Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
GLOUCESTER, Mass (WBZ NewsRadio) — Walking through downtown in America's oldest seaport, you’ll be greeted with some out-of-this-world ice sculptures.
The fourth annual So Salty festival in Gloucester returns with ten cool ice installations all around town, including a Pegasus, some fancy fish, a merman, and so much more.
Oliver Barker, director for the Cape Ann Museum (CAM), told WBZ NewsRadio that this event started out in hopes to attract more tourist to visit the beach town during the off season.
"Particularly after the festive season, where we’ve all been around friends and family, to encourage people to come out and enjoy this gorgeous city that we have here," Barker continued.
The festival is organized by CAM, and Barker said it is getting more popular. Last year’s event had over 1,800 people visiting the city.
Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
It is also a big help to local shops getting more businesses during the slower months.
“This weekend has been a little bit, you know, higher end sales,” Stacy Albano, owner of Firefly Boutique, said.
Caroline Harvey, co-owner of Dogtown Bookshop, a used bookstore, added that Gloucester has always been a year-round working city and this festival is a great way to show tourists it’s not just a beach town.
“We have a great local community here, so we have folks that come in everyday that really count on us,” she said.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CschaffelWBZ) reports.
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