Middle Street Walk

Middle Street Walk: Events at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Middle Street Walk
Saturday, December 13 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM
Sawyer Free Library · 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA

Celebrate the 27th annual Middle Street Walk, a beloved Gloucester holiday tradition where “the past is present!” Enjoy a festive day filled with music, art, community events, and FREE horse-drawn wagon rides along historic Middle Street. The Sawyer Free Library is excited to be part of the celebration with special programs for all ages.

Festivities at the Sawyer Free Library

10:30–11:30 AM — Holiday Music & Card Making for Kids
Drop in for cheerful music and hands-on card-making fun — perfect for children and families.

12:00–2:00 PM — Walker Creek Saxophone Quartet Performance
Enjoy a live performance from this talented saxophone quartet, filling the Library with seasonal favorites and jazzy flair.

1:00–4:00 PM — Tours of the Saunders House Historic WPA Murals
Professional conservator Lisa Mehlin will lead 15-minute guided tours of the newly restored WPA murals in the historic Saunders House. Learn about their remarkable history and the intricate conservation process. Registration required at SawyerFreeLibrary.org.

1:00–1:30 PM — Gingerbread Creation Contest Winner Announcement
Join members of the Middle Street Walk Committee — including Barbara Catalini of Cakes by Barbara — in the Children’s Room as they announce the winners of the 2025 Gingerbread Creation Contest. All gingerbread entries will be on display!

More details on Middle Street Walk festivities city-wide will be shared soon. We hope you’ll join us for this magical Gloucester tradition!

Sawyer Free Library Receives $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant for new Digital Learning Lab

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $50,000 Hometown Grant from T-Mobile. This generous grant will support the creation of the Digital Learning Lab, a cornerstone of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library transformation. The future focused space is designed to bridge the digital divide and equip the community with essential 21st-century skills.

The community is invited to join the celebration during the Middle Street Walk festivities. A ceremonial check presentation will be held on Saturday, December 14, at 12:00 p.m. in Kyrouz Auditorium immediately following The Cape Ann Big Band’s performance. All are welcome to attend!

T-Mobile’s Hometown Grant program is part of the company’s commitment to investing up to $25 million by 2026 in small towns and territories across America. These grants aim to create lasting impacts by supporting community-focused projects like Gloucester’s Digital Learning Lab.

Thanks to T-Mobile ‘s investment in Gloucester, the Sawyer Free Library is poised to continue serving as a beacon of learning and empowerment, ensuring all members of our community have access to the tools they need to succeed in our rapidly evolving world. The Library’s new Digital Learning Lab will offer:

  • Two audio recording studios
  • Four digital media creation, digitization, and collaborative workstations
  • A 12-seat classroom with an interactive teaching display

Spanning 800 square feet located on the ground floor, the Lab will be fully accessible, climate-controlled, and equipped with high-speed broadband internet and advanced technology. It is designed to support a wide range of users, from workforce development participants to budding entrepreneurs and independent innovators.

As part of the larger 2025 Sawyer Free Library renovation and expansion project, the Digital Learning Lab underscores the Library’s commitment to fostering a vibrant, inclusive learning environment for Gloucester’s residents.

Come one and come all this Saturday at City Hall at 12 noon and help us thank T-Mobile for their tremendous support of our incredible city!

Sign up today for a tour of the Sawyer Free Library’s historic WPA Murals on Saturday, December 11!

~ Sawyer Free Library

As a part of the Middle Street Walk festivities, this Saturday, December 11th, professional Conservator, Lisa Mehlin, will be leading 15-minute tours of the Saunders House’s historic WPA Murals that are currently being restored at the Sawyer Free Library.  She will speak to both their history and the conservation process.

Registration for a time slot is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org

The grand murals located in the Saunders House, completed in 1934 by Fredrick L. Stoddard and Howard Curtis as a part of the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration, are currently being restored by the Sawyer Free Library. Titled “Scenes of the Region,” the murals depict maritime culture against a backdrop of the agrarian life that supported the early settlement of Gloucester, capturing the activity of the busy working harbor with views of the distant rocky shoreline, the city, Rocky Neck, Ten Pound Island and also a simplified representation of Dogtown Common and old “Whale’s Jaw.”  

Learn more about the murals from conservator Lisa Mehlin. Fifteen-minute tours will be available from 10:00-12:00 pm.  Registration for a time slot is required at sawyefreelibrary.org.

Enter the Sawyer Free Library’s Historic Gloucester Gingerbread House Contest part of the 2021 Middle Street Walk Festivities on Sat 12/11

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is excited to be hosting the 2021 Middle Street Walk Gingerbread Contest on Saturday, December 11.  All gingerbread houses are welcome, but this year the Library is offering a special “Samuel Sawyer Award” for the best gingerbread creation representation of a historic Gloucester building. Top prizes for the Historic Gloucester Gingerbread Houses include $100 and $50 Cape Ann Chamber Gift Certificates.  All Middle Street Walk Gingerbread House entries will be displayed at the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue throughout the day.  Open to all ages, for more information including contest rules and to register, go to sawyerfreelibrary.org

Enter Historic Gloucester Gingerbread Contest at Library

As a part of the Middle Street Walk festivities, the Library will also have activities for all ages throughout the day celebrating the theme “Where the Past is the Present.” To follow are the highlights:

An exhibition of “Then and Now” photographs of Middle Street, including some buildings that are standing today. Archival photographs from Cape Ann Museum are juxtaposed with current photos of identical spots on Middle Street. Illustrating the side-by-side pictures will be a short description of the history of specific buildings with highlights including St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church, American Legion, Saunders House, and 57 & 87 Middle Street.  

Tours of the historic Saunders House WPA Murals with restorationist, Lisa Mehlin. The grand murals completed in 1934 by Fredrick L. Stoddard and Howard Curtis as a part of the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration are currently being restored by the Library. Titled “Scenes of the Region,” the murals depict maritime culture against a backdrop of the agrarian life that supported the early settlement of Gloucester. Learn more about the murals and their restoration process from conservator Lisa Mehlin. Fifteen-minute tours will be available from 10:00-12:00 pm.  Registration is required. Register HERE.

From 10:30am -12:30pm Jazz Guitarist Steve Lacey will be playing jazz standards from the early 20th century to accompany the historic exhibits at Middle Street Walk.

The Children’s Library will host children, their families, and caregivers at 10 am for a morning of fun with craft-making inspired by nature.  Then at 12noon, all are invited to join a special presentation of Curious Creatures, an engaging introduction to live and exotic animals from around the world where you can learn about the animals, their habitats, biodiversity, and conservation.  Both events are open to children of all ages.  

All Sawyer Free Library Middle Street Walk activities are free and open to the public to enjoy. The Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester and will be open from 10 am – 5 pm.  For more information and to register, go to sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.

Historic Gloucester Gingerbread House Contest registration now open!

~ Sawyer Free Library

REGISTER HERE to enter into the Historic Gloucester Gingerbread House contest at the Sawyer Free Library as a part of the MIDDLE STREET WALK on Saturday, December 11th!

Recreate your favorite Gloucester building with gingerbread, frosting, candy and all things delicious!

Entries will be on display for all to see at the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue for the Middle Street Walk!

Top prizes will be presented by the Library for best historic Gloucester gingerbread creation!

  • First prize  $100 Cape Ann Chamber Gift Certificate
  • Second prize $50 Cape Ann Chamber Gift Certificate

Open to all ages. For more information and to register go to sawyerfreelibrary.org

Register Today