Tag: Gloucester Ma

Santa visiting Reynard St., MAD MERRY highlights tour, and 35,000+ views to Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map 🚗☕🎄✨⛄ #GloucesterMA!

Posted on by Catherine

photo caption: Santa visiting sign at white lights home on Reynard St. Dec 17-23. 5:30-7pm (no pix with Santa)

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives Map 2020 edition features 250+ decorated residential homes with Christmas light displays in Gloucester. Massachusetts. The map was viewed more than 30,000 times within 7 days of going live this year.

MAP

Gloucester is tough to match for winter lights charm and show stopping homes. From Beach Court to Stage Fort; West Gloucester to East; Magnolia to Annisquam; and Portuguese Hill to Plum Cove- Gloucester is illuminated. Many neighborhoods join in together glittering, and have for years. With each passing new day more join in.

Concentrated streets include:

  • Essex Avenue is beautiful and long– and it’s good driving from both directions. I split it up into Essex Ave stretch between Causeway Restaurant and Richdale and
  • Essex Avenue stretch (between Richdale and Rt.128 and then to Farnham’s)
  • Elizabeth Road neighborhood block
  • Reynard Street neighborhood block and Spruce Street expansive, elaborate displays
  • Hartz street charming sweet little block
  • Finch Lane delightful little block
  • Annisquam for an old timey route, mostly white & gold lights with multi colored trees at turns on the road.

Mad Merry Highlights Tour

as in deck the halls, doors, windows, roofs and yards with boughs of holly-holidays! These 20 or so Gloucester homes are LIT! Bedecked, top twinkling in 2020 (alphabetized by road):

  • 6 Abbott Road
  • Centennial Road – Hope 2x
  • 12 Concord St (next to West Parish-near Essex Ave.)
  • 4 Elizabeth Road (entire block, multiple homes)
  • 326 Essex Ave (all of Essex Ave is great/multiple homes)
  • 2 *Goose Cove Lane (end of block) & Holly Street
  • Grove (and Maplewood)
  • 6 Harbor Road at Bass Ave
  • Hesperus Ave (all trees- next to Hammond Castle)
  • 29 High Popples
  • 9 Lowe Drive
  • 22 Magnolia Ave and 124 Magnolia Ave
  • Luzitania Ave (off Friend St.)
  • 79 *Perkins Street
  • Reynard St. whole block (#22 white lights; #42 blue house)
  • 8 Spruce Road
  • 15R Stanwood Ave
  • 160 Washington Street
6 Abbott Rd
Centennial – HOPE
Centennial & Emerson -look up to – HOPE
12 Concord (off Essex Ave.)
Elizabeth St block – Frosty projected on the belly
Elizabeth St block (neighbors merge their light displays)
326 Essex Avenue (from Kent Circle past Pauline’s, both sides)
Essex Ave
Essex Ave
2 Goose Cove Lane (at Willow Rest)
Grove off Maplewood
6 Harbor Rd
Hesperus Ave (all trees- next to Hammond Castle))
29 High Popples
9 Lowe Dr
Luzitania (off Friend St.)
124 Magnolia Ave
22 Magnolia Ave
79 Perkins St is a wrap around
22 Reynard
42 Reynard
Reynard
8 Spruce
15R Stanwood Ave (off Essex Ave)
Washington St.

*animation Santas

Printable PDF – Holiday Lights and Cocoa-drives 2020 Gloucester, Massachusetts by c.ryan (latest version- as of Dec.21)Download

Along with the map, winter lights house photographs were featured by neighborhood on GMG as follows:

This year’s trends include peace signs, illuminated words, melting multis, and a particular blue-green light (outlining windows in photo below).

Clear, mild nights make it easier to park, walk and linger. Snow and rain make for lovely routes, too.

photos below: Lanesville added, and homes missing from prior neighborhood batches

and pretty by day

Also **NEW** for 2020 — Gloucester with Manchester, Essex and Rockport (the Four Communities of Cape Ann) have collaborated to share beautiful Winter Lights on Cape Ann – 150+ businesses and organizations are merry and bright into January

Yes, Joan, there is a dinosaur

Posted on by Catherine

Understandably there is no Middle Street Walk 2020, so Middle Street looks different this season. There is an endearing Dinosaur visiting. Ho Ho Ho ha ha ha!

Joan of Arc WWI memorial statue by Anna Hyatt Huntington in back

fun fact- building behind dino corner of Middle & Wash. Streets was one place artist Edward Hopper roomed in for Gloucester visits

**The Sun newspaper editorial board response to “Is there a Santa Claus’ query from an 8 year old was published September 21, 1897 on page 6 (Library of Congress). Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Also twinkling nearby (Middle, Pine, School & Proctor, Chestnut)

More lights? Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map- tour from your car or keyboard.

p.s. Perkins St. extravaganza completed

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Map additions- Perkins and Ledgemont

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 5 – Magnolia, Centennial, Maplewood, Madison Ave., Wash., and more!

Posted on by Catherine
Awesome – Hope & Joy house vibe is visible on descent Centennial Drive to Blvd

This is the sixth and final in a series featuring Christmas lights on 200+ decorated homes throughout neighborhoods in Gloucester Massachusetts for the 2020 season. Festive displays range from draped garland lights & wrapped trees to elaborate tableaus. Gloucester is beautiful! Streets that are covered in this post:

  • Magnolia area of Gloucester including Magnolia Ave., Hesperus Ave., Western Ave., Linden Ave., Lowe Drive
  • downtown Gloucester blocks including: Centennial Drive, Maplewood Ave., Prospect St., Riverside Ave. block, Washington St., Gloucester Avenue, Mystic Avenue, Madison Avenue (w/ Madison Sq. and Ct., and Springfield St.)
  • neighborhood additions: nearby Elizabeth Road; Abbott Road; East Gloucester- Mt. Pleasant area and East Main; and West Gloucester – Essex Ave.

MAGNOLIA AREA

Downtown

CENTENNIAL DRIVE ADDITIONS

Centennial Drive – Approach to Hope & Joy house

Abbott Road | East Gloucester additions

West Gloucester additions

Follow links to see scenes from other Gloucester neighborhoods (or follow through to the end of the post and look for/select page 1,2)

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives Gloucester Massachusetts map 2020. Photos have been added to the Google maps: tour by car or keyboard!

FAQ – how to print

The map is smart phone ready with house pictures. If you want to print the map see below: (1) navigate to the map page URL and (2) click on the three dots menu bar on the upper right. Pull down and select “print” PDF as of 12/7/2020

Updated

PDF Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 Gloucester, Mass. by c. ryan (updated Dec. 21)Download

Pages: 1 2

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 4 – Annisquam plus en route detours Washington, Cherry, Finch, Reynard, Spruce Streets

Posted on by Catherine

Scenes of Annisquam: Annisquam Village Hall; Annisquam Bridge; white lights and wreaths and trees at junctions. Followed with en route detours off Washington Street via Cherry, Spruce, Gee, Finch Lane, Reynard, Holly Street | Goose Cove Lane (near Willow Rest), Dennison

en route

Washington Street plus detours via Cherry, Spruce, Gee, Finch Lane, Reynard, Holly Street | Goose Cove Lane (near Willow Rest), Dennison

animated happy Santa waving from a car– off Holly St.:)

dog in bay

Print out

The map is smart phone ready with house pictures. If you want to print the map see two pictures below: (1) navigate to the map page URL and (2) click on the three dots menu bar on the upper right. Pull down and select “print” PDF as of 12/5/2020

Updated

PDF Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 Gloucester, Mass. by c. ryan (updated Dec. 21)Download

Pages: 1 2

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 3 – East Gloucester

Posted on by Catherine

Twinkling lights and candles in East Gloucester including Rocky Pasture Road; Decatur; High Popples; Mt. Pleasant

Holiday lights & cocoa drives Gloucester Mass as of Dec. 3, 2020

Print out

The map is smart phone ready with house pictures. If you want to print the map see two pictures below: (1) navigate to the map page URL and (2) click on the three dots menu bar on the upper right. Pull down and select “print”. PDF as of 12/3/2020 here

Updated

PDF Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 Gloucester, Mass. by c. ryan (updated Dec. 21)Download

More neighborhood photos

Pages: 1 2

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 2 – Portuguese Hill, other stretch Essex Ave

Posted on by Catherine

NEW photos in this post include: the second stretch of Essex Avenue from Richdale heading up to Farnham’s; Portuguese Hill neighborhood; don’t miss Happy Santa indigo up on Perkins; Harrison; and sweet charm of Hartz. Check the map for updates. Still to come: East Gloucester, Annnisquam, Lanesville, Magnolia.

annual beauty Concord/Essex Ave

Holiday lights & cocoa drives Gloucester Mass as of Dec. 2, 2020

What a gift our neighbors have shared for the community! There are so many festive houses in Gloucester it’s easy to plan multiple merry excursions.

  • For families and friends, eyespy challenges could switch nightly. Can you find a Santa? A peace sign? Snoopy?
  • How about a Bring the Cuddlies Christmas Light Tour- children can help their toy friends see out the car window. This one may be a given: Happy to share photos of your precious travelers :).
  • Pick a specific route by color lights or house style.
  • Bring art supplies to sketch a view.
  • Older homes make it fun to wonder about what it was like in the past. For families that like Old Timey winter scenes–imagine New England Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, Winslow Homer, and Currier& Ives– pretend the car is a sleigh or horse and buggy. Find some dress up attire that looks vintage (or go all out and find some duds at Bananas). Add a hot water bottle for the feet. A towel or blanket can wrap around like a hand warmer muff. For fans of Louisa May Alcott, point to Braewood* on Essex Avenue (across from Pauline’s gifts) and Rocky Neck, where she stayed on Gloucester holidays. Picture a winter skating rink in front of the UU Church on Middle Street. *For more about the history of Braewood and Alcott in Gloucester, search “Braewood” in this prior post.
  • For the train and dinosaur train enthusiasts, all aboard! The express car might even time with the T or train.
  • Switch off date night driving so the passenger can enjoy a festive eggnog.

These are special outings just outside your door. Don’t miss them!

Illustration for Louisa May Alcott Jack and Jill, 1880 – distant town and harbor suggestion of Gloucester from a property like Braewood at the time

happy Santa indigo

More photos

Pages: 1 2

MORE Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 1

Posted on by Catherine

NEW photos

Essex Avenue stretch between Causeway and Richdale; Western Avenue near Stage Fort Park; Kent Circle and Stage Fort Park. Check back as more neighborhood batches are added.

Holiday lights & cocoa drives Gloucester Mass as of Dec. 1, 2020

 

Tour by car or keyboard! 
printable PDF Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 Gloucester, Mass. by c. ryan (updated Dec. 21)Download

First batch posted pictures for 2020 

below the break

Continue reading “MORE Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 1” →

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA #CapeAnn 🚗☕🎄✨⛄

Posted on by Catherine

When I was a girl, my family, like many other families, considered every nocturne drive a chance to look for Christmas lights. Of course we carried on this tradition with our own children. The magic of the season is so easy to find in neighborhoods throughout Gloucester and all of Cape Ann. Coasting past classic New England home styles decorated for the holidays– while driving along bends and dips in the roads by charming coves– is sheer visual delight. There is a surprise around every corner.

Plus the season’s early nightfall is most welcome for little ones’ bedtime enchantment. Throw on some comfy holiday attire and toss in a thermos of hot chocolate to make it an extra special treat for the youngest, and the young at heart, and the perfect outing for social distancing in this year of Covid. Repeat visits are encouraged because there’s so much to see and more added every day.

Last year readers asked for a map. Here are some of the homes spreading cheer NOW with their Christmas lights and holiday yard displays, and it’s not yet December 1, 2020! Is your favorite friendly seasonal character out there? Or favorite color lights twinkling bright? I’ll continue to update the map and photographs, including specific requests and location recommendations from GMG readers.

Holiday lights & cocoa drives Gloucester Mass as of November 30, 2020

FAQ HOW TO PRINT THE MAP- Two steps: First click the empty rectangle to be taken to the map page. Once at the URL for the map page, click the three dots for the pull down menu and select “print”. Here is the PDF option in the horizontal format as of Dec. 2.

PDF Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 Gloucester, Mass. by c. ryan (updated Dec. 21)Download

NEW for 2020: And still more attractions with festive lights coming soon.  First Annual Winter Lights Display on Cape Ann starts December 7th. Check out all the businesses and organizations readying light displays downtown and local shopping!

More photos

Pages: 1 2

Get ready! Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives #GloucesterMA #CapeAnn 2020 – already found a few sparkling before Thanksgiving ✨😀 Lobster Trap Buoy Painting is ON!

Posted on by Catherine

So looking forward to sharing photos of winter lights for some merry drives and cocoa nights this holiday season! Were you planning to go big on lights or take a break this year? Hopefully this post may convince some readers on the decorated home & yard fence to GO FOR IT! Please treat the community to some creativity and smiles. The city and neighboring towns of Cape Ann have some special holiday light plans in the works thanks to Discover Gloucester’s First Annual Winter Lights Display on Cape Ann. Check out all the businesses and organizations readying light displays and local shopping!

What I wrote in 2019 still holds true in 2020: “If you’re wondering about holiday lights near you, in addition to the city’s beautiful seasonal trees and sparkle downtown, rewarding drives through Gloucester neighborhoods abound.”

These local homes were shining bright and it’s only the week before Thanksgiving. GRAB SOME HOT CHOCOLATE AND GO! The drives are festive, free, and social distancing safe for all. Perfect for 2020.

I’ll add more photographs of merry lights and displays as days go by and maybe a map if there are enough. Which houses and streets will be most lit up in 2020? Which ones not to miss?

‘Tis the Season. Gloucester’s Annual Lobster Trap Tree

2018

Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree adorned with hundreds of “ornaments”- buoys hand-painted by local children– is no doubt the sweetest and charming tree around.

I thought this Scotland effort was a pretty kindred spirit. Like Gloucester, the smaller* town of Newburgh, Fife, loves celebrating art by local children for their Annual Christmas Lights Display. A public appeal for funding this year surpassed its goal.

*Gloucester population 30,000 | Newburgh population 2100

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Due to Covid-19 precautions, Cape Ann Art Haven buoy painting started early this year.

“It’s buoy painting time! We are instituting reservations for buoy painting. We will be open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. starting November 7th. For health and safety reasons, we will have a maximum of 10 people at any one time. Masks will be required as well as social distancing. Please sign up on our Events page or click the reservation button below and come paint!”

Reservations

Please support Cape Ann Art Haven’s efforts here.

2019

Get ready! Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives #GloucesterMA #CapeAnn 2020 -Found a few sparkling before Thanksgiving ✨😀

Posted on by Catherine

So looking forward to sharing photos of winter lights for some merry drives and cocoa nights this holiday season! Were you planning to go big on lights or take a break this year? Hopefully this post may convince some readers on the decorated home & yard fence to GO FOR IT! Please treat the community to some creativity and smiles. The city and neighboring towns of Cape Ann have some special holiday light plans in the works: First Annual Winter Lights Display on Cape Ann. Check out the businesses and organizations readying light displays!

What I wrote in 2019 still holds true in 2020: “If you’re wondering about holiday lights near you, in addition to the city’s beautiful seasonal trees and sparkle downtown, rewarding drives through Gloucester neighborhoods abound.”

These local homes were shining bright and it’s only the week before Thanksgiving. GRAB SOME HOT CHOCOLATE AND GO! The drives are festive, free, and social distancing safe for all. Perfect for 2020.

I’ll add more photographs of merry lights and displays as days go by and maybe a map if there are enough. Which houses and streets will be most lit up in 2020? Which ones not to miss?

‘Tis the Season. Gloucester’s Annual Lobster Trap Tree

2018

Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree adorned with hundreds of “ornaments”- buoys hand-painted by local children– is no doubt the sweetest and charming tree around.

I thought this Scotland effort was a pretty kindred spirit. Like Gloucester, the smaller* town of Newburgh, Fife, loves celebrating art by local children for their Annual Christmas Lights Display. A public appeal for funding this year surpassed its goal.

*Gloucester population 30,000 | Newburgh population 2100

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Due to Covid-19 precautions, Cape Ann Art Haven buoy painting started early this year.

“It’s buoy painting time! We are instituting reservations for buoy painting. We will be open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. starting November 7th. For health and safety reasons, we will have a maximum of 10 people at any one time. Masks will be required as well as social distancing. Please sign up on our Events page or click the reservation button below and come paint!”

Reservations

Please support Cape Ann Art Haven’s efforts here.

2019