With a historic June now behind us with more than 20 events including celebrating our five 2022 Small Business Winners, Community Division Meetings, several networking events (including a six Chamber extravaganza at Misselwood and another BIG one at Crane Castle) and eight ribbon cuttings, we are in final planning mode for our major summertime community events. It has been a very busy month celebrating and supporting Small Business as the lifeblood of the region.
Looking forward, it is about to be a summertime events extravaganza! For the first time in more than three decades, we will be participating in several July 4th weekend parades as part of our celebration of our 100 Year Young anniversary. We have a large Birthday cake float and a second float depicting all five our Greater Cape Ann communities and hope to see you along the parade routes. Our next major community event is the first of three Gloucester Block Parties on July 16th. Join us on Main Street with several musical stages, street performers, food trucks and more – fun for the whole family. And then it is onto August, as the Chamber’s big month for community celebrations. Festival by the Sea in Manchester on August 6th will feature 100 artisans, great music and food. On August 13th we are back partying on Gloucester’s Main Street for the second Block Party and the Blues Festival at Stage Fort Park, with renowned blues bands from around the country. August 20th and 21st is Waterfront Festival at Stage Fort in Gloucester where you can enjoy more than 150 artisans, delicious food, music and fun rides for the kids. We end the summer with our third Gloucester Block Party on Friday, September 2nd, to coincide with Gloucester’s iconic Schooner Festival.
More on the above can be seen / heard on our July Love Greater Cape Ann video podcast.
And finally, the Cape Ann Community Foundation has selected the 2022 grant winners, awarding a record $19,000 to ten non-profits this year – the recipients are as follows: Art for Equity, Cape Ann Art Haven, Kops n Kids, Magnolia Library & Community Center, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, Maritime Gloucester, Rockport Illumination Weekend, SeniorCare, Inc. Together Gloucester, Inc., Town of Essex, Council on Aging (read full press release here). These grants are funded with proceeds from the Cape Ann License Plate, easily available online at the official Registry of Motor Vehicles site. Just click the link below, follow the instructions to scroll to the Cape Ann plate, and your plates will be delivered to you in a few days – no trip to the Registry required!
Order your plate right now at this link: Cape Ann License Plate
Greater Cape Ann’s vibrant business community plays an important role in what makes this area a special place to live, work and play. Together we have it all and are making great things happen.