The Chatham Town Band and Chatham “A’s” Anglers play on the same day four (4) times in 2026, a so-called “Double Play.”
“Summer Fridays at 8:00pm means one thing; it’s band time in Chatham.” The same can be true, albeit different times and days, in Brewster, Yarmouth, Harwich, Barnstable, Falmouth [with their respective town bands]. Summer days (and nights) also mean Cape Cod Baseball League games. And wouldn’t you know it, there are many opportunities to catch a “Double Play” (band concert and baseball game on the same day in the same town) all summer long!
Here’s your guide to Double Plays this summer (while the bands play at the same time weekly; game times vary and are subject to change).
by Jeff Shaw
FridaysinChatham. The Chatham Town Band plays at Kate Gould Park in Downtown Chatham at 8:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the Chatham A’s at nearby Veteran’s Field, first pitch 7:00pm. Double play dates (4): June 19, June 26, July 10, July 24.
Sundays in Brewster. The Brewster Band plays at Drummer Boy Park off Route 6A in Brewster at 6:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the Brewster Whitecaps at Stony Brook Field, first pitch 5:00pm. Double play dates (4): June 14, July 5, July 12, July 26.
Mondays in Yarmouth. The Yarmouth Summer Concert Series is located at Parker’s River Beach at 6:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the YD Red Sox at Red Wilson Field, first pitch 5:00pm. Double play date (1): July 20.
Tuesdays in Harwich. The Harwich Town Band plays at Brooks Park in Harwich Center at 7:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the Harwich Mariners at Whitehouse Field, first pitch at 4:30pm, 5:30pm or 6:30pm. Double play dates (5): June 16, June 30, July 14, July 21, July 28.
Wednesdays in Barnstable. The Barnstable Town Band plays at Hyannis Village Green at 7:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the Cotuit Kettlers at Lowell Park, first pitch at 4:30pm and/or Hyannis Harbor Hawks at McKeon Park, first pitch at 6:00pm, respectively. Double play dates (1-Cotuit: July 18) (3-Hyannis: July 8, July 15, July 29).
Thursdays in Falmouth. The Falmouth Town Band plays at the Lin Whitehead Band Shell at 7:00pm. Prior to the music (or even after), catch a few innings of the Falmouth Commodores at Guv Fuller Field, first pitch at 6:00pm. Double play dates (3): June 18, July 7, July 16.
The lobster trap Christmas Tree in Provincetown. Photo credit: Ptown Tourism.
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
Christmas Carolers in Falmouth. Photo credit: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
Gardens Aglow, Heritage Museum and Gardens, Sandwich
Gardens aglow! Photo credit: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
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
One of Santa’s little helpers. Photo credit: Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.
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.
Last month, the Chatham Orpheum Theater held a screening of the 2021 holiday film, A Cape Cod Christmas, including a meet and greet with the Cape Cod-based director, John Stimpson. Somehow [perhaps in the midst of pandemic chaos] I missed this movie announcement all together, and just the other night, watched it.
As Jennifer Sexton-Riley wrote in The Chronicle, “A Cape Cod Christmas,” promises an opportunity to rediscover romance with an ocean view. Margot, a children’s book author, comes down to Cape Cod for one last Christmas dinner with her disagreeable siblings before they have to sell their family beach house – a home base of family tradition while their parents were alive. Margot doesn’t want to sell, the other two siblings do. Further, her sister Meredith is in a tough financial situation faced with a looming college tuition bill for her son. A plan is devised to try and get the sister and brother to change their minds as well as a childhood romance is rekindled.
Photo credit: IMDB
The film was shot in Falmouth during the pandemic, and features many prominent locations throughout town.
I am not a movie critic, in fact, I don’t recall ever reviewing one, but a few observations stood out. Please feel free to agree or disagree:
Props
A reindeer-themed throw blanket on the couch was a little too Green, White or Rocky Mountains. I would bet 9/10 beach house homeowners have a marine-themed holiday throw.
B-Roll Shots
Photo credit: IMDB.
The brief aerial shots of the people walking the beach* was so Cape Cod. Same for the (quiet) shots of the harbor. Nailed it.
Storyline(s)
While the story circled back around to the original premise neatly, I cannot help but think a secondary plot line should have been established, about Meredith, the sister. Her character was underdeveloped, but you could see a path where she, not Margot, was even more torn between the emotions tied to losing a connection with your late parents/happy beach house memories and the practical reality of using a third of the house’s sale price to pay for your child’s college tuition.
It wasn’t clear where Meredith and her family were currently living, but she recalled not being at the family beach house in two years, so that seed of longing was planted early. Since the painting ended up being for Meredith, not Tom, the older brother, or somehow split among both siblings, this would have made the painting unveiling scene twice as powerful as well as the second-to-last scene, a bit more joyful [Spoiler alert…knowing that Meredith could have it both ways].
Photo credit: IMDB.
A Little Life Advice
I love the in-your-face message Christian delivers during the sunrise walk along the beach…to paraphase…put down your friggin’ phone and look around and actually see, dare I say appreciate, the natural beauty that surrounds many of us! Indeed, we’re the lucky ones.
Word Play
Photo credit: IMDB.
Later in that scene, Margot and Christian run to the dock where their initials were carved and…to paraphrase…he says something to the effect of, after all these years, it’s still there. “It” being their love/connection, which gets a bit lost as Margot recoils at his advance.
Bottomline
If you have a soft spot for Cape Cod, it is going to be hard to turn off the movie once started. The brief b-roll shots of coastline, downtown shops, and holiday decorations, especially of a cozy, waterfront beach house, are satisfying. Like all Hallmark- or Lifetime-esque movies, there is plenty of cheesiness, but endless coffee runs keeps you grounded [coffee bean pun intended].
While far from a holiday classic, it may be sniffing the rewatchable conversation. Regardless, there is an important lesson, hard to ignore, for many families who will find themselves in a similar situation – what to do when multiple children inherit a family [or beach] house and do not agree with what to do with it [keep or sell]. For that reason alone, the film may be worth watching.
*I know of no one who wakes up before sunrise regularly to walk the beach. Do you?
The distance between the teams located farthest from one another is 47 miles. Photo credit: Google maps.
The month of June is known for many things; graduations, maximum daylight, outdoor concerts and endless replays of Alice Cooper’s Schools Out [for summer]. But on Cape Cod, the month of June means the beginning of a wonderful tradition and summer rite of passage: the Cape Cod Baseball League.
If you need a refresher, ten teams located between Wareham (just off-Cape) and Orleans, (Lower Cape), compete annually in this officially NCAA sanctioned summer league. (Though, as many books point out, the origins of organized baseball on Cape Cod are local and amateur.) Most professional scouts love to be assigned to the Cape League because of the concentration of teams. As an example, the distance between Wareham and Orleans, the two farthest outposts of the 10-team league, is a mere 47 miles. Conversely, teams in leagues in larger geographical areas may be separated by 47 miles each!
Indeed, closeness and geography makes the Cape Cod Baseball League special. So why not see for yourself and visit each team’s ballpark this summer? Below is a plan to do just that…in a single weekend. You read that right, it can be done:
Double Header Weekends. The weekends of June 17-19 (Father’s Day) and June 24-26 both have double headers on Sunday. The earliest double header begins at 2pm (at Cotuit) and the latest double header begins at 5pm (at Chatham). Meaning you can easily catch three complete games and probably see even more games if you only stay for a few innings and move along. Watching three complete games sounds like the ultimate ‘summer catch’ [Cape League-based movie pun intended]!
Last Weekend. The July 29-31 games are the last regular season weekend games. If you are savvy, you can catch games (heading East) at Hyannis (6pm) Harwich (6:30pm), Orleans (6:30pm) and Chatham (7pm) on Friday; start Saturday in Brewster (4pm) and then proceed West to Wareham (6pm—crossing the bridge should be okay on a Saturday), then head back over the bridge and down to Falmouth (6pm). On Sunday, start in YD at 4:30pm, then head West to the second half of the Cotuit game (4:30pm) and then the middle of the game at Bourne (6pm).
Unique Game Locations. Four Cape League teams will travel off-Cape for regular season game play. The first game between YD vs. Hyannis will be Wednesday, July 20 at 11:00am at Dunkin’ Donuts Park in Hartford, home of the Class AA Hartford Yard Goats, affiliated with the Colorado Rockies. The second game between Bourne vs. Wareham will be Monday, July 25 at 6:45pm at Polar Park in Worchester, home of the Worcester Red Sox. And of course, don’t forget the All-Star Game on Saturday, July 23 at 6:00pm in Wareham.
Pinned locations of all ten Cape Cod Baseball League teams, color coded by West and East Divisions. Photo credit: CCBL.
Below are the addresses to the fields of all ten teams.
I hope you are enjoying fall on Cape Cod, the best season; sparse crowds, outdoor festivals, crisp air, and ocean/pond temperature just warm enough for a quick dip. Mix-in those fall flavors and smiles all around! Speaking of flavors and smiles…
…Last week at Cape Cod Doxie Day, I was the big winner of an Octoberfest raffle prize package – featuring, you guessed it, a mix of Octoberfest-style beers. Like, a lot of beers – too many beers – 48 to be exact (no joke, four 12-packs in addition to pint glasses, bottle opener, t-shirt, etc.). Talk about kick-starting ‘Fest season!
The family and I are now regularly hopping around festivals, farms and bakeries, and my self-control is waning with all the tempting food and drink choices. My kitchen (and refrigerator) is now home to bags of freshly picked native apples, boxes of “famous” apple cider donuts, and pumpkins and gourds galore. There are also pies, baguettes and cold apple cider. Last night, I even caught wind of a famous apple fritter on the Vineyard. Apple addiction, admitted.
Apple Picking
Crow Farm, Sandwich
Crow Farm is a 50-acre family farm located outside of historic downtown Sandwich. While they are no longer operating the farm stand, they have expanded their pick-your-own-apples program. Check out their Facebook page for the latest pick-your-own dates and times. The details: Macoun, Empire, Jonagolds, Cortland and Cameo ($25 per bag), pumpkin picking ($0.75 per pound) and a corn maze ($5 per person).
Cape Abilities Farm is one of three innovative social enterprises established by Cape Abilities—a nonprofit providing jobs, homes, transportation, social and therapeutic services for people with disabilities across Cape Cod. “Fall at the Farm,” includes pumpkins, gourds, mums, straw decorations, but for this purpose…apple butter, local apples, and organic apples are also available in the farm store.
Hart Farm Nursery and Gardens, Dennis Port
The Farm Stand at Hart Farm, open daily (including Sundays), not only offers produce standards, but also fresh apple cider and native apples. If you are a first-timer, check out their “famous” face-painted decorative pumpkins. Fun!
Hand painted pumpkins at Hart Farm. Photo credit: Hart Farm.
Coonamessett Farm, East Falmouth
Coonamessett Farm a 20-acre working farm, agricultural research center and general store located in Falmouth. The store is open from 9 am to 5 pm through fall, and carries freshly grown seasonal produce, native plants, homemade pies, sandwiches, and snacks. Purchase pick-your-own day pass and roam the fields for produce galore! (Alas, no apples.) The farm also holds seasonal activities, including pumpkin decorating for kids. For members, a Jamaican Buffett is offered Wednesdays and they’ve partnered with Buffalo Jump Cafe to offer farm to table breakfast, lunch and reservations-only dinner on the farm.
Farmer’s Markets
All four regions of Cape Cod are well stocked with farmer’s markets. While fresh, often locally grown produce is the main attraction, you never know what seasonal or surprise product may be available. Case and point, take the Falmouth Farmer’s Market, “the market features just-picked produce, local fish, artisanal cheeses, breads, handmade pasta, and such freshly baked treats as apple cider donuts.” The best part, the is a farmer’s market every day (in season), somewhere, on Cape Cod!
Now that’s a catchy ad! Photo credit: Jack and the Beanstalk.
Apple Cider Donuts
Jack in the Beanstalk, Falmouth
It is rare to find a Cape Cod bakery menu have this menu choice: “our famous Apple Cider donuts.” But exist it does, on the Upper Cape. Located next to Falmouth High School, Jack in the Beanstalk is a locally-owned produce and gourmet food store. They started making apple cider donuts in 2016 to much success and fanfare.
Anything but your typical donut shop. From their website, “If you happen upon our back door during the daytime, you wouldn’t think much of it. Just a random, non-descript purple door in the parking lot of a supermarket. However, once the sun sets, the back door swings open. With it, the sweet smells of sugary summer pour out.”
Another hot take: “Everyone from The New York Times to Condé Nast Traveler has waxed poetic about these [Back Door Donuts] sweet treats, and for excellent reason: Fresh, cheap, and available between 7 p.m. and 12:58 a.m. in-season from the rear door of Martha’s Vineyard Gourmet Café & Bakery, these doughnuts might just be the island’s worst-kept secret (as demonstrated by the nightly long lines). Raised and cake varieties are on offer, and favorite flavors include maple-bacon and butternut crunch.”
Top of the menu. Photo credit: Back Door Bakery.
You know what other item is on their menu, “Famous Apple Fritters.” I too, am pacing with anticipation. Just don’t “fall” (seasonal pun) overboard on the ferry ride!
What is your favorite apple product/place on Cape Cod?
