Unbeatable pairing on the West End of Main Street Gloucester, MA.:
Richard Leonard’s Bananas, 78 Main Street, iconic vintage clothing store many decades in business.
Sargent House Museum, Main Street next to Bananas (entrance at 49 Middle Street), historic house and writing studio (desk) of Judith Sargent Murray, Gloucester native, born in 1751, author & playwright, equality advocate. John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), great American painter, her great grand nephew, contributed to preserving this architectural gem.
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The Essex National Heritage Fall annual meeting is this Thursday, September 17, 2020 at 9AM — and it’s virtual so more people can RSVP than ever. The next day, Trails and Sails 2020 is back! Two fun three day weekends packed with FREE activities.
News from Essex National Heritage:
Discover special places in your backyard from Friday September 18 – through Sunday September 27, 2020!
Be guided through unique landscapes on land and sea, virtually explore historic properties, and take in experiences of all kinds. Find what makes Essex County like nowhere else during the annual two weekends of Trails & Sails. Event styles this year include: DIY Virtual Experiences; self-guided tours; tours by car; scavenger hunts; small group events; and arts and cultural activities and experiences…and so much more!
SEE upcoming trails & Sails eventshere (updated continually)
There are no Rockport or Gloucester listings that I see- however, the Sargent House Museum is offering walking tours downtown September 26, October 3, 10, and 17 to sites and historic buildings associated with Judith Sargent Murray. It’s not too late for the museum to add the Sept. 26th one into the mix of free events for Trails & Sails 2020, or folks to plan “while you’re at it” activities. (Perhaps they’ll waive the $10 on that day for Trails & Sails participants?) The HarborWalk is open!
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See the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (Mott) July 2020 update below! Look for two FREE and easy business listing ideas, the 2019 Annual Report with all its visitor data, Covid-19 and its impact on the tourism sector, and Gloucester news that Judith Sargent Murray | Sargent House museum will be featured on the Regional Council Historic Women Trailblazers site! Gloucester boasts many women ground breakers.
(photo caption – Monumental and stunning Be Sargent mural of Judith Sargent Murray is sited across Main street and front of historic house museum, Gloucester, Mass. See also HarborWalk marker here, and Cape Ann Museum.)
from MOTT July 2020:
(*Woodman’s photo)
July 2020
The spirit of Massachusetts is stronger than ever. Throughout the Commonwealth our friends and neighbors are working to keep people safe while helping to support the local economy – buying local, shopping local, staying local. We see people banding together for the common goal of keeping Massachusetts strong. In our arena, look no further than the new micro website initiated by the Regional Tourism Councils, www.spiritofma.com. Congratulations to our RTC partners for this initiative.
This month, Massachusetts moves from Phase Two to Phase Three of the Commonwealth’s four-phase plan to Reopen Massachusetts. You can stay up to date on the latest Massachusetts news by checking the COVID-19 links below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions or comments.
On behalf of all of us here at MOTT, thank you to the Massachusetts’ travel and tourism community for its resolve, optimism, and creativity as we move forward to brighter days ahead.
Beginning July 1, the Baker-Polito Administration has new quarantine guidelines for visitors coming to Massachusetts from seven neighboring states, including NY, NJ, CT, ME, NH, RI & VT. See details here.
MOTT’s website, www.massvacation.com, now has FAQs for visitors coming to Massachusetts.
On June 28, the Commonwealth embarked on Phase II, Step 2 of the Reopening Massachusetts plan. Find information on when businesses can reopen here.
Indoor dining is now permitted. For full restaurant guidance, click here.
State House officials announced additional administrative tax relief measures for local businesses impacted by COVID-19, especially in the restaurant and hospitality sectors. This tax relief includes postponing the collection of regular sales tax, meals tax, and room occupancy taxes for small businesses normally due from March through August, so that they will instead be due in September.
International Update
UK journalist, Abigail King, who had previously been hosted on an international FAM trip to Massachusetts, has written a blog on Nantucket, which was shortlisted for The Visit USA 2020 Media Awards. We are so happy to share that Abigail King won in the category of Blogger/Vlogger of the Year Award, with the submission of her beautiful Nantucket article from her visit; Fast forward to 3:41 to hear the award announcement by Visit USA! A sincere thank you to all in Massachusetts who hosted and made Abigail King’s experience in Massachusetts a memorable one. Read Abigail’s piece on Nantucket here.
Industry News
Spirit of Massachusetts
The Regional Tourism Councils (RTC) have created a new micro website to promote Massachusetts as a great place to visit when the time is right. See details here.
Sales Tax Holiday
Massachusetts’ annual Sales Tax Holiday the weekend of August 30-31 offers a good opportunity to support Main Street businesses and the local economy. See FAQs about the Sales Tax Holiday.
State Campgrounds
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation has opened state campgrounds beginning July 1. See details here.
The 2020 Big E Cancelled
The Eastern States Exposition announced that due to the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s BIG E Fair has been cancelled. Be sure to mark your calendar for the 2021 BIG E Fair: September 17-October 3, 2021, and keep up with the latest from The Big E here.
Massachusetts Celebrates Women Trailblazers
MOTT’s Historic Women Trailblazers digital page celebrates the achievement of women in the Commonwealth. Stay tuned for the release of our digital booklet on the Historic Women Trailblazer’s page in August.
Massport News
Construction work at Logan International Airport this summer will affect traffic patterns at the airport, especially around Terminal B. See details here.
Call for Brochures
Our friends at Simon/Lee Premium Outlets in Lee, MA, invite you to send them one box of brochures or visitor guides for display at their information centers. There is no storage or stocking fee so please send your printed tourism information to: Carolyn Edwards, Area General Manager, Simon/Lee Premium Outlets, 17 Premium Outlets Blvd., Lee, MA 01238. If you would like more information, please contact Carolyn Edwards.
50 Great Things to do Under $50
MOTT’s ’50 Under $50’ special deals page is consistently ranked as one of our Top 5 visited web pages each month. To list a special deal offered by your organization, the offer must be valid for a two-month duration and the admission of $50 must cover: two adults only and/or two adults with two children age 12 and under.
We are currently accepting ’50 Under $50’ offers for August/September/October. Please send your submissions to: Phyllis M. Cahaly.
FREE means FREE!
With so many amazing free things to do in Massachusetts, we created a FREE category listing in our online calendar of events at massvacation.com.
Now, you can add your organization’s cost-free events to MOTT’s year-round calendars. Just click on ‘submit your listing’ on the bottom of the homepage, and follow the prompts.
COVID-19 Resources & News
For the most up-to-date information on Massachusetts, visit the COVID-19 daily update at mass.gov/covid19-updates
In calendar year 2019, International visitors to Massachusetts totaled 2.5 million, which was down slightly from 2018.
Overseas volume to Massachusetts was just under 1.8 million. The top five origin countries were: China (269 k), United Kingdom (247 k), Germany (104 k), Brazil (102 k), and France (101 k). Canadian visitation to Massachusetts has historically been just under 700,000 with the majority of visitors coming from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
Mayor Romeo Theken is pleased to announce that the State’s MA Historical Commission has awarded a $50,000 emergency grant to the Sargent House Museum through the City of Gloucester. The museum is replacing the entire roof.
‘HERE & NOW’ SERIES BRINGS ARTISTS TO HISTORIC SITE
Here & Now: Contemporary Artists Working in The Sargent House Museum Garden
Launches this Sunday with artist Kathy Gentile Roberts
Here & Now was conceived as a means to revitalize the 1782 Sargent House and energize the under-utilized Sargent House Museum garden. The garden’s tiers, which were added to the site in 1925 by preservation architect Joseph Everett Chandler, create unique spaces for artists to set up and find inspiration in the garden. Known for restorations at the House of the Seven Gables and the Paul Revere House, Chandler made various alterations to the historic site and grounds.
Built in 1782 for Judith Sargent Murray—an early feminist writer, philosopher, and social activist, the Sargent House is a fine example of high-style Georgian domestic architecture, enlarged during the Federal period, and converted into a museum during the height of the Colonial Revival.
There are still opportunities available for artists to participate in the Here & Now series. Interested artists should contact Site Manager Kate Laurel Burgess-Mac Intosh at kburgess1@mac.com or by calling 978-412-5290.
Upcoming Artists in the Here & Now Series
July 31: Kathryn Gentile Roberts
August 7: Mary Rhinelander McCarl
August 14: Dorothy Englander
August 21: Carole Anne Meehan
August 28: Coco Berkman
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The reason this shot is so blurry is because it is shot through a screen. But you get the idea. The attic is not part of the tour, but your boy gets you up there for a special perspective of the harbor.
How many times have you walked past this building and wondered what it was all about? Well check out part II of the video series on The Sargent House Museum Video Tour at 8:00AM
The Sargent House Museum on Middle and Main Streets is rich in architectural detail. For the second part of the video tour check this page tomorrow morning at 8:00AM
If you are like me you’ve walked past this place thousands of times, looked up on the hill and wondered what the hell goes on up there. Well wonder no longer my loyal readers, because your boy Joey once again gets you unfettered access with a four part video tour and pics of places that you don’t get to go when you go on the regular tour (places like the attic and stuff).
It’s what we do here at GMG. Bring you behind the scenes, we roll back the curtains, peek under the hood and bring this stuff to you, stuff you might never have had access to. It’s what we pride ourselves on, getting you an insider peek. So buckle up for another video series in another one of Gloucester’s crown jewels- The Sargent House Museum.
Barb Silberman and Judith Nast Show GMG Readers What’s Up At The House On The Hill
From The Sargent House Museum Website-
“Welcome to The Sargent House Museum. For over 100 years, the Sargent House Museum was the home of sea merchants, patriots and community leaders. A fine example of high-style Georgian domestic architecture, the house was built in 1782 for Judith Sargent Murray (1751-1820), a philosopher, writer and an early advocate of women’s equality.
Visitors to the Sargent House Museum learn about the early history of Gloucester from its beginnings as a farming and lumbering outpost to its evolution into the country’s premier seaport. Visitors will also see a collection of original works by the great portrait painter John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) descendant of the Sargent family, who loved the house and its ties to Colonial Gloucester.”
Good Morning Gloucester 