Good Morning Gloucester

Pick #1: Rockport HarvestFest

Saturday:  10:00 am – 5:00 pm

READ MORE HERE

The annual Rockport Harvestfest celebration features the best regional bounty of the season — all in an unbeatable setting.

New England food producers gather on one of Rockport’s historic working wharves to celebrate the best of local food with fresh lobster, chowder, pastries, grass-fed beef, wood-fired pizza, small-batch jams, locally-grown produce and more. Craft beers  produced in Massachusetts are on hand, along with Rockport’s own Twin Lights, with soda crafted from the 120-year-old company’s original recipes. Cooking demonstrations take place throughout the day demonstrating the riches of harvest in New England.

Harvestfest features plenty of live bluegrass, jazz, folk, indie rock, cooking demos, a farm expo, and plenty of activities for families.

Pick #2:  Head of the Charles Regatta

Charles River, Boston:    Saturday and Sunday:  Schedules HERE 

This is such a fun way to spend a beautiful fall day!  Walk up and down the Charles and watch the races, enjoy the foliage along the river banks, grab a few pumpkin ales and some lunch….

Since its origin in 1965, the Head Of The Charles® Regatta has welcomed the world’s best crew teams to the banks of the Charles River for the ultimate two-day rowing competition.

READ MORE HERE

Pick #3:  Boo at the Zoo

Both Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo are hosting Boo at the Zoo.

READ MORE HERE

Children throughout New England are invited to trick-or-treat among the animals at Stone Zoo. Thrills, chills, and animals lurk around every corner on the trick-or-treat trail, while other haunted happenings include creepy crafts, ghoulish games, costume contests, and a haunted maze! Throughout the day, guests can learn about the importance of enrichment as they watch many of the animals receive pumpkins.

Brick Safari – This year only!

Go on a safari unlike any other! As you explore the paths of Stone Zoo, prepare to spot over 40 life-size animal sculptures made from millions of colorful LEGO® bricks! Learn more.

BUY TICKETS

• General admission rates apply to Halloween events (Purchase online and save 15%).
• Zoo admission is free to all members.
• Halloween events take place rain or shine.

Haunted Happenings

• 11:30 a.m. – Bat keeper chat
• 12:00 & 1:30 p.m. – Creepy crawler encounter (Location: Animal Discovery Center)
• 12:00 & 2:00 p.m. – Costume contest
• 1:00 p.m. – Howling contest
• 2:00 p.m. – Black bear keeper chat
• 3:00 p.m. – Cougar keeper chat
• Visit the B.A.C.A. candy table. Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. is an organization of bikers dedicated to empowering and supporting children who have experienced abuse.
• Come make planning for the future fun with the U.Fund Dreams Tour. A full interactive experience allows children to imagine themselves in different occupations while parents learn all of the information they need about saving for college. Fidelity representatives will be on hand to answer questions and provide resources about the U.Fund, the flexible and tax-advantaged Massachusetts 529 college savings plan.*

Sustainable Sweets

This Halloween (and every day) look for candy made with certified sustainable palm oil. Palm oil plantations are wiping out orangutan habitat, and from snacks to soap, palm oil is the most widely consumed vegetable oil on the planet. Check out Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s palm-oil friendly candy guide for some sustainably sweet treats for your tricksters! Learn more about the palm oil crisis and how to shop responsibly.

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

I took a quick trip around the island this afternoon. Here is some of what I stopped to photograph.