Considering that Provincetown was voted Best Gay Beach Resort for the 2nd year in a row by gaycities.com. it’s no wonder that the town fills up in summer with GLBT revelers. Winning over other international destinations such as Rio de Janeiro, Puerto Vallarta, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Key West and Tel Aviv, P-town also was a finalist in the "Ultimate Dream City" category, competing in its own right against cities like Paris, New York, San Francisco, Rome, Sydney, London and Barcelona.
Two beaches-Herring Cove and Race Point-are considered premier destinations for fun, sun and an all-welcoming atmosphere. Many of P-town's beaches are accessible by bike, and present great opportunities for swimming, gentle surfing, whale watching, dune hiking, and picnicking.
"As a result of all we have to offer, our first-time visitors tend to extend their vacations," said Provincetown Director of Tourism Tony Fuccillo. "And we have a tremendous number of return visitors because they realize they can't get the same beach resort experience anywhere else."
But the bustling and colorful town at the tip of Massachusetts is more than just a beach resort. All year round the town offers fun weekends, festive events and romantic nights.
And this year crews are gussying up Commercial Street with a new brick sidewalks and wheelchair ramps. The paving project is just one of the many ongoing beautification projects to keep the Grand Old Town of the GLBT community in tip-top shape. For updates on how the project is going, and for info on road closures or parking restrictions during construction, you’re invited to contact Sherry Prada, Operations Director at the Department of Public Works at 487-7060 or sprada@provincetown-ma.gov.
Provincetown already has a full 2013 calendar of events listed that is available on the Tourism Office's website (http://provincetowntourismoffice.org.). And, the Provincetown Business Guild, www.ptown.org, is the go-to GLBT Provincetown website. (Like them on Facebook, too, for updates).
Here are some highlights of the 2013 season:
*February 15 - 17: Valentine’s & Presidents Day Weekend, www.ptown.org/Winterweekends.asp.
*February 22-24: Snowbound Leather Weekend www.matesleatherweekend.com. Come in out of the cold and dance the long nights away.
*March 8-10 2013 GLBT & Wedding Expo.
*March 15 - 17: St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
*April 12-14: Cabaret Fest www.ptown.org/Cabaret. The only cabaret festival on Cape Cod with national, international and local entertainers. Provincetown welcomes the best of the best from the world of cabaret. This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to enjoy the musical styling of world-renowned cabaret artists gathered in one town at the same time.
*April 12-15: Chocolate Festival and Easter Egg Hunt, www.ThePurpleFeather.com.
*May 17: Ferry service begins to & from Boston, www.provincetownfastferry.com. and www.bostonharborcruises.com.
*May 17-19: Single Women’s Weekend www.singlewomensweekend.com. The only national weekend gathering designed for single lesbians to meet. Speed dating, mixers, entertainment, dance parties and other fun, easy ways for people to meet.
*May 17-22: Restaurant Week and Gallery Stroll www.provincetowntourismoffice.com. Fabulous prix fixe meals at local restaurants, and an evening of art offered by Provincetown galleries.
*May 18: Totally Television: Let's Make A Diva. www.ptown.org/YardSale.asp. This show brings to life all the fun and splendor projected over the years from the magic box we all know as TV. Tune in to all the madness with Drag Queens on one channel, great dancers and amazing live singers on the other stations. There will be a trip down memory lane with your favorite TV and Commercial theme songs. And all of this is sewn together with hot costumes, colorful sets and toe tapping music. Once again this amazing show will benefit The Provincetown Business Guild and The Miracle Providers Northeast Inc.
*May 17-19: Town-wide Monumental Yard Sale www.ptown.org/YardSale.asp. Great bargains and fun as stores and home owners offer their discounted wares and family heirlooms at this town wide yard sale.
*May 24-27: Memorial Day Weekend….BOOK NOW. Every room will fill up soon.
*May 30-June 2: Women of Color Weekend, www.womenofcolorweekend..com. Join women of color and their allies for pool parties, first class entertainers, and blow out dance parties.
*June 1: By The Sea Bike Trek, www.helpingourwomen..org. Non-competitive fundraiser offers cyclists a choice of three loops of increasing distance through Provincetown and Truro.
*June 6: A Night at the Chef’s Table, www.asgcc.org. Benefit for the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod.
*June 8: Wine and Whales, www.coastalstudies.org/who-we-are/35theventwine.htm.. Wine-tasting event to benefit work with right whales.
*June 19-23: Provincetown International Film Festival, www.ptownfilmfest..org. 15th annual Provincetown International Film Festival dedicated to showing new achievements in independent film and honoring the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, actors and producers.
*July 1-7: Independence Week 2013, www.onlyatthecrown.com. World-class DJs and parties.
*July 3-7: Summer Camp/Circuit Week, www.davidflower.com.. Lots of fun including a boat ride.
*July 4: July Fourth parade and fireworks, www.provincetowntourismoffice.org. Nearly 100,000 people come for the parade and the fireworks show off of MacMillan Wharf.
*July 13-21: Bear Week, www.ptownbears.org. Massive bear-fest that draws men from all over the world.
*July 14: Secret Garden Tour, www.paam.org. One of the highlights of the summer: the amazing gardens of Provincetown.
*July 15: David Flower's Bear Boat Sunset Cruise, www.davidflower.com.
*July 23-27: Girl Splash, www.girl-splash.com. The destination summer event for lesbians. Pool party, clam bakes, dune tours, and white hot dances…come play at the beach.
*August 3-10: Family Pride Week, www.familyequality.org. A chance for children to meet other children with GLBT parents and for parents to meet other parents and share experiences. A parade and plenty of activities for all ages.
*August 4-10: Camp Light bulb, www.camplightbulb.org A week-long summer camp for GLBT young people aged 16-18.
*August 18-24: Carnival Week celebrates its 35th birthday. www.ptown.org/Carnival.asp. A week-long celebration of the 2013 theme “Viva Las Vegas” that transforms Provincetown into one big party. Boat cruise, inn stroll, music, special events, and of course, the famous carnival parade on the 22nd that attracts over 65,000 viewers and marches the length of Commercial Street. Floats, dancers, and performers all show off what this year’s theme means to them.
*September 7: Swim for Life and paddler flotilla, www.swim4life.org. Swimmers and kayakers go from Long Point to Provincetown to raise money for local AIDS, women's health, and youth organizations.
*September 9-15: Afterglow Festival, www.afterglowfestival.org.
*September 26-29: Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, www.twptown.org. Celebrating Tennessee Williams' legacy with innovative, world-class productions with music performed all over town.
*October 3-6: Mates Leather Weekend, www.matesleatherweekend.com. Leather/fetish community events and music with a portion of proceeds benefitting the AIDS support group.
*October 11: Provincetown Art Association and Museum gala, www.paam.org. An elegant benefit for PAAM’s curatorial projects.
*October 11-13: Town wide Yard Sale, www.ptown.org/YardSale.asp. Bargains and fun as shopkeepers’ wares spill out onto the sidewalk.
*October 14-20: Women’s Week, www.womensweekprovincetown.com. A week of events, shows, exhibits and fun all geared toward women.
*October 20-27: Fantasia Fair, www.fantasiafair.org. The longest-running annual event in the transgender world with shows, workshops, and food.
*October 25-27: Halloween, www.ptown.org/halloween.asp. The PBG 50/50 raffle, haunted houses, cemetery walking tours, food, and more. Be prepared with a sparkly or scary costume.
*October 31 - November 2: Ghost Town, www.davidflower.com. Visit this haunted attraction for a spine-tingling fright.
*October 31 - November 3: Halloween @ the Crown, www.onlyatthecrown.com.
*November 8-10: Men’s Weekend, www.ptownmensweekend.com. Food, dancing, and fun for all men regardless of relationship status.
*November 28- December 1: Thanksgiving Weekend, www.ptown.org/Thanksgiving.asp. Celebrate the holiday where the Pilgrims landed and give thanks that our President supports us.
*November 29: PBG Casino Night, www.ptown.org/Thanksgiving.asp.Blackjack, poker, roulette.
*November 30: Lighting of Lobster Pot Tree, www.facebook.com./ProvincetownLobsterPotTree. At Lopes Square.
*December 1-31: Events and activities will be held Cape-wide, www.ChristmasonCapeCod.com.
*December 6: ‘Tis The Season For Giving benefit, www.onlyatthecrown.com/events/event.php?id=676. A gala evening of performances and give-aways for the AIDS support group.
*December 6 - 8: Holly Folly, www.ptown.org/HollyFolly.asp. A Gay and Lesbian Holiday Festival with a shop hop, trolley service, concerts and sing-alongs, the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus concert and an inn stroll. Don't miss this event.
*December 7: Souper Saturday, www.ptownsoup.org. Soup Kitchen of Provincetown benefit. Soups are donated by local restaurants to raise funds for this important community organization.
*December 22: Holiday Jazz Concert, www.paam.org. Benefit for the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
*December 31: New Year’s Eve, www.ptown.org/NewYears.asp. Start the New Year in what we hope will become one of your favorite places- Provincetown.
Clip and save the above list and stick it on your refrigerator using an Equality Magnet from the Human Rights Campaign which can be ordered by visiting the ‘shop’ link at www.hrc.org.
Have fun all year in this long-standing international award winning GLBT resort town.
Compiled and written by Don Church and Tony Schillaci, Out and Travelin’
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