REMINDER – Please join us for our Annual Meeting in the new Community Room of the reimagined Sawyer Free Library. The evening will feature remarks from Board President Mern Sibley, Mayor Greg Verga, and MBLC Commissioner Joyce Linehan, who will speak on standing up for libraries and intellectual freedom. Library Director Jenny Benedict will share highlights from this milestone year and a look ahead to the Library’s next chapter. Refreshments will be served.
The meeting is open to anyone who wishes to attend, but only corporators can vote. No registration required.
When: Wednesday, November 12, 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Where: Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester Questions: 978-325-5500 | sawyerfreelibrary.org
Tickets are selling very quickly.Don’t miss your chance to step back in time without going up the line.
Rain or Shine!
Step into the world of medieval and Renaissance culture at Hammond Castle Museum, where the castle itself provides a uniquely dramatic backdrop for a magical day steeped in history and fantasy in a stunning setting.
Experience the excitement of The Brotherhood of the Arrow and Sword as they return with their high-energy armored combat demonstrations, bringing the medieval battlefield vividly to life. Enjoy captivating performances from the L.I.A.R.s, who will fill the air with sea shanties, alongside a hulahoop artist, a storyteller, a wandering harpist, a bubble faery, and other enchanting entertainers. New this season, our kids’ tent offers little princes and princesses a craft for hands-on fun. With more vendors and food trucks than before, this year’s Faire is bigger, better, and more magical.
We are thrilled to host James B. Jones and Shelley Wolfe of Netflix’s Emmy Award-winning Love on the Spectrum (LOTS) will be joining us as our Honorary King and Queen! (You may remember that James was featured on a date at the Museum in Season Two, Episode 5 of LOTS! You can read more about that date here!) James and Shelley will be strolling the Museum grounds in full Renaissance spirit, and guests will have the opportunity to meet them and take photos with them from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Your admission includes access to explore parts of the interior of the Museum and free access to all scheduled entertainment. *Vendor services are not included, and cash is recommended due to limited wi-fi. Cosplay is encouraged, but weapons of any kind are not permitted. Little ones ages 4 and under are free but do require a reserved ticket, and kids ages 5 – 12 are only $10! Hammond Castle Museum Member savings apply.
Don’t miss this extraordinary day of music, pageantry, and living history at Hammond Castle Museum, where the past comes alive in spectacular fashion!
Off-Site Parking is Required & Free Shuttles will run all day: Free parking will be available at Stage Fort Park (24 Hough Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930), with complimentary white Beauport shuttles, generously sponsored by Townsend Energy, running between the park and the Museum from 8:45 AM to 5:15 PM. On-street parking on Hesperus Avenue is prohibited. On-site parking is reserved exclusively for guests with mobility needs and is not guaranteed.
This November, the Sawyer Free Library and Rockport Music are joining forces to celebrate the beauty, history, and enduring appeal of classical music through two special events centered around Bach’s Cello Suites.
Monday, November 10 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Sawyer Free Library, Community Room, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester Discover the timeless magic of the cello with acclaimed Haitian-American cellist Francesca McNeeley. In this engaging presentation, McNeeley will offer an intimate look into Bach’s Cello Suites—exploring their lasting influence, the expressive power of the instrument, and what it means to be a classical musician today. The program will blend live performance and conversation, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the art and spirit of the cello. Open to all. No registration required.
Friday, November 21 | 8:00 – 10:30 PM Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport Experience Yo-Yo Ma—Live from Symphony Hall, right here on Cape Ann! Rockport Music will simulcast this sold-out Boston performance of Bach’s Cello Suites live on the big screen at the stunning Shalin Liu Performance Center. Join friends and neighbors for this FREE community event celebrating the power of music to connect and inspire.
A limited block of 25 reserved seats is available for Sawyer Free Library patrons. Reserve your spot here.
Together, the Sawyer Free Library and Rockport Music invite you to share in this extraordinary celebration of music, creativity, and community—where timeless art and local partnership meet in harmony.
Cold Chocolate, a Boston-based duo that calls itself “a genre-bending Americana band,” makes its Cape Ann debut on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m., as part of the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation’s 10th Anniversary series of concerts, lectures, silent movies and more. The location is the landmark 1806 Meetinghouse that is Gloucester’s oldest standing church and the home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.
With Ethan Robbins on vocals, guitar and mandolin and Ariel Bernstein on vocals, percussion and banjo, Cold Chocolate fuses folk, funk and bluegrass and has released five albums. Simon Waxman of The Boston Review wrote that Cold Chocolate’s high energy and original music “sounds softer than the dew on the mountainside, harder than a Harley pushing back red dust, and sweeter than true love.”
With music for all ages, the band has shared bills with Leftover Salmon, David Grisman and Angelique Kidjo, and performed at festivals across the country. Tickets are available at the door and online with more information at: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org. General admission is $30, students $10, under age 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.
The Gloucester Rotary has published a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2026, featuring the photography of several local photographers. In addition to the beautiful photography, each calendar includes a raffle ticket for a $50 weekly raffle drawing throughout the year. The calendars are $25 each and proceeds from sales will be used for the Gloucester Rotary’s many community and international activities. Calendars may be purchased online at BankGloucester (160 Main St, Gloucester), the Weathervane (153 Main St, Gloucester), and at the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce (24 Harbor Loop, Gloucester) or from any Gloucester Rotarian.
It’s game day for the red-hot Pats! 🏈 🔥 Get in on the action with amazing GEF online auction items for every sports fan, from Patriots–Giants tickets (with parking!) to a signed Red Sox baseball, a women’s college hockey experience, and a 2026 season pass to North Shore Adventures. Don’t sit on the sidelines: place your bids today here. Every bid benefits the students and staff of the Gloucester Public Schools!
Cape Ann Community 