Help Break a World Record: Library Card Sign Up Challenge!

The Sawyer Free Library is inviting the entire community to join in a fun-filled day of discovery, creativity, and history-making at its Community Celebration & Open House on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester.

As part of the festivities, the Library is launching a Library Card World Record Attempt — aiming to break the current record of 1,922 library card sign-ups in a single day. 🎯 New and renewing cardholders will receive a limited-edition commemorative Sawyer Free Library card as a keepsake from this exciting moment.

“A Library for Everyone” celebration marks the grand reopening of the newly renovated and expanded Sawyer Free Library, now a vibrant and inclusive center for learning, imagination, and community connection.

In addition to the record attempt, attendees can explore the library’s transformed spaces and enjoy live music including Gloucester Student Band, engaging presentations, children’s programs, tech demos, collaborative art projects, Rhea Pizzeria Napoletana, a visit from the Boston Red Sox Wally the Green Monster and much more—with activities and prizes designed for all ages.

Everyone is welcome to attend, have fun, and help make history! Details: sawyerfreelibrary.org

GLOUCESTER MEETINGHOUSE FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT: CAPE ANN BIG BAND on SEPTEMBER 5th at 6pm

Please join us Friday, September 5, from 6 to 8 pm, for the 2025 season’s final  Music on Meetinghouse Green concert at  the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, at the corner of Middle and Church Streets, Gloucester, as we go out with a bang with the Cape Ann Big Band. This diverse 17-piece big band entertains and delights audiences with danceable music infused with jazz, swing, New Orleans street bands, soul, and rock n’ roll that will take you back in time. 

Food service for this event will be Meat & Sweet serving savory meat dishes and baked goods. 

Our free summer concerts support partner local nonprofit organizations. This week, the  Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation itself will benefit from the free-will donations that support these partners, helping support preservation of this architectural and historic landmark. The evening also will include a 50/50 raffle as the Foundation celebrates the 10th anniversary of Music on Meetinghouse Green. Along with the nine-concert summer outdoor music series, The Meetinghouse year-around hosts public symposiums on contemporary concerns and offers a variety of concerts and other public programs. Information is on GMF’s website at www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org.

Please note that all events are rain or shine, with concerts being moved into the social hall if there is inclement weather!

Curious about what happens inside 417 Main Street? Come visit on 9/16!

As part of Gloucester’s Stand Up for Art & Science Initiative, GMGI is excited to host an Open House & Art Unveiling at our research institute on the harbor!

Join us on Tuesday, September 16th, from 5p – 7p to explore our waterfront campus, chat with GMGI scientists about their research, and learn more about their groundbreaking work at the intersection of science and the sea.

This special evening will also feature the unveiling of a temporary sea urchin sculpture by local artist Rebecca Nagle and assisted by Sinikka Nogelo, who will speak about their artistic vision and process.

Guests are invited to join us for light refreshments and experience how art and science come together at GMGI.

Click here to register for this free event!

2025 Sawyer Free Library Ribbon Cutting Celebration – September 5th!

After nearly two years of renovation, expansion, and modernization, the Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to welcome the community back to its historic home at 2 Dale Avenue in the heart of Gloucester!

Join us for a special Ribbon Cutting Celebration on:

Friday, September 5, 2025
3:00 – 4:30 PM
School Street Entrance, Sawyer Free Library

Be part of this once-in-a-generation moment as we unveil your newly reimagined 21st-century library—a vibrant, inclusive space built for learning, creativity, and connection.

Enjoy remarks, a ceremonial ribbon cutting, a performance by the Cape Ann Youth Chorus, and light refreshments.

This rain-or-shine event is free and open to all—come celebrate with neighbors, friends, and fellow library lovers as we turn the page to an exciting new chapter!


Don’t Miss the Fun!
Come back the next day for our Community Open House on Saturday, September 6 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, featuring musical performances, activities, and family-friendly fun for all ages! Stay tuned for even more details or visit sawyerfreelibrary.org!

Sawyer Free Librarians are excited to welcome the public back to 2 Dale Avenue!

Sawyer Free Library Reopens Its Doors with Soft Opening Ahead of Grand Opening Celebrations

The Sawyer Free Library is excited to announce the soft opening of its newly reimagined and revitalized historic building at 2 Dale Avenue. As final touches are completed, the Library will be open to the public during limited hours in the coming weeks.

Soft Opening Hours:

  • Week of August 18: Wednesday–Friday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
  • Week of August 25: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
  • Week of September 1:
    • Tuesday–Wednesday, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
    • Thursday, 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
    • Friday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM

Closures: Wednesday, August 27 and Monday, September 1

All are invited to visit the transformed space and experience the exciting new features of the Library. During this soft opening period, the Library also warmly welcomes the return of any books and materials patrons have been patiently holding onto during the temporary closure for the move.

To celebrate the completion of this major renovation, the community is warmly invited to join Sawyer Free Library’s Grand Opening Events:

  • Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony: Friday, September 5
  • Community Open House: Saturday, September 6

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org

Two Music Legends. One String Quartet. A One-of-a-Kind Venue.

Ever imagined hearing the music of global legends performed by an award-winning string quartet inside our Great Hall with soaring ceilings, stone walls, and immersively epic acoustics? Join Boston’s beloved Rasa String Quartet as they reimagine the biggest hits of Taylor Swift & Queen!
Two unforgettable, 60-minute performances,  ticketed separately.

Join us this Sunday, August 24th:

Doors: 5:30 pm | 6:00 pm – RASA PLAYS TAYLOR SWIFT
Swifties:
Get swept away by virtuosic, genre-defying string renditions of her biggest hits—from nostalgic anthems like Love Story and You Belong With Me to chart-toppers like Cruel Summer and I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.

Doors: 7:30 pm | 8:00 pm – RASA PLAYS QUEEN
Queen Diehards: Feel the thrill of lush, heart-pounding arrangements of Queen’s greatest hits, including Bohemian RhapsodyDon’t Stop Me Now, and more!

Sawyer Free Library Grand Reopening Celebrations 🎉

🎉 Please join us in celebrating the grand reopening of the newly renovated and expanded Sawyer Free Library — an inspiring, inclusive space created for our whole community. 🎉 
 
Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
Friday, September 5 | 3:00 PM
Celebrate the official opening of your newly transformed Sawyer Free Library!
Remarks | Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting | Refreshments Performance by Cape Ann Youth Chorus  
Open to All | Rain or Shine

Community Celebration & Open House
“A Library for Everyone”
Saturday, September 6 | 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Free and Open to All 

Come tour the new library spaces at 2 Dale Avenue and enjoy music, activities for all ages, and more! 

Saturday Event Highlights:

Library Card World Record Attempt
Help us break the record for most sign-ups in a single day! All new and renewing cardholders
receive a limited-edition commemorative library card.

Library Passport Adventure 
Explore the new Library and collect stamps and win prizes.

Special Guests & Giveaways
 Wally the Green Monster from the Red Sox (12–1 PM)
• Enter to win a signed 2025 Boston Bruins jersey

Art, History & Design Events
• Artist Talk: Leslie Bartlett on the Library’s Cape Ann Quarries mural (10:30 AM)
• Expert Talk: GreenScapes in Focus with landscape architect Lisa Giersbach (1:00 PM)
• Timeline Cape Ann: Sawyer Free Library by Kory Curcuru of 1623 Studios documentary screening (12 & 2:30 PM)
• Inaugural Art Exhibition in Matz Gallery 
• Zine-making and collaborative art projects

Explore & Discover
• Tech demos in the Digital Learning Lab (podcast studio & more)
• Local History Treasures exhibit and Gloucester Timeline Demos
• “The Librarian Is In” booth (10 AM–12 PM)
• Photo Booth for keepsake snapshots (11 AM–2 PM)

Live Music in the Reading Lounge
• Highland Avenue Trio (10 AM–12 PM)
• Steve Lacey String Duo (12–2 PM)

Family-Friendly Fun
• Face painting, LEGO play, and STEM activities
• Strega Mama Story Hour (11 AM)
• Playful Engineers Program (2:00 PM)
• “Teen Zone” Ribbon Cutting (10:30 AM)
• T-shirt Dyeing (11 AM–1 PM)
• Mario Kart Tournament (2–4 PM, signup required)

 Food Trucks On-Site (in Library Parking Lot)
• Pizza by Rhea Pizzeria Napoletana
• Ice cream from SuperStar Ice Cream

Whether you’re a longtime patron or discovering the Sawyer Free Library for the first time, this celebration is for you! 

Come experience YOUR new library—reimagined, renewed, and ready to inspire.

For full event details and updates, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Support Backyard Growers’ work at the 10th annual GrowDown

Let’s celebrate another successful season growing food in our community! Join us at Oak to Ember in downtown Gloucester for a farm-fresh dinner, libations, and fun. We’ll be sharing stories of impact to highlight all we’ve achieved together, with a live fund-a-need auction where you can help power our work into 2026 and beyond.

Proceeds from this fun (and delicious!) evening support Backyard Growers’ school and community programs. Backyard Growers has been connecting people and communities with the resources, knowledge, and space they need to grow their own food for 15 years, most recently with the launch of the Backyard Growcery, a new farmers market in downtown Gloucester.

THANK YOU for making an impact. Our work is your work and we couldn’t do it without you.

Gloucester Rotary Pancake Breakfast

The Gloucester Rotary will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser on Saturday, August 16, 2025, 7:30 am to 11:00 am in Stage Fort Park, located on Hough Avenue in Gloucester, MA.  This popular event takes place concurrently with the Gloucester Waterfront Festival, which is sponsored by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and is held in Stage Fort Park on Saturday-Sunday, August 16-17.

A special free parking area is available for Pancake Breakfast attendees.

Tickets will be available on the morning of the breakfast.   

Proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast will benefit local and international projects of the Gloucester Rotary.

TripAdvisor named Hammond Castle Museum among the top 10% of attractions worldwide!

World-Class Recognition in Your Own Backyard – Have you visited lately?

Earlier this month, Hammond Castle Museum was honored with three BONS Reader’s Choice awards, including Reader’s Choice for Best Museum. And just last week, we were named among the top 10 percent of attractions worldwide by TripAdvisor, based entirely on guest reviews.

Our August special events lineup includes something for everyone and as always, we’re open daily from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM (last entrance at 2:45 PM).

And don’t forget about Gloucester Gratis Days, our free admission program for Gloucester residents. It’s our way of giving back to the community that has supported us for nearly a century, and it makes visiting the Museum easier than ever.

Have you explored our new website yet or dropped by to see what’s happening in your own backyard? There’s real momentum at the Museum right now. Whether it’s your first time visiting or your first time in years, we invite you to take a look at all the exciting programs underway.