Afterglow Festival - Sep. 11-16

Provincetown Live Performance Arts Festival

The Second Annual 
September 11-16, 2012

AfterglowFestival.org

Afterglow is a gathering to Provincetown of both renowned and under-the-radar innovative stage artists evolving the world of live performance.

The Second Annual Afterglow Festival takes place at the Crown & Anchor complex from September 11 through 16, 2012.

Please click here to purchase tickets. 

The Afterglow Festival honors Provincetown as the birthplace of Modern American Theater, recapturing its evolutionary spirit by presenting staged works from performing artists across a wide spectrum of forms.

Stella Starsky & Quinn Cox
AfterglowFestival.org

Afterglow serves as a destination for international and regional stage artists to express their inimitable creativity and innovation while re-establishing this peerless seaside community as a home for vanguard stagecraft.

This festival fills a niche in the Provincetown arts scene long left vacant. In a performance landscape of community theater productions and summer nightclub entertainment, Afterglow galvanizes progressive, new artists and audiences.

The festival name recognizes the season in which it occurs, post Labor Day and the full glare of summer, a most beautiful and inspiring time in Provincetown. Afterglow invites both performers and the public to bask in artistic expression.

The second annual Afterglow Festival is slated to present a critically and publicly acclaimed roster of live performers including Obie-award winner Taylor Mac, and Golden-globe nominee and Obie-award winner and Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival John Cameron Mitchell.

Conceived by John Cameron Mitchell and Quinn Cox, Afterglow renews the centennial artistic bond between Greenwich Village and Provincetown, enriching the cultural heritage of this great Cape Cod hamlet, making it a post-seasonal destination for international artists and audiences alike (Afterglow - Provincetown Live Performance Art Festival - AfterglowFestival.org)

A Local Treasure - "Winter in Harbor"

One of the gems in the Town Collection, J. Floyd Clymer's "Harbor in Winter" painted in 1963 has returned from conservation to once again grace the walls of a town building.  The extensive collection of the Town of Provincetown is hung in the Town Hall and Public Library and the High School as well as other Town buildings.

J. Floyd Clymer - "Harbor in Winter"

"These displays allows visitors and residents alike to enjoy a glimpse of the rich artistic history of Provincetown" says Stephen Borkowski, Chair of the Provincetown Art Commission which is charged with the care and display of the collection.

The Norman Mailer Center Gala - A Meeting of Giants

Date: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Location: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, New York City 
What: Fourth Annual Benefit Gala honoring Robert A. Caro, Joyce Carol Oates, Barnet Lee Rosset, Jr., and The Muhammad Ali Center represented by Muhammad Ali

'With the pride of the artist, you must blow against the walls of every power that exists the small trumpet of your defiance.' -- Norman Mailer 

Norman Mailer and Muhammad Ali arm wrestling

The Norman Mailer Center supports and celebrates writers who challenge readers' perspective on the world around them, promoting a vision of writers as "people of action."

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Muhammad Ali

A diverse set of programming supports the Center's mission, including creative writing workshops, the Mailer Fellowships, and initiatives for international outreach and exchange. Through its work, the Center provides support to early- and mid-center writers in all genres who embrace the values that drove Mailer's work: those who reach a broad audience, fully excise their creativity, apply themselves to the craft of writing with the rigor of an athlete, and thrive on dialogue and debate. 

The Norman Mailer Center and the NM Writers Colony

In 2011, the Center launched a Capital Campaign to purchase the historic Mailer Home in Provincetown, MA, from the Mailer estate, which includes his writing studio and Mailer's personal library of over four thousand books. 

The Center aims to preserve the role of the engaged writer's as not only a legitimate, but indispensable voice in the contemporary discourse (The Normal Mailer Center Website - nmcenter.org). 

Swim for Life and Paddler Flotilla: Sep 8

25th Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla : Sep 8

Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life

Provincetown Harbor is designated a “safe harbor” and is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. The Swim for Life is both a fundraising event and a celebration of this unique geological gift that gave birth to Provincetown and its symbiotic relationship to the sea. The activation of this water with human bodies navigating its magical essence, along with the neon-colored swim caps and kayaks, has become an important community tradition as we become more aware of the fragility of the natural environment and our place within it.

Come immerse yourself in the 1.4 mile swim, glide across the harbor’s surfaces as a swimmer or kayaker, or welcome swimmers on shore as a volunteer or cheerleader.

Or witness.

Swim for Life swimmers and paddlers  

Calendar of Events – all events free and open to the public

Friday thru Monday, August 24-27: Swim25: 2,500 Prayer Ribbons

Provincetown Public Library, front lawn, 356 Commercial Street

Saturday, noon to 6:00pm, table at library with information, Prayer Ribbons, t-shirts and Swim caps

Sunday, August 26, 2:00-5:30pm, public reading of messages and names of Prayer Ribbons (volunteer reader sign up and info table from noon)

Ribbons outside the Provincetown Public Library

Sunday, August 26, 5:30-8:30pm, Swim25 Provincetown Party, Harbor Lounge, 359 Commercial Street; open to the public, recognizing Circle of Honor, Volunteer Awardees and volunteers, kayakers and businesses sponsors

Friday, September 7, 2012 Swimmer Orientation (optional) – 1:00pm

Kayaker Orientation (optional) – 2:00pm

Boatslip Resort Beach, 161 Commercial Street

Celebration of Life Concert

UU Meeting House – 8:00pm, 236 Commercial Street (free)

Saturday, September 8 Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, BoatslipResort, 161 Commercial Street

8:30-10:00am Kayak/Paddler Flotilla/Safety Boat Registration, Boatslip Beach

9:00-10:00am Swimmer Registration, Boatslip Deck

Transport of swimmers to Long Point

10:30am Swim for Life Begins at Long Point

11am-2:00pm Public Greets Swimmers & Kayakers, Boatslip

Entertainment

12:00-2:00pm Mermaid Brunch (public welcome), Boatslip deck

1:00pm (or after last swimmer arrives)

Awards Ceremony

The Provincetown Schooner Race: September 1-7

Great Provincetown Schooner Regatta, ProvincetownSchoonerRace.com, September 1-7

The Great Provincetown Schooner Regatta is an eight day educational and sailing event that honors our maritime history and the great natural resources of our region. We promote public awareness of the important role that Schooners and other historic vessels played in our economic and cultural history. The Regatta takes place each year starting on the first Saturday of Labor Day weekend and ending on the following weekend.

Click here to access schedule.

Mission

ProvincetownSchoonerRace.com

The Mission of the Great Provincetown Schooner Regatta is to celebrate the role of the Great Atlantic fishing bank schooner in Provincetown’s maritime history while providing educational opportunities for residents and visitors to experience these historic vessels both in port and at sea. Additionally, we educate the public about the schooner races held off the New England coast from 1886 to 1938, and commemorate Provincetown’s 1907 Lipton Cup victory. The Regatta shares the story of Provincetown’s place in the traditional fishing industry as well as educates the younger generations about the days of Cape Cod’s past, when commerce and transportation truly ‘ran with the wind’. We work in tandem with cultural and research institutions in Provincetown and Cape Cod to enhance and reinforce the links between our local maritime history, fishing schooners, sailing, the great resources of our region, our culture and our economy.

History

ProvincetownSchoonerRace.com

Located at the outermost tip of Cape Cod and well-noted for being the first landing place of the Pilgrims in 1620, Provincetown was the first great fishing port on the eastern seaboard dating back to the time of the Norsemen. Many of the leading fishing vessels that plied the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans throughout America’s early maritime history called Provincetown home. Her skippers were well known for their skill and seamanship. At the height of the commercial fishing in the 19th century, Provincetown harbored as many as 100, 90-ton Schooners and 700 vessels. The port of Provincetown was also responsible for three times the catch of any other fishing port in New England.

The first Great Provincetown Schooner Race was held in 2002. Provincetown resident Captain John Bennett had been racing his Schooner Hindu in the Gloucester Schooner Festival and was inspired to organize a schooner gathering in his homeport. Although Captain Bennett did not live to see his dream come to fruition, supported by the Provincetown community, the committee that he had formed hosted the inaugural regatta that September in his honor. All who participated in this effort were inspired by Captain Bennett’s passion for sailing, his love of historic Schooners and his philosophy that good fellowship and good times are an important part of everyone’s life.

Read more...

The Taste of Provincetown

Taste of Provincetown - August 25, 2012

Date: Saturday, August 25, 2012 - 6:00pm

Location: Provincetown Town Hall 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA, 02657

The Taste of Provincetown features hors d’oeuvres, les amuse-bouches, and fine wines and cocktails contributed by 20 of Cape Cod’s most highly rated restaurants and celebrity chefs. Sweet Cheeks chef-owner Tiffani Faison will headline the event by refereeing a cooking challenge by three Provincetown chefs. The event also includes a silent auction. All proceeds from this evening will support Mass Equality’s work.

Click here to purchase tickets or sponsorships. 

Taste of Provincetown 2011
MassEquality.org
Taste of Provincetown on Facebook

Notes from Land's End: August 13

Carnival!

By Laura Shabott

Provincetown Business Guild
ptown.org
Ptown: A Space Odyssey
Carnival 2012

Provincetown.com  

Mardi Gras meets the Beach when Carnival Week comes to Provincetown. Parties, cruises and dance extravaganzas prepare us for Thursday’s parade beginning at 3:00 p.m. at the East End’s Harbor Hotel and ending in the West End at the Provincetown Inn. Thousands of people collecting beads will line the street to see scantily-clothed dancers and musicians on wildly decorated floats winding down Commercial Street.

This year’s theme, “Ptown: A Space Odyssey”, will have its share of Spocks and Barbarellas starting Sunday, August 12th to Friday, August 17th. For certain, the costumes will be out of this world. Sponsored by the Provincetown Business Guild, a Vulcan VIP Pass ($99.00) gives stellar access to ten events including Tuesday’s Intergalactic Boat Cruise (8/14) with Bay State Cruises and Ptown Parties. Be ready to board at 5:30P.M. at MacMillan Pier for an out of sight evening. ($25.00 a person or with VIP Pass)

Go to Carnival Headquarters daily from 11:00A.M. to 5:00P.M. at the Firehouse next to Town Hall at 256 Commercial Street for beads, t-shirts, posters and souvenirs like a Green Alien Water Bottle for $5.00. Passes and event tickets are also available.

Provincetown.com

The “only-in-Provincetown” iconic Drag Bingo happens Wednesday, August 15th, on the lawn of the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House at 236 Commercial Street. Put on a dress or a tux and moustache, pop $24.00 and try your luck! It certainly will be unforgettable.

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Notes from Land's End: August 7

Provincetown Outdoor Adventures 

By Laura Shabott 
Provincetown.com 

Stand-up paddlers
Provincetown.com

Provincetown is surrounded by eleven square miles of National Seashore, has a deep natural harbor and is 55 nautical miles from Boston. When it comes to the great outdoors, there are adventures at land's end for anyone’s tastes or pocketbook.

The Paddleboard, a hybrid of a surfboard and canoe, is a super hit at Venture Athletics in Whaler's Wharf (237 Commercial Street). At only $30.00 for four hours, this new water sport is affordable, fun and great exercise. Call 508-487-9442 for more information about one- and two-person kayaks, full moon harbor excursions and eco-tours in cooperation with the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies.

Every summer, the S/V Kalmar Nyckel docks at MacMillan Pier to bring passengers aboard for sunset and educational cruises. The original ship, a 1625 Dutch 200-ton Pinnace, brought settlers to Delaware from Sweden in the mid 1600s; its historic importance rivals that of the Mayflower. A cruise on the modern version, built in the 1990s, costs $60.00 for adults and $40.00 for folks seventeen and under. The telephone number is cleverly 302-429-SHIP.

Art's Dune Tours - Sunset tour with clambake
Courtesy of Radu Luca

I love taking Art’s Dune Tours rain or shine. Compass grass and rose hips grow in the shifting sands. A guide deftly drives up and down paths while telling stories that make you feel as if you are in on a great secret.

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