Several nights ago I popped by Gloucester’s magnificent Lobster Trap Tree. Not only were a dozen or so people there taking snapshots and family photos, but the crescent Moon was rising through the tree’s star topper! The Moon and star combination only lasted a few brief moments as a haze began to form around the Moon.
Most of us that reside on Cape Ann know of Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree, but just in case not, this original-to-Gloucester tree makes a splendid setting for holiday snapshots. The tree is constructed of donated lobster traps and what makes ours especially, especially beautiful is that the buoys adorning the tree are all hand painted by kids at Art Haven.
Charlotte finding the buoy she painted – Liv photo
Another wonderfully unique feature of the tree is that you can walk through and take photos from the inside looking up. Local resident Shawn Henry designed and installed the lights so that the arrangement is equally as beautiful from the outside as it is from the inside.
Next time you are thinking about holiday photos, think Gloucester’s Lobster Trap Tree. Every time while visiting the tree we meet people from all around the north shore region who are either there purposefully or just happened upon the tree. There is always much ooouuuing and aawwwing to be heard; people just love our tree. Not only for family snapshots, one time while I was there taking photos, a wedding party stopped by! 
Gloucester’ Lobster trap Tree is located at the plaza next to the Gloucester police station at 197 Main Street.
Photos at the Lobster Trap Tree is a family tradition – Charlotte at one and a half <3
The Lobster Trap Tree lighting is Saturday, December 10th, at 4:30!
Please join Art Haven for their holiday open house for the Lobster Trap Tree lighting on Saturday (12/10) from 4-5:30.
Art Haven is filled to the brim with buoys and they can’t wait to hang them up!
Cape Ann’s beautiful Lobster Trap Tree is ready for lights! Super excited to write that this year, David Brooks and friends have created the magical walk-through style tree. The past few years, because of Covid, the tree was fantastic but we weren’t able to enter, look up, and experience the starry wonderment of being surrounded by the holiday lights..
Buoy painting is full underway. As usual, the event is tremendously well organized. Charlotte had a grand time painting her buoy with Christmas trees and rainbows. So many thanks to Traci and the Cape Ann Art Haven staff for providing a meaningful and fun holiday event for all the local kids. There is no charge although, if able, parents are asked to make a donation when it’s time to pick up the buoys.
LOBSTER TRAP TREE LIGHTING, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11TH AT 4:30pm, with live music and caroling!
Shawn Henry adding the lights 2021
The Lobster Trap Tree looks extra splendid in fresh fallen snow!
Please share your Lobster Trap Tree photos by tagging @lobstertraptree on Facebook. Our fun funky tree has a way of lifting people’s spirits and the community would love to see your snapshots. Thank you!
If you are not on Facebook, feel free to email your photos to me at kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com and I will post them for you.
Love this new rocking Christmas song by Telamor!
With thanks to David Brooks, Shawn Henry, Three Lanterns, Traci Thayne Corbett, Cape Ann Art Haven, Jason Burroughs, Gregg Cademartori, David DeAngelis, Andrew Nicastro, Josh Oliver, George Schlichte, Gloucester Fire Department, Mayor Sefatia Romeo-Theken, Ken Riehl, Jill Cahill, and the Buoy Painters.
Music by Telamor – “Christmas Party,” permission granted by the artist
When you post on Facebook, simply tag us at @lobstertraptree and your photos will go directly to The Lobster Trap Tree Facebook page. Thank you so much <3
Despite a major power outage earlier in the afternoon, Sunday evening’s Lobster Trap Tree lighting went off without a hitch. Gloucester’s Fire Department arrived right on schedule. Using an aerial ladder, the firemen hoisted the star to the tippy top of the tree, where Shawn Henry was waiting to secure. Ten, nine, eight… Mayor Sefatia gave the virtual countdown and the vibrantly colored buoys and lights shone brightly.
The Lobster Trap Tree is a very special tradition for our community and we are especially grateful to David Brooks and Shawn Henry for their continued dedication in building, organizing, and sharing through Shawn’s films, particularly during the global pandemic
I love that the tree’s star is currently switched to alternating between colorful and white lights, simply wonderful!
Snapshots of Shawn Henry and David Brooks installing buoys today.
Virtual Lobster Trap Tree Lighting – Sunday, December 13th at 4:30
Since we can’t gather and celebrate this wonderful tradition together, let’s jump on Facebook and be together virtually. Thanks to Good Morning Gloucester and the crew from Gloucestercast, they will be bringing to you live – Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Ken Riehl from the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and the Gloucester Fire Department as they light the Lobster Trap Tree. This tradition is made possible by the Lobster Trap Tree volunteers, Three Lanterns Marine and Fishing and Cape Ann Art Haven. Please do not come to this area of downtown as we do not want a gathering during this very critical time.
VIEW THE LIGHTING LIVE ON THE LOBSTER TRAP TREE FACEBOOK PAGE.
Check out this super fun time lapse video of the 2020 Gloucester Lobster Trap Tree Build from Shawn Henry!
With thanks and deep appreciation to Three Lanterns
Tree Builders: David Brooks, Jason Burroughs, Gregg Cademartori, Dave DeAngelis, Shawn G. Henry, Andrew Nicastro, Josh Oliver, and George Schlichte
Hi Friends, If you take a photo of the Lobster Trap Tree and post on Facebook, we would love to share with the community. Please tag us with our new username @lobstertraptree. Thank you!
In response to lots of questions, David Brooks and Shawn Henry share that it appears as though there are enough lights in stock leftover from previous years! This is great news as most of us are on a tighter budget and lighting stocks are running low.
As soon as the lights and buoys are in place, the tree lighting will take place sometime this week, depending on the weather. Because of the global pandemic, the tree lighting will be a virtual tree lighting, hosted by Mayor Sefatia. Stay tuned for time and date!
Follow The Lobster Trap Tree on Facebook for all the latest updates <3
WHEN: JANUARY 24TH FROM 5PM TO 8PM
WHERE: CRUISEPORT, GLOUCESTER
Only 20.00 PER FAMILY, and that includes refreshments, crafts, and your child’s buoy!
Photos from Saturday evening’s tree lighting event, including several of Traci Thayne Corbett, Art Haven’s director, and her super helpers Lily and Cee Cee. Traci is the person who helps the kids in creating all the fabulous hand painted buoys that adorn the tree.
Traci, Lily, and Cee Cee
Tremendous thanks and huge shout outs to David Brooks, Shawn Henry, Traci Corbett, Warren Waugh, Cape Ann Art Haven, Three Lantern Marine Fishing, Great Marsh Brewing Co, Gloucester Fire Department, the City of Gloucester, and to all the great people volunteering their time and money towards continuing this fabulous and uniquely Gloucester tradition <3
David Brooks, also known as Spider Man, securing the star atop the tree.
WONDERFUL FUN AT THE LOBSTER TRAP TREE LIGHTING TONIGHT!
Check out the new starry, starry night interior lights. Posting more photos tomorrow.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6EbtVrH522/
The polling has shown fairly consistently that approximately 60 percent are in favor of multi-colored lights and 40 percent favor warm white lights.
The final number as of 6pm tonight is that of the 1,605 people who participated, 58.75 percent voted for multi-colored lights and 39.31 percent voted for warm white lights (1.9 percent voted for other).
Thank you so much to Everyone for voting!!!
By noon today the super dedicated Lobster Trap Tree building team had made great headway. With snow predicted for tomorrow, the crew plans to have the tree built by day’s end. Don’t let the photos deceive; Shawn Henry was wearing shorts but it was frigid at noon and only getting colder as the day progressed.
Many thanks to Three Lanterns Marine for providing the 360 lobster traps required to construct the tree.
Mayor Sefatia and granddaughters, Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce CEO Ken Riehl, and Gloucester’s Economic Development Director Sal Di Stefano and his wife Maria (and kids), all stopped by to check on the tree’s progress while they were out shopping local for Small Business Saturday.
Whenever at the Lobster Trap Tree to take a photo or passing by, there is a steady stream of people–families, couples, and groups of friends–stopping to pose and take snapshots. It’s a Gloucester thing for sure!
The tree will be up most likely though the end of January. David Brooks shares that the time of dismantling is weather dependent however, the BIG BUOY PARTY FAMILY FUN NIGHT is Friday January 25th, so don’t wait too long to take a photo at Gloucester’s beautiful (and the World’s Best) Lobster Trap Tree.
David Brooks and crew spent a solid eight hour day building Gloucester’s famous lobster trap tree, the one and only lobster trap Christmas tree decorated with hand painted buoys by local children and artists. They will be returning tomorrow to finish up, weather permitting. Lending a hand this afternoon when I stopped by to take snapshots were Mark Schlichte, Shawn Henry, Jake Hennessey, Peter Asaro, Jason Burroughs, and David Brooks. If you see these guys around town, let them know how awesome you think they are!
The exciting news is that this year we will be enjoying COLORED lights!!! Although white holiday lights are wonderful and beautiful, it just seems to me that colored lights on our lobster trap tree are more festive and compliment better the hand painted buoys. For the past several years, the tree was decorated with white lights and I am glad to see they are mixing it up with colored lights this year. What is your personal preference?
Our one of a kind Lobster Trap Tree at twilight.