See World Class Entertainment Over Four-Day PTown Memorial Day Bash

Kick off the new season with great entertainment over the four-day weekend celebrating Memorial Day in Provincetown. It starts with rollicking comedy at the Post Office Cabaret. Two of PTown's favorite stand-up comics will each make appearances every day of this fun, extended weekend. Click for tickets or visit the box office at 303 Commercial Street.

 This summer it will be very exciting to see the Pilgrim House reclaim its identity as a premier entertainment venue in Provincetown, and it all starts with the fabulous Miss Richfield 1981 moving her unique, hilarious mix of comedy, song and audience interaction to this stage with her all new show "Born Again." Click below to get tickets early for Saturday, May 26th or Sunday, May 27th at 8:30 PM. Both are likely to sell out. Find the Pilgrim House at the end of the footpath at 336 Commercial Street.

Saturday, May 26th and Sunday, May 27th, 8:30 PM at Pilgrim House

Mark Cortale Productions and the Art House present blockbuster music and comedy this weekend with Melissa Ferrick and multiple award-winning comic and PTown favorite Judy Gold, each appearing at the Art House on Saturday night. The Grammy Award-winning Indigo Girls will perform Sunday night at Town Hall at 6 PM. Their opening act will be our own Zoe Lewis, a "band in a body."

All three of these Memorial Day Weekend shows are one night only, with Judy Gold returning to perform late June through August, along with some 30 more artists playing at the Art House throughout the summer, so bookmark the schedule and check it often, In the meantime, see these shows while you can.

Click above for performer profiles and links to tickets for each show

The Crown & Anchor complex, at 247 Commercial Street, has so many events going on for the four-day holiday weekend that it's hard to even list them all here. 16 parties, events and performances will take place between now and Monday evening, starting with singer/comic Julie Wheeler performing tonight thru Monday at 7 PM in the Cabaret Room, followed by Rise Up, the kickoff party for Memorial Day Weekend, starting at 9 PM tonight in the Paramount Room. 

There are more dance parties scheduled in the evenings, as well as a pool party Sunday afternoon. The legendary Illusions Drag Revue and the fabulous Thirsty Burlington will each perform Saturday and Sunday nights. Bobby Wetherbee brings his award-winning piano bar and sing-along to the Dive Bat tonight thru Sunday with no cover charge, and Doug Repetti will be on the piano Monday and Tuesday nights. Check the schedule, and follow the links there to get tickets, or stop by the box office at the edge of the Crown's new pet friendly patio and outdoor grill.

Click for parties, events and performance schedules

Get your summer started right. Look over the schedules, make a spreadsheet if you have to, and get to as many of these venues as you can for shows, parties and more taking place all over Provincetown, all weekend. For events requiring tickets, get 'em now! (Julie Wheeler, for example, is sold out for tonight, but she'll do three more shows.) There are dozens of events here for you to enjoy.

Have fun, be careful, be kind to each other, and have a great holiday.

Bagpipe Music on Cinco de Mayo? Only in Provincetown

Dancers at the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in Washington, D.C., photo by D. B. King

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Any excuse at all can and will be used to create a party in Provincetown. You'll likely find a celebration or two in the bars, and elsewhere as well. Today is also the Kentucky Derby.  The last couple of years I've spent it at Vorelli's, where they really get into the spirit of the race, with everyone at the bar rooting for their particular horse. Bartender Connie makes it a lot of fun, and she may even come up with a special beverage or two for these two occasions. Vorelli's is famous for great drinks and a very friendly bar.
I heard bagpipe music in the center of Provincetown for just a few minutes this afternoon. By the time I got dressed and out the door the piper was nowhere in sight, and I didn't know whether I should head east or west to try to catch up and find out what was going on. Does anybody know? Was this a funeral procession? Has the fellow who piped here many years ago returned? Was this meant as an ironic giggle celebrating Cinco de Mayo?
As a whole, we Americans  are woefully ignorant of other cultures. We use the occasion of Cinco de Mayo as a reason to chug-a-lug a good bit of tequila or Corona, and we eat tacos and burritos, the same way we slug down green beer and eat corned beef and cabbage on Saint Patrick's Day. There's nothing wrong with that, but we're co-opting another country's holiday without really knowing anything about it. And most of us do have it wrong.
Here's a partial list of goofy (dare I say stupid?) questions posed to Google by well-meaning folks who wanted to celebrate this Mexican holiday, which actually gets more attention in the US than it does south of the border...

When is Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco means five in Spanish, de Mayo means of May, so, the 5^th of May is Cinco de Mayo, and that’s when it’s celebrated.

Where is Cinco de Mayo?

Is that a trick question? Where are you? If, on May 5^th, you are somewhere that recognizes the 365 days of the year, chances are, Cinco de Mayo is wherever you might be. If in doubt, stop in at any neighborhood bar and inquire.

What is Cinco de Mayo in Spanish?

            Cinco de Mayo.

When is Cinco de Mayo celebrated in Mexico?

            On Cinco de Mayo.

When is Cinco De Mayo in the US?

            On Cinco de Mayo

When is Cinco de Mayo in  Portland, Oregon?

Actually, Cinco de Mayo runs from May 4^th through the 6^th in Portland this year. Turns out this is the largest multicultural festival in the state of Oregon, held on its downtown waterfront, and it is definitely a bigger celebration than those typically held in Mexico.

Is Cinco de Mayo Racist?

No, but donning a sombrero, a poncho and a cheesy fake mustache while speaking in a mock-Spanish accent all day might be.

And, yes, people actually asked Google:

Is Cinco de Mayo about mayonnaise?

            Seriously? No, really…

So what is Cinco de Mayo? Americans often think it is Mexico’s Independence Day, but it’s not. That’s Grito de Dolores, held on September 16^th. And, no, it’s not the Day of the Dead. That’s Día de Muertos, the three-day holiday when Mexican families gather together in remembrance of deceased relatives and friends. It is usually held from October 31 to November 2.

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the day in 1862 when the tiny Mexican Army, against all odds, prevailed against the powerful French fighting forces in the Battle of Puebla, a small town that was expected to fall to France that day. But the seriously outnumbered Mexican troops surprisingly won the battle, galvanizing the Mexican forces.

When the French returned a year later and easily seized the town, Cinco de Mayo may have lost a bit of its luster. It is considered a minor holiday in Mexico, but now it  is probably celebrated in America with more gusto than anywhere else in the world. Here’s how that happened…

During the 1960s, many Mexican-American civil rights activists began using the occasion as a source of pride. By 1989, a shrewd importer of Mexican beers launched a holiday ad campaign aimed at Latinos, but eventually ads in magazines, newspapers, and on TV garnered a much wider audience.

Fast-forward to the year 2013, when, despite the growing criticism of cultural stereotypes unleashed for a day every May 5^th, this holiday had become part of the annual party circuit in the US. That year Cinco de Mayo beer sales reached $600 million, far outstripping Saint Patrick’s Day and the Super Bowl!

There’s nothing wrong with a party on someone else’s holiday, and the world should celebrate other cultures and their heroes, but let’s be respectful of others and their traditions. Let's spend a moment thinking about the soldiers that fought that day, on both sides, and lets think twice before doing, saying or wearing something that might advance racist stereotypes.

Now, how about a margarita? In fact, how about some carnitas tacos or pozole verde at the Central House? The Crown & Anchor’s restaurant has changed their menu a bit for the spring, reflecting a bit of the heritage of Chef De Cuisine Edwin Amaro. He offers an all-day menu Friday through Sunday featuring a couple of Mexican entrées amongst the traditional American dishes and seafood.

When the new menu came out I was so happy to see that Thursday is still Mexican Night. A salad served with your choice of seven Mexican entrées is just $18. I can’t wait for Thursday to roll around. I love Mexican food, and I’m nurturing a genuine, growing affection for the culture, too.

Tin Pan Alley's Closing Party is Tonight, Benefitting Provincetown's Soup Kitchen

Support SKIP,  the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown, at this buffet style feast where the chef will
just keep cooking, and sending food out to the dining room, until all the food is gone!

Tonight at 5:30 PM, food of any and all descriptions will begin rolling out of the kitchen at Tin Pan Alley, destined for a brief moment on a long buffet table set up in the dining room, before every last morsel of food in the kitchen is eaten up in a benefit for Provincetown's remarkable Soup Kitchen. Folks will be milling around, conversing with friends, enjoying all they care to eat as the chef simply cooks and cooks and cooks until al the food in the restaurant is gone.
For a donation of $25 per person, we'll all be feasting on any or all of the fish, fowl, beef, soups, salads or any other dishes the chef might come up with as coolers and pantry are literally emptied, right down to the bare shelves. As one of the town's favorite restaurants prepares to close for the season, their generous donation of the proceeds from this event will help to support an important community resource.
In the average winter season in Provincetown, SKIP (the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown) serves more than 10,000 hot, hearty meals to folks from Provincetown and beyond. This year, the number of meals, served at SKIP each weekday from November through April, is rising. Lack of employment opportunities, coupled with the outrageous rents charged by many landlords, results in more people helping to make ends meet by having some, or all, of their lunches at the Soup Kitchen.
Located at the United Methodist Church on Shank Painter Road, SKIP is also simply a welcoming place for people seeking community, and the chance to socialize at a time of year that can be a bit bleak for many of us. All are welcome, whatever the reason they come for lunch. No questions are asked. Housing outreach and assistance are also available as a state housing expert shares SKIP's office there on Thursdays.

From upscale delights to home style comfort foods, Tin Pan Alley serves some
of PTown's best meals, complete with live music in a welcoming atmosphere.

So turn out tonight at Tin Pan Alley, across from Town Hall, for one last great meal before they fold up for the winter.
If you've been very good, eaten all your vegetables, and played well with others all year, you might be lucky enough to taste TPA's wonderful seared scallops, or maybe a steak from a grass fed cow, or their lovely roasted local chicken.
Chef Raul likes to spice things up a bit as well, so I'm always eager to try any unusual dish he might whip up. You know, though, one of my real favorites here is Jack's own recipe for turkey meatloaf, made with a little dried fruit and a few surprises mixed in, and one of the greatest comfort foods ever. That's a meal many of us miss when the place closes for the season.
Tin Pan Alley has also brought back the "supper club" aesthetic to Provincetown, offering live music just about every night of the week, and tonight will be no exception. There will be entertainment, of course, beginning at 6 PM.
Come and enjoy Tin Pan Alley's closing party, do a little good for the community at the same time, and wish all of the friends you'll find there a happy and prosperous new year.

Spindler's Restaurant Celebrates Their First Anniversary on Thursday, Dec 29th

Spindler's restaurant, at 386 Commercial Street, will celebrate
 its first anniversary on Thursday, December 29th, from 4 till 7 PM

Spindler's restaurant opened their doors at this time last year, giving Provincetown a brief preview of the great food they would begin offering in the following spring. They will celebrate their first anniversary tomorrow, December 29th, which also marks the 94th anniversary of the sinking of the ship Annie L. Spindler, which would become the namesake of this wonderful new restaurant in PTown's Gallery District.
She was a British schooner that Provincetown folks had dubbed the "Rum Runner," regularly carrying contraband to this vicinity during the era of Prohibition in the United States. The manufacture or sale of alcohol on American shores was outlawed from 1920 to 1933.
At that time ships would bring rum up the coast from the Caribbean, distilled spirits like gin would be carried across the Atlantic from England, and champagne would find its way here from France. Ships would wait far offshore, out of local jurisdiction, for boats that would venture out in the middle of the night to strike a deal on as many cases of illegal hooch as they could afford or carry.

The Annie L. Spindler, aground at the Race Point Coast Guard Station, 1922.

The Spindler, having sailed out of Nova Scotia loaded with Canadian whiskey, famously ran aground on Race Point Beach, within a few yards of the US Coast Guard station.
The schooner had been powerless against the high winds and heavy seas of a nor'easter, as the crashing waves of that brutal winter storm tossed the boat up onto the shoreline early on the morning of December 29th, 1922. Read my original article The Wreck of the Annie L. Spindler and learn more about the humorous side of this event, and about the rescue of the crew by breeches buoy.

I try to order something new every time I eat out so I can tell you
about it, but Spindler's charcuterie board is so good that it will be very
hard not to order it every time I go there. It's the best in Provincetown.

Since I eat at every restaurant in town every summer, I only made it to Spindler's once during their first season. So I looked them up on Yelp today to read comments other diners had made. They scored a solid four-star rating. I left my own review there as well, reading something like this...

Spindler's Charcuterie Board is the very best in Provincetown, right down to their house-made mustard, which is the best I've ever tasted. Generous servings of premium salumi include chef's selections of handmade regional specialties like Genoa salami, tartufo, prosciutto di Parma or chorizo Seco, the dry-cured spanish style chorizo.
The chef will also choose a couple of pâtés or terrines for you, such as a house-made pâté de campagne, a duck rillette or a wonderful chicken liver mousse. Each is delicious. Crusty French bread is accompanied by the chef's exceptional hummus. Garnishes and accoutrements like tiny cornichons, perfectly pickled red onions, and that superb grainy mustard I mentioned, complete the board. You can also order a board of selected cheeses, or the chef will choose an assortment of meats and cheeses for you.
I had a nice roasted chicken entrée that night as well, and excellent service. My visit was during their opening week, and my waiter and other staff ran to the kitchen several times to find answers to all my questions, without a hint of aggravation.

Join Spindler's 1st anniversary party Thursday, December 29th,
from 4 till 7 PM. Free admission includes tastes and tidbits,
with a cash bar for you to enjoy one of their fine libations.

Spindler's is a great addition to PTown's list of very good restaurants, and, happily, we can look for them to soon begin operating year-round under their new license, recently approved by the Town. With luck, everything will fall into place somewhere in the early part of January, so keep an eye out for their upcoming 1922 special, celebrating that year's "landing"  of the Spindler on Provincetown shores.
Watch for an Early Bird dinner special that will offer a three-course meal, served at a bargain price in the early evening. A salad, followed by an entrée, as well as dessert, will be offered for only $19.22.
I can't wait!

Also, click the link below to visit Spindler's website and find out about all the New Year's festivities they have planned, like their six-course tasting menu and dinner party with champagne toast on New Year's Eve. There will be two seatings. On New Year's Day they'll present their Bloody's and Corpse Reviver Brunch. Call 508 487-6400 for reservations for these two events.
Go to www.spindlersptown.com for tickets to Sparkles@Spindler's, a cocktail party from 4 till 9PM on New Year's Day, serving plentiful hors d'oeuvres and Spindler's "Rum Runner" punch, and promising "an evening of music, fireworks, fun and friends." Tickets for this event are limited, so hurry.
In the meantime, be sure to stop in at Spindler's 1st Anniversary Party on Thursday, beginning a 4 PM. There will be free hors d'oeuvres and tastes, and all are invited. A cash bar will also be in operation, so beer and wine will be available, along with their lineup of specialty cocktails. The chilly weather will keep the party from spilling out onto the outdoor patios, so it's bound to be a bit crowded, but be patient. If you come by and can't squeeze in, come back a little later and try again. It'll be worth the effort.
Find Spindler's is at 386 Commercial Street, at the Waterford Inn. See you there!

Holly Folly Offers Provincetown Visitors More Holiday Events Than Ever

Find out about Holly Folly events when you visit this years' headquarters at Tin Pan Alley, 269 Commercial Street.

Holly Folly is Provincetown's annual holiday celebration, with a particular welcome to LGBTQ visitors who may not always be able to celebrate at home or with family. Every year, dozens of events are packed into a three-day period, beginning on Friday of the first weekend in December.

From ugly sweaters to art exhibits, from cookie parties to splendid holiday music, more than 30 events will take place throughout Provincetown Friday, December 2nd through Sunday, December 4^th. There will be great shopping in more than 100 PTown shops, galleries and boutiques, not to mention holiday treats and wonderful food from one end of town to the other.

This three-day party kicks off today, with six events this evening, and a chance to get a jump on your holiday shopping during the day. Be sure to save your receipts from participating restaurants, shops and galleries. You may win one of five fabulous gift baskets as a reward for your patronage at spots all over town. Get details online or at Holly Folly Headquarters, at Tin Pan Alley.

Swimsuits are required at the Jingle Bell Run, and optional at the Champagne Brunch, which follows.

New this year is the WICKED WINTER WONDERLAND, billed as “An Interactive Holiday Fright Maze for Naughty Kids & Adults of All Ages!” according to the PBG website. Certain special events will provide unique shopping opportunities as well, such as the Holly Folly Food Boutique at Sage Inn and Lounge, where you can 
”Sip, snack and shop from artisanal food and beverage producers from all over New England.”

There will be musical events such as concerts and sing-alongs, lots of food, a wide variety of parties, and a number of participatory events that don’t all fit neatly into categories, like the ANNUAL JINGLE BELL RUN AND CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH on Saturday. Proceeds of the event help to support and sustain the Provincetown Business Guild (PBG) fostering LGBTQ Cultural Tourism in Provincetown.

Guesthouses, homes and businesses throughout PTown are decorated for Holly Folly.

Just strolling through the town will lead you to charming guesthouses, businesses and lovely homes decorated for the holiday season, with prizes to be awarded for the best lights and displays. Special sightseeing tours in a warm, cozy van will be offered by *Discover Provincetown. Call 424•23P•TOWN (that's 424•237•8696) for info or pickup, or to schedule a private tour of historic Provincetown during your visit.

Pick up a printed schedule of Holly Folly events at Holly Folly Headquarters, at Tin Pan Alley, or go online for info at https://ptown.org/holly-folly/. Some of these events are free, some are fundraisers for local organizations, and all are great fun! Here’s just a partial list taken from the PBG website:

.

•HOLLY FOLLY INN STROLL 15 guesthouses and inns, guided tour also available

•Ugly Holiday Sweater/Hard Candy Christmas Party

•LEATHER DANCE PARTY

•HOLIDAY DANCE PARTY at Club Purgatory

•ANNUAL HOLIDAY PIANO BAR  Bobby Wetherbee, Central House,  No Cover

•HOLIDAY PAJAMA DRAG BRUNCH


•Special film screening, THIRSTY, featuring local drag legend Thirsty Burlington

•ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE DECORATING COMPETITION

•ANNUAL BOSTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS HOLIDAY CONCERT

•SOUPER SATURDAY luncheon to benefit PTown's marvelous soup kitchen

•'Tis The Season Holiday Revue at Paramount, at the Crown & Anchor

•The Annual SNOW BALL at the A House, 4-6 Masonic Place

•Holly Folly Cabaret @ Tin Pan Alley - Direct from New York City, Allison Mickelson sings Holiday favorites and signature standards.

•Holly Folly Sing-Along with Billy Hough at the Porchside Bar, Gifford House Inn: 9 Carver Street. Request your favorite holiday tunes. No cover.

•ANNUAL JINGLE BELL RUN AND CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH! Proceeds of the event help to support and sustain the Provincetown Business Guild (PBG) fostering LGBTQ Cultural Tourism in Provincetown.

These and twenty other events, displays, parties and performances await you. Happy Holidays!

*I started Discover Provincetown this past summer to provide year-round, custom, narrated sightseeing tours of historic Provincetown in comfort, at a reasonable price, and with accurate accounts of the history of this remarkable town as the centerpiece of each unique tour. Call or text 424•23P•TOWN (that's 424•237•8696) for pickup, or to schedule a custom tour ranging from 30 minutes to 4 hours.