Month: October 2023

Join Us Tomorrow at Hammond Castle Museum for a fun-filled day!

~ Hammond Castle Museum
Join us tomorrow, October 14th as we Return to the Renaissance on our oceanside lawn with a live musical performance, a demonstration of a Knight’s battle, and improv by none other than Shakespeare himself!
The Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword, an educational-based medieval reenactment group will perform an armored fight demo as well as explore life on the medieval battlefield. The Brotherhood is dedicated to the presentation and practice of historical European martial arts and other facets of medieval life. Their armored fight demonstrations are high energy and entertaining. The Penniless Jacks is a high-energy folk-rock band that focuses on livening up traditional “tavern” music. Shakespeare Approves will keep the kids giggling with his family-friendly antics and improvisational banter.

Guided Tours will not be offered, allowing our guests the freedom to explore the Museum at their own pace. FREE Off-site parking at Stage Fort Park (24 Hough Ave, Gloucester) will be required.  Two free “Yellow School Bus” shuttles will run continuously from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. between the Park and the Museum. There will be a Hammond Castle Museum staff member at the park & ride site in State Fort Park to assist with questions. 
(This program was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 7th. All original reservations will be honored at the original times.)  
Photo by CMO Photography.
Two Sessions: 10:30 am & 1:30 pm.  Doors open at 10:00 am.
Adults: $35 / Kids 5 -12 yrs: $10 / Ages 4 & Under are FREE with Ticket.
Hammond Castle Museum member savings apply!
Reserve Your Tickets Here!

Sawyer Free Library to host Local Author Karin Gertsch on October 19th

~ Sawyer Free Library

All are welcome to the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street on Thursday, October 19 at 5:30pm for an engaging talk with local author Karin Gertsch, who will discuss her debut novel Five Wishes, a heartwarming Massachusetts-based story about history, love, and lore.  All are welcome. No registration is required.

Five Wishes is about the MacInnes family, who live in a small New England town called Hamlet. Husband, Delbert MacInnes, was born and raised in Hamlet and is content to remain grounded, while his wife, Matilda, has been itching to make her dreams come true. Over the years her wish list was amended several times—her patience is wearing thin. When an unexpected event happens, Matilda learns that Delbert has kept a secret from her for decades. But, then, she’s never shared her precious secret with him. Five Wishes takes the reader on journeys from Hamlet to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then overseas to an ancient castle in Scotland, before venturing back to the cozy Cape Cod-style home at Five Cedar Street, where a freshly-brewed cup of Darjeeling tea is waiting at the breakfast table.

Karin Gertsch is the author of Cape Ann & Vicinity: A Guide for Residents and Visitors, as well as Flora Has an Adventure, a children’s book for ages 3-8. The author is currently working on her second novel as well as a series of Flora stories for children. Karin will share about the research process for her novel, as well as the processes for researching and creating a travel guide and a children’s book.

All are welcome. No registration required. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

CAPE ANN CLASSIC CARS ON THE GREEN

~ chasnaz

This Saturday, October 14th, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents its fifth annual classic car show on the green in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church from 10am to 2pm. The event was postponed due to bad weather from last Saturday. The show is free and open to the public. You vote in nine categories for the trophy winners, including Best in Show. There are tours of the historic Meetinghouse, an art show and a 50/50 raffle to add to the excitement. Proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of the building and grounds. Show cars (entrance fee $20) should arrive around 9am. Preregistration is recommended due to limited space on the green, but not required, email: c.nazarian@gloucestermeetinghouse.org Coffee, pastry and sandwiches available nearby on Main Street. The green is located at the corner of Middle and Church Streets, with the show car entrance between the stone pillars. GPS: 50 Middle Street, Gloucester, MA

This is the best little autumn classic car show in New England! More info at: http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org

Host a Food Drive for The Open Door this Holiday Season

~ todtheopendoor

Autumn is here, and along with apples and pumpkin spice, it’s time for The Open Door to start preparing for the holidays. The Open Door has seen a 28% increase in the number of requests for food assistance this year at its Food Pantries alone.

Want to help? Please consider hosting a collection site at your workplace, school, place of faith, or other organization for the Thanksgiving Food Drive (November 1-18) to stock the shelves. 

With your support, we can make sure our neighbors have good food for the holidays and beyond.

Life happens. We can help.

Visit FOODPANTRY.org/fooddrive for The Open Door’s Food Drive Toolkit, complete with:

Flyer Template

Facebook Graphics

Instagram Graphics

Tips for a Successful Food Drive

and more!

Please also your group’s collection site here, so that we can schedule a pick-up for your donation.

THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE: Saturday November 18

You can also donate food at The Open Door’s Thanksgiving Food Drive collection sites on Saturday November 18 from 9 a.m to 3 p.m.! Participating sites that day include:

Market Basket
101 Gloucester Crossing Road, Gloucester
Stop & Shop
6 Thatcher Road, Gloucester
Shaw’s
127 Eastern Avenue, Gloucester
Shaw’s
146 High Street, Ipswich
Crosby’s Marketplace
3 Summer Street, Manchester-by-the-Sea
Market Basket
231 Newburyport Turnpike, Rowley

A no-appointment needed clothing drive will also be held on Saturday November 18 at Second Glance (2 Pond Road, Gloucester MA).

THANK YOU!

BAD CHOICES, BAD LUCK

~ cmaney27

At Seaside Cemetery on Saturday, October 14th, from 2 to 4PM the free cemetery event, “Bad Choices, Bad Luck”, will give you the opportunity to meet a group of people who died in Gloucester between 1905-1933 and were buried in the City Home Lot of Seaside Cemetery.

In appearance the City Home Lot is a grassy, open field with slight undulations that shelters the bodies of 118 individuals.  Only 5 individual burial markers currently exist. The stories you will hear involve those individuals that died in the Gloucester almshouse or were unclaimed at the time of death or died as unknowns.

Present day Gloucester locals will assume the persona of those interred in the City Home Lot so that their individual stories can be shared with you.

The stories told come from extensive research by Sharron Cohen who unearthed the details of those buried in the City Home Lot.

To enter Seaside Cemetery (88R Langsford Street, Gloucester, MA 01930) from Lanesville, take the second left off Langsford Street or to enter from Rockport, take the second right off Langsford Street. Attendants will direct you to a parking spot. The cemetery’s roads are narrow and uneven so please be patient and drive slowly. The terrain in the cemetery is irregular, so be cautious when walking. Rain date Sunday, October 15, 2023, at 2PM.

For more details and registration go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bad-choices-bad-luck-tickets-726363772597?aff=oddtdtcreator

See you on the 14th!

Tomorrow Night!

~ Hammond Castle Museum

Step into the extraordinary as we embark on a journey through the ancient art of Tarot, guided by the seasoned intuition of Annette Dion. As a gifted psychic Tarot reader, Annette will lead you through the veils of divination, helping you access profound wisdom and insight.

The Hammond Castle Museum creates a unique setting that harkens to the vibrant depictions of the Ride-Waite Tarot deck, enhancing the experience. Under Annette’s guidance, the 2-hour class will unveil the essence of each card, unraveling each of their meanings and mysteries. For an immersive and interactive experience, we encourage you to bring along your own tarot deck. Uncover the magic that lies within its cards, and let Annette guide you on a transformational journey.

Attend in person or participate online as this program will be streamed live. A digital copy of the program will also be emailed to all participants.

In Person: $99, Virtual Participation: $77.

Reserve your spot in class here!

Spooktober at SFL for Teens and Tweens with local authors Alyssa Alessi and E.C. Hanson

~ Sawyer Free Library

Prepare for spooky vibes at 21 Main Street this Friday, October 13 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. as the Sawyer Free Library dim the lights and set the stage for not just one, but TWO local authors who will share hauntingly fun details from their books. This event is designed for teens and tween (6 to 12th graders).

Alyssa Alessi is a Boston native who has always loved all things spooky. Her debut middle grade book is entitled Izzy Hoffman Is Not A Witch. She writes stories for tween, teen, and adult audiences that are inspired by the macabre vibes of New England. She enjoys writing for young readers and fueling their excitement for discovering their interests… especially when their interests include witches, vampires, werewolves, and UFOs!

E.C. Hanson lives in Salem, Massachusetts. He earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and was the recipient of an “Outstanding Writing For The Screen” certificate. His work has been published by Smith & Kraus and Applause Books in 8 play anthologies. More than 35 of his short plays have been developed and produced in the United States. He has written three books of horror fiction. They include: All Things Deadly (Salem Stories), Wicked Blood, and Fake Somebodies, Real Nobodies.

This event is designed for teens and tween (6 to 12th graders). No registration is needed. For more information call the Library at 978-325-5500 or email  moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org. Sawyer Free Library programming information can be found at sawyerfreelibray.org

Author Talk with JoeAnn Hart: “Highwire Act & Other Tales of Survival”

~ Sawyer Free Library

Sawyer Free Library is pleased to welcome local author, JoeAnn Hart on Thursday, October 12, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at 21 Main Street as she discusses her new collection of short fiction, Highwire Act & Other Tales of Survival.

The 2022 Winner of the Hudson Prize, this collection of short fiction has characters that struggle with COVID, ecological destruction, and grief as they attempt to find solace and restoration from a nature that is not always in a position to give back. In the profound stories from Highwire Act & Other Tales of Survival, the climate crisis arrives not just as strange and violent weather, but as upheavals in our political and emotional climates as well. As characters struggle for survival with COVID, ecological destruction, grief, or mental illness, they attempt to find solace and restoration from a nature that is increasingly no longer in a position to give back. And with science unable to keep up, fake suicides, fairy tales, and delusion are the thorny tools humans are left with to carry on, yet carry on they do. 

All are welcome for this special night with JoeAnn Hart at SFL at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.

To learn more or if you have questions about the event, call 978-325-5500 or email moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org. The event is free, open to the public. Registration is not necessary.

To learn about all the events happening at SFL@21 Main Street visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org