Partially consumed Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
Local Tavern & Grille is family-friendly restaurant, with a dog-friendly patio, and an adults-only vibe. While that description may sound mutually [“tri-ually”] exclusive, it’s not, and more importantly, it works.
Home of the former British Beer Company, ‘Local’ in Sandwich is a must-try for families, adults and for the aforementioned doggies, alike. The expansive restaurant has traditional indoor dining rooms, a private room, ample bar and enormous outdoor patio. The latter features firepits, cornhole pit, chalkboard (for kids), and comfortable outdoor furniture.
The Kona Brewing Company brand fits the Local vibe perfectly. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Our choice for seating was a picnic table, with extended umbrella to stay cool under the warm sun, on the patio. Our order included featured entrees (grilled salmon), pub fare (kickin’ chicken sandwich) and kiddos menu (chicken fingers, with seemingly endless French fries).
Indeed, the patio features distinguishes Local from other, similar restaurants. But in case you need more, below are a handful of “yeah, this place is solid,” amenities:
Ample parking. The parking lot you see while passing along Route 6A is about 25% of the capacity on the side and behind the building.
Extensive draft list. For the thirsty, adult crowd, the tap list has a great mix of local, regional and national brands. The $4 beer options are a rarity on Cape.
Friendly and fast service. The wait staff hustles, and somehow manage a smile while doing so.
The back parking lot with a view of the enormous outdoor patio. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Cornhole pit. The cornhole pit is legit; with twin sets for ongoing game action. Not many Cape Cod restaurants are able to host a cornhole tournament, but Local “can.”
Broken sea shell ‘lawn.’ Kiddos can roam free on the [broken sea shell] lawn. The ‘lawn’ is surprisingly spacous and most importaly, fenced off from the parking lot. My kiddos felt right at home working up an appetite by stomping on shells in between bursts of running around like a pack of [insert wild animal of your choice].
A cornhole tournament ($100 first place prize), 5K road race (9:15am), arts and crafts festival and food truck vendors is the line-up for Canal Day in Bourne on September 21, 2024.
The 66th Annual Antique Car Parade will happen on August 25, 2024 in West Dennis.
“Show off your prized wheels and join us for a cruise from Dennis Port to Dennis Village. The parade leaves West Dennis Beach at 11 am and winds through the villages of Dennis, ending at the Cape Playhouse where you can enjoy refreshments and visiting the car owners. There are many viewing areas along the way.”
Mashpee Chamber of Commerce will once again support the 2024 Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 14. Celebrate the magic of the holiday season from 5:30-6:30pm with this holiday tradition in Mashpee Commons thanks to sponsorship from local businesses.
The Orleans Pond Coalition and the Town of Orleans will once again host the 14th annual Celebrate Our Waters Festival. The event occurs during the weekend of September 13-15.
Last year, the event featured over thirty free events highlighting the natural wonder, scenic beauty, and recreational pleasure of Orleans’ priceless waterways and the unique character of the community.
Over this fun-filled weekend, people can paddle beautiful Arey’s Pond at sunset, take a morning yoga class at Nauset Beach, tour Town Cove by kayak, bike around town, walk scenic pond trails and even tour our sparkling new Wastewater Treatment Facility.
The oldest Cape Cod town embraces its ‘tasty’ name with its 15th Annual Street Fair. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 5, 2024!
Last year, the festival featured over 90 street vendors, local artists, craftsmen and retailers, children’s activities, food and more. Event hours are 10am-4pm along historic and picturesque Water Street/Downtown.
Sponsorship levels vary from Premier ($2,500) to Contributing ($50)
Quick disclaimer; there are tons of annual and notable events in each Cape Cod town. This post is the second of a three-part series seeks to highlight one of many events that could very easily be swapped in for what follows.
My goal is to actually attend each of these events this year, but as the old adage goes, the more the merrier. I hope to see you there!
“There is a Fair in the Air,” the tagline reads and cheerful jingle sings. The weeklong Barnstable County Fair returns from July 22-28 at the Barnstable County Fairgrounds.
“Sizzling entertainment, thrilling rides, fabulous food, animals, agriculture and the world’s largest Demolition Derby converge for seven days each July. Named the “Best Local Event of 2022” by the Cape Cod Times, the Barnstable County Fair is a summer staple not to be missed. We bring together an incomparable slate of entertainers, the best-of-the -best in fair food, an array of sizzling rides from Rockwell Amusements, and the world’s largest Demolition Derby.
We match that with county fair hallmarks like 4H demos, petting zoos, livestock, and an impressive display of vegetables, crafts and Americana. This is Cape Cod’s marquee summer event!”
The 38th Annual Brewster in Bloom returns May 3-5, 2024. The 3-day event features the town parade, Brewster Band spring concert, 5K and arts and crafts festival and excursion. The 2024 Parade theme is Enchantment Under the Sea [hopefully with a cameo from Michael J. Fox!].
There are also plant giveaways and raffles, a kids fest, chowder tasting, book signings, open houses (at the historic windmill, art galleries, Cobb House Museum, etc.) and garden design talks.
The Harwich Cranberry Festival will return on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15, 2024. The Festival seeks to entertain the public, sustain artists and musicians, provide voice to community organizations, and raise funds to support local youth. The Festival provides scholarships to Harwich students graduating from high school as well as support local activities to benefit youth and families.
A related program is weekly Thursday concerts throughout the summer. Dubbed “Cranfest in the Courtyard,” begins the week after the Fourth of July, with tickets are $25 per show or $160 for a season pass.
The town at the end of Cape Cod has so many cool and fun annual events picking one is not fair. So let’s go with an oldie, but a goodie, the weeklong Provincetown Carnival!
Created by the Provincetown Business Guild in 1978, Carnival is Ptown’s original summer celebration of community, expression, and creativity. The festival attracts tens of thousands of guests from all over the world to enjoy parties, events, costume contests and the celebrated Carnival parade down Commercial Street. The 2024 theme is Renaissance X Revolution.
The understated Truro Treasures [which is so Truro by the way] returns Friday, September 20 through Sunday, September 22. The three-day festival includes Antique Car Show, Grape Stomp, Treasure Hunt, Harbor to Beach 5K, Rock the Block and more!
I mean, where else on the Cape can you find a Grape Stomp?!
Quick disclaimer; there are tons of annual and notable events in each Cape Cod town. This three-part series seeks to highlight one of many notable events that could very easily be swapped in for what follows.
My goal is to actually attend each of these events this year, but as the old adage goes, the more the merrier. I hope to see you there!
“One of the oldest town parades in the United States,” reads the event website homepage. While most people agree the [unofficial] summer season kicks off on Memorial Day Weekend, Fourth of July in Chatham may as well mark the [official] start. The Chatham Fourth of July Parade is an absolute gem of an annual event.
First, the public is encouraged to submit ideas for the annual parade theme to the Parade Committee. Second, best practices to build a “winning float” are actually listed on the website, including a video with five tips! And of course, a baker’s dozen worth of awards are made annually, including most patriotic, funniest, best family entry, best youth entry, etc.
As for onlookers, be sure to place your blanket or chair along the parade route by sunrise on parade day!
It has been a few years, but I had to see for myself what the town of Eastham and turnips have in common. And sure enough, a full gymnasium full of vendors, exhibits and games confirmed the fact that indeed, Eastham is the turnip capital of [the world?!] Cape Cod!
Last year, over thirty local restaurants and food trucks served specials featuring Eastham turnips; soups, sides, entrees and even ice cream! A local celebrity, Bob Seay of GHB News, even delivered the Blessing of the Turnips.
Save the date, August 18, 2024, for the 52nd running of the Falmouth Road Race!
The race website homepage reads: The Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season.
Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite, and recreational runners out to enjoy the iconic 7-mile seaside course. The creation of the FRR At-Home Edition allows you to experience Falmouth from your hometown. You can walk or run 7 miles in 7 days beginning August 12th.
The nonprofit Falmouth Road Race organization is committed to promoting health and fitness through community programs and philanthropic giving.
Hosted by the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce, Oysterfest is a two-day, family-friendly festival that celebrates the town’s famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions and brings together locals and visitors for a weekend of hometown flavor and fun.
There is something for everyone at OysterFest: local cuisine, a fine art and craft fair, educational lectures, culinary programs, children’s activities, eco-tours, live music, a road race, and the annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition.
For a decade and a half, the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the annual Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail. The trail is one of Yarmouth’s biggest attractions, featuring three dozen or so family-friendly sand sculptures. The trail is usually available for viewing from Memorial Day until mid-October. But beware, some sand sculptures are not completed until mid-June.
Sand sculpture trail maps are available and the public is encouraged to vote for their favorite!
Rocking at Nauset Beach, Orleans, MA. Photo credit: Hog Island Brewery.
by Jeff Shaw
According to the Weather Channel, the world’s most famous groundhog did not see his shadow on February 2 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Therefore, an early spring is on the way.
My reasoning for writing about outdoor concerts in freezing February is ground[hog]ed in this furry weather predictor. Early spring means summer is closer than it may appear. February is also, traditionally, the month where summer tour concert tickets go on sale. [And even if you’re more of a Potomac Phil kind of person, relax, he didn’t see his shadow either. Oh, and while we’re at it, Groundhog Day is the definition of a re-watchable movie!]
Cape Cod is known for what you see on-Cape – world class beaches, bustling harbors, iconic bluffs and lighthouses to name a few; though those smells are a close second, salty air, fried clams, steamy chowder, oh my!
A few rungs down the ‘why Cape Cod is amazing ladder’ is for what you hear – sounds. I give you the top venues to catch some good vibrations [Beach Boys pun] on Cape Cod!
The 2024 Cranberry Festival and [affectionately called] Cranjam return at the Community Center Fields on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15, 2024.
This music festival is paired with a craft festival with over 180 vendors. Additionally, local brewery Devil’s Purse provides wine and local drafts. Food trucks are the main calorie option. With free parking and a laid-back bring your own chair/blanket type seating area, what’s not to like.
The two-day annual event started in the 1970s and is creeping up on a 50th anniversary.
As I wrote a few years ago, you have to catch a show at the Tent. With tandem parking on a gravel lot, the place reeks of old Cape Cod. And sure, so are some of the acts, but you may also be surprised at what tours make a “pit” stop [standing room only concert pun intended].
The current 2024 concert line-up features original acts, tribute bands and comedians. Headliners tend to be announced in the spring, so sign-up for their newsletter to learn about bookings.
Membership enables booking tickets one week before the public and provide express access into the venue on show nights.
You read that right. Margaritaville Resort Cape Cod is coming for summer 2024—the first New England location for the popular Jimmy Buffet-inspired chain. Waa-hoo!
The resort will be a rebrand for the former Cape Codder Resort & Spa in Hyannis. The revitalized resort will have over 270 rooms in addition to an indoor water park, pool, spa and restaurants. While large scale concerts are not part of this rebrand, I’d guess plenty of live “trop-rock” acts will p[l]ay their respects to the late Jimmy Buffett during the inaugural season.
About a decade ago, Hog Island Beer Company, located in Orleans, billed itself as “the Outermost Brewery.” (At the time, that geographical self-description was accurate.) Naming their flagship beer, Outermost IPA, sealed it, no matter what Outer Cape breweries (we see you Ptown) would pop up down the road [yup, another subtle Route 6 pun].
So, it should not come as a surprise when the same brewery collaborated with local musicians to create an outdoor concert of the same theme – the Outermost Roots & Blues Festival. Located in the enormous parking lot of Nauset Beach (750 spaces), this fall event returned in 2023 after a brief hiatus due to the pandemic.
Part of what makes this event unique is that it was created locally, managed locally and even a portion of the proceeds from the festival support The Friends of Nauset Beach, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Make sure to add this concert to your shoulder season calendar.
Tucked away down a long access road is Payomet Performing Arts Center, a nonprofit located at the Highlands Center in partnership with Cape Cod National Seashore.
Similarly to the Tent, bookings tend to be announced in the spring, so sign-up for their newsletter to learn when new acts are booked. Additionally, membership provides advanced notice to purchase tickets before going on sale to the public. Members also get a discount on tickets for most events.
To be honest, the news of Beach Road Weekend moving off island/from Martha’s Vineyard, back to Cape Cod, inspired this post.
Certainly a bummer to some, the Vineyard Arts and Culture Foundation announced last month that the Beach Road Weekend music festival and Martha’s Vineyard Concert Series will not return to Martha’s Vineyard in 2024. Beach Road Weekend will relocate to a new home on Cape Cod in 2025.
The concert series debuted in 2019, but then was canceled for two years due to the pandemic. In 2022, the concert returned featuring 30 bands, including the Avett Brothers, Beck and Wilco, with Mumford and Sons headlining the 2023 line-up.
Ultimately, costs associated with these high profile acts, enormous crowds, insurance, transporting equipment (ferrying literally tons of equipment), etc., made it unprofitable/unsustainable/unworkable.
So, the promoters are going to give it another go on-Cape in 2025. Looking forward to sea [coastal pun intended] how the next chapter unfolds.
