Hot Ticket: Favorite Poem Project Benefits PTown's Fine Arts Work Center Fri Aug 10

On Friday night we'll be treated to a remarkable evening of "favorite poems" read by luminaries from the worlds of music, theater, politics, journalism, art, and, of course, poetry. The program is a benefit for the Fine Arts Work Center, at 24 Pearl Street in Provincetown. Each year FAWC helps to raise up a new crop of emerging writers and visual artists through various fellowships and programs of the center.
The diversity of the night's readers is evidenced above. From acclaimed playwright Tony Kushner to genius singer/songwriter Patty Larkin, from State Senator Julian Cyr to renowned poet Eileen Myles, this manifold group of readers will no doubt bring us a presentation that is both thought provoking and entertaining. Writer/director/actor Ryan Landry has a bit of a bad boy image, but I'm willing to bet that he'll surprise us one way or another with his selection, because that's what he does.
Whether you prefer open seating or priority, which includes reserved seats and an After Party with the readers, you'll want to get tickets right away. Click here for tickets or go online later at fawc.org/tickets/. Don't miss this week's Hot Ticket!

It's Souper Saturday, Benefitting Provincetown's Amazing Soup Kitchen

SKIP has been serving meals in PTown since 1992.

One of Provincetown’s greatest, most delicious fundraising affairs is Souper Saturday, held during our annual Holly Folly event, on the first Saturday of December every year.

This event benefits SKIP, the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown, which will provide an estimated 13,000 hot, nutritious meals for Outer Cape residents over the winter, at no charge. To do this, they will need to raise close to $100,000 this year to help their volunteers to continue this remarkable community service.

I’m going to prime you for Souper Saturday by teasing you with photos of great soups I’ve had in PTown restaurants as I go on. Some of these will definitely be offered today from 11:30AM to 3:30 PM at Tin Pan Alley, at 269 Commercial Street, in the heart of Provincetown.

Littlenecks and fresh-snipped herbs make
The Canteen's clam chowder a favorite.

Founded in 1992, the Soup Kitchen is now open to the public every weekday from November through April, holidays included. Volunteers prepare and serve soup, salad, an entrée with side dishes, as well as beverages and desert, for around 80 to 100 people each day. Thanksgiving saw about 175 folks from all walks of life enjoy a splendid meal together, as well as the feeling of community provided by this remarkable resource. Local musicians gave us live music for the occasion.

At the end of each day’s meal, food is also packed for guests to take home, or to drop off to various folks who can’t always get to the luncheon, held Monday through Friday till the last full week of April, at the United Methodist Church, at 10 Shank Painter Road.

The Red Inn is known for their
hearty lobster corn chowder

The volunteers are looking to further expand their services this year. They’re experimenting with offering an extra, different meal on Fridays, in addition to lunch. It’s an entrée, packed and ready to go, so guests can have a meal over the weekend. As with the regular meals, there’s a meat and a side dish, with an all-vegetarian option available as well. This could prove to be a great help for a lot of people struggling with the high cost of living in Provincetown.

SKIP helps to bridge the financial gap for folks living in a seasonal economy, with the vast majority of the Outer Cape population having no employment in the wintertime. The Soup Kitchen also provides a place to meet and socialize, to connect with others in a community where people can sometimes feel isolated in the solitude of the off-season. The volunteers work hard to provide a genuinely warm, welcoming atmosphere as well as healthful, nutritious meals, and absolutely everyone is welcome.

Ross' Grill knocked my socks off one
day with this amazing fennel bisque.

You can help, too, simply by having a scrumptious lunch today, on Souper Saturday, at this fun, festive, mouthwatering event. More than two-dozen restaurants and delis are donating cauldrons of favorite soups so you’ll have a chance to taste several, if you’d like. A $5 donation will get you a ticket so you can choose a cup of any soup you’d like from a very long table with volunteers ready to serve you.

When a particular soup runs out, another variety from a different restaurant will be brought out of the kitchen, so the soups will change throughout the afternoon. There are bound to be clam chowders, lobster bisques, as well as choices for vegetarians. I'm hoping for a roasted vegetable soup or a butternut squash. Of course, in PTown, you’re likely to find a couple of Portuguese favorites like kale soup, or maybe a squid stew. There may be a beef barley, or perhaps a fennel bisque or corn chowder, or any other whim of some of the town’s best chefs. There’s no telling what delights might be offered for lunch today.

This chicken soup with Thai and Mexican
chilis made me love the Mews all the more.

I usually get two or three tickets, because I want to taste more than one soup. I’ve also seen folks who will sit down to two or three cups of the very same soup, like a favorite clam chowder, for instance. You can also come early and enjoy one variety, starting at 11:30 AM, and stop back later for another taste as the soups change during the day. Anything goes, and all of the proceeds will go to SKIP, so eat generously. The event runs until 3:30 PM.

You can also stop in at the old firehouse across the street, at 240 Commercial Street, for something new this year, and this is going to be very popular…

You can pick up cold quarts of soup for $10 each, packed “to go” for you to warm up later, for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow.

Restaurant from PTown to Wellfleet
each brought their own version of kale
soup to the 2017 Portuguese Festival.

So that makes meals inexpensive and very easy to handle, too, as you’re busy shopping and attending Holly Folly events. Whether you live in town or have rented a condo for the weekend, you can gather friends and family and have your own soup tasting without having to cook. That will help SKIP to raise the money to continue providing a place of community, as well as thousands of free meals in the coming year.

By the way, you’ll want to do a little of your holiday shopping at the firehouse as well, where you’ll find useful items that make great gifts. SKIP merchandise such as soup or coffee mugs, tee shirts, caps, water bottles and oven mitts will be on sale there. Again, all proceeds benefit the Soup Kitchen

Some like their clam chowder thick and
chunky, like this one at Bayside Betsy's.

If you are reading this from somewhere far from Cape Cod, or are otherwise unable to attend Souper Saturday, you can make a contribution to the Soup Kitchen by check, debit card, credit card or PayPal, through their website, or simply send a check SKIP at PO Box 538, Provincetown, MA 02657. SKIP is a registered 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation, so donations are fully tax-deductible.

There's no telling which restaurants will make an appearance at this great event, and some might surprise us by bringing something unexpected, but that's half the fun of this shindig. With soups from nearly 30 Outer Cape eateries, there will definitely be something for everyone, and you may end up tasting soups from a couple of spots you've never visited. Excellent!

This spicy squid stew livened up the
Portuguese Festival one year. I believe
it was a surprise from the Lobster Pot.

I hope to meet you over a bowl of soup today at Tin Pan Alley. We thank them for their generous donation of their restaurant for the day. We thank the chefs and kitchen staffs of all of the restaurants and delis sending huge pots of wonderful soups for our lunches and dinners. Don't forget to stop at the firehouse for soup to go, and a holiday gift or two. 

And, as always, we thank the leaders and volunteers of  the Soup Kitchen  for their remarkable commitment and service to Provincetown and the greater community of the Outer Cape. Help them out… Have some Soup!

All Are Welcome as Provincetown's Soup Kitchen Opens for the Season

Volunteers cook terrific meals and welcome us to Provincetown's Soup Kitchen.

SKIP, the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown, operates weekdays from November through April, serving not only delicious soups, but tasty, nutritious, hot meals at no charge to the public.
Throngs of people keenly await the opening day each year, eager to visit with friends they haven't seen during the summer months while the organization is closed for the season. Old friends and new ones from many Outer Cape towns gather at the Provincetown United Methodist Church, at 10 Shank Painter Road, to share a meal together. Sometimes this community luncheon is even accompanied by live music from local performers.
SKIP, founded in 1992, is open Monday through Friday, including holidays, which are always celebrated with gusto. Lunch is served from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM, with the church's thrift store staying open till 2 PM for browsing or to receive donations of good, used clothing, housewares, linens, or other useful items. There's also a food pantry available to help folks who might need to supplement their own food supply at home.

Whether a tomato bisque or a clam chowder, Skip meals all start with a great.soup.

SKIP's goal is to provide nutritious and healthy meals in a welcoming and warm atmosphere for all individuals on the Outer Cape who are either in need or who seek community. Many who come for lunch are there as much for socialization as for the meal. It's easy for folks living at the tip of Cape Cod to feel isolated over the winter, when the crowds are gone, many local gathering places are closed, and the streets are very sparsely populated. You'll always find a diverse crowd of local people at the Soup Kitchen, welcoming you into the conversation around a table of tasty, nutritious food, at no charge.
Contributions are welcome, of course, but never required. Sales from the thrift shop on the premises help to cover some operating costs, and a number of fundraisers such as the annual Swim For Life help SKIP raise some of the cash to fulfill it's mission.
Local restaurants closing for the season will donate food. Fishermen will donate bushels of cod or shellfish. Stop & Shop contributes. Businesses, individuals and families make contributions, or volunteer their time, or sponsor a meal.
This winter SKIP will likely serve upwards of 10,000 meals to those who need something to eat or who simply seek a bit of companionship. Find out how you can help by calling 508 487-8331, or visit the Soup Kitchen's website at www.ptownsoup.org. From there you can also make a donation, or send them an email for more information.
By the way, reserve the date on Saturday, December 2nd, when Tin Pan Alley will once again host Souper Saturday, a luncheon where a couple of dozen great local restaurants provide kettles of a variety of favorite soups for $5 a bowl, with all proceeds going to the Soup Kitchen.
In the meantime, come and join friends and neighbors for a nice lunch and a little camaraderie, weekdays at SKIP.

30th Annual Swim for Life in Provincetown This Weekend

The first weekend after Labor Day always brings the annual Swim for Life to Provincetown Harbor. It's a challenging 1.4 mile swim, in open water, from the lighthouse on Long Point to the shores of the Boatslip Beach Club, on the edge of the harbor in Provincetown's West End neighborhood. Click to read about Swim for Life history. To date, the event has raised some $4 Million for AIDS, women's health and our community. It is perhaps the most joyous outpouring of love, energy and spirit in Provincetown every year. We invite you to join us!

The Celebration of Life is the year's most anticipated concert.
It is perhaps the most uplifting event in PTown every year.

Whether you are a swimmer, a volunteer, or a "cheerleader" on the beach, hooting, hollering and applauding the swimmers as they reach the shore, you'll want to be a part of this. Many people will participate by attending the lovely Celebration of Life on the night before the swim. This marvelous, free concert, produced by John Thomas, will take place at 8 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, at 236 Commercial Street, tonight, Friday, September 8th, 2017. Dozens of performers, singers, musicians and others will definitely raise the spirits of a packed house, so go early to get a seat. The UU is wheelchair accessible.

Swimmers and paddlers will assemble at Long Point Light
for the 11 AM start of Provincetown's annual Swim for Life.

The Swim will begin at 11 AM on Long Point, with boat rides provided to get swimmers to the starting point. Kayakers, paddle boarders and folks in boats will accompany the swimmers safely across the harbor. Click to find out about registering as a swimmer or a volunteer, which happens Saturday morning at the Boatslip. Whether you're a swimmer or are cheering them on, it's exhilarating.

The first swimmer reaches the Boatslip, greeted by a cheering
crowd. The Mermaid Brunch and awards follow on the deck.

The Mermaid Brunch, a free buffet catered by Far Land Provisions, will be held at the Boatslip from noon until 2 PM, with Zoë Lewis and friends entertaining. Around 1 PM, or whenever the last swimmer safely reaches the shore, Swim founder Jay Critchley will lead the awards ceremony for swimmers who have raised the most money in pledges or have participated in the most swims. This is another inspiring event giving all a feeling of community, even those who have joined us from other parts of the world. Many people return to PTown every year to participate in the Swim for Life.

It all started with 18 swimmers raising $6,000.
This photo shows Jay Critchley and Roger Beatty registering two unknown swimmers  at a makeshift desk on the beach in the first Swim, in 1988. 
This year we'll see over 150 volunteers making it happen, and more than 400 swimmers taking the plunge. Come and join us for some or all of these events and be a part of the 30^th, the 2017 Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla, September 8^th and 9^th in Provincetown!

Sisters in the Name of Love: A Benefit Performance Supporting Two Essential Provincetown Health Organizations

Sisters in the Name of Love is always one of the greatest romps of the year in PTown entertainment!

Since the late 1980s one of the most highly anticipated, "must see" PTown shows has been the annual fundraising extravaganza known as Sisters in the Name of Love. It's safe to say that every drag queen in town will be on stage at some point during the evening, whether professional, amateur, hobbyist or complete novice, and that's all part of the fun of this mammoth evening of entertainment.
Seasoned performers as well as those less familiar to us will entertain a packed house at the Crown & Anchor this Tuesday, June 6th, beginning at 8 PM. There may be singers, along with comics, musicians, you name it… any sort of entertainment at all may turn up, with a particular emphasis on comedy and drag. There will be lots of big hair, sequins and boas, not to mention attitude. These queens are here to wrench the cash out of your hands for a very good cause: the health, support and wellbeing of hundreds of clients who depend on a little help from the ASGCC and HOW.
The Aids Support Group of Cape Cod began as a little Provincetown organization, among the first in the US to address the AIDS crisis back in the 1980s. It has now been greatly expanded, depending largely on a dedicated league of volunteers, and currently serves clients throughout the entire Cape and Islands. They provide counseling and support; testing, prevention, screening and nutrition services; rides to medical appointments; assistance with housing and utilities, and a host of other services.
How is Helping Our Women, another volunteer-based organization that started with a handful of women responding to the lack of services available to a friend newly diagnosed with cancer in 1992. By 1993 they had raised the money to incorporate as a full-fledged nonprofit, opening a resource and referral center for women in Provincetown who were facing the illness. By 1994 they had expanded to offer services to local women with all types of chronic, life-threatening and/or debilitating illnesses, and now offer those services and many more to women in the towns of Truro, Wellfleet and Eastham, as well as in PTown. A small monthly stipend for complimenting therapies, alternative treatments, or even utility assistance is also available to women meeting income guidelines.

These are two wonderful organizations, depending largely on funding from contributions by the general public. This yearly benefit provides a good bit of their annual budgets, as well as rollicking entertainment for our community, so be there or be square! Doors open at 7 PM, so you'll want to come a little early for a good seat and a cocktail, or two, and a bit of socializing before the show. There's likely to be an auction or two at some point in the evening, perhaps for souvenirs of the show or sometimes for priceless memorabilia, so bring your checkbook along as well.
The suggested donation for admission is just $10 at the door, but you'll want to bring fistfuls of dollar bills as well. It's customary to tip drag queens for superior entertainment, and you'll certainly want to show your wild appreciation for the outrageous costumes, performances and personas of the evening. The entertainers, in turn, will donate all their tips - every last dollar. Every crumpled, beer-soaked, martini-dripping dollar will go to providing services to clients of HOW and the ASGCC. Lets hope they're still counting the cash the next morning. See you there!

Polar Bear Plunge in Provincetown Harbor Raises Funds for ASGCC Programs Throughout the Cape and Islands

115 people donned swimsuits for the Polar Bear Plunge in Provincetown Harbor on New Year's Day, captured
in this video by David A. Cox of droningprovincetown.com. Click the first link below to watch this film.

The Polar Bear Plunge has become part of Provincetown's First Light celebration, leading 115 very brave souls to run into the 45 degree waters of Provincetown Harbor for a momentary swim in this New Year's Day fundraiser for the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Serving clients for well over 30 years, the ASGCC works to assure that comfort, care, housing and a variety of vital services are available in every corner of Cape Cod and the Islands to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS.
As in a number of other locations around the world, where folks will jump into a freezing cold river, lake, ocean or stream in a New Year's Day ritual, Provincetown has seen a number of folks take an icy holiday dip in various waters surrounding our town. But this year, the folks at Harbor Lounge, Yolk by 8 Dyer, and the 8 Dyer Hotel, had an idea…

Some of these "Polar Bears" dressed in hats or costumes.

They wanted to create a New Year's tradition that could raise money every winter for a number of local nonprofit organizations, so they decided they would launch, coordinate, orchestrate and promote the Polar Bear Plunge, and they chose the ASGCC to be the recipient of the money raised through this first officially organized fundraiser. We thank them for sponsoring this wonderful event.

Trampolina Glenellen, dancing with her trident, was a great cheerleader.

Participants began assembling on the beach at the Johnson Street parking lot around noon on Sunday, with a few hundred spectators gathering to cheer them on.
DJ Chris Racine was on hand, spinning tunes to get the crowd dancing.
At about 1 o'clock, when the tide was high, the signal was given and the swimmers ran into the calm but frigid water in Provincetown Harbor, most for mere moments, and then they turned and ran back out again just as quickly, each having happily paid a $45 registration fee for the privilege.

Put the Polar Bear Plunge on your First Light calendar for next year, register
early, and get the next commemorative T-shirt, celebrating your daring feat.

A party at Harbor Lounge followed the swim, where folks thawed out with cocktails and chili, and those who had registered early enough, by Dec 15th, got this year's official T-shirt.
All evidence shows that the whole affair was a great success, with a record number of swimmers taking the plunge while spectators gathered on the beach, on the decks at Pepe"s Wharf, and on the pier at Harbor Lounge, to get a good view of the fun and festivities.
Again, our thanks to 8 Dyer Hotel, Yolk by 8 Dyer and Harbor Lounge for sponsoring this terrific event. We encourage everyone to put the plunge on their calendars for New Year's Day 2018, register early, and support a local nonprofit while enjoying a fun afternoon and sharing in a growing Provincetown New Year's tradition.