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Join us in New Bedford, America's largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a scalloper, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen's contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.
Saturday 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Festival held rain or shine!
We are pleased to announce our 2nd annual high school poetry contest. Area High School students are invited to compose original poetry about the commercial fishing industry. Poems about fishermen, shoreside workers, fishing boats, fishing families, and other aspects of the working port may be submitted in any style. Students are welcome to submit multiple pieces.
Submissions must be postmarked no later than April 30. The winning poet receives $25. Selected poems will be published in the Festival Program Guide and students may be invited to read their poems at this year's Festival (September 28-29). Click here to download an application.
Films about the working waterfront are presented on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.
The next programs in the series are:
Gloucester, Massachusetts is home to over 6,000 residents of Sicilian origin, many of them from the town of Terrasini, near Palermo. In Altro Mare looks at fishermen, their families, and the community established by the Italian Americans of Gloucester. Director and anthropologist Franco La Cecla interweaves the stories of Gloucester Sicilians with those of immigrants who returned to live and work in Terrasini, suggesting a diasporic experience of being caught between two worlds. The film pays particular attention to changes in the fishing industry that have challenged the viability of smaller-scale independent fishing in Gloucester, such as environmental regulation and globalization. The film will be followed by a discussion about the historical and present role of immigrants on the waterfront.
VOICES FROM THE PORT is a series of short audio pieces based on oral histories collected as part of the Working Waterfront Documentation Project. The programs are designed to provide a window into the history and culture of the working port, and encourage listeners to visit New Bedford, America's #1 Port to learn more. The project was made possible with funding from Mass Humanities.
