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.

MUSIC ON MEETINGHOUSE GREEN PRESENTS JIM ‘N’ TONIC ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 29th

Our non-profit receiving free-will donations for the evening will be HAWC, Healing Abuse/Working for Change, which provides an essential lifeline of safety and support to women and children at risk from domestic abuse, related injustice and economic peril.  Please consider giving generously when the donation box goes around! Meat & Sweet will be the food service for the evening serving up delicious and savory smoked meats and baked goods for all to enjoy!

What Time is it, Mr. Fox?’ August 22nd at 6:00pm

Hye Fusion on Meetinghouse Green on August 15th!

On August 15, Hye Fusion will return to perform on the stage overlooking Meetinghouse Green in front of the UU Church.  Hye Fusion is a trio of classically trained musicians blending Western jazz favorites with the irresistible rhythms and melodies of their Middle Eastern backgrounds for a thrilling evening of East-meets-West fusion. Get ready for an unforgettable evening as these three virtuoso musicians take you on a unique musical journey that will get you up and line-dancing in a flash!

This evenings non-profit will be the Grace Center. The Grace Center offers essential services to those in need of a safe environment providing meals, case management, and referrals to partner agencies for behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, medical care, job training, and housing. Founded on principles of acceptance, hospitality, and opportunity, it serves as a day resource center that connects individuals to the support they need to thrive in the community.  Crepes Du Jour will be our food vendor for the evening offering delicious sweet and savory crepes! Don’t forget to bring your folding chair to enjoy the music from the green! 

Music on Meetinghouse Green presents, Willie ‘Loco’ Alexander on Friday August 8th

Please join us on Friday, August 8th in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church 50 Middle Street for Gloucester’s Willie ‘Loco’ Alexander as he shares his legendary talent as a singer, songwriter and keyboardist. With his roots in Boston’s punk rock scene of the 70’s and 80’s, Willie’s musical career has flourished for more than 50 years. Whether as a band member with the Lost, Bagatelle, Grass Menagerie and the post-Lou Reed Velvet Underground, or as front man for his own series of bands, Willie’s enduring popularity is a reflection of his unique musical voice and artistic vision. A true artist, Willie has expanded his work to other mediums including soundtracks for local filmmaker Henry Ferrini, collage and painting.

The non-profit for this event is The Open Door, who works directly in the Cape Ann community and who alleviates the impact of hunger in our community by connecting people to good food, advocating on behalf of those in need, and engaging others in the work of building food security.    Our food vendor for the night will be the Lobster Roller, serving up delicious lobster rolls and seafood for all to enjoy.