Last weekend, we headed up north to Gloucester, on Massachusetts’ beautiful Cape Ann, for a special seaside treat. Just in side the harbor of America’s oldest seaport, a thirty foot lobster trap Christmas tree was erected and we were there for the lighting. It’s a tradition that Gloucester has been doing for the last dozen years or so, but this was the first time that we made it up there for the event or to see the tree.

With traps stacked high and laced with Christmas lights and ornamented with painted buoys it is a cool site to see. The buoys are courtesy of local children who paint them at Cape Ann Art Haven, a nonprofit community art space located across the street from the tree’s location. It is a great tribute to the oldest fishing community in America and the surprisingly rich artistic tradition of the city.

It was a bit of a chilly night but definitely worth the trip. Hadley got to play with some ice blocks in front of the Art Haven and was a bit fascinated.

As the lighting grew closer,  an impressive number of people lined up around the courtyard and across the street from the tree. The event was definitely being recorded. Apparently, the Learning Channel was the documenters for this year’s festivities.