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.
Gloucester’s very own wonderfully unique Lobster Trap Tree, the only one in the world decorated with buoys painted by local kids and local artists.
January 22 and 23rd are “pick up your buoys” days
LOBSTER TRAP TREE LIGHTING, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11TH AT 4:30pm, with live music and caroling!
Shawn Henry adding the lights 2021
Cape Ann Art Haven is accepting reservations for buoy painting for the 2021 Lobster Trap Tree!
This will occur on 4 Saturdays: November 13, 20, 27 and December 4 from 10:00.m. to 3:00 p.m at Art Haven. It is open to all children and adults. Please register for all that want to paint a buoy. The paint we use is permanent so please wear appropriate clothing.
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!
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.
