A big Gloucester 400+ celebration is taking place throughout 2023.
This year, Gloucester is celebrating 400+ years of history and culture! It’s been four hundred years since the Dorchester Company sent a group of fishermen from England to the New World. This expedition landed on what is now called Half Moon Beach, and they named their settlement “Gloucester.”
The mission of the Gloucester 400+ Anniversary Committee is “to commemorate, celebrate, and promote knowledge of Gloucester’s 400+ years of cultural, social, ethnic, and economic diversity.” On this anniversary, the “+” is an acknowledgment of the indigenous peoples and cultures who also lived in this part of the world for thousands of years prior to the English settlement.
Throughout 2023, significant programs and events will highlight Gloucester’s rich history and heritage that encompasses its extraordinary ethnic diversities, art and culture, remarkable industrial achievements and stellar natural resources. Some of these quadricentennial programs and events include:
- The 400 Stories Project
- Gloucester 400+ Fisheries Heritage Festival
- The installation of a Wetu, a traditional Wampanoag structure, at the Cape Ann Museum Green and also a mush8n (traditional canoe) at Stage Fort Park as part of the Native Waters; Native Lands project
- Literary walking tours
- Cemetery tours
- Live theater productions
- Indigenous Film Festival
- And more! See the full event calendar.
Gloucester’s incredibly rich history is as diverse as the many cultures who have called this area home. Gloucester 400+, in addition to celebrating the art, cultures, and industries of the last four hundred years, has committed to learning and sharing the history and stories of peoples who lived on what is now Cape Ann for thousands of years before European settlement. Gloucester 400+ and Cape Ann Museum are working with SmokeSygnals, an indigenous consulting firm, to best learn and communicate this history.
Where to Stay in Gloucester in 2023
Atlantic Vacation Homes offers a wide variety of vacation rental homes across Cape Ann that would be perfect for your Gloucester visit. To book, simply view available vacation rentals and enter your desired dates to get a quote. You can also call toll-free at (855) 853-9143 to speak with a Guest Experience Specialist.
