Iconic Events in Each Cape Cod Town Part 3: Iconic: Bourne, Dennis, Mashpee, Orleans, Sandwich, Wareham

by Jeff Shaw

Canal Day, Bourne

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. 

Enjoy a leisurely day along the Cape Cod Canal!

Antique Car Parade, Dennis

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.”

Christmas Parade, Masphee

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. 

Celebrate Our Waters, Orleans

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.

SandwichFest, Sandwich

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)

And don’t forget about the Gateway to Cape Cod, Wareham! Check out events in Wareham at Cape Cod Chamber of CommerceCape Cod Canal Region Chamber of Commerce and Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce

May 1, 2024

Visit All 10 Cape Cod Baseball League Parks in One Weekend

by Jeff Shaw

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.

Fieldshttps://gatemen.org/schedule/directions-to-ccbl-fields/

Brewster Whitecaps (Eastern Division)

Stoneybrook Elementary School, 384 Underpass Rd, Brewster, MA 02631

Chatham Anglers (Eastern Division)

Veteran’s Field; 702 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633

Harwich Mariners (Eastern Division)

Whitehouse Field; 75 Oak Street, Harwich, MA 02645

Orleans Firebirds (Eastern Division)

Eldredge Park; 78 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans, MA 02653

Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox (Eastern Division)

Red Wilson Field; 210 Station Avenue, So. Yarmouth, MA 02664

Bourne Braves (Western Division)

Doran Park, 220 Sandwich Road, Bourne

Cotuit Kettlers (Western Division)

Lowell Park; 10 Lowell Avenue, Cotuit, MA 02635

Falmouth Commodores (Western Division)

Guv Fuller Field, Main St., Falmouth Center

Hyannis Harbor Hawks (Western Division)

McKeon Field; 120 High School Road, Hyannis, MA 02601

Wareham Gatemen (Western Division)

Clem Spillane Field, Rte. 6, Wareham Center at 54 Marion Road and Viking Drive

June 3, 2022