Great Gatherings
Great Gatherings are fundraising events hosted by folks from the Waring community for a limited number of people on a specific date and at a specific time. Gatherings are usually theme around the hosts' interested or special skills. Most of all Great Gatherings are a time for having fun, making new friends, building community and trying new things while supporting Waring.
You may purchase tickets to these gatherings and the ticket proceeds benefit Waring. Spaces are limited, so make sure you get to the Great Gathering tables early to sign up and reserve your spot. If you have questions, please see Jonathan Golding.
1. Marc Cohn Concert at the Cabot w/ reception at Waring Downtown
Date & Time: Friday, June 1, 2018, Show at 8PM, Reception starts at 6:15pm
Place: The Cabot, Beverly, MA
Hosts: Kevan and Cindy Keegan
Cost: $40
No. of guests: 24
This is your chance to attend the Marc Cohn Concert at the Cabot on Friday, June 1st with a reception at Waring Downtown. Join 24 of your Waring friends and watch the Grammy award winner of “Walking in Memphis” from the first two rows of the balcony. These tickets were generously donated by the Cabot. Kevan and Cindy Keegan will host a pre-concert reception in the Waring Downtown space, with doors opening at 6:15.
2. Privateer Rum Distillery Tour and Cocktail Class, Ipswich, MA
Date & Time: Saturday, June 9, 2018 from 5-6:30pm
Place: Privateer Rum, Ipswich
Hosts: John & Kate Cabot
Cost: $50.00
No. of guests: 25
Are you interested in the distiller’s craft, or perhaps looking for ideas for a new libation? Come join us for a cocktail hour-and-a-half at Privateer Rum of Ipswich, a leading light of New England’s craft distilling scene! This event includes a tour of the distillery and professional cocktail-making instruction (and sampling) in Privateer’s brand-new tasting room. At the end, along with your new knowledge, you get to take home a t-shirt and a cocktail glass as well. You can also purchase Privateer’s award-winning spirits, if you wish!
3. Beyond Fantastic Pulled Pork Barbecue Party
Date & Time: Saturday, June 23, 2018, 4pm start time
Place: Rockport, MA
Hosts: Kim & Bill Wright
Cost: $65.00
No. of guests: 20
Up for an authentic barbecue oceanside with two Kansas City Barbecue Society Certified judges? Join Kim & Bill Wright at their beautiful home for an incredible meal featuring pulled pork, ribs and other mouth watering dishes like Memphis style coleslaw and cornbread. Naturally this event wouldn’t be complete without beer and wine, seasonal appetizers, side dishes and dessert! Great food, great people, stunning views, could you ask for anything more?
4. Sunday Funday Paddle Boarding Adventure with Coast to Coast Paddle
Date & Time: Sunday, June 24, 2018 10am-12pm
Place: Independence Park, Beverly, MA
Hosts: Melissa Dimond, Gretchen Putnam & Ari Dimond-Putnam
Cost: $55
No. of guests: 12 (Adults & Kids)
You know you've always wanted to do it and now is your chance!
Join us for a Sunday Funday adventure on the water with Aaron, Ashley & their team of qualified instructors from Coast to Coast Paddle in Beverly. No experience necessary! We will get out on the water and begin with a lesson to show you the basic techniques for getting on a paddle board and then choose between games (not just for the kids) or touring the Beverly coastline. 1 instructor per 5 paddlers. Boards, Paddles & Life Jackets provided. Bring the kids or come on your own.
Lunch on the beach will be provided before moving on into the rest of your day.
Launch into summer with a new activity or learn more to jump into winter paddling - Yes, Coast to Coast offers year round paddling. Your adventure is just beginning!
5. Buck Street Bash - Chili Cook-Off & MicroBrews
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Time: 5:00-8:00PM
Place: 17 Buck Street, Newburyport, MA
Hosts: John and Kelly Knowles & Scott and Laurie Hylton
Cost: $50
No. of guests: 40
Please join the Knowles and the Hyltons as they go head-to-head in a chili cook off (join in the competition if you've got a special chili recipe you'd like to share). Microbrew beer from some of the amazing local breweries and sangria will be supplied as well as an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages. Live, acoustic entertainment will be on hand, and anyone interested in jamming should feel free to grab a mic and perform or just sing along. Don't miss the opportunity to be a judge in this high-stakes, no-holds-barred chili smackdown! Some egos are about to get bruised!
6. “Outstanding in the Field” Dining al fresco at Heron Pond Farm
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 at 5:30pm
Place: Heron Pond Farm, South Hampton, NH
Hosts: Andre & Anna Cantelmo, Will Norse & Frances McLaughlin
Cost: $75.00
No. of guests: 16
Waring parents Andre and Anna Cantelmo, owners of Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, NH, along with Will Norse and Frances McLaughlin, invite you for a relaxing and delicious harvest-time supper and sunset held in one of Heron Pond’s greenhouse --right at the edge of the fields. Sixteen guests will be treated to a 3-course meal beginning with a tomato tasting, a locally-sourced main course and dessert featuring Bell and Goose Cheese Co. cheeses, hand-made by Anna herself. Wine for the evening is sourced from Grand Trunk in Newburyport, MA. This Great Gathering is beyond Great!
This is an adult event that will take place rain or shine. Please note that this set menu will feature a variety of foods which may not cater to those with dietary restrictions. Footwear appropriate to a walk through the fields is recommended, and to hang out around the firepit. PS. South Hampton is less than 3 miles from Amesbury.
7. Pig Roast on Biskie Head Point
Date & Time: Saturday, November 3, 2018, 4-8PM
Place: Biskie Head Point, Gloucester
Hosts: Claire Sanford & Charlie Crowley, Mary & Ian Cookson, and Joanne Avallon & Kurt Ogle
Cost: $45.00
No. of guests: 25
This early fall Great Gathering will include a pig roast with all the trimmings, including yummy appetizers, sumptuous desserts and vegan options! Take advantage of the last evening before Daylight Savings and enjoy the sunset and spectacular views overlooking the Annisquam and Little Rivers in Gloucester. Sip cocktails around the fire pit or stay cozy inside and enjoy a hybrid Hawaiian/East Coast feast that you won’t forget!
Hosted by alumni parents Claire Sanford & Charles Crowley, Joanne Avallon & Kurt Ogle and Mary & Ian Cookson
8. Swiss Raclette Feast
Date & Time: Saturday, November 10, 2018 at 6pm
Place: Manchester by the Sea, MA
Hosts: Tony & Cathy Boisvert, Nina Gadmer & Nat Langman
Cost: $65.00
No. of guests: 8
Seriously fun conversations over plates of melted cheese, tasty meats, and bottles of white wine. Raclette is traditionally a Swiss dish, in which large cheese rounds were heated by open fire in the mountains, as dinner to those carrying it. The word raclette derives from the French word racler, which means to scrape and refers to the melted cheese being scraped onto plates. This delicious meal has been passed down from generation to generation by villagers in Switzerland, France and Germany and is still popular today. Warm yourselves up as you feast on a variety of alpine cheeses & charcuterie, rich melted cheese poured over warm potatoes & sides and a lovely glass of wine. If that’s not enough, we’ll have Swiss patisseries and schnapps to tempt you further. So come in from the cold and join us for this old world experience!
9. House of Seven Gables Tour, followed by food and drinks!
Date & Time: Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 3:45pm
Place: Salem, MA
Hosts: Nicole Weedon and Juanita & Raymond Prescod
Cost: $30
No. of guests: 12
This year celebrates the 350th anniversary of the House of Seven Gables, a 17th century mansion which is part of the National Historic Landmark District in Salem. Built by John Turner, a sea captain & merchant in 1668 and later home to Captain Samuel Ingersoll, it is one of New England’s greatest historic homes. Glimpse the past as you explore this beautiful home and stroll through its gardens; all of which served as the settling for Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel. These admission tickets were generously donated by the House of Seven Gables. After the tour, go to the nearby home of Nicole Weedon a 1767 historic saltbox in the beautiful McIntire District for a post-tour reception with appetizers and drinks, hosted by Nicole, along with Juanita & Raymond Prescod. Local resident? Ask about our Salem discount.
10. “Tour de France” Wine Tasting at Total Wine & More
Date & Time: Thursday, January 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm
Place: Total Wine, Danvers, MA
Hosts: Tim Averill, Mike Kersker, Jim Watras, Tim Bakland
Cost: $35
No. of guests: 20
Total Wine & More will host a wine tasting event that is certain to impress you. Taste eight premium, hand-selected wines and discover hidden treasures from the wine region of France. You will enjoy a tour of the land and learn about the famed appellations and grape varietals that make the region so unforgettable. Travel with us through the most famous appellations from France. Taste Grand Cru Champagne before sampling two stunning and food-friendly wines from the Loire Valley and Provence. Five elegant reds such as prestigious Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Margaux will follow the white wine selections and show you why this is a wine tour of France like no other. Join us in the private room of Total Wine & More with four of Waring’s most famed oenophiles. Light refreshments will be provided.
11. Wine, Chocolate and Cheese - Valentine's Day Edition
Date & Time: Saturday, February 9, 2019. Anytime after 7:45pm
Place: 201 Atlantic Road, Gloucester, MA
Hosts: Jonathan Golding & Sally Bradley-Golding, Lynn Barendsen & John Rossi, and alumni parents Ellen & George Sibley, Kendall & Caroline Buhl, Max & Olga Milendorf
Cost: $65 for first 75 guests, $95 per person after that.
No. of guests:100
THIS my friends, is THE Wine Chocolate and Cheese Great Gathering. The inaugural event was in 2015. Presented again in 2016 and 2017. We took a sabbatical in 2018, and in February 2019, Wine, Chocolate, and Cheese will reemerge as Wine Chocolate and Cheese – the Valentine’s Day Edition. I know . . . Go Figure. Held at the Gloucester seaside former home of Waring’s own Mrs. Ann Cahill, and the current residence of Sally Bradley-Golding, Jonathan Golding, Elizabeth Golding Ward. Make that early dinner reservation in Gloucester and then come to our chocolate, cheese and wine post dinner smorgasbord complete with the sights and sounds of the one and only Alek Razdan and the A-Train Orchestra to accompany your drinking and munching pleasures. Suggested dress: Festive, featuring Red, White, or Black colors.
12. Live Music Party in Newburyport
Date & Time: March 2, 2019. 6:00-9:00pm
Place: Michael’s Harborside, Newburyport. MA
Hosts: Craig and Sandhya Douglas
Cost: $40 each or $70 for two
No. of guests: 99
Live Music Party in Newburyport back by popular demand! An early evening Waring School social gathering at Michael’s Harborside in Newburyport on October 13th from 6pm-9pm with wine and beer, light snacks and live rock ‘n roll music by Craig’s Benedict (band members include Waring parents Craig and Sandhya Douglas). THIS is one bargain-priced Great Gathering designed for maximum fun at a minimum cost. Plus an All-Waring student opening band! You sure don’t want to miss this very enjoyable evening!
