Cape Ann offers visitors something every season. In the summer, visitors enjoy our beaches, whale watching, outdoor concerts, and the region’s major events. The fall offers beautiful autumn colors along our marshes and parks – and a world-class painting competition. Winter brings holiday activities, bird-watching, and stunning snow-covered vistas. Spring marks the return of ships to the waterfront, flowers along the boulevard, and more visitors to our restaurants, galleries, and shops.
This is just a sampling of what attracts visitors to Cape Ann throughout the year, and in it its October 21 meeting, the Greater Cape Ann Tourism Council looked closely at each season in support of our focus on growing the region’s visitor-based economy.
The lengthiest discussion was centered on the season just past, as Discover Gloucester Executive Director Tess McColgan shared details on the Summer Season Review, which would be held a few days after our meeting. As part of our discussion with Tess, members of the council shared their own updates on the summer, each agreeing that the 2022 season was among the best ever, calling out the sunny weather that dominated the mid-year months and the events and activities that attracted visitors to Cape Ann.
The conversation turned to the fall and one of this season’s highlights – the Cape Ann Plein Air painting competition, which offered a full week of activities. We noted that this fall was among our best ever, with accommodations, restaurants, museums, and attractions reporting busy weekends through the month of October,
We looked ahead to the winter, reviewing plans for the traditional holiday events and the return of popular programs like Winter Lights (November 27-January 1) and Gloucester So Salty (January 22 & 23). And we completed our review of the calendar with a discussion of the possibility of extending winter birding into the spring months.
Our focus in this meeting reached not only across the calendar, but also across the region. A highlight was an update from Ipswich, the newest addition to the Greater Cape Ann Chamber. Trina Schell, representing the Crane Estate in Ipswich, provided an overview of one of region’s most unique and popular destinations. Trina talked specifically about Crane Estate events planned in December, February and March. We’ll continue our discussion of Greater Cape Ann’s visitor-based economy in our next meeting, scheduled for November 18. The Council meets monthly, on the third Friday of each month, at the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce offices. Please email me at tsapienza@gmail.com if you’d like to join us or if you have any questions about our focus on supporting tourism on Cape Ann.
Tony Sapienza
Co-owner, Blue Shutters Beachside Inn
Chair, Tourism Council
