This Sunday afternoon Nov. 2, we are proud to present the Charlie Chaplin silent movie masterpiece, The Gold Rush, accompanied by sonic artist extraordinaire Peter Krasinski on the grand 1893 Hutchings/Fisk pipe organ.

The Gold Rush (1925) is tragicomedy about the search for gold, in which the leading character faces hunger, cold, and even the possibility that he may be attacked by a grizzly.  It’s hilarious and sad at the same time, providing delightful entertainment for the whole family!

Peter Krasinski, an international star of improvised silent movie accompaniment, will employ all the tone colors and power of the Meetinghouse pipe organ to add mystery, intrigue and excitement to this classic Charlie Chaplin film.

Tickets are available at the door or in advance (recommended) on our website.

Admission: $20 General, $5 Students, Under 12 free

Parking is available on the Green in front of the Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, at 50 Middle Street and at other locations around the Historic District. The side entrance at 10 Church Street provides elevator access. 

Join us this Sunday afternoon for an incredible entertainment treat!

The second cohort of the Class of 2026 begins in January, with spaces still available. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!

This innovative, hands-on training program prepares young adults for professional careers as life sciences laboratory technicians. Students spend six months of hands-on learning in a state-of-the-art teaching facility in Gloucester’s Blackburn Center, followed by a three-month paid co-op at a North Shore or Greater Boston biotech company.

The program is open to students ages 18-30 with a high school diploma or the equivalent. No math or science experience is needed to apply.

Once again, tuition and fees will be waived — in their entirety — for the Academy’s class of 2026. In addition, qualifying students can receive a stipend of $1,000 per month to help support their living expenses while training. GMGI is committed to providing STEM education opportunities to all, regardless of financial background.

Please visit the Apply page on the GMGI website for more information on the program, and to submit your application. Space is limited so don’t miss this amazing opportunity! Reach out to Laura Richane — laura.richane@gmgi.org — Director of Enrollment & Partnerships, with any questions or to request a tour.

The Gloucester Education Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Gala on 11/6/25 is sold out – but you don’t need a gala ticket to bid on items in our online silent auction! Bidding opens today and closes at 7:30pm on 11/6/25. Click here to visit the auction!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Gloucester community – and the tenacity of our auction committee, led by Rachel Refalo, Kristin Michel, and Val Gilman – we have a wonderful array of items and packages to chose from. Your participation fuels programs that make learning come alive — in classrooms, on stages, and in labs across the Gloucester Public Schools. So browse, bid, share, and help us keep the sparks flying for another 20 years!

Thank you to our silent auction donors: Kathy Johnson, Mariposa, Manship Artists Residency; Topsfield Fair, Talbot Rink, Sugar Magnolias, Cove Cafe, Downeast Yacht Tours, Avis Murray, Oak to Ember, Omni Mount Washington, Loren Doucette, Steve Abell and the GHS Carpentry Shop, Tim Rose and the GHS Cabinet Design Program, Val Gilman, Kristin Michel, Sushi Sang Lee, Common Crow, Sought Interiors, Cape Ann Lanes, Melissa Cox, North Shore Music Theater, Garden City Pub, Bass Rocks Golf Club, Gorton’s, Ann Ziergebel, Surfari, North Shore Adventures, Jenn Klopotoski, Kathy Clancy, Rob and Kristen Parsons, Boston Red Sox, James Fiahlo, Winning Moves Games, Alan Refalo, and Title Research Group.

WE’RE SO THANKFUL FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT!

Essex CLAMFEST returns on Saturday, OCTOBER 25^th (RAIN OR SHINE!)

On Saturday, October 25, the 40^th Annual Essex ClamFest and Clam Chowder Competition will return. This beloved fall event will feature over 40 Artist and Vendor booths, plus 15 Non-Profit Booths, a K-9 demonstration, Kids’ Activities, including the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team, and Face Painting by Miss Wendy, live music, food vendors, Rockport Brewing Company, 90+ Cellars Wine Cellars and, of course, the ever-popular Clam Chowder Competition. The festival is free to attend and will take place at Shepard Memorial Park in Essex from 11 AM to 4 PM.

The clam chowder competition runs from Noon to 1 PM (or while supplies last). The cost is $15.00 for adults and $10 for children under 10 to enter the chowder tasting area. Over 1,000 people are expected to participate and taste the best of the best. Each chowder taster will have the opportunity to choose his or her favorite for the People’s Choice Award, while nine esteemed judges will vote to select the winner of the Judges’ Award. This year, there are eight competitors: 35 Beach (Manchester), Addison Gilbert Hospital/ Sodexo (Gloucester), Castle Manor Inn (Gloucester), CK Pearl (Essex), Seaport Grille (Gloucester), The Farm Bar & Grille (Essex), The James Restaurant (Essex), and Woodman’s (Essex).

Essex Clamfest is produced by the Essex Division of the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce. BankGloucester is our Presenting sponsor; Brookline Bank is our Gold sponsor; Applied Materials is our silver sponsor, and Hiltz Disposal is our supporting sponsor.

The rain Location for the festival is at the Essex Elementary School, on the same date.

A century ago, the name Chaplin was as famous as that of Spielberg, Redford, or Streep. In Hollywood’s early days, he was a comedian, producer, writer, director and composer widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of films—and, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, one of the most important figures ever in motion picture history.

On Sunday afternoon, Nov. 2, at 3:30pm a Charlie Chaplin masterpiece, The Gold Rush, will be featured marking the 100th anniversary of this silent-film classic, with live organ accompaniment by maestro Peter Krasinski in the historic 1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
The Gold Rush is a 1925 American silent film comedy written, produced and directed by Chaplin. It received an Academy Award nomination, and it has since been added to the National Film registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historic and aesthetic significance.

Silent films aren’t silent at all. Before ‘talkies’ came along the action was augmented by vigorous pianists or skilled organists whose music swelled or swooned to match the action. The Gold Rush will be accompanied by Peter Krasinski, a master of improvised silent movie accompaniment, whose exciting performances delight kids and adults alike. Krasinski will exploit all the tone colors and power of the 1893 Hutchings/Fisk organ, creating music that adds mystery, intrigue and excitement to this notable film.
Tickets are available at the door and with more information at http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org.
Cost: $20 General, $5 Students, Under 12 free

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church is located at 50 Middle Street in Gloucester. Parking is available on the Green in front of the Meetinghouse and at other locations in the Historic District. The side entrance at 10 Church Street offers elevator access.

The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church started its history as the first Universalist church in America in 1779, a rebellious congregation that played an important role in the quest for religious freedom as enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The architecturally significant building predates lighthouses on Cape Ann and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is an independent, secular nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to the historic building’s preservation and its use for and by the Cape Ann community.