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.

Souper Saturday Warms Provincetown, Body and Soul

Delectable soups from favorite Provincetown restaurants highlight
Souper Saturday, a benefit for Provincetown's remarkable soup kitchen.

The Soup Kitchen In Provincetown (SKIP) will host its annual “Souper” Saturday lunch on Saturday, December 3, from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM, at Tin Pan Alley, located at number 269 Commercial St, directly across from Town Hall.

More than two-dozen local restaurants and businesses will offer delicious, hearty soups for a donation of $5 per serving in this wonderful fundraiser that has become a favorite event during Holly Folly, PTown’s annual holiday celebration.

Enjoy live music by pianist Jim Brosseau and other area performers along with your delicious lunch, with all proceeds helping to provide roughly 13,000 meals for Outer Cape residents over this coming winter. SKIP merchandise such as T-shirts, caps and mugs will also be available for purchase.

Weekdays from November through April, SKIP serves hot, nutritious meals at the United Methodist Church on Shank Painter Road. Lunch is free and open to all. Guests begin gathering as early as noon for the 12:30 PM lunch, spending time with friends or browsing the adjoining thrift shop. Many will linger afterward for socializing amongst a wide cross-section of local residents.

These meals can help to fill the gap in an economy that stretches the budgets of people who may have little or no income during the winter months. For others, joining friends for lunch can provide a feeling of community and a much-needed gathering place in a season that can feel rather desolate without the pace of the summer and the crowds in the streets.

Join us at Tin Pan Alley on Saturday for this great fundraising lunch, and if you’re in town over the winter, join us weekdays through April at The Soup Kitchen, for a good meal and a bit of fellowship. If you can’t attend, you might consider sending a check. Donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to SKIP at PO Box 538, Provincetown, MA 02657.

PTown Lobster Pot Tree Lights Up Tonight

Provincetown's famous Lobster Pot Christmas Tree  dominates
Lopes Square, lighting up for the holiday season tonight at 5:30.

10 years ago artist Julian Popko had an idea for a holiday display he wanted to build in the heart of Provincetown. In a nod to the local fishing community he assembled a sort of Christmas tree from actual, working lobster traps, called lobster pots, stacked in a pyramid.
112 of them are layered between sheets of plywood to stabilize the structure, which now rises around the giant anchor in Lopes Square every holiday season.
I'm writing this around noon on Saturday, as this year's festive structure is being finished, and I'm watching the process online at www.provincetown view.com, the webcam trained on Lopes Square. Folks are climbing this giant work of art, putting the last details in place for the lighting ceremony tonight, which we're all invited to attend.
Typically, cookies and hot cocoa are served while people gather, waiting to see the lights come on, illuminating the Lobster Pot Tree for the season. This annual event is scheduled tonight at 5:30 PM, when the "tree topper" of lobster buoys and lights will be lowered into place, lighting this charming display. You'll want to get there early to get a good vantage spot and enjoy the refreshments.
These 112 lobster pots are on loan from local lobstermen, decorated with 120 bright red bows and 46 red plastic lobsters, not to mention the 3,400 lights that will light up this giant sculpture nightly through January. If you can't make it this evening, you can find several YouTube videos of a Lobster Pot Tree lighting from various years gone by. You'll also enjoy this spot by day or by night, simply by walking past Lopes Square, where Standish Street and Commercial Street meet.
With the Pilgrim Monument lighting the night before Thanksgiving every year, and the Lobster Pot Tree lighting the following Saturday, PTown officially kicks off the holiday season. Come join us!

Jimmy's HideAway Brings Winter Tavern Menu to PTown

Jimmy's HideAway is worth looking for.

Jimmy's HideAway begins offering their winter tavern menu this week, available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays through February 18th. They're shifting to seasonal hours, taking Mondays and Tuesdays off.
The tavern menu features casual favorites at a good price, like the HideAway Burger (Angus beef) with hand cut fries, for $12.95. There's also a Pale Ale Battered Haddock, with cole slaw and fries.
The Shrimp Florentine combines baby spinach, capers, garlic, lemon and white wine, all tossed with linguine. The Spicy BBQ Ribs are roasted long and slow, served with cole slaw and your choice of French fries or Jimmy's amazing Smoked Gouda Corn Bread Pudding, my personal favorite. If you find yourself really ravenous, order the fries with your ribs, and a side of that corn bread pudding.
It's always tough to choose what to order at Jimmy's. I try to eat something different wherever I go, so I can tell you about more great dishes, but it's so hard not to order, for example, the mini Beef Wellingtons, every time I'm there, because that's one of the really great appetizers of Provincetown, served in portions that are meant to be shared. There are ten more salads and appetizers.
Among Jimmy's selection of entrées, ranging from $22 to $38, you'll find French Citrus Bouillabaisse, Grilled Fillet Mignon Au Poivre, Portuguese Cod, and a half-dozen others, including another favorite of mine: Pork Tenderloin is roasted with onion, mushroom, white wine, lemon and rosemary, all of which make for a delightful, savory pan gravy ladled over mashed potatoes, served with sautéed vegetables.
Find Jimmy's HideAway at 179 Commercial Street in Provincetown, tucked away down a charming little brick path, then down a few stairs, to this cozy, garden level restaurant, with a view of the harbor through the tall seagrass surrounding the back dining room. Call 508•487•1011 for reservations (recommended,) though seating is sometimes available at the bar, where Jimmy himself will pour you a beer or whip you up a delightful cocktail.

Post-election Challenges - Like Just Feeling Normal Again

Regardless of the election outcome, we are stronger together!

I'm still kind of paralyzed after the election last week, but one thing we can all do to feel more normal again, and maybe even hopeful, is to grab a friend or two, go out for coffee or a nice dinner, and begin talking about what's next.
We can begin to make plans about how we're going to fight to hang on to advances made over the last few years, and tactics we can use to head off attacks on the rights and treatment of people of color, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, students, inmates, low income families and all of the other minorities and groups that stand to lose significant ground under this combative new administration.
And don't forget about the planet. Earth issues aren't likely to be a priority for our new government if we don't keep these topics in the forefront and influence policy wherever we can. It is now more important than ever to think globally and act locally, all the while keeping pressure on federal officials to do right by the planet. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? Yeah, it is!
Happily, my governmental representatives in Massachusetts vote exactly the way I would want them to, nearly all of the time. But that doesn't let me off the hook. I'm going to need to spend a little more time watching what's going on in other states and jurisdictions, and participating when I can, signing petitions, writing letters, and writing checks when I'm able, too, to support folks elsewhere who are working on issues I care about.
We'll all have to become insistent on having our priorities upheld by elected officials, even in other parts of the country, which may require more of our time, money and sheer determination to keep us stepping forward rather than backward, and to minimize potential losses in these next four years.
We vote with our dollars whenever we buy any product. I'm going to become more informed about who makes the products I buy, and what public policies their profits support. Impacting a company's bottom line is a very effective way to get their attention and to influence change, and together, we can do that.
Just by resolving to become more active and informed, to continue to fight the good fight and support others in that same effort, and to engage people of differing views wherever possible, I'm beginning to feel a tiny bit better. I only cried twice today, so that's already a little progress.
I'm fortunate to live in a place where the impact of the election probably won't feel quite so crushing as it might in other parts of the country, because in Provincetown, everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and I'm now even more grateful for that.

Campaign Button Foretold the 2016 Election Disaster

This campaign button predicted the awful truth of yesterday's Presidential election.

You'll forgive me for not writing for a few days…
I'm laying in a pool of tears, curled up in the fetal position, arms tightly clutching a pillow to my chest for the little comfort it will give me. When I'm able to take nourishment again, I'll find a way to write something.
Of course, that will be difficult, what with my head exploded and all.

Provincetown's Famous Soup Kitchen Reopens Monday for 2016 Season

SKIP volunteers serve up a warm welcome along with a tasty meal, and, of course, their legendary soups!

As much for the feeling of camaraderie and friendship as for a great bowl of soup, folks will begin flocking to the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown (SKIP) on Monday, November 7th. Their 25th season providing nutritious, hot meals and a sense of community for Outer Cape residents will begin around noon that day, as a crowd begins to gather in the dining hall of Provincetown's United Methodist Church.
Lunch won't begin until 12:30 PM, as usual, but there will be plenty of folks hugging, handshaking and conversing with friends they may not have seen for months, since the Soup Kitchen closed for the season at the end of last April. People always gather early and stay late, talking with friends and socializing a bit, which is equally as important as having the meal itself.
Every weekday from now until April 28th, SKIP will be serving lunch from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM at the Methodist Church, at 20 Shank Painter Road. They serve about 80 meals on the average day, so if you do the math, you'll realize that amounts to a figure somewhere around 10,000 meals prepared and served by volunteers during their annual six-month season.
There is no charge for this hearty lunch, and everyone is welcome. Many diners are regulars who come from other Outer Cape towns to mingle, converse and enjoy a meal together. It's easy to become isolated in the solitude of the off-season on Cape Cod. Many also depend on this wonderful community resource to help make ends meet at a time of year when a lot of us have little or no income.
Come and join us in ushering in the new season for our wonderful Soup Kitchen.

With More Than 58 Gender Identities Currently Recognized, Provincetown Welcomes Fantasia Fair 2016

Provincetown welcomes Fantasia Fair, celebrating
gender diversity here every October since 1975. 

Fantasia Fair is underway, welcoming transgender people of all stripes to Provincetown. Among these folks we'll find a full spectrum of people who are pushing past the gender identity barriers traditionally foisted upon us all from birth.
This conference/fair/festival/celebration has grown both in scope and attendance ever since its first gathering here in 1975. It is the oldest and longest running event of it's kind. The week brings dozens of seminars, workshops, keynote addresses and panels, led by more than 40 presenters and experts in gender issues and topics.
As much a social event as a conference, the fair affords attendees the opportunity to experience "full immersion" as they feel free to spend the entire week, 24 hours a day, presenting their gender just as they choose. Provincetown offers a safe space and supportive community for those exploring gender identity. A number of partners, spouses and significant others also attend Fantasia Fair, with many of their own workshops and events, and a chance to develop friendships and create their own feeling of community as well.

Erin Spencer is wonderfully funny and original.

These visitors give back to PTown by raising funds for our local charities and community organizations while they're here, and in other ways, as well. One of those was last night's "Dinner and a Show" event, held at the Provincetown Theater. This annual function is free, and open to the public. It's a chance for local people and fair participants alike to meet each other and socialize together, and get to know each other.
The evening began with a sort of social hour. Standing at the bar, waiting for my turn to order, I met Barbara, active in the fair for many years, and the current director of the event. I met Sherri Gray, a therapist making a presentation today, but perhaps better known for the YouTube video of her song about marriage equality, called (What If We Are) Just Like You? It's been seen by some 77,000 people.
A nice buffet supper was catered by Angel Foods. Of course, I tasted everything, from the pork tenderloin with roasted vegetables to the lasagna with garlic bread. There was a great baked mac and cheese, and a very tasty shepherd's pie. At the same time there were interesting conversations going on in every corner. I've attended a few of these dinners over the years, and each time I've come away with a little greater understanding of this complicated, immense topic of gender diversity.

Jaye McBride said she had gone "too far, too far…" as bruising, hilarious
jokes about her family and difficult dad left the crowd roaring between gasps. 

Next came the entertainment, which began with a few numbers performed by several members of the Butterfly Music Transgender Chorus. This Boston based choir is among the first all-transgender singing groups in the nation.
The chorus was followed by Boston area comic Erin Spencer, who has a ready supply of material based on "the oddities of living as a transgender woman in the city." Boston comic Jaye McBride rounded out the evening. She has opened for comedians such as Gilbert Gottfried, Aziz Ansari, Bobcat Goldthwait and many others. She also won the Times Square Comedy Showdown. Both of these women were laugh-out-loud funny, and the audience loved them.
After the show there was dessert and coffee (thank you, Angel Foods,) and another chance to meet and mingle. This event will definitely be on my list to attend next year, and it should be on your list as well. Other events open to the public include tonight's Fashion Show, at the Crown & Anchor, 8 PM, and the Fantasia Fair Follies on Friday night, also at the Crown.
The Follies combine both professional and amateur talents, ranging from lip synch to dramatic readings to original songs served up through voice or musical instrument. Any kind of performance might be found here. This is always a fantastic show, bringing folks from far and wide to enjoy this very entertaining production. It will also give many people (some of them rather shy,) a chance to shine during their moment in the spotlight.
This is a fundraiser for SKIP, Soup Kitchen In Provincetown, where around 10,000 hot meals will be served over the coming winter, with a place of community offered to anyone who drops in. Over the years, Fan Fair participants have raised more than $50,000 for Provincetown and Cape Cod charities, nonprofits and community organizations.
Doors open at 7 PM, so you can get a good seat, maybe have a drink, and meet more people before the show starts at 8 PM. Have your dinner at the Central House at the Crown and they'll reserve priority seating for you, so you don't have to rush, or wait in line to get a good seat for the show. Let the restaurant staff know that you have show tickets and they'll take care of it for you. Dinner reservations are strongly recommended. Call the Central House at 508 487-1430.
Take plenty of dollar bills with you to the show, to tip the performers and show your appreciation. Proceeds from ticket sales and all tips will be donated to SKIP, so be generous as you reward performers for their courage in getting up on stage.

The Hot Lobster Roll at The Coffee Pot Warms This Cool Provincetown Weather

In PTown, The Coffee Pot's hot lobster roll is a delicious lunch time bargain.

This big, hot lobster roll at The Coffee Pot really hits the spot as PTown weather begins cooling off with the changing season. I added an order of their terrific French fries, too. Fresh from the fryer and still sizzling, these are some of the best in town.
This very generous lobster roll starts with a big bun that's split open and grilled a bit, face down. The tender inside gets warm and toasty, and the outside is just a bit crusty, and perfect for the delicate filling that's coming…
It's lined with a leaf of fresh iceberg lettuce, then stuffed with 6 ounces of succulent, warm lobster meat doused with melted butter. This great sandwich is so simple, but sooo good! It has about 50% more lobster than most others in town, and the textures of the bun and filling are great together. Add a little crunch from an order of fries and this satisfying lunch or supper has got you covered, all for a price that's less than most others as well. You just can't beat it.
Find the Coffee Pot at Lopes Square, in the heart of Provincetown, where Standish Street crosses Commercial and heads down toward the pier. Eat-in or takeout, or carry your meal out to their patio seating for a little people watching while you eat. You might get one of their fresh baked goodies for dessert, too.

A Little Rain and a Stiff Breeze Can't Dampen Spirits in Provincetown

Umbrellas and ponchos on Commercial Street, seen through raindrops
on my windshield, show that a little rain can't stop a good time in PTown.

We don't pay a lot of attention to weather forecasts in PTown, because the prediction will change in about an hour, and again in another hour, and still be wrong. What I do is stick my head out the window, and if it comes in dry, I go out. If it comes in wet, I put on a jacket, and go out. We don't let a little rain stop us from enjoying ourselves.
It is a little difficult to predict the weather here, since we're virtually surrounded by deep water, which acts as a kind of insulator for us. Generally, we stay a little cooler than the folks in Boston in the summer, and a bit warmer than they are in the winter. That's nice, but it also makes accurate weather prediction a little tougher.
I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but it seems to me that when dire weather conditions are predicted far in advance, when the day rolls around, about 70% of the time the weather's not so bad after all. If they say on a Monday that Thursday will be rainy all day, often we get a reprieve, with just a little rain for an hour or two, or none at all.
The Provincetown Chamber of Commerce used to take the Boston weather forecasters out to lunch every spring and explain how predictions a week in advance for a weekend of lousy weather on the Cape killed our opportunity to make our living. People would make plans to visit Maine instead, or just stay home altogether. By the time it became obvious that the weekend weather would be lovely, it was too late to reserve their favorite spot or to get a decent rate on a flight.
We actually need the rain we've gotten the last couple of days, and they're calling for nice weather for Columbus Day and Women's Week, so let's hope this way-too-early prediction holds out.