Welcome To Gloucester!

Gloucester Schooner Festival is a weekend full of fun and exciting events across the entire city. The Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee is pleased to partner with many other local entities to create these fun events for our visitors and our community.

Schedule of Events

August 28, 2024

7:00pm: The 40th Kickoff Concert

Kick off the 40th with a pre-Festival bash at THE CUT, a world-class concert venue and the newest Gloucester Schooner Festival sponsor! Some of the finest, funkiest musicians from across New England have banded together to play the groovy tunes from the ’70s. Renew your spirit, get your groove on, and experience the power of Booty Vortex! Boston's Finest Funk and Disco, Award Winning Keepers of the Groove, High Energy Disco Party. Buy Tickets

August 29, 2024

Community Day

A day filled with local flavor. Local captains and crew will be making the rounds throughout the community, culminating in an evening race sure to wake up the harbor!

On Land:

10:00am to 4:00pm: Maritime Gloucester
Museums and Exhibits Open

12:00pm to 1:00pm: Maritime Kids Craft And Create
Kids Heritage Craft PopUp in the MG Classroom

3:00pm to 4:00pm: Stories Of Sail & Sea
Come join our historian Justin Demetri as he welcomes some schooner captains for a mug up and stories in our MugUp Room popup exhibit.

Come Sailing:

5:30pm to 7:30pm: Schooner Challenge
Join our local Schooner Captains as they participate in a friendly competition putting their seamanship to the test over an "obstacle" course. Passengers will be given their own set of tasks to win the coveted Rum Bottle Award. Visiting schooners already arrived will join the event. The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

Community/Partner Events:

7:00pm to 9:30pm: Harbor Loop Concert Series

August 30, 2024

Greet The Fleet Day
A day filled with local flavor. Local captains and crew will be making the rounds throughout the community, culminating in an evening race sure to wake up the harbor!

On Land:

10:00am to 4:00pm: Maritime Gloucester
Museums and Exhibits Open
Waterfront Tours of America's oldest marine railway

Come Sailing:

10:00am to 2:00pm: Public Sails
The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

2:30pm to 4:30pm: Greet The Fleet Sail
Historic Gloucester Harbor comes alive with canvas as traditional wooden vessels. With so many schooners in the harbor, here is your opportunity to be part of the action! A thrilling chance to greet visiting schooners as they come over the breakwater.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

Community/Partner Events:

7:00pm to 10:00pm Chamber of Commerce Block Party

August 31, 2024

Maritime Heritage Day
The festival's biggest spectator day, with 3 locations to engage with history and vessels, dozens of opportunities to get on board and view these majestic ships or sail on Gloucester Harbor. The pinnacle of the festivities revolve around Maritime Gloucester's pier with demonstrations and family fun.
Check out the day's schedule HERE

On Land:

10:00am to 4:00pm: Maritime Heritage Day At Maritime Gloucester
Museums and Exhibits Open
Free to the public: schooner deck tours, music, food trucks, USS Constitution 1892 Marines, crafts for all ages, skills demonstrations, community vendors, & family activities.
$20 hourly schooner sails on Schooner Ardelle!
Get your MHD schedule and details HERE

10:00am to 4:00pm: Schooner Deck Tours

Maritime Gloucester- 23 Harbor Loop
Schooner Floats - I4C2, 65 Rogers St
Ocean Alliance - 32 Horton St, Rocky Neck
Thanks to generous support from our sponsors, we are again able to provide a visitor-based dockside experience that puts the public on schooners for deck tours. This is a free option for the public, but donations are always appreciated.

Come Sailing:

10:00am to 6:00pm: Public Sails
The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

6:30pm to 10:30pm: Fireworks Sails
Witnessing the fireworks over historic Gloucester Harbor is a magnificent sight. Seeing it above you from the deck of a schooner is a breathtaking experience you do not want to miss. These sell out quickly, so don't delay.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

Community/Partner Events:

6:30pm to 10:00pm: Concert on Stacy Boulevard
Live Music and light effects

7:00pm to 9:00pm: Boat Parade of Lights
This annual event showcases a parade of local private boats and begins at dusk in the Annisquam River.

9:15pm: Fireworks Display over the Harbor

September 1, 2024

Race Day!
The capping day of events culminates in the gorgeous spectacle of the Parade of Schooners and the Offshore race for the Mayors' Cup.

On Land:

10:00am to 4:00pm: Maritime Gloucester
Museums and Exhibits Open

10:00am to 11:30am Parade of Schooners
Schooners proceed from the Inner Harbor, past the Fisherman's Memorial on Stacy Boulevard and Stage Fort Park, to the race starting area off Eastern Point. Various non-profit and business organizations offer Parade of Schooners or Race viewing opportunities.

Come Sailing:

10:00am to 12:00pm: Parade Of Schooners
The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

Mayor's Cup Race
The Mayor's Cup, Esperanto Trophy, and many other awards are up for grabs in this thrilling off-shore race. The race course positions are decided the morning of the race by the Schooner Festival Committee at a meeting with the captains of the participating vessels.
The public is invited to purchase tickets aboard participating schooners.
Check various schooner websites for ticketing details

Community/Partner Events:

9:15am: Good Morning Gloucester Parade Livestream

September 2, 2024

Labor Day is held as a Rain Date if Needed for Parade of Sail and/or Races

Maritime Gloucester Open - 10am-4pm

Date: August 28 - September 2, 2024

Location: Various Venues in Gloucester, MA 01930.

Click Here for more information