After a short pause, Sawyer Free Library‘s is excited to announce weekly STORYTIME with Christy is resuming at a new time and location – this Wednesday.
Join Christy for a morning of stories, songs, rhymes, bubbles and fun with friends this Wednesday, January 11 from 11:15am to 12 noon in Movement Arts Gloucester MA‘s beautiful space in downtown Gloucester.
During the construction phase of the Library, weekly Wednesdays Storytime for our youngest patrons and families will be held inside Brown’s Mall at MAGMA (Movement Arts Gloucester MA) located on the top floor of the Brown Building in Gloucester. Families and caregivers can enter at 186 Main Street and take the elevator to the 5th floor. Please note that the new time is 11:15am – 12noon, weekly on Wednesday.
Until construction begins, attendees are able to park in the Library’s parking lot, and walk over to Storytime via Pleasant Street. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.org or 978-515-6349.
For all other Sawyer Free Children’s Library services and activities please, visit 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester or sawyerfreelibrary.org.
What better place to trick or treat than at an old seaside castle? We have everything you need to ignite your child’s imagination: a drawbridge, spiral staircase, and a Great Hall We will have spooky music, multiple trick or treat stations inside the castle and bubbles, snacks, spooky stories and a craft at the 13th Century arches. You bring the scary costumes.
Timed Trick or Treat sessions will last approximately 15 minutes with five treat stations set up within the Castle starting on our drawbridge and leading into the Great Hall. The program will conclude with bubbles, a craft, spooky stories and snacks outside at the Arches.
*This ticket grants you access to the Trick Or Treat event. At the time of this event, the Museum will be closed to tours. If you wish to tour Hammond Castle Museum on the day of the ticketed event, Self-Guided Tour tickets may be purchased in the Museum Shop at a 20% discount. Last tours begin at 2pm. Proof of purchase of the Trick or Treat event will be required.
All proceeds from this program will support the restoration and preservation of the 13th century, French cloister archways which are located at the front of the museum. Reservations available at: bit.ly/3g5ZqBv
Join us this Sunday for a fun, STEM program at Hammond Castle Museum, the home of one of the nation’s greatest inventors of his time!
Check-in will begin at 12:30 and the program will begin at 1pm. *This program is geared to children in late elementary school and early middle school grades.
Inventing has changed a lot over the last century since our founder, John Hays Hammond Jr. began his illustrious career, but many of the fundamentals remain the same. Hammond Castle Museum is delighted to partner with the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in presenting a new event: Inventors Day.
The event is inspired by one of Hammond’s inventions: “Seleno,” the world’s first robotic dog, which was controlled by a beam of light. During this two hour-long STEM program, competitors will group into teams with the goal to construct their own light-controlled robot. Each team will be given a robot kit to assemble as well as additional components and electronics to modify and improve upon the core design. The teams will then compete in a series of scored challenges using their robots. Each member of the winning team will receive an award and special recognition across Hammond Castle Museum’s social media platforms as well as its website. Winners also may enjoy all the bragging rights they could want as they may consider themselves a member of the Museum’s exclusive list of inventors.
Reservations & Chaperone tickets are $10 each and available at: www.hammondcastle.org.
Join young Gloucester poet Willa Brosnihan to explore & enjoy poetry this Friday afternoon, August 26th at the Sawyer Free Library.
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. – For children entering grades 3 to 6 and younger. Write & read poems, try out rhyme, personification and haiku. Register here.
1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – For kids entering grades 6 to 12. Poets from various eras and movements will be explored. Writing in response to prompts and investigating the mechanics of poetry will be explored. Register here.
All workshops are free and open to all! If you have questions, contact: crosso@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
Community Concert with THREE libraries! Join Sawyer Free, Rockport & Manchester-by-the-Sea libraries at Masconomo Park in Manchester for a great family outdoor summer show! Lots of fun with TWO musical groups: Ants on a Log joins Bee Parks & the Hornets for this fun community event!
Saturday, July 30 at 11:00am! Open and free to all!
Rick Roth and the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team will bring their exciting presentation, SNAKES OF THE WORLD, to the Sawyer Free Library outdoor amphitheater on Saturday, July 23 from 11am -12pm.
Join Rick and his team as they introduce many snakes, large and small, and some local! You will have the opportunity to hold and handle the snakes or admire them while learning about the amazing creatures.
The event is free and open to all. In case of inclement weather, the presentation will be held in the Library’s Friends Room. Questions? Contact: jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5505.
Library kicks off summer reading fun with a family friendly concert on June 28at 11AM
The Sawyer Free Library (SFL) will officially be the hottest place to be this summer!
The Sawyer Free Library is excited to announce the launch of its annual “Summer at the Library,” offering free programs for all ages to entertain, spark, and encourage a lifelong love of reading and learning. From innovative reading challenges to ukulele lessons and shark week adventures to book discussions, author talks, and much more, there’s something for everyone. The summer fun kicks off on Tuesday, June 28 at 11:00 am with a family-friendly concert featuring Elijah T. Grasshopper’s Rainbow Dance Party in the Library’s outside amphitheater.
Family Concert at Library on Tuesday, June 28 at 11AM
The theme for this year’s annual summer reading challenge, “Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” encourages readers of all ages to explore new worlds and experiences in books that expand their imaginations. The Library’s innovative incentives and activities encourage kids and teens to stay active and read for fun and help them avoid the black hole that is the summer slide, when critical skills learned during the school year are lost over the summer.
“Learning for kids and teens goes on all year round at Sawyer Free Library, and we know how important free ways to keep learning through the summer are for families,” said Library DirectorJenny Benedict. “Summer is the perfect time for all ages to read, create, engage and have fun discovering new interests and exploring new topics. We hope all children and families make the Sawyer Free Library a regular stop this summer.”
To get started, young people and their families can pick up their “Welcome to Summer Reading Packets” Summer Reading and Activity Log at the Library, which has program information, the event calendar, activities, and fun summer treats. Children can stay on top of their summer reading with their “Read Beyond the Beaten Path” time-tracking reading logs. Then from June 28 to August 6, after reading for 500 minutes (or are read to), they win prizes, including tickets to the Topsfield Fair. People can register in person or online for the program.
Highlights of Summer at the Library programming for children include (with all details sawyerfreelibrary.org):
Learn to play campfire songs on the Ukulele with Julie Stepanek on July 5 and enjoy musical story time with Ruthanne Paulson on Friday, July 22, and August 19.
Move your body with Creative Movement in the Library’s Amphitheater on July 7 and be wowed by Jungle Jim’s Camp balloon magic on Wednesday, August 3.
Children can get an up-close look at exotic and native animals on zoom presented by Wildlife Encounters Ecology Center on Tuesday, July 12, and then learn about the snakes of the world with Rick Roth on Saturday, July 23.
Kids can get their hands dirty on select Thursday mornings with Backyard Growers while learning about gardening and planting in the Children’s Library garden.
And all are invited to a midsummer celebratory outside concert featuring the two bands, “Ants on a Log” and “Bee Parks and the Hornets,” in collaboration with Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Libraries, on Saturday, July 30.
SFL has big plans for middle school kids and teens this summer too. Students entering grades 6-12 are encouraged to track their Summer Reading on the custom form available on the Library’s website to qualify for weekly prize drawings and the grand prize drawing of two whale watch tickets, courtesy of Cape Ann Whale Watch. There is also a full summer schedule of weekly programs, including Stem-tastic Thursdays, Science Saturdays, Tween Nights, Gaming Club, Summer Reading Help, and much more.
Due to last year’s success, SFL is once again giving adults the chance to get in on the summer fun with Adult Book Bingo 2022. From now until September 1, 2022, those 18 and older can keep track of the books they read on the Library’s downloadable custom bingo card by writing the title and author in the matching square. Each completed horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line enters you into a raffle to win $25, $50, or $75 Cape Ann Gift Certificates. In addition to the programs the Library always offers adults—technology training, job search help, author talks, etc.—there will also be summer-themed special programs available.
Thanks to the generous support of the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and the Gloucester Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, program participation is free. Registration is now open for all children, teens, and adult programs.
Sawyer Free Library’s summer operating hours beginning on June 18, will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8am to 6pm, Thursday 10am to 7pm, Friday 10am to 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 1pm and 24/7 at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
For more information about the “Summer at the Sawyer Free Library” and to register for programs, visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
This Saturday, June 25, from 10:00am to 12:00pm drop into the Sawyer Free Library’s Children’s Servicesand make your own mini STEM Sail Boat in celebration of Fiesta Weekend!
No registration required. While Supplies Last. For questions, call 978-325-5505, email mhall@sawyerfreelibrary.org or visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester.
Cape Ann Community 