Photo: Len Burgess
Gloucester Schooner Festival is a weekend full of fun and exciting events across the entire city. The Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee is pleased to partner with many other local entities to create these fun events for our visitors and our community. Not all of the items below are run or offered by the Gloucester Schooner Festival, but are listed here to provide information to visitors. Information on shaded events or services should contact the organizers of those events for full details. For more information, please visit our tourism partner, DISCOVERGLOUCESTER.COM
THURSDAY
Aug
31
2023
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
SCHOONER CHALLENGE - 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.
7:00 pm
Harbor Loop Summer Concert Series - Harbor Loop
John Raymond Jerome & Groove Therapy
FRIDAY
Sept
1
2023
All Day
Arrival of Visiting Vessels - Gloucester Harbor
10:00 am-4:00 pm
Maritime Gloucester Open - 23 Harbor Loop
10:00 am-1:00 pm
Free Deck Tours - 23 Harbor Loop
Stop by the Harriet Webster Pier for a Free Deck Tour aboard the Schooner Ernestina-Morrissey.
1:00 pm-3:00 pm
Greet The Fleet Sails - Gloucester Harbor
Hop on a local or visiting schooner and take a ride out to the outer harbor for the official arrival and start of the Gloucester Schooner Festival. Vessels offering public sails and charters can be found on the The Schooners page.
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
Sept
2
2023
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 our sponsors, we are 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, but donations are always appreciated.
10:00 am-4:00 pm
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.
Food Trucks on site include Beefie Boys, Uncle Joey's Cannoli, Trolley Dogs
$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
SUNDAY
Sept
3
2023
9:15 am
Good Morning Gloucester Livestream from Stacy Boulevard
Join the commentary facebook.com/goodmorninggloucester
10:00 am-4:00 pm
Maritime Gloucester Open - 23 Harbor Loop
10:00 am-11:00 am
Parade of Schooners, 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 Schooners or Race viewing opportunities.
11:00 am- 1:30 pm
Shuttle Bus to Eastern Point Light From Eastern Point Gate (Eastern Point @ Farrington Ave) to 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
Sept
4
2023
Rain Date As Needed- Parade of Sail and/or Races
Maritime Gloucester Open 10am-4pm
To plan your visit, you need to Discover Gloucester! Our local Destination Marketing Organization has all the info you need to make your Schooner Festival weekend the best possible experience!
Check out Discover Gloucester to learn more on how to stay, play, dine, and experience everything Gloucester has to offer!
Dates: Thursday Aug 31st - Monday Sept 4th
Contact Us At: Schooner@MaritimeGloucester.org
The 39th Annual Gloucester Schooner Festival is made possible due to our generous sponsors:
