by Jeff Shaw
The holiday season is upon us! And Cape Cod is a wonderful place to experience authentic Christmas cheer, “where modern amenities and Victorian charm casually coexist.” (Boston Magazine)
So in an effort to spread some Christmas cheer, check out these holiday events on Cape Cod. You may just catch the holiday spirit!
Christmas by the Sea, Chatham
Christmas by the Sea weekend, December 13th – 15th, is full of events that have leapt right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. The celebration kicks off on Friday night with a children’s light parade that escorts Santa down Main Street on a fire truck to the tree lighting ceremony at Sears Park (intersection of Seaview and Main Streets).
Activities continue in shops up and down Main Street as well as free horse & carriage rides and visits with Santa in the Chamber Information booth (next to Yankee Ingenuity gift shop). Saturday brings plenty more events in the businesses around town, including a special movie screening for the little ones at the Chatham Orpheum Theater and Breakfast with Santa.
Christmas Parades, Falmouth, Hyannis & Mashpee
Falmouth has one of the state’s largest Christmas parades (Sunday, December 8), featuring floats, costumed characters, marching bands, Clydesdales and plenty of Christmas cheer.
Also that weekend is Hyannis’ highly anticipated harbor lighting and illuminated boat procession through Hyannis Harbor (December 7).
Also, Mashpee’s Christmas “Season of Illumination” Parade on Saturday, December 14th is sure to dazzle as the Cape’s only nighttime walking parade featuring colorfully lit floats.
Gardens Aglow, Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich
Gardens Aglow at Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich celebrates the season with over nine miles of holiday lights. Stroll through the illuminated grounds, while also taking time to pose with Santa in a 1914 Ford Model T, take a ride on a vintage carousel, roast marshmallows, and participate in a reindeer scavenger hunt.
Drive through Sandwich and try to spot all of The Giants, over two dozen illuminated sculptures along 6A.
Polar Express, Cape Cod Central Railroad, Bourne & Hyannis
All aboard! Magic is in the air on the Cape Cod Central Railroad’s Polar Express, where passengers will sing carol over cookies and hot cocoa. Set to the sounds of the motion picture soundtrack, passengers will relive the magic of the classic story as they are whisked away for a festive trip to meet Santa.
Trains depart out of the Buzzards Bay depot from late November through December.
Lobster Pot [Christmas] Tree, Provincetown
There is quite possibly nothing more quintessential New England than a Christmas Tree made entirely out of lobster traps. Provincetown’s Lobster Pot Tree is made using over 100 of them – all borrowed from local lobstermen – and is accentuated by 3,000+ LED lights and colorful buoys. Visit Provincetown’s Lopes Square anytime during the holiday season.
The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce also has their picks of ways to catch the holiday spirit on Cape Cod!
What is your favorite holiday event or activity on Cape Cod?
December 2, 2024