Celebrate the fish city’s recognizably salty character with local cultural institutions and businesses!

Grab your hat and coat for the 3rd Annual Gloucester’s So Salty festival on January 20 and 21, 2024 from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm! Over 1,800 people came out last year to share their salty pride while enjoying free ice sculptures and cultural activities around Downtown Gloucester.

This year, the Cape Ann Museum is partnering with Discover Gloucester and several area cultural institutions and businesses to offer two full days of free programming in the coldest part of the year. Inspired by the annual Salem’s So Sweet event, this two-day event will include ice sculptures, live music, salty treats, free kids’ art activities, and much more.

Special thanks to our 2024 Ice Sculpture Sponsors: Gloucester Accommodations, Cape Ann Olive Oil, Cape Ann Museum, Cape Ann Savings Bank, The Cut, the Gloucester 400+ Anniversary, Harbortown Cultural District, and the Sawyer Free Library.

3rd Annual Gloucester's So Salty Schedule of Events

Specific times subject to change, check back soon for even more fun activities!

Grab a map from the Cape Ann Museum and find all 10 Ice Sculptures around Downtown Gloucester!

• Katy and the Big Snow presented by Harbortown Cultural District at Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Street
• Doe and Fawn at the CAM Sculpture Garden, 27 Pleasant Street
• A Gloucester Dory at the CAM Courtyard, 27 Pleasant Street
• Graflex Speed Graphic Camera at the CAM Courtyard 27 Pleasant Street
• Stratocaster at The Cut, 177 Main Street
• Thank You, Gloucester! at the Gloucester 400+ Office 123 Main Street
• Eastern Point Lighthouse at Cape Ann Savings Bank Park 109 Main Street
• A Sleeping Mermaid presented by Gloucester Accommodations at Sargent House Museum, 78 Main Street
• An Olive Branch at Cape Ann Olive Oil, 57 Main Street
• Love of Reading at Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main Street

All Weekend Activities:

• Enjoy free admission and art activities, find salty spotlights in the galleries, and meet members of the CAM Teen Council at the Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant Street
• Test your photo detective skills in the CAM Library & Archives with snapshots from the Gloucester Daily Times photo archive.
• Submit your idea to name one of Gloucester’s Snow Plows! Inspired by Virginia Lee Burton’s beloved children’s book “Katy and the Big Snow,” which features the fictional town of Geoppolis based on Gloucester, residents and visitors are invited to come up with their most creative snow plow names. The winner will be selected and shared at the end of January! Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Street
• 20% off all salt products at Cape Ann Olive Oil, 57 Main Street
• Start at Mile Marker One with Breakfast in an Igloo or end it with a Sweet & Salty Cocktail in an Igloo, 75 Essex Ave Route 133, reservations recommended for igloos
• Strike a pose for a framed photo, enjoy the Legacy of the Lockwood Family show along with readings by Jim Dunn and Barbara Golden at Lockwood Studios Fine Art & Design Gallery, 2 & 4 Eastern Avenue
• 25% discount on room rates at the Blue Shutters Beachside Inn, 1 Nautilus Road, Gloucester
• Grab a piece of Saltwater Taffy at Fireflies Boutique, 100 Main Street
• Salty Poetry Snippets at Dogtown Books, 132 Main Street
• 10% off Select Salty Books and a Salty Blind Date with a Book at the Bookstore of Gloucester, 61 Main Street
• Enjoy free Saltwater Taffy, Salty Stickers and Surprises at Toodleloos, 142 Main Street
• Free Salted Caramel latte at Castaways Vintage Café, 65 Main Street
• 50% off all SALTY CREW apparel PLUS a pair of earrings with every $50 or more purchase.  This is in addition to our big winter blowout sale where everything else in the store is 40% off (30% off Habitat), Design of Mine, 33 Main Street
• 20% off all bath salts, Goodlinens Studio, 130 Main Street
• Free Thirsty Seagull Or Gloucester Lobster Sticka with any purchase! Gloucester Apparel and Pat D's Photos, 44 Main Street 
• After Hours: 10% off your experience at Cape Ann Lanes/Laneside Pub & Brewery, 53 Gloucester Ave

Friday, January 19, 2024:

• 7:00 pm: Gloucester’s So Salty Kick Off at the Salted Cod Arthouse with live music from Bill Dwyer Band and salty drink specials.  No cover charge.  53 Rocky Neck Ave. 

• 7:30 pm: Grab a piece of salt water taffy and enjoy the stories of Gloucester in Fish Tales: Illumination presented by the Gloucester Writers Center at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main Street. Tickets available at www.gloucesterstage.com. 

Saturday, January 20, 2024:

• 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Make your own colorful salt art with Pathways for Children
  Cape Ann Museum Studio, 27 Pleasant Street
• 10:30 – 12:30 pm - Make Your Own Ice Cream with the Open Door
  Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street
• 12:00 – 2:00 pm – Paint a salt dough fish at Local Colors while supplies last, 121 Main Street
• 12:00 – 5:00 pm – Hot Mead Toddies, Hot Cider, and Hot Cocoa from 1634 Meadery
  Cape Ann Museum Courtyard, 27 Pleasant Street
• 12:00 – 3:00 pm – Mini Tours of the Sargent House Museum, 49 Middle Street
• 1:00 – 2:00 pm - Shim Sham Shimmy Tap Dance Demo and Class
  Movement Arts, Gloucester, MA, (MAGMA) 11 Pleasant Street
• 2:00 – 3:00 pm - Find the Flock of Dancing Seagulls on Main Street!
• 3:00 - 5:00 pm - Sea Shanties with Three Sheets to the Wind
  Cape Ann Museum Auditorium, 27 Pleasant Street
• 5:30 - 6:30 pm - Corey Wrinn: Roll and GoSongs inspired by Gloucester
  The Cut, 177 Main Street. No cover charge. 
• 8:00 – 11:00 pm – Salty Soul: A night of funk, soul and RnB spun on vinyl by Gloucester's own DJ Enzo Arcari and Josh Byrnes aka “DJ Elevator Man" at The Cut, 177 Main Street. Tickets available at the door. https://thecutlive.com/events/20

Sunday, January 21, 2024:

• 10:00 – 10:30 am – Mayor Greg Verga reads Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
  Cape Ann Museum Library & Archives, 27 Pleasant Street
• 10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Paint a Scallop Shell
  Cape Ann Museum Studio, 27 Pleasant Street
• 11:30 am – 1:00 pm - Strengthen your Salty Voice in a Voice & Embodiment Class with Lanes Coven’s Lily Narbonne. Cape Ann Museum Auditorium, 27 Pleasant Street
• 2:00- 2:30 pm - Capoeira Roda Demonstration
  Movement Arts, Gloucester, MA, (MAGMA) 11 Pleasant Street
• 2:30 – 3:30 pm - Shim Sham Shimmy Tap Dance Demo and Class
  Movement Arts, Gloucester, MA, (MAGMA) 11 Pleasant Street
• 3:00 – 4:30 pm – Gloucester Songwriters Swap with Alexandra Grace, Eva James, and Corey Wrinn
  Cape Ann Museum Auditorium, 27 Pleasant Street

Make sure to visit all the Gloucester’s So Salty 2024 Community Partners!

• 1634 Meadery 
• Atlantic Vacation Homes
• Beauport Hotel Gloucester
• Blue Shutters Beachside Inn 
• Cape Ann Lanes/Laneside Pub & Brewery  
• Cape Ann Motor Inn
• Cape Ann Museum 
• Cape Ann Olive Oil Co. 
• Castaways Vintage Cafe
• City of Gloucester
• Design of Mine
• Discover Gloucester 
• Dogtown Books 
• Fireflies Boutique  
• Gloucester 400+ Anniversary 
• Gloucester Apparel and Pat D's Photos
• Gloucester Stage Co.  
• Gloucester Writer’s Center 
• Goodlinens Studio
• Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce
• Harbortown Cultural District
• Harborview Inn
• Lanes Coven Theatre Co
• Local Colors 
• Lockwood Studios Fine Art & Design Gallery 
• MAGMA 
• Mile Marker One, The Hotel at Cape Ann Marina 
• Pathways for Children 
• Sargent House Museum 
• Sawyer Free Library 
• Source Bakery
• The Bookstore of Gloucester 
• The Cut 
• The Emerson Inn
• The Open Door
• The Salted Cod Arthouse 
• The Vista
• Three Sheets to the Wind
• Toodleloos 
• Wingaersheek Motel