We wrap up our holiday parties this year with our Gloucester party held at our office. Come by and say hello, enjoy an open bar and food from around Gloucester. We hope you can join us in celebrating the holidays. RSVP is not required.

Please see below for a full listing of Greater Cape Ann's community holiday highlights for the 2021 season. All holiday events can be found on our calendar located on our website.

CELEBRATE the spirit of the season, and pack up the car and come enjoy the second Annual Winter Lights Celebration on Cape Ann! Local businesses throughout Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea are getting into the festive spirit by decorating their establishments with twinkling lights and/or creative window displays! Over 100 lighted locations will help bring joy to all those who visit from November 26 through January 2, 2022!

Shops will be open until 8 PM complete with warm holiday treats at restaurants and cafes and magical sights and sounds of the holidays. Special deals and refreshments will be available at select retailers. Prizes will be awarded weekly.

December 17 – Ugly Sweater Night

All Throughout the Season: horse-drawn carriage rides and carolers, Sammy the Seagull Hide & Seek, North Pole mailbox, workshops and other special events with local maker businesses

Due to an unusually busy schedule and travel restrictions, Santa Claus will visit Ipswich a bit later this year. On December 18, the Jolly Elf will once again arrive by boat at Town Wharf. Upon his arrival, our guest of honor will be escorted by the Ipswich High School Interact elves on a 'Jingle Bell Walk' along Water Street to Town Hall. At Town Hall, Santa will greet the children while the elves host fun games and activities in Santa's Village.

Rockport’s 76th Annual Live Christmas Pageant is around the corner!

In the spirit of the holidays, the Rockport Art Association and Museum once again presents the Annual Live Christmas Pageant. The pageant will be held Saturday, December 18, 2021 at 5 PM (rain date Sunday, December 19th at 5 PM).

Each year hundreds of spectators gather to watch the live re-enactment of the story of baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Bethlehem inn and the stable. The pageant begins with a torch-lit procession which starts at Dock Square and proceeds up Main Street to the Congregational Church. Here the story of Jesus’ birth is brought to life through a live narration.

Sign-up Now to Participate in the Region’s Most Impactful Publications

 

Advertising in our 2022 Greater Cape Ann guide and Director, Map, and Rockport Map is going fast – contact Sam sam@capeannchamber.com to reserve your positions today. You can also increase your web presence by advertising on our three websites CapeAnnChamber.com, CapeAnnVacations.com and/or RockportUSA.com

Bravo opens next week in the heart of Gloucester’s vibrant Main Street, occupying the spot where Larsen’s shoe store was for many years. The success of Bravo by the sea in Manchester prompted the venture of opening another location in Gloucester. We hope that you can join us for a ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of Bravo by the sea, Gloucester and the years of hard work that have gone into making this dream a reality. The ribbon cutting will be held Wednesday, December 15 at 4 PM at Bravo by the Sea, Gloucester(131 Main St. Gloucester).

Join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Ipswich Inn in Ipswich. Ray Morley has owned and operated the business for over twenty years as it has become a staple for locals and visitors alike. Whether it be enjoying a delicious breakfast or a vacation, or a community function, the Ipswich Inn remains an important piece of the Ipswich community. We hope you can join us on Tuesday, December 21, at 11:30 AM (2 East Street, Ipswich) for the Ipswich Inn’s ribbon cutting.

The Chamber’s Annual Celebration is hosted at the start of the New Year and will be a BIG one in 2022 as we celebrate turning 100 years young. Join us with 200+ business leaders and local, city, and state officials at the beautiful Beauport Hotel to enjoy delicious food, great company, and dance the night away.

A Greater Cape Ann Gift Check Every Season

The Greater Cape Ann Gift Check Program is the perfect gift to give this holiday season and are THE BEST way to support local business, as they can only be redeemed at more than 200 participating local businesses. We sell more than $70,000 GCs a year and have put over $1,000,000 back into the local economy over the life of the program. These can be purchased at the Chamber Office, both Gloucester Shaw's locations, and Tuck's Candy & Gifts in Rockport. 

Participating Businesses

Give the gift of a Cape Ann Foodie Tour this holiday season! Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a first-time visitor, a Foodie Tour should be on your list this holiday season. These food-focused tours offer a unique and fun way to our charming area of New England. Please support our local businesses like Cape Ann Foodie Tours by shopping local this holiday season, and all year round.

It is always a great time to Shop Local but the upcoming holidays are an excellent time to remind people. We are rolling out our "Shop Local Greater Cape Ann" campaign to encourage shoppers to visit Greater Cape Ann businesses for their holiday needs. Each week we will highlight an industry sector to post member businesses around Greater Cape Ann that fall into that category. Make sure your business uses the hashtag "#shoplocalgreatercapeann" in all social media posts and tags us.

With the holidays fast approaching, get out there and enjoy what downtown Gloucester has to eat, play and shop. Mark your calendars with these upcoming dates to get you out to visit local businesses. Can't make one of the themed shopping days, don't worry, it's always a good time to shop local.

Local Sales, Discounts & Promotions

Are you planning a party and getting the feeling like you are missing a key component? J&C Entertainment brings more than just music. They bring twenty-five years of experience and the want to cater to every customer’s individual music needs. If you need a DJ then contact J&C Entertainment at 978-356-1172 or visit their website below.

The Gloucester Rotary has produced a beautiful 2022 calendar, featuring scenic photography from local artists. In addition to the calendar, each purchase enters the buyer into a weekly raffle. $50 prizes will be drawn each week with two bonus prizes-- a $250 prize in June and a $500 prize in December. Calendars are $25 each, and proceeds from the sale of calendars will be used to support the many projects of the Gloucester Rotary.

The calendars are available for purchase online or in person at the Weathervane Gift Shop, located at 153 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (978-281-1227), at BankGloucester, located at 160 Main Street in downtown Gloucester (978-283-8200), and from any Gloucester Rotary member.

The American Legion, Post 3, Gloucester, will again be proudly delivering free Christmas Holiday Ham Dinners in 2021 to the elderly, shut-ins, veterans, and needy in the Cape Ann area on Friday, December 25, 2021. The meals will again be Free. We will be serving the communities of

Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich and Hamilton.

In recognition of the Gloucester's upcoming anniversary and to mark 400+ years of its history, the Cape Ann Museum is organizing a special exhibition exploring the enduring legacy of the family-owned fishing boat. The Museum is inviting members of the community who have paintings, photographs, models, and archival materials related to family-owned fishing boats to share them with us via the link below. Submissions will be fashioned into a exhibition to be shared through an in-person display with a virtual component.

For the second year in a row, Action Inc., Wellspring House, and Pathways for Children have launched the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund to ensure that all families in our community can share the joy, love, and wonder of the holiday season!

Proceeds from the Cape Ann Kids Holiday Fund will be used to provide gift cards for Cape Ann families (Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, & Ipswich) who are struggling financially so they can buy holiday gifts for kids in their care. Last year, over 500 families applied and more than 1,000 local kids benefitted from the fund. Click below to donate or learn more.

Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert are conducting their triennial Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). The primary goal is to identify the priority health needs in the community, including various social, economic, and environmental factors that impact the ability to achieve optimal health and healthy equity, i.e. economic insecurity, transportation, access to care, housing insecurity, employment, economic development, education, etc. We greatly appreciate if you could provide your input on the most pressing needs in your community where you live and/or work by taking approximately ten minutes to complete the survey below.

The goal of the Gloucester Racial Justice team in issuing this survey is to gather the perspective of our BIPOC Gloucester community members and/or all that love and/or support them. We hope the results will help us to focus our attention on the areas where we can make the most impact. Thank you for your time.

Volunteers work about two hours in the late morning, picking up and delivering meals to older residents. This provides several benefits—the elder receives a nutritious meal (sometimes the main meal of their day), they get a quick visit from a friendly volunteer (sometimes the only person they see that day), and as the volunteer gets to know the elders on their route, the volunteer sometimes notices when the elder’s circumstances and/or status changes and can have SeniorCare check-in with the elder to make sure everything is all right.

For more information visit our volunteer section at www.seniorcareinc.org

Now entering into its 34th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with a twist. Ride along with Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as the classic tale is brought to life in a completely unexpected way. Shows sell out quickly and seats are limited. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 13, 2021. Tour departs from Salemdipity, 86 Wharf Street (Pickering Wharf), Salem.

Deck The Halls Holiday Celebration Hammond Castle Museum

Weekends Now - Dec. 31

Hammond Castle Museum

Friday, December 17 | 3 - 7 PM

On December 17 at 7:30 pm, Musicians of the Old Post Road presents its new holiday program “Sounding Joy.” The concert features jubilant works from the Classical Period, including Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, with acclaimed soprano Jessica Petrus. This is the ensemble’s fifth holiday concert hosted by the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation.

Please join First Baptist Church for their annual Christmas Concert sponsored by the North Shore Christian Men’s Choir. There will be a Christmas Carol Sing Along. Refreshments will be served following the concert.

Enjoy the holidays with Cape Ann’s own 17-piece big band performing holiday favorites, old and new, infused with a bit of jazz, swing, and rock n’ roll.

In just a short span of time, the Cape Ann Big Band has become one of the most sought after ensembles in the North Shore. The Band was formed in December of 2010 when director Carlos Menezes Jr. teamed up with friends and fellow musicians Paula Burns, Shawn Lowe, Mike Lentini, and Rick Geraghty to discuss the potentials of starting up a 17-piece big band. What was once a dream quickly became reality when Menezes found the roster full in just a week’s time.

Massachusetts has secured 2.1 million iHealth Labs over the counter (OTC) at-home rapid antigen tests. These kits will be delivered later this week to more than 100 municipalities with a larger proportion of families facing financial hardship. Building on a first in the nation statewide free “Stop the Spread” COVID-19 testing infrastructure, these OTC rapid antigen test kits will serve as another tool to combat COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.

What's the #1 reason businesses aren't getting the results they need from digital marketing? They don't have time to do it well. The #2 reason? They don't know how. At Boot Camp Digital, we have solutions.

We get it. Digital and social media marketing can feel overwhelming. There are so you could do. The businesses that use digital tools to successfully grow are focused on what they should do. They make smart decisions about what makes sense for them. And that answer isn't the same for everyone. Investing just one hour a week can take you from knowing digital is important to getting the results your business deserves.

Last Wednesday the State Senate unanimously approved a $3.82 billion package allocating state surplus funds and about ½ of the state’s federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to a wide array of programs and initiatives. A final bill is now being negotiated by a six-member House-Senate conference committee facing a November 17 deadline when formal legislative sessions are set to conclude for the year. Read a full account from the Boston Business Journal below.

SCORE is offering numerous virtual workshops that small business people can take advantage of for low/no-cost investment. Can't make one of the seminars, don't worry, there are also recorded workshops and seminars on their website. Upcoming workshops include: Tax Filing Requirements for Small Businesses, Setting Your Brand Up For Success in the New Year, and Getting found with Google My Business. Stop procrastinating and attend a SCORE workshop today.

There is no cost to the business and no out-of-pocket cost to the recipient. Conley's Drug Store can offer either the Pfizer Vaccine (Ages 12+) or the Johnson&Johnson (Age 18+).

The GCACC serves the 5 Greater Cape Ann communities, including Boxford, Hamilton, Middleton, Topsfield and Wenham. Vaccines are free to all Massachusetts residents age 5 and above. Identification and health insurance is not required. Walk-ins will be accepted while supplies last at each clinic.

MONDAYS

Ipswich: Our Lady of Hope rectory, 1 Pine Swamp Road, Mondays, 2-6 p.m., through the end of 2021. Register for the Pfizer vaccine here.

THURSDAYS

Essex: Town Hall Annex, 30 Martin St., from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register for a dose of the Register for Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen (J&J) vaccine here. (No clinic will be held on Thursday, Nov. 25, Thanksgiving Day.)

SATURDAYS

Rockport: Community House, 58 Broadway,

10 a.m.-12 p.m. Register for a dose of the Pfizer, Moderna, or (J&J) vaccine here.

The Executive Director has primary accountability for the accomplishments and fiscal integrity of the entire organization and works with the Board of Directors to determine the focus and direction of the organization. The Executive Director is responsible for the operations of the NBCVB, by acting as its spokesperson and representing it before others.

Anthony & Dodge is a full-service, progressive public accounting firm located north of Boston.

Our firm has been providing consulting, tax, and accounting services to individuals and businesses for over thirty years. We believe in a hands-on approach which translates into an intimate knowledge of our client’s personal and business financial and tax needs. We are currently seeking a self-motivated, highly organized, team player with experience in public accounting to lead tax and accounting engagements.

Iron Tree Service is looking for a ground crew member to join their team. Their ground crew team members receive competitive rates commensurate with your experience. Working with Iron Tree Service is not a job; it’s a way of life. Their team is the heart of their success. They’ve become the fastest growing and highest rated professional tree service company in Massachusetts

Action Inc. has more than 70 current employees. For over 50 years, our staff has been committed to promoting social change and improving our community. Now, we are looking for dedicated individuals – who want to make a difference – to fill the positions listed below. Apply now to join our team!

Senior Care offers ongoing training, supportive supervision, great team relations and a sense of challenging, worthwhile work within the local communities they serve. This position is an important part of an Agency that has been in operation for over 45 years and is devoted to multiple programs supporting people’s ability to live in the setting of their choice as they age.

If you are interested in promoting with the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce and sponsoring this newsletter, please contact Ken Riehl at ken@capeannchamber.com