Festivals

Gloucester is home to many unique and entertaining festivals.

Festivals, Events, & Things To Do in Gloucester

Gloucester is home to many unique and entertaining festivals. From music festivals, saint festivals, waterfront festivals, and art festivals, you’ll never get bored in Gloucester and Cape Ann. In fact, we are most proud of a few festivals that are truly exclusive to our city’s heritage and tradition. Events listed below on this page are annual events that happen in Gloucester. If you are looking for new and upcoming events and festivals happening this weekend, go to our events page.

Specific festival event information on dates and times may change and we ask that you check the event’s websites to confirm information before making your visit to Gloucester.

Cape Ann Pride

May 26-June 2, 2024: A weekend (and beyond!) full of pride, celebration, community, education, fun, and support for all LGBTQIA+ people and their Allies.

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Rockport Chamber Music Festival

June 7-July 7, July 16, August 11 & 25, 2024: Experience outstanding performances by world-renowned classical musicians from the Jupiter String Quartet to pianist Garrick Ohlsson.

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St. Peter's Fiesta

June 26-30, 2024: A five-day festival honoring the patron saint of the fisherman Saint Peter. Parades, carnival, concerts, sporting competitions, and the legendary Greasy Pole event.

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Fishtown Horribles Parade

July 3, 2024: The Fish Town Horribles Parade has been a tradition since some of the first settlers came to Gloucester.

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Culture Splash

Thursdays in July & August, 2024: This much-loved event series unites Rocky Neck and Harbortown Cultural Districts through Gloucester’s rich tapestry of artists, galleries,...

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Gloucester Blues Festival

August 10, 2024: World-class blues will reverberate through the park with some of the nation’s finest performers playing from the Gloucester Blues stage, located right on the harbor...

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Gloucester Waterfront Festival

August 17-18, 2024: Over 200 booths featuring juried artists and craftsmen from throughout the U.S. will display their unique creations.

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Gloucester Schooner Festival

August 29-September 2, 2024: The annual Gloucester Schooner Festival takes place on Labor Day weekend. It’s Gloucester’s major marine event.

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The Dry Salvages Festival

September 21-22, 2024: Celebrate the Nobel Prize-winning poet, T.S. Eliot, who immortalized The Dry Salvages in the title of one of the poems in his greatest work, Four Quartets.

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Cape Ann Plein Air Competition & Festival

October 5-13, 2024: The annual Cape Ann Plein Air competition is a week-long event showcasing America’s top painters with artists demos, gala, and sale.

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Essex ClamFest

October 26, 2024: The annual Essex ClamFest features the Clam Chowder Tasting and competition, plus vendors, and activities.

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Rockport New Year's Eve

December 31, 2024: Ring in the new year at the annual New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts for all ages taking place in venues in downtown Rockport, all within walking...

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Gloucester's So Salty

January 25-26, 2025: Celebrate the fish city’s recognizably salty character with free ice sculptures and cultural activities around Downtown Gloucester.

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Swing Into Spring

May 2025: Swing into Spring in Gloucester this May with specials at accommodations, shops, and restaurants, plus the reopening of seasonal attractions.

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Motif No.1 Day Festival

May 18, 2024: Motif No.1 Day honors the fishing shack, artist’s studio, and tourist attraction that started it all! Enjoy poetry, dance, music and art-making activities.

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