Tag Archives: Gloucester Schooner Festival Schedule of Events

SCHEDULE GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FESTIVAL!

39th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival Schedule of Events

Visit the Schooner Festival event webpage for the most up-to-date schedule of events.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31st

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

SCHOONER CHALLENGE – GLOUCESTER HARBOR

Join local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an “obstacle” course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners that have already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.

Check various schooner websites for ticketing details.

7:00 pm

HARBOR LOOP SUMMER CONCERT SERIES – HARBOR LOOP

John Raymond Jerome  & Groove Therapy perform a free concert at Harbor Loop. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st

All Day

ARRIVAL OF VISITING VESSELS – GLOUCESTER HARBOR

Throughout the day, visiting vessels will be arriving into Gloucester Harbor. View them under sail as the arrive, anywhere along Gloucester Harbor.

10:00 – 4:00pm

MARITIME GLOUCESTER OPEN – 23 HARBOR LOOP

6:00 pm-10:00 pm

DOWNTOWN GLOUCESTER BLOCK PARTY – MAIN STREET

Celebrate the Schooner Festival with a street party on Gloucester’s Main Street. A fun night for all ages with live entertainment, al fresco dining, children’s activities and fun street performances!

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd

All Day

SCHOONER VIEWING & DECK TOURS THREE LOCATIONS:

Maritime Gloucester- 23 Harbor Loop

Schooner Floats – I4C2, 65 Rogers St

Ocean Alliance – 32 Horton St, Rocky Neck

Thanks to generous support from sponsors, Gloucester Schooner Festival is again able to provide a visitor-based dockside experience that puts the public on schooners for deck tours. This is a FREE option for the public. Donations are always appreciated.

9:30 am

INTERNATIONAL DORY RACES

The International Dory Races, an annual tradition, are best viewed at Solomon Jacobs Park.

10:00 – 4:00pm

MARITIME GLOUCESTER HERITAGE DAY  – 23 HARBOR LOOP

Free to the public:

Schooner deck tours, crafts for all ages, skilled demonstrations & family activities. Plus, Maritime Gloucester’s exhibits and aquarium will be open throughout the day for FREE! Donations graciously accepted.

Timed Admission to the New Maritime Science Education Center. Make Reservations here.

Food Trucks on site include Beefie Boys, Uncle Joey’s Cannoli, Trolley Dogs, and Eclectic Clam

$20 hourly schooner sails on Schooner Ardelle!

6:30 pm-10:00 pm

CONCERT ON STACY BOULEVARD: LIVE MUSIC AND LIGHT EFFECTS

More details available at facebook.com/ConcertsOnTheBoulevard

7:00 pm

BOAT PARADE OF LIGHTS

The annual Boat Parade of Lights begins at dusk in the Annisquam River. For more information visit facebook.com/boatparadeoflights

9:15 pm

FIREWORKS DISPLAY OVER GLOUCESTER HARBOR

Following the Parade of Lights, time approximate. Best viewing is anywhere between Stage Fort Park, Stacy Boulevard, and Pavilion Beach.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3rd

10:00 am-4:00 pm

MARITIME GLOUCESTER OPEN – 23 HARBOR LOOP

10:00 am-11:00 am

PARADE OF SAIL, GLOUCESTER HARBOR

Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fisherman’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard and Stage Fort Park, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. Various non-profit and business organizations offer Parade of Sail or Race viewing.

11:00 am- 1:30 pm

SHUTTLE BUS TO EASTERN POINT LIGHT FROM EASTERN POINT GATE (EASTERN POINT @ FARRINGTON AVE) 

Watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of Charge courtesy of the Cape Ann Transportation Authority.

1:00 pm

START OF MAYOR’S RACES FOR THE ESPERANTO CUP & THE COLUMBIA TROPHY OFF EASTERN POINT

The race course is decided the morning of the race by the Schooner Festival Committee at a meeting with the captains of the participating vessels. Read more about it in the 2023 Schooner Festival Program

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th LABOR DAY

Rain Date As Needed- Parade of Sail and/or Races

10:00am – 4:00pm

MARITIME GLOUCESTER OPEN

 

GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FEST COMPLETE RACE RESULTS 2022

Congratulations to the winners and to to all the participants!

CAPE ANN BUILT! VIDEO CLIP SCHOONERS ROSEWAY AND AMERICAN EAGLE ROUNDING EASTERN POINT DOGBAR BREAKWATER

The Schooner Roseway is a 96 year old tall ship, built in Essex, MA in 1925. When our founders first procured Roseway, they thought she would be the classroom. The reality is, and what we have learned in the last 16 years of student programming, this national historic landmark is far more than just an interactive floating classroom – Roseway herself is a teacher.

READ MORE ABOUT THE ROSEWAY HERE

 

A Schooner is Born
Launching: June 2, 1930
Gloucester, Mass.

“Standing at her bow, arms laden with flowers, and grasping a bottle of something we used to see much of before Prohibition, Miss Rosalie Murphy, daughter of Captain Patrick Murphy, who will command the craft, smashed the bottle on the shoe of the schooner as she started…” – Gloucester Daily Times

READ MORE ABOUT THE AMERICAN EAGLE HERE

 

DAZZLING GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FEST PARADE OF SAIL

A picture perfect day for Gloucester’s 38th annual Schooner Festival Parade of Sail. The Harbor was dazzling with boats of every kind, including schooners, fishing boats, sailboats, pleasure boats, tour boats, kayaks, and more.

Spectators lined the shoreline from Stacey Boulevard to Eastern Point.

With thanks and deepest appreciation to Daisy Nell Collinson and the Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee – Daisy and Stan Collinson’s Schooner Redbird in the foreground

 

WHAT WAS THAT STUNNING RED AND WHITE STRIPED AIRCRAFT THAT FLEW OVERHEAD DURING THE SCHOONER FEST? A BOEING- STEARMAN MODEL 75

If you were curious as was I about that beautiful red and white striped plane that flew overhead at the Schooner Festival, it was a Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 biplane. While filming from the Paint Factory it flew overhead, creating a circle of perfectly puffed white clouds.

Known as Stearman, Boeing Stearman, or Kaydet, about 10,000 were built during the 1930s and 1940s, primarily as training planes for the US Army, USAir Force, USNavy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Of the 10,000, approximately 1,000 are still flying!

From wiki –

The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane formerly used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 10,626 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s.[2] Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman, Boeing Stearman, or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Navy (as the NS and N2S), and with the Royal Canadian Air Force as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civilian market. In the immediate postwar years, they became popular as crop dusters and sports planes, and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.

Design and development
The Kaydet was a conventional biplane of rugged construction, with a large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage, and accommodation for the student and instructor in open cockpits in tandem. The radial engine was usually not cowled, although some Stearman operators choose to cowl the engine, most notably the Red Baron Stearman Squadron.

Post-war usage
After World War II, thousands of surplus PT-17s were auctioned off to civilians and former military pilots. Many were modified for cropdusting use, with a hopper for pesticide or fertilizer fitted in place of the front cockpit. Additional equipment included pumps, spray bars, and nozzles mounted below the lower wings. A popular approved modification to increase the maximum takeoff weight and climb performance involved fitting a larger Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine and a constant-speed propeller.

Lots of fun this afternoon with Charlotte at Maritime Gloucester’s Heritage Day!

The staff was great with the kids. Biologist and educator Hannah at the sea pocket aquarium nonstop answered the kid’s enthusiastic questions while Noelle was super helpful with craft projects. Many thanks to Maritime Gloucester for a fun event!

Lots more happening for the 38th Annual Schooner Festival. See the full schedule here.

Especially don’t miss the ever beautiful Parade of Sail tomorrow, Sunday, morning at 10am.

SCHOONER FEST SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND SCHOONER CHALLENGE!

Many, many thanks to Elizabeth Carey and Tess McColgan from Discover Gloucester for the invitation to the 38th Annual Schooner Festival press day event. It was a fantastic treat to watch the Schooner Challenge from the press boat, Blue Sky, with father son team Captain Al and first mate Ollie Fichera.

Festival Schedule
FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Thursday, Sept 1

  • SCHOONER CHALLENGE – 5:30 to 7:30pm – Gloucester Harbor

Join our local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an “obstacle” course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners. Check various schooner websites for ticketing details.

Friday, Sept 2

  • All Day – The SCHOONERS ARRIVE – Gloucester Harbor with shoreside viewing

Historic Gloucester Harbor sets the scene for the arrival of over 2 dozen schooners throughout the day and. Spend the day viewing these wonderful vessels filling our harbor. Details of schooner arrival times will be provided as possible via social media.

  • 6:00 to 10:00pm – Gloucester Block Party – Main Street, Gloucester

  • What Time Is It, Mr. Fox? | 6:00-8:30pm | Performance at Music on Meetinghouse Green

Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and local businesses roll out the red carpet on Main Street for Gloucester Schooner Festival with a street party!  Shopping, food, entertainment, and fun are on the agenda all evening.

  • 6:00 & 7:00pm – Harbor Tour of Schooner Fleet

Join Cape Ann Harbor Tours for an evening harbor cruise of the schooner fleet. Tickets are $15 and you can click here to visit their website and register.

​Saturday, Sept 3

  • International Dory Committee Exhibition – 9:00 am – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

  • Maritime Heritage Day – 10 am – 4 pm – Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

The heart of the Gloucester Schooner Festival’s land-based activities is Maritime Heritage Day, distributed over 3 locations in downtown Gloucester! Maritime Gloucester opens its campus for a day of maritime heritage, live demonstrations, schooner sails, family fun, and new this year our Heritage Galley food truck court! We also have schooner viewing, deck tours and community organizations at the schooner docks at 65 Rogers street and across the harbor at Ocean Alliance.  See the full Maritime Heritage Day schedule here.

  • Schooner Viewing and Deck Tours! – 10:00am to 4:00pm

               THREE Locations:

  • Maritime Gloucester, 23 Harbor Loop

  • Schooner Floats – I4C2 parking lot, 65 Rogers St

  • Ocean Alliance – 32 Horton Street, Rocky Neck

  • Once Upon A Whale Song Exhibit with Artist Perri Howard | 10:00am-2:00pm| Ocean Alliance, 32 Horton Street
  • 6:00 & 7:00pm – Harbor Tour of Schooner Fleet

Join Cape Ann Harbor Tours for an evening harbor cruise of the schooner fleet. Tickets are $15 and you can click here to visit their website and register.

  • 7:00 to 9:30pm –  Boat Parade of Lights – Annisquam River and Inner Harbor

Open to all who wish to decorate their boat and enter, this is a fantastic visual display starting in the Annisquam River and ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harbor. Click here for details

  • 9:15 – FIREWORKS!

The night sky lights up with the annual fireworks display over Stage Fort Park.  Get on a schooner charter, watch from your boat, or enjoy from nearly anywhere in the city, this spectacle is a great way to enjoy Schooner Festival.

Sunday, Sept 4

  • Parade of Sail – 10:00am to 12:00pm – Gloucester Harbor, Stacey Boulevard and Eastern Point viewing

The entire fleet of schooners joins together for a Parade of Sail not to be missed!  Whether you get aboard a schooner or watch from the shore, this is a memorable experience for all. Prime viewing areas are Stacy Boulevard, Stage Fort Park, and Eastern Point.  On the Boulevard, our Festival Chair Daisy Nell Collinson, Michael Costello, and Maritime Gloucester Historian Justin Demetri will provide live commentary. NEW THIS YEAR Good Morning Gloucester will be live streaming the Parade of Sail! Now you can tune in to the commentary if you are at Stage Fort Park or watch from your computer if you aren’t able to make it in person! Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fisherman’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. Click Here for Live Stream.

  • 11:00 am to 1:30pm – Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light

Catch the CATA shuttle from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Ave) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free of charge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority

  • Mayor’s Cup Race – 1:00pm to 4:00pm – Massachusetts Bay off Gloucester

The Premier Event – The Mayor’s Races!  This year’s schooners match up in small, medium, and large categories for a reach-reach competition viewing for the Esperanto Cup, The Ned Cameron Trophy, The Betty Ramsey Award, and the George Nichols & Amanda Madeira Woman at the Wheel Award.

Monday, Sept 5 – Labor Day​

Rain Date for Heritage Day or Race. Maritime Gloucester open from 10 to 4pm

For more information, please go here

 

GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FESTIVAL SCHEDULE!

 

Schedule of Events for the 34th Annual Gloucester Labor Day Schooner Festival 

Friday, August 31, 2018

All Day Arrival of Participating Vessels.

10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Cape Ann Museum open to the public– free of charge.

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Mayor’s Reception for invited guests (ticketed event)

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Gloucester Block Party on Main Street in downtown.

Welcome Columbia and Bluenose II sail aboard the Schooner Thomas Lannon on Friday at 10am. Purchase tickets here.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Maritime Gloucester Heritage Day
Maritime Gloucester, located at 23 Harbor Loop in downtown Gloucester, will host its annual Heritage Day celebration from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The event is free to the public.

11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Heritage Day at the White-Ellery House
The 1710 White-Ellery House (245 Washington Street, Gloucester) will have a slide show of schooners and have other fishing & racing related activities. The event is free to the public.

4:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Lobster Bake at The Gloucester House
Music, food and a whole lot of fun. The cost is only $17
for Lobster, Corn and Cornbread.

5:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Concert on Stacy Boulevard
Enjoy a community concert on The Boulevard before and after the Parade of Lights and Fireworks.

7:00 pm
Boat Parade of Lights
The annual Boat Parade of Lights begins at dusk at Jones Creek on the Annisquam River, travels down the river, through the drawbridge and into Gloucester Harbor, ending in the Smith’s Cove area of the harbor.

9:15 pm
Fireworks Display over Gloucester Harbor. (following Parade of Lights, time approximate)
(The Gloucester Fireworks Committee is in need of more donations for the Labor Day weekend fireworks. Donations may be made to The Gloucester Fund, 45 Middle St., Gloucester, MA 01930. Please notate “fireworks” on your donation.)

 

Sunday, September 2, 2018

8:30 am
Skippers Meeting
This meeting is required for all Schooners sailing in the Mayor’s Race.  Meet at Solomon Jacobs Park, immediately adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Station on Harbor Loop.

10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Parade of Sail as Schooners proceed from Inner Harbor, past the Fishermen’s Memorial on Stacy Boulevard, to the race starting area off Eastern Point.

11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light, from Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point Boulevard at Farrington Avenue) to watch the start of the Mayor’s Race. Free ofCharge, courtesy of Cape Ann Transportation Authority.

1:00 pm
Start of Mayor’s Race for the Esperanto Cup, Columbia Trophy, Ned Cameron Trophy; and Betty Ramsey Trophy off Eastern Point.

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Reception and Awards Ceremony
for captains, crews and invited guests (ticketed event)

Monday, September 3, 2018

“Rain Day” for recovery from postponements caused by inclement weather. ONLY IF REQUIRED.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE GLOUCESTER SCHOONER FESTIVAL WEBSITE HERE.