What to do with all that Halloween Candy?!
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October 13 Meeting of the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club
Our 8:00 Friday October 13 GAAC meeting, at the Lanesville Community Center, will feature a wide-ranging talk by UMass Lowell Physics Professor Supriya Chakrabarti, director of the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology.
Professor Chakrabarti, who’s made a career of explaining science, will review a series of UMass Lowell astrophysics and space science research projects, including the development, with student participation, of new instruments that are used with ground, balloon, and space-based platforms (including the Hubble), and MASTS, a “one-stop support system for innovators working on small spacecraft,” with partners from academia, industry and government.
We hope you can join us at 8:00 pm on October 13 at the Lanesville Community Center. There’s plenty of free parking, and there is no cost. This promises to be a really fun night, with an accessible, varied program on current science, great snacks, great conversation, and friends old and new. If skies are clear, you’ll get a chance to view Saturn and (possibly) Jupiter after the meeting.
With more rainy weather expected tomorrow, we have postponed tomorrow’s Return to the Renaissance.
Join us next Saturday, 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! All reservations will be honored at the original times.
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.
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!
Public Survey: What vegetable gardening workshops and learning opportunities do you want Backyard Growers to provide in 2024?
Each year, Backyard Growers provides programming to teach Cape Ann residents vegetable gardening, cooking, and food preservation skills, in addition to creating opportunities for neighbors to connect and learn from each other.
We want YOU to tell us what workshops you’d be interested in for the 2024 growing season so we can create a community calendar for all.
Complete the survey here by Tuesday, October 10. Share your questions at community@backyardgrowers.org or 978-281-0480.
A Celebration of Place: Cultural Heritage Festival THIS WEEKEND!
Free to the public and hosted at Stage Fort Park, this 2-day extravaganza will showcase the rich and diverse cultural history of Gloucester. The weekend’s festivities will include performances from local singer-songwriters, cultural dance performances, including those by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers, a collaborative community art project, and booths representative of our cultural communities.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 7
10:00am: History of New England Desserts with Tammy Donroe Inman
11:00am: Gloucester 400+ Music Sessions
Peter and Audi Souza (Sea Shanties, Gloucester 400+ Folk Volume One )
Michael O’Leary (Celtic Sessions, Gloucester 400+ Folk Volume One)
Paul (Sasquatch Smokehouse) Cohan “Wrapped in the Arms of Gloucester”
1:00pm: Two, one-act plays, written and produced by Debbie Weiss
First Light at Ten Pound Island
Remembering Good Harbor Beach
2:00pm: Revontulet Finnish Dancers and Oivan Ilo Finnish Band
3:00pm: Kyle Ann Carey – Traditional Celtic Music
4:00pm: Gloucester 400+ Music Sessions
Hayley Reardon (Winner of Gloucester 400+ Songwriter Challenge)
Corey Wrinn (Folk Rock, Gloucester 400 Folk Volume One)
Sunday, October 8
11:00am: Gloucester 400+ Music Sessions
Bill Gleason (Acoustic 12 String Blues, Gloucester 400 Folk Volume One)
Sheila and Ron Schrank (Folk Rock, Gloucester 400 Folk Volume One)
12:00pm: Children’s Scandinavian / Nordic Dancers
12:30pm: Mandingueiros dos Palmares (MdP) Brazilian Capoeira
1:00pm: Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers
3:00pm: Gloucester 400+ Music Sessions
ToniAnn Enes (Singer-Songwriter, Gloucester 400 Folk Volume One)
Kitt Cox (Folk, Gloucester 400 Folk Volume One)
Allen Estes (Country, Composer of the official song of Gloucester “Howard Blackburn”)
ACTIVITY & DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 7
all day
Community Art Project
Interconnections Brazil-Africa / Portugal – New England
Wellspring’s Cape Ann Immigrants
Sicilian Cultural Display
2:00 – 5:00pm: Indigenous Crafts (Clay bead making and Traditional Instrument demos)
2:00 – 5:00pm: Pick Up Soccer Tournament hosted by GHS Girls Soccer
announcing soon: Elianara Raquel, Brazilian Muralist
Sunday, October 8
all day
Community Art Project
Interconnections Brazil-Africa / Portugal – New England
Wellspring’s Cape Ann Immigrants
Sicilian Cultural Display
11:00am – 1:00pm Indigenous Crafts (Wampum Beads demo & Corn Husk Doll Making)
11:00am – 3:00pm: Wampanoag Artifacts Presentations
2:00 – 5:00pm Pick Up Soccer Tournament hosted by GHS Boys Soccer
3:00 – 4:00pm Indigenous Crafts (Deerskin Keychain making and Traditional Instrument demos)
announcing soon: Elianara Raquel, Brazilian Muralist
WEEKEND FOOD VENDORS:
Meat & Sweet Foods: Jewish Brisket Sandwiches & New England (Essex) Grapenut Pudding
Wampum Sisters Indigenous Tacos
Nana’s Portuguese Fried Dough
… and more!
Harvest Home Sip & Shop at Second Glance
Second Glance is holding a special Harvest Home Sip & Shop event THIS SATURDAY.
On Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., shop a selection of high-quality, curated furniture at Second Glance (2 Pond Road, Gloucester MA).
A selection of complimentary coffee, cider, popcorn, and fruit from The Open Door Farmers Truck will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Thank you! As a program of The Open Door, revenue at Second Glance helps fuel hunger-relief programs that serve local people. Learn more at FOODPANTRY.org
Silent Auction Open to All for Bidding
The Silent Auction portion of the 36th Annual Love Greater Cape Ann Fundraising Auction is now open to ALL! Simply go to https://onecau.se/lovegca to register and start bidding! Bidding will be open until 6:55 PM on Thursday, September 28.
You do not need to be at the Live Auction event to bid on and win Silent Auction items!
Check out all the great Silent Auction items at https://onecau.se/lovegca. There are some sweet deals to be had! You can also set your maximum bid for any item to give yourself a better chance of coming out on top! Bid today!! Bid often!!
G400+ FREE SCREENING: The Perfect Storm, Then & Now – Sponsored by Gloucester Cinema
Enjoy a FREE SCREENING of The Perfect Storm, thanks to our sponsor Gloucester Cinema on
Thursday, September 28th at 6:00pm!
Before the movie, the Gloucester400+ is proud to present a special project produced by our friend, Tim Grafft. Tim Grafft, the former Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Film Office, worked on The Perfect Storm in 1999. He recently shot footage of the Gloucester locations used in the film to show how they look today in a short tribute movie.
TICKETS FOR THIS SCREENING ARE FREE AND FIRST COME FIRST SERVE AT GLOUCESTER CINEMA!
Groundbreaking Celebration for 2025 Sawyer Free Library this Friday, September 29
The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to announce the highly anticipated groundbreaking celebration for its historic renovation, modernization, and expansion project, a momentous event marking the commencement of an ambitious project that will transform the heart of the community.
The 2025 Sawyer Free Library groundbreaking celebration will occur on Friday, September 29, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester, taking place rain or shine in the tented parking lot.
The community is invited to attend this exciting local history-making event as we symbolically break ground and set the foundation for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library. All ages are welcome. The festive afternoon will include a speaking program with local elected officials and Library leaders, the first ceremonial shovel hitting the ground, and refreshments and music for everyone to enjoy.
“I am truly excited about this groundbreaking and what it means for our community. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will be an asset for every resident of Gloucester and beyond,” said Mayor Greg Verga. “This is a fantastic way to round out our 400th anniversary as we look forward to the next century. “
“For nearly a decade, the Sawyer Free Library has been planning to transform our historic facility into a reimagined space that better meets the community’s needs. Now as we prepare to officially break ground on this wonderful public project, you can feel the excitement,” said Mern Sibley, president of the Library’s Board of Trustees. “The Sawyer Free Library 2025 will be a source of pride worthy of our heritage and future – reflecting the essence of the city and where technology, community engagement, and a commitment to learning come together.” Adding, “We are grateful for the tremendous engagement, support, and investment from everyone who have helped us reach this historic milestone and continue to work with us to bring the City of Gloucester the 21st-century Library it so needs and deserves.”
“We are so proud to reach this milestone, celebrate the kick off of this transformative project with our community and begin the next chapter of the Sawyer Free Library’s history,” said Jenny Benedict, the Library’s Director. “The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will be a welcoming and comfortable community space for all people to connect with our community’s storied past, enrich their current lives and feel empowered to face an ever-changing future. Its new community spaces amplify opportunities for involving people, as we have for more than 140 years, in public forums that foster a spirit of community and participation.”
“Sawyer Free Library is one of Cape Ann’s treasured gems, and this groundbreaking represents both a monumental milestone and a cause for celebration,” said John Brennan, president of the Sawyer Library Foundation. “But this community’s work isn’t done. The philanthropic capital campaign is still $11 million dollars away from fully funding this project, so anyone who is able should do their best to contribute whatever they can to help remake our beloved institution.”
The visionary design, created collaboratively by a team comprised of Oudens Ello Architecture and Dore + Whittier Architecture, Construction Management Firm W.T. Rich and Library project leaders, along with the vital input of the citizens of Gloucester, integrates three distinct structures with complete interior renovations of the Library’s existing 1976 and 1913 buildings and a new 14,000 sq. ft. addition. The architecture of the Library will seamlessly blend the old and the new, creating a structure that harmoniously combines tradition with innovation.
As a LEED Gold building with advanced sustainability features, the 2025 Sawyer Free Library will also serve as a leading example of actions that can be taken in designing and operating a building to protect climate and nature based on design principles that put people first. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library is the first of its kind on Cape Ann–a next generation public building with an all-electric heating and cooling system powered by renewable clean energy generated onsite. The renovated and expanded Library will optimize natural resources and light, ensure excellent air quality, prioritize public safety, and promote accessibility for all community members.
The 2025 Sawyer Free Library will offer current and emerging public technology, diverse collections, engaging programs, and new dedicated spaces for collaboration, learning, and relaxation. It will feature a digital maker space, audio and video recording studios, a 100-seat community room with state-of-the-science media presentation equipment, a research center for Gloucester history, a dedicated teen room, a beautiful expanded children’s room with an early literacy center for toddlers, study rooms for individual and group study, a 16-seat conference room, and much more. With its modern and sustainable design, the Library will provide an inspiring environment for library patrons, staff, the community, and beyond.
The Sawyer Free Library is committed to securing the funds for the $29 million transformational project and, to date, has over $17.5 million committed, including approximately $10.3 million in grants from the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Project (MPLCP) and Green Library Incentives. The Sawyer Library Foundation will continue to seek funding through individual and corporate donors, federal, state, and municipal government grants, and nonprofit foundations. To learn how you can donate or get involved, visit www.sawyerfree2025.org.
The 2025 Sawyer Free will be constructed by W.T. Rich Company of Beverly, MA. Scheduled to begin in mid-October, the project is expected to take eighteen months and be completed in mid 2025. The Library is currently operating at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.
For more information about the 2025 Sawyer Free Library project and the groundbreaking ceremony, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978.325.5500.
The Sawyer Free 2025 campaign is grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community but we still need the community’s help. To learn how you can be a part of making the new Sawyer Free Library a reality, visit www.sawyerfree2025.org.
G400+ Indigenous Heritage Film Festival
The Indigenous Heritage Film Festival is a week-long celebration of the Indigenous history and cultural contributions of Cape Ann’s earliest inhabitants. Indigenous Peoples have lived here since the last ice age – approximately 10,000 years ago! While much of the evidence of their lives has been lost, descendants and artifacts remain to tell stories with ageless voices that will carry on long into the future.
This event will be an inclusive educational film festival that honors Indigenous Peoples’ experiences and contributions on and beyond Cape Ann as part of the Gloucester 400+ celebration. We hope this festival engages, entertains and educates attendees of all ages.
FULL SCHEDULE HERE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tpug4ZghQQQ2AfcCYLZx09ctYk8upd-Qk3YyRPmUVXE/edit
Cape Ann Community 