Good Morning Gloucester

Pick #1: 5th Annual Harvest Music Festival 

Pick #2: Farm Day Festival

Sunday, September 15th 10:00-3:00

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Come celebrate and support Appleton Farms at our annual Farm Day Fall Festival! Bring your friends, family, neighbors and everyone you know for some good old fashion fun on the farm. This event is perfect for all ages. Your ticket and attendance support Appleton Farms continued effort to provide quality food, programs and space for our community.

This year we are excited to be growing and expanding our longest running event! We will have your usual favorites that include visiting with our farm animals, painting your own pumpkin, challenging your friends in a potato sack race or hay obstacle course, taking a ride on the ponies, enjoying a wagon ride across the farm, climbing aboard our tractors, listening to some live music, and so much more. New additions will include an Appleton Farms cafe with farm goodies, local craft vendors with quality homemade goods, info and educational booths from local organizations and experts, and a pumpkin launcher!

All of this activity will surely have you hungry and thirsty. Luckily you will be able to visit our food court where you will find local food trucks, snack vendors and some delicious desert. A vendor list will be posted on our Facebook page. However, you can expect some BBQ, baked goods, ice cream, shaved ice, and more. Old Planters will also be stopping by to serve some beer beginning at noon. Yum!!

Admission includes everything except food, beverages and the pumpkin launcher. This event runs rain or shine. Admission fee is by the car load, so we encourage you to car pool. We will be offering a single adult ticket for those who will be traveling alone. Become a Trustees member at this event and recevie the ticket difference back along with a free gift!

Pick #3: Open Newbury Street, Boston

While shopping on Newbury Street is a bit out of my league, I love that they now close off the street to all automobile traffic three times each summer so that people can stroll, shop, eat, drink, and listen to music on Newbury Street.

This Sunday, September 15th, from 10:00-6:00 marks the final Open Newbury of this season.

Building on the success of the last two years of Open Newbury Street events, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that “Open Newbury Street” will continue this year over a series of three Sundays this summer. From 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on July 8th, August 12th, and September 9th, Newbury Street will become a pedestrian-only walkway, closing to vehicles to allow pedestrians the opportunity use the full width of the street. Newbury Street will be pedestrian-only from Arlington Street to Massachusetts Avenue.

“Over the past two years, we’ve had overwhelming success in creating a pedestrian-friendly experience for Newbury Street visitors and businesses and I am excited that we’ll be continuing this series again this summer,” said Mayor Walsh. “From being able to shop for products both in the store and out, to enjoying lunch next to a street performer, we are happy that residents and visitors will get to experience this opportunity, and are grateful to the business owners and residents who have worked with us to expand this next edition of the Open Newbury Street series.”

“We’re so happy that Open Newbury Street is returning this summer,” said Brianne Dyke, Manager of Crush Boutique. “These pedestrian friendly shopping days draw a wonderful crowd, and create a strong sense of community. It means so much to us that as Boston continues to grow, the Mayor’s Office continues to be supportive of small businesses like ours. We’ve truly enjoyed collaborating with our neighbors to create special events for the Open Newbury Sundays, and we look forward to another wonderful summer on our vibrant street.”

Parking will once again be restricted beginning at 8:00 a.m., and signs will be posted informing drivers of the change. All businesses will be encouraged to promote the event on social media using #OpenNewbury and make customers aware of car-free day ahead of time. The public is encouraged to utilize the several different MBTA routes that service the area in addition to bicycling and walking.

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

As solemn an occasion as it was, I was pleased to be in attendance at yesterday’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at the Gloucester Fire Department Headquarters.   Gloucester’s Police, Fire Dept., Coast Guard, Harbormaster, Veteran’s Services, City Officials, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and the Gloucester Division of the Navy Sea Cadets (including my son, Thatcher) gathered for a short ceremony led by Fire Chief Smith. The ceremony included remarks from the Chief, a prayer by Chaplain Peter Aberle of the Orthodox Congregational Church in Lanesville, a symbolic “5-5-5-5” alarm on the ceremonial fire bell, and a powerful moment of silence.

All in attendance were invited to City Hall for a reception afterwards, thanks to the Mayor’s office and the Gloucester Fire Department’s Women’s Auxiliary as well as donations from Jim’s Bagels & Bake Shoppe, The Caffe Sicilia, and Virgilio’s.

A special display was open for viewing by those in attendance thanks to Gloucester residents Dan Leahy, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War who was working for the Port Authority at the World Trade Center at the time of both the 1993 and 2001 terror attacks, and Brenda Leahy.

If you were not able to attend yesterday’s ceremony, maybe make a point of attending next year. It is an important tradition for the City to continue to honor those whose lives were lost due to the attacks on September 11, 2001 and also to show our great appreciation and respect to current first responders.