Gloucester’s So Salty

Downtown Campus, 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA

This event is free and open to the public.

To celebrate Gloucester’s recognizably salty character, the Cape Ann Museum is partnering with several area cultural institutions and businesses to offer Gloucester’s So Salty on Jan. 22 and 23 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Inspired by the annual Salem’s So Sweet event, this two-day mostly outdoor event will include ice sculptures, salty sweets for sale, free kids’ art activities, and much more.

Teaming up for the event is a unique partnership between Art Haven, Movement Arts Gloucester, MA (MAGMA), Dogtown Books, Discover Gloucester, Maritime Gloucester, and the Gloucester Cultural Council. Participants are invited to bundle up and stroll down Pleasant Street and Hancock Street or wander across Main Street and Rogers Street to find any of the following free activities.

At the Cape Ann Museum:

• Take a selfie with an Ice Sculpture inspired by Virginia Lee Demetrios’ The Gossips in the Cape Ann Museum Courtyard. 
• Free admission both Saturday and Sunday to view sea-worthy content in the galleries.
• Create a free salty watercolor in the CAM Studio.
• On exhibit in the CAM Library & Archives will be materials pertaining to the history of Cape Pond Ice Company. Containing photographs, maps, artifacts patents and more, it might just be "The Coolest Exhibit Around!"
• Mug Up! Save 10% on CAM’s signature ‘Little House’ and ‘Sea Serpent’ mugs and warm up with a complimentary hot chocolate at the CAM Store. *CAM Members save an additional 10% on select items.
• Stop by any participating business to write your own Gratitude Gossip, something positive that you’d like to spread around the community, and bring it to the ice sculpture at the Cape Ann Museum.

Partner Offerings:

• Live Ice Sculpting with Brilliant Ice presented by the Gloucester Cultural Council at the 14C2 Lot next to Gloucester House from 2:00 – 4:00 pm on January 22.
• Buoy pick up from the Lobster Trap Tree at Art Haven
• Make a free fish print with educators from Maritime Gloucester at Art Haven on Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm!
• The Salt Shaker, a free drop-in dance workshop, from 3:00 – 4:00 pm on Jan 22 and Jan 23 at Movement Arts Gloucester MA (MAGMA).
• The Seaweed Scream: End the day on Saturday at 4:00 pm at the 14C2 Lot to release some tension in this salty gathering.
• Search on the sidewalk for snippets of Salty Poetry from Dogtown Books, and write your own poetry with chalk.
• Stop by Charles Fine Art Gallery to see a salty silkscreen and other seaworthy content
• 10% off nautical-themed books at the Bookstore of Gloucester.
• $1 off sea salt at Cape Ann Olive Oil.
• Salt Island History & Save Salt Island Virtual Lecture at the Sawyer Free Library from 2:00 - 3:30 pm
• Walk over to Toodleloos to pick up some free salt water taffy!

Any business, community group, or institution that is inspired to share its salty Gloucester character is welcome to add its own event. To be listed as part of the event offerings, reach out to [email protected]. Click here for the most recent list of participating institutions and events.