Dock-u-mentary: Love & Grease

A free Dock u mentary film screening spotlights “Love & Grease,” a WBZ TV original. The documentary traces the history of the Greasy Pole competition in Gloucester.

Each year during St. Peter’s Fiesta, local men attempt to cross a greased telephone pole suspended over the harbor to grab a pennant. Italian fishermen introduced the tradition in the 19th century. Both the competition and the Fiesta remain central to the city’s fishing and maritime heritage.

Interviews with past champions and community members add depth and context. Viewers get a close look at how the tradition has endured and evolved over time.