Find out at the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, April 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM!
Local tweens and teens are invited to design and plant their very own mini garden with the help of Backyard Growers. All materials will be provided—including everything you need to start growing your own garden at home.
This special event will be held at Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main Street, Gloucester.
Open to students in grades 6–12 (ages 11–19). Space is limited, so registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Want to help feed local people this summer? The Open Door Empty Bowl Enchanted Forest and Online Artists’ Bowls Auction, which benefit summer hunger-relief programs, offer a way for anyone to donate or volunteer.
Empty Bowl Enchanted Forest will be held on Thursday, May 1 from 4-7 p.m. at Cruiseport Gloucester. Pay-what-you-can tickets and the Online Artists Bowls Auction are available at FOODPANTRY.org.
With inflation and looming cuts to social services agencies, the fundraiser comes at a critical moment for food security.
“As we prepare for significant cuts to the federal safety net, more children are at risk of going hungry, especially during the months they are not in school,” said Julie LaFontaine, President and CEO. “We invite the community to join us for an event to remember what we hold in common and to raise critical funds for our summer programs including Summer Meals, Mobile Market, and Food Pantries.”
The Greater Boston Food Bank estimates that, without state intervention, proposed federal cuts and changes to SNAP, TEFAP (USDA), and school meals will lead to a 77% increase in demand at local food pantries like The Open Door.
Last year, The Open Door distributed 2.35 million pounds of food to 11,893 people through its Food Pantries. The nonprofit met a 30% increase in requests for food assistance in 2024, through 100,774 visits.
The Open Door distributed more than 18,000 breakfast and lunch meals to local children during the summer of 2024. The nonprofit also distributed more than 169,000 pounds of food through its Mobile Market.
Attendees of Empty Bowl Enchanted Forest will choose a bowl hand-painted by a member of the community, soup to-go, cookie, roll, fruit, and water. A soup tasting will also allow participants to try a handful of soups prepared by The Open Door kitchen. Additional soups will be available to-go by a handful of local restaurants, caterers, and eateries.
The artists’ bowls will be available to view at Empty Bowl Enchanted Forest, and a select few are featured at Cape Ann Savings Bank on Main Street in Gloucester leading up to the event. The online artists’ bowls auction features bowls painted by numerous, talented local artists.
Looking for something fun and educational to do with the kids? Bring them to Hammond Castle Museum for free self-guided tours on Thursday and Friday! All children enjoy FREE ADMISSION, and that includes access to our featured fine art exhibit: Eric Pape: The Fair God.
Explore the Museum’s incredible architecture, marvel at centuries-old stone and wooden artifacts, and get inspired by the stunning works of one of America’s great illustrators and painters.
Free admission for all kids ages 12 & under.
Self-guided exploration of the Museum
Access to ‘Eric Pape: The Fair God’ exhibit
Free-on-site parking
Reserve your tickets ahead of your visit at: bit.ly/HCMTickets or register upon your arrival in the Museum Shop.
Looking for a unique and engaging summer program for middle or high school students? GMGI’s Summer STEM programming is now accepting registrations!
Our Summer STEM programs are one-week courses designed to provide students with the opportunity to experience hands-on science in a biotechnology laboratory.
Held in Gloucester Biotechnology’s state-of-the-art teaching labs at Blackburn Center, students are immersed in authentic laboratory investigations and use cutting-edge biotechnology equipment, the scientific method, and critical thinking to analyze samples and make data-driven conclusions.
The course is taught by Academy staff and does not require any previous science or lab experience. Each student will have ample guidance and support in these real-world investigations. All students ages 13 to 18 are welcome to apply!
Step into the pawprints of local predators—think coyotes, fisher cats, and bobcats—in this wild and wildly fun outdoor adventure with Kestrel Educational Adventures and Sawyer Free Library on Friday, April 11 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester – meet at the gazebo!
Designed for curious minds in grades 6–12 (that’s ages 11–19), this hands-on program brings the science of predator ecology to life through games, crafts, and energetic discussions. You’ll track, play, and learn your way through the habits and habitats of some of New England’s most elusive carnivores.
Whether you’re a future wildlife biologist, a nature lover, or just ready to get outside and do something cool, this event is your ticket to adventure.
The program will take place at Stage Fort Park located at 24 Hough Avenue in Gloucester.
No experience necessary—just bring your sense of curiosity and maybe a friend or two! Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact: anakoneczny@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Join us for our third annual Eric Pape fine art exhibit, featuring works previously unseen since the artist’s death in 1938.
Including Newly Restored Chapter Initials for Lew Wallace’s’The Fair God’ from Pape’s Locked Studio in Annisquam!
Join us as we kick off our 2025 season with this extraordinary exhibit of works rarely seen by one of Boston and Cape Ann’s golden age illustrators and painters.
At the time of the exhibit, it is expected to be the largest collection of Pape’s artworks on public display anywhere in the world, many of which haven’t been publicly seen in nearly a century. The artwork is primarily on loan from the private collection of avid Pape collector and biographer Dr. Gregory Conn, the world’s leading expert on the 20th-century artist.
This year’s exhibition came together serendipitously when Thomas Meeks, curator of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum in Indiana, engaged Dr. Conn for verification of several original illustrations from Wallace’s 1873 publication “The Fair God.” These artworks were in Pape’s famed Annisquam “Locked Studio” and had remained in the condition in which they were when the studio was reopened in the late 1980s. This past winter, Dr. Conn sponsored their subsequent restoration, conservation, and re-framing. This exhibit marks their public debut since the restorations, which coincides with Dr. Conn’s newest book, a hardcover, bound catalog of this exhibition, which is, named after Pape’s most renowned illustrated deluxe edition of Wallace’s novels.
In addition, an important early fine art painting from Pape’s 1890 trip to Egypt will be on loan from a private collector, “The Last Soldier,” a painting of the Sphinx by moonlight The remaining works chosen for this exhibition include, but are not limited to oil copies of several famous large-scale pastel portraits by Pape, which are displayed in Dr. Conn’s private collection. Since the works of art remain in their original, unfixed state, they are unsuitable for international transit and exhibition. Alberto Romero, a popular sculptor in Spain who created the exhibition’s central portrait of Eric Pape contributes five modern portraits, also on loan from Dr. Conn’s private collection. Romero´s work has received widespread attention both in Spain and in Central America and can be found in many noted collections.
Additionally, attendees can view the three Pape paintings on permanent display in their respective galleries within the Museum, including Pape’s sole surviving mural, “The Wireless Naval Battle of Gloucester Bay.”
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents Miranda Aisling in concert on April 5th in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church
Local interdisciplinary artist Miranda Aisling (ash-lean) will perform a folk concert at the Gloucester Meetinghouse on Saturday, April 5th at 7:30pm. Aisling will be joined by musicians Matt Lefebvre on bass and Phil Benjamin on guitar, adding rich layers to her evocative folk sound.
Aisling’s original folk songs blend frank vulnerability with insightful social commentary. A classically trained pianist who shifted from Bach to the Indigo Girls, she brings the lively spirit of a folk festival to her performances, engaging audiences with a mix of sung and spoken storytelling.
Since moving to Gloucester in 2019, Aisling has performed to enthusiastic full houses at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center, the Manship Artists Retreat, and MAGMA (Movement Arts, Gloucester, MA). As a member of the Treehouse Charlatans, she has performed at the Lanesville Music Festival, the Cape Ann Museum, and Art in the Barn.
The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church is located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). Parking is available on the green. The admission for the event is $20 General, $5 Students (all ages), under 12 free. An elevator is available from the side door at 10 Church Street. For advance ticket purchases and more information please visit: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org
ABOUT THE GMF: The mission of the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is to preserve the historic 1806 Meetinghouse, home of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, as a civic hub, entertainment venue and community gathering center. The GMF is a 501(c)(3) corporation modeled on a similar nonprofit that preserves Boston’s famous Old North Church.
Four Libraries to host Community-Wide Celebration of Earth Day
As the world gets ready to celebrate Earth Day 2025, Cape Ann’s public libraries are joining forces to inspire environmental action and education. This year, four public libraries of Cape Ann—Gloucester,Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Essex – are proud to present bestselling author Sy Montgomery and renowned wildlife illustrator Matt Patterson for a special event exploring the wonders of turtles and the natural world.
On Saturday, April 19, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm, the libraries will welcome Montgomery and Patterson to the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA, for an engaging discussion of their acclaimed book, Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell. The event will feature a 60-minute presentation, followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Attendees can submit questions in advance through their library’s website.
This free event offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from two of the most passionate voices in nature writing and wildlife illustration. Tickets are available online through each participating library’s website—space is limited.
“A library is a portal not just to our own world, but to worlds unknown–worlds that have never been–worlds of imagination. A library holds the keys to every kingdom. And just think: all of us can step through this magical door right in our own neighborhood! For me, the library is an entryway, a refuge, a space rocket. Libraries show us we can dream anything, do anything, be anything. They are more essential today than ever before,” shares author Sy Montgomery about the importance of public libraries.
Cape Ann’s libraries are thrilled to bring this Earth Day program to the community as part of their ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental education. Montgomery and Patterson will share their experiences working with injured turtles, discuss their creative collaboration, and inspire audiences to see the world—and its wildlife—through a fresh, more compassionate lens.
As coastal communities, Cape Ann’s libraries recognize the critical importance of protecting the environment for future generations. With this special event, the libraries hope to encourage people of all ages to deepen their connection to nature and take meaningful action. In addition, each Cape Ann library will offer a variety of Earth Day programs throughout March and April, encouraging individuals of all ages to take meaningful steps to protect our environment – because every day is Earth Day.
Sy Montgomery is an internationally acclaimed author and naturalist, celebrated for her remarkable ability to bring the lives of animals and their ecosystems to readers of all ages. She has written over 30 books, including the National Book Award finalist The Soul of an Octopus, and has traveled the world researching rare and extraordinary creatures. Her latest work, Of Time and Turtles, explores the resilience and wonder of these ancient beings while offering profound insights into the mysteries of time itself.
Matt Patterson is an award-winning wildlife illustrator whose detailed, captivating artwork brings the beauty of nature to life. His illustrations in The Book of Turtles, a Robert F. Sibert Honor Award recipient, showcase the stunning diversity of turtles and highlight their crucial role in ecosystems worldwide.
The community is invited to celebrate Earth Day with an unforgettable conversation about wildlife, conservation, and the timeless lessons turtles can teach us. This special program is made possible through the collaborative efforts of Cape Ann’s public libraries —Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Essex – and their shared commitment to fostering a love of nature, literature, and lifelong learning.
For those interested, Susie’s Stories in Rockport will be offering to purchase signed copies of Sy Montgomery’s book Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell through their website.
BOWL TO BUILD SCHOOL GARDENS with us at Cape Ann Lanes
Join Backyard Growers for family fun at Cape Ann Lanes to support all eight Backyard Growers-managed school gardens in Gloucester this spring. We’ll be planting fresh spring crops with 2,000 students in March and April to harvest together in June, and enjoy in cafeteria taste tests.
Your ticket will include all-you-can-bowl for two hours and exciting raffle prizes. Make sure you enjoy the on-site arcade and in-house brew pub. We’ll be collabing with Laneside Pub to create a special Backyard Growers brew for the event.
Hoping to grow your own food in a small or unusual space this year? Join our Container Gardening Workshop and work with us to plan a veggie garden using a range of containers. You don’t need a traditional garden bed to have a bountiful harvest!
Container Gardening Workshop
March 29 OR May 10, 9:30-11am — pick the session that works best for you
Backyard Growers HQ @ 103R Maplewood Ave
Free for Backyard Growers program participants. $20 general admission. Proceeds from our spring gardneing workshops are essential to support our work throughout the year connecting communities with equitable access to the resources, knowledge, and space to grow their own food.
Free admission for all kids ages 12 & under.
BOWL TO BUILD SCHOOL GARDENS with us at Cape Ann Lanes 
Sunday, March 30, 4-6pm
Cape Ann Lanes, Gloucester
Learn more & reserve your lane: 
Container Gardening Workshop
March 29 OR May 10, 9:30-11am — pick the session that works best for you
Cape Ann Community 