Taste & Listen to All That Gloucester Has to Offer!
With its picture-perfect harbors, and long sandy beaches, Gloucester is one of Massachusetts’ many premiere summer destinations. From the Man at The Wheel to The Perfect Storm, Gloucester is known for its rich maritime history, scenic backdrops, a vibrant local arts scene, and as we’ll make note of today, good tunes and good eats!
Let’s start with the tunes.
On August 11th, the Gloucester Blues Festival will roar into Stage Fort Park, where world-class blues will sound off with some of the nation’s top performers. The festival will also feature a bevy of outstanding food and craft vendors, as well as a beer and wine garden boasting craft beers from Cape Ann Brewing Co. and award-winning wines from Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery.
This year’s lineup includes headliner Shemekia Copeland, also known as the Queen of the Blues, fresh off a recent performance at the White House, and performances by Baton Rouge’s award-winning Kenny Neal, Chicago’s Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang, multi-instrumentalist Lucky Peterson, Dikki Du and the Zydeco Crewe, as well as the popular Henri Smith, a Louisiana transplant now living on Cape Ann.
The gate opens at 9:00 a.m. (first performance kicks off at 11:00 a.m.), and the festival will conclude at 7:00 p.m. Following the festival, local bars, including Minglewood Tavern, the Pub at Cape Ann Brewing, and the Dog Bar, will feature an after-party pub crawl on Rogers Street in downtown Gloucester.
Tickets to the festival are currently available at GloucesterBluesFestival.com, and you can also stay up-to-date with Festival’s Facebook page here.
So, what about those eats?
Well, it goes without saying that Gloucester is home to an array of great local eats, but how does one take it all in at once?
Simple: The Taste Gloucester Food and Culture Tour!
To get a true sense of the tastes that the oldest working seaport in America has to offer, the Taste Gloucester Food and Culture Tour is a must.
You’ll stroll through downtown Gloucester, sampling food from six local vendors – from chowder to olive oil to a mouthwatering sandwich that Gloucester natives have been enjoying for years.
Not to mention, along the way, your tour guide will provide you with a dynamic and educational backdrop to the historical 400-year-old city with fascinating stories and interesting factoids every step of the way.
Among the many stops, here’s a quick glance at what’s in store:
Bacon wrapped scallop, credit: Terry Weber
Cape Ann Olive Oil, credit: Patrick Halloran
St. Joseph Sandwich, credit: Terry Weber
Fish Market. credit: Patrick Halloran
Cape Ann Brew Pub, Fisherman’s Platter, credit: Terry Weber
Chocolates, credit: Terry Weber
The tour runs on select days throughout the summer at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., rain or shine. For more information on pricing, as well as tour days, click here. You can also find Taste Gloucester on Facebook.
Gloucester is also home to a collection of wonderful lodging options, for a complete listing, click here or check out the North of Boston Convention and Visitor Bureau.
And if you’re in the mood to explore more of Massachusetts’ seafood scene, be sure to check out the Seafood Trail.
