayor’s Cup Race – 1:00pm to 4:00pm – Massachusetts Bay off Gloucester

The Premier Event – The Mayor’s Races!  This year’s schooners match up in small, medium, and large categories for a reach-reach competition viewing for the Esperanto Cup, The Ned Cameron Trophy, and The Betty Ramsey Award. 

Monday, Sept 6 – Labor Day

Rain Date for Heritage Day or Race. Maritime Gloucester open from 10 to 4pm

View From Maritime Gloucester

The skies seemed especially welcoming for the schooners, their crews and captains as Maritime Gloucester prepares for the Schooner Festival! As we prepared to livestream from Maritime Gloucester, I took a minute to take some shots of the view from the upstairs room. Details on the schedule available here.

Connor and his West Parish 5th grade class are selling calendar chances for the month of October!

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Kate writes:

Ok…who could say no to this face! Connor and his West Parish 5th grade class are selling calendar chances for the month of October! $10 gets you 31 chances to win! Please let me know if you would like to purchase one (or more)! All proceeds go towards 5th grade yearbooks, the 5th grade play, Nature’s Classroom (hopefully), the 5th grade picnic and other 5th grade events!! Cash or Venmo. I will post my venmo in the comments. Thank you!!

Kate’s Venmo-

Katelyn-Foley-3

Savour Wine & Cheese for Labor Day Weekend

ENJOY SAVOUR’S DIGITAL WINE MACHINE FOR COMPLIMENTARY TASTINGS: EVERYDAY* FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE  

WHAT:  If you miss a Saturday Wine Tasting** or none is scheduled…Join us to
experience  a “tech” tasting unique on the North Shore.  Sample our Digital Wine Machine for your personal tastings during each visit.  The wine machine offers 20 wines for tastings,
Tuesday thru Saturday. Using this “digital wiz” couldn’t be easier …and it’s complimentary.  

WHY: For your convenience and enjoyment.              
>new wine selections are regularly rotated-in ensuring the tasting experience remains at peak enjoyment, and sample wines new to you.
>sip with imported Riedel glassware
>Ask Kathleen for food pairing recommendations  
>each wine is stocked below the wine machine

WHO: You & the digital wine machine  

WHEN*:
 Whenever you visit – Tuesday to Saturday – during business hours, 11am to 6pm

HOW: Insert a plastic card into the slot – upper left side of each of the 4 units. Place glass
below a spout, and press the tab above the selected bottle …it’s a breeze.  

A Sampling of Wines to Experience

Ixsir “Altitudes” Rouge – Batroun, Lebanon.  indigenous Lebanese varietal, Caladoc, with Cabernet, Syrah, and Tempranillo, this full but soft red is ripe with black currant and raspberry fruit, topped with a bit of clove spice.  Pairs well: with grilled lamb, duck, or skirt steak.
Ixsir “Altitudes” Blanc – Batroun Lebanon.  indigenous varietal, Obeidy, with Muscat and Viognier, this full, aromatic white has notes of white peach, Jasmine, and nutmeg with a core of flint that makes it powerful and refreshing.  Pairs well: with baked Haddock, fish or clam chowder, and pasta Florentine.L’avenir, Stellenbosch, SA, single vineyard estate. 100% Chenin Blanc, 13.5 alc. Pairs well everything seafood.  
Minuty “M” Rosé – Côtes de Provence, France. produced from organically grown, hand-harvested Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah grapes.  It is clean, light and crisp, with abundant raspberry and strawberry fruit for refreshing summer drinking.  Pairs well: with lobster, crab, or seafood salad or a cool Gazpacho!Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva – Rioja, Spain.  100% Tempranillo grown organically, the grapes are crushed and fermented with full malolactic treatment, followed by two years of aging in America oak barrels, making for a luscious, powerful, serious wine.  Known for its versatility with food.  Pairs well: with everything from roast lamb to paella – the perfect red for any summer feast!

Welcome your donation any amount (suggest $5) for Pathways for Children. Thank You!

Please Note: If you are not fully vaccinated, please wear a mask when not tasting wines.  Welcome mask wearing for our mutual health and well-being

Savour Wine & Cheese  l  76 Prospect St.  l  Gloucester l  978. 282 .1455    
                                                    

savourwineandcheese.com  

Upcoming SAVOUR** Saturday Wine Tastings

Saturday, September 11, 2 – 4 pm
Kurt Gunkel
from Masciarelli Wines

Saturday, September 18, 2 – 4 pm
Casey Gruttadauria
from Ideal Wines

Saturday, September 25, 2 – 4 pm
Michael Bonilla
from Horizon Beverage Company

Castaways Vintage Cafe Is The Oasis You Deserve From A Cruel Cruel World (Bonus Castaways Song)

My daughters love Castaways Vintage Cafe.

They were singing this song on the way last Saturday morning. I didn’t remember the song until they reminded me it was from one of our favorite children’s programs that we’d watch together when they were little. Now I can’t get it out of my head.

Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Welcome Reception Thursday, September 2 | 5 – 7 PM

We cordially invite our current and prospective members to attend a welcome reception, announcing the official merger of the Cape Ann and Ipswich Chambers of Commerce. This is an exciting and important step forward for the four communities of Cape Ann and Ipswich. We look forward to meeting our new Ipswich members and introducing them to our Cape Ann members, as we formally introduce ourselves as the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce.

Magnolia Community Farmers Market

On Sunday, October 3, 2021 the weather looks good.  This market gets better and better.  Hope to see you all there on Sunday.  The market runs from 10- 1.

Thank you for shopping local.

Magnolia Community Farmers Market will be closed on Sunday, September 5, 2021

Happy Labor Day all, Due to Labor Day weekend the Magnolia Community Farmers Market will not be going on. We will continue on September 12, 2021. Stay tuned of some news for the September 12th Farmers Market. Thank you all for your support.