Tourism Council Update – Spetember 2026

The summer season is winding down, but while there is still plenty of the season left, the tourism community is already excited about the fun experiences in store for visitors to Greater Cape Ann this fall. That was the focus of the August 21 meeting of the Chamber’s Tourism Council, as members of the tourism community came together to look back on the summer so far, review final plans for the season, and discuss what’s ahead this fall for visitors to the region.

This has been one of the busiest summers for Greater Cape Ann tourism, thanks in large part to great weather and all that the region had to offer, including community events and activities, as well as the area’s beaches, shops, galleries, museums and more.

The Tourism Council discussed late summer event highlights, including the Waterfront Festival, Manchester’s Festival by the Sea, Rockport Illuminations, the August downtown Gloucester Block Party, and the Blackburn Brewfest, as well as the Culture Splash and Ipswich Downtown Tuesday activities. The Festival by the Sea provided the backdrop for a new addition to the region’s outdoor art – the Atlantis mermaid sculpture that will be placed in the Manchester Harbor; it’s already attracting visitors to its temporary home in Reed Park.

The Council looked ahead to this fall’s major events, which are expected to bring more tourists to Greater Cape Ann. These fall events include the Schooner Festival (September 3-6), another Block Party (September 4), Cape Ann Plein Air (October 3-11), Rockport’s Harvest Fest (October 17) and the Essex Clamfest (October 24). Miranda Aisling Hynes, Gloucester’s arts, culture and events coordinator, talked about a new public art initiative that has turned downtown Main Street into an outdoor gallery, with hand-painted temporary window murals on local storefronts; these will remain on display through November 9.

Anyone who would like to know more about these and other events and activities across Greater Cape Ann can find details on the Chamber’s capeannvacations.com website.

While these events have attracted visitors to Greater Cape Ann – and will continue to do so this fall – the region’s natural attractions and the work of the tourism community play a big part in the success of our visitor-based economy. The Council discussed recent media coverage that pointed to our beautiful beaches, our active waterfronts, our parks and trails, our vibrant arts community, attractions on land and on the water, and the history of the region as reasons visitors come to Greater Cape Ann. We also talked about the region’s shops and culture attractions, receiving updates from Pauline Bresnahan from Pauline’s Gifts and Linda Harvey from Hammond Castle Museum.

In future meetings, the Council plans to discuss fall marketing plans that will further support tourism in the all-important months following the summer.

All of this month’s conversations reinforced the important part tourism plays in our local economy, and we discussed ways our communities can better support the tourism industry – and in turn generate more revenue for municipalities.

We’ll address all this and more in our upcoming Tourism Council meetings – the next set for September 18. Anyone who is involved in or has an interest in Greater Cape Ann’s visitor-based economy is invited to join us for these meetings. We gather on the third Friday of each month at the Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce offices — and via Zoom. If you’d like to be part of these discussions, please reach out to me or contact the Chamber staff.

Tony Sapienza
Co-owner, Blue Shutters Beachside Inn
Chair, Tourism Council
tsapienza@gmail.com

Learn more about the Greater Cape Ann Chamber’s Tourism Council