This Year's Carnival Brings "Comic Book Capers" to Provincetown Streets

With a different theme every year, Provincetown's annual week-long Carnival is a summer celebration that brings thousands to town, raises money for a number of local charities, and gives people a chance to transform themselves, to see and be seen, whether they merely don a few strands of beads or dress in elaborate costumes, with some people changing their look for different occasions during the week.

Carnival week in Provincetown brings all kinds of folks out in various sorts of costumes, sometimes adhering to the year's theme, and sometimes just dressing up in whatever they'd like, strutting down Commercial Street and around the town, and attending various events. And, of course, at Drag Bingo, anything goes...

A trio of Little Orphan Annies was spotted having supper at The Canteen,

on Commercial Street. These friends had travelled from three different cities

to spend Carnival week together in PTown.

13 -year-old A J and his family love Provincetown, and came

from Weymouth to kick off our Carnival Week celebration. 

Two men from Montreal were found strutting down Commercial Street,

thoroughly enjoying our week-long series of Carnival events.

Joe and Dennis wouldn't miss coming to Provincetown for Carnival Week.

After 50 years together, they've now gotten married. Read what I wrote

about them two Carnivals ago. I will write an update on their story soon. 

These Gaywatch gals were found in front of Town Hall, complete

with their trademark red swimsuits and lifesaving buoys.

A bevy of beauties in party dresses and swanky evening gowns were

found strolling along Commercial Street, on their way to Drag Bingo. 

I knew someone would dress as Ace and Gary, Robert Smigel's cartoon superhero duo from Saturday Night Live's TV Funhouse series of cartoons. Click this link to see The Ambiguously Gay Duo in one of their hilarious cartoon adventures, followed by a live action version with Jon Hamm as Ace and Jimmy Fallon as Gary, with various Comedy Central alums. Above, Captain Awesome follows behind The Ambiguously Gay Duo.

Sail Aboard a Tall Ship, the Kalmar Nyckel, While She's in Provincetown

Today's Kalmar Nyckel under full sail.

You have just about another week to get out on the water aboard a remarkable tall ship, the Kalmar Nyckel. This ship is a recreation of the 141 foot full-rigged Dutch pinnace built in 1625. The city of Kalmar, Sweden, purchased the ship in 1628 as its contribution to the Royal Swedish Navy, and when the Swedish government decided to establish a trading colony in the New World, the Kalmar Nyckel was chosen to make the voyage, arriving in the area we know today as Wilmington, Deleware, in 1638. Fort Christina was built and a trading colony was established under the leadership of Peter Minuit.
This recreation of that historic ship was launched in 1997, and it now visits Provincetown for a couple of weeks each summer as it sails along the eastern seaboard visiting a number of ports before it returns home to Deleware in the autumn. Visit their website at www.kalmarnyckel.org for more information on this remarkable ship and the colorful history of the original Kalmar Nyckel.
While in Provincetown, this beautiful tall ship makes two sails daily (except Saturdays and Wednesdays) with a trip in the morning and one in the afternoon. The trip is about a three hour voyage around Provincetown Harbor, out into Cape Cod Bay, and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Passengers are invited to learn to listen for specific commands from the captain and to help to pull the ropes and raise the sails, if they'd care to. Many will try their hand at it, while other passengers are content to let others do all the work while they simply enjoy the trip.
Something new this year is the Pirate Sail, on specific trips, where the crew dresses in pirate garb, and guests are encouraged to dress up as well. Adults will enjoy a history talk, and kids will hear a pirate story and have a chance to help raise the Jolly Roger. See the sail and tour schedule of the Kalmar Nyckel to book a sail. Their last trips from PTown for this year will be on Sunday, July 27th. Adult fares are $60, kids 17 and under are $40. That may sound a bit pricey, but I've taken the trip and found it to be such a remarkable experience that I want to do it again. I might take the Pirate Sail this time...
At the very least, you'll want to walk down to the far end of MacMillan Pier and have a good look at this splendid tall ship. Its quite impressive, and I highly recommend going for a sail. When will you get another chance to get out on the water on a tall ship?
Bon voyage!

Hot Ticket - The Atomic Bombshells

The Atomic Bombshells are pure entertainment from the moment they take the stage!
Only two more performances, tonight and tomorrow at 10 PM at the Post Office Cabaret.

If you've never seen a burlesque show, you may not quite know what it might be. The dictionary describes burlesque as "a variety show, typically including striptease." The Atomic Bombshells are among the nation's greatest practitioners of the art of the striptease, presenting one of the most thoroughly entertaining, scintillating stage performances you're likely to see all year.
Start with great music of many genres, wonderful choreography, fabulous costumes and gorgeous performers of all types and persuasions. There is eye candy on stage for everyone! From the slow, seductive Hawaiian hula striptease to the performance of a charming, larger-than-life illusion, this troupe is completely engaging, highly amusing, and (I repeat) thoroughly entertaining.
The evening is hosted by a breathtaking, statuesque, impeccably costumed drag queen with a very quick wit who disarms anyone who might feel a little out of their element in the audience of their first striptease show, and provides brilliant, very funny vignettes between performances of music, dance, illusion and the alluring, sultry presentations of the artistry of the striptease. All the performances are top notch, and there is truly something for everyone on this stage.
The Atomic Bombshells have only two performances remaining in their Provincetown schedule. See them tonight and tomorrow at 10 PM at the Post Office Cabaret, at 303 Commercial Street. Get tickets online at http://www.postofficecabaret.com or phone the
P. O. at 508 487-0006.

On PTown Streets During Carnival Week...

Eddie and Jamie, from Connecticut and New Jersey, made their fabulous costumes,
and are frequent visitors, always looking forward to Provincetown's Carnival week.

Carnival always brings lots of great costumes and characters to Commercial Street. Eddie and Jamie, above, hail from Connecticut and New Jersey, are fairly frequent visitors to Provincetown, and try to make it here for Carnival every year. They don't miss many. They made their wonderful, whimsical costumes, and get extra points for a look that is topical (Viva Las Vegas!) funny, and sexy.

Emily and Jeff, still best friends since college. 

Emily and Jeff were best friends in college a number of years ago in Texas and have remained close through the years. Both are now architects. When Emily and her husband stumbled into Provincetown during Carnival last year, they couldn't believe they hadn't known about this beautiful place and this week-long party, and, it turns out, neither had Jeff. So this year Emily brought Jeff here for his first visit to Provincetown, dressed in a tank top and pants featuring the King of Hearts and other playing cards, and Emily made her hat of giant playing cards. I found them making their way to Tea Dance, Jeff's first, but he'll certainly be back to PTown for more.

Rick and John exhibit all the showmanship of
legendary Las Vegas icons Seigfried and Roy.

Siegfried and Roy (AKA Rick from Denver and John from Boston) are also frequent visitors and love Carnival week in Provincetown.
I found them on Commercial Street on their way from a party, and heading up Masonic Place toward the A-House. They were quite the showmen, and their iconic outfits with plunging v-necks, big rings and even bigger hair were completed with tigers, one biting Roy's neck, illustrating the tragedy that ended Siegfried and Roy's long-running career on the Vegas Strip, 10 years ago this autumn.

Steve nails the essence of Phyllis Diller.

Steve owns Wardrobe, a popular women's clothing store at 213 Commercial Street, and put together the perfect outfit as he morphed into legendary Las Vegas performer Phyllis Diller, a groundbreaking comedienne who appeared regularly on Vegas stages from 1964 until 2002. Steve completely nailed her charm, mannerisms, and her look, from her foot-long cigarette holder to her frazzled, trademark mop of shaggy blond hair.

There's never been enough money printed in the history of the
world to get me to don a pair of shoes like this for even 10 minutes.

When I met Chris, from South Boston, it was after midnight, and he was barely able to walk, having worn these shoes for hours as he made his way around town to a number of parties and events, traversing Commercial Street several times this evening.

Townies or visitors, players or spectators,
everyone turns out for Drag Bingo.

A wide range of characters will turn out for Drag Bingo every year, a benefit held on the lawn at the U. U. Meetinghouse. Many fundraisers take place over the course of Carnival week, raising money for local charities and non-profits, and Drag Bingo is a favorite of visitors and Townies alike, whether they are players or spectators.

What's another
word for sexy?

Costumes for Drag Bingo can be simple or elaborate, and some are even quite provocative. These folks are definitely turning heads as they make their way along Commercial Street as the bingo hour nears.

Bingo, anyone?

These two have transformed into the perfect pair of Vegas slot machine grannies, taking a break from the one-armed bandit to play a little bingo. A bit of padding, a few simple accessories and a really bad wig make these outfits flawless. These two could blend right in at any casino on The Strip, and they are certainly dressed for Drag Bingo. Viva Las Vegas!

By Popular Request, More PTown Carnival, Parade and Drag Bingo Photos...

This year's Carnival theme "Space Odyssey" obviously meant many different things to all the participants. See my August 15th blog post about  Aliens Roaming Commercial Street, and my August 16th post about sights seen on the day of the 2012 annual Carnival Parade. The costumes seen on Commercial Street both before and after the parade often rivaled those seen in the actual parade, with many celebrants obviously spending hours, and often a good bit of cash, on their outfits and props.
Drag Bingo also brought out a lot of costumes worn by most of the players, and by many who weren't actually playing Bingo in the Annual UU Meetinghouse fundraiser.

A striking costume found on Commercial Street, completely silver with a peacock headdress

"Sissies on Parade," strolling Commercial Street before and after Carnival Parade

A close-up of the alien and his spaceship on Marc Jacobs' float

Miss Mars rides down commercial street during Carnival parade

Phoo op for a visitor with Drag Bingo "cheerleader"

Party dresses come out of the closet for Drag Bingo

On their way to Drag Bingo these ladies are continuously asked to pose for delighted visitors

Every seat is filled for Drag Bingo

The glasses really make the outfit, don't you think?