Bear Week in Provincetown, July 7-15

Provincetown Bears - www.PtownBears.org

Provincetown Bears prepares a special welcome for Bears to one of North America's most famous gay resort towns. We work with local club managers to program different music and an atmosphere for a week of parties. They also allow time to relax and have a true vacation. Bear events leave plenty of free time to enjoy the town, restaurants, cabaret shows, National Seashore park, beaches, and the daily gatherings at hotel pool decks.

All Provincetown bars and clubs are 21+ (strictly enforced), including the two hotel pools used for Bear Week. Public meeting places such as the active street scene, Town Hall benches, Spiritus Pizza and beaches are available for younger cubs to enjoy. Bars, clubs and restaurants are all smoke-free areas in Massachusetts; provisions are often available for smoking outdoors.

Traditional highlights of Provincetown in summer include the daily T-Dance and nightly 1 am pizza and cruising at Spiritus. The hotels, pools and clubs are mostly within a short walk, and Commercial Street becomes one of the primary venues as a place to see and meet friends.

Evening venues: 

Atlantic House (A-House, Macho Bar, Little Bar) 4 Masonic Place. Free admittance with with Bear Week package dog tag 

Boatslip Resort 161 Commercial Street 

Crown & Anchor (Paramount, Wave Bar, Vault) 247 Comercial Street 

Mixers / Bayside Betsy's 177 Commercial Street

Monkey Bar 149 Commercial Street

Spiritus Pizza 190 Commercial. Everyone from all the clubs join together for pizza, ice cream and cruising at 1 am on Commercial Street every night- an especially hot scene during Bear Week. 
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Notes from Land's End: February 7

Mark Your Calendar! Provincetown's Most Anticipated Summer Events
By Laura Shabott 
February 7th, 2012

Carnival - courtesy of Sue Harrington

When I worked at the front desk of the Boatslip Resort, callers were surprised to find out that we were already sold out for their favorite Provincetown week. 

Don’t let this happen to you! Here are the 2012 dates for some of the town’s most spirited high-season holidays.

1. May 28 Memorial Day Weekend -provincetownforwomen.com

Portuguese Festival - provincetown.com 

For the young and young at heart, this word-of-mouth annual convergence of partying lasses kicks off the summer. Bring your cooler and a pack of close friends. Whooo-Hoooo! 

2. June 13-17 Annual Provincetown International Film Festival – ptownfilmfest.org

Touted as the ‘New Sundance’ by independent film aficionados, this festival is a powerhouse event for the LGBT filmmaker. If you love ground-breaking cinema, don’t miss it.

3. June 21-24 Provincetown Portuguese Festival & Blessing of the Fleet – provincetownportuguesefestival.com

Honoring Lands End’s legacy as a Portuguese fishing community, this weekend is a celebration of a fun-loving and passionate culture. There’s a parade, luscious foods, dancing and the Blessing of the Fleet.

4. June 29 – July 8 Circuit Week- onlyatthecrown.com, davidflower.com

The town is packed with abs-solutely fabulous men from all over the country. Come dance on the piers, frolic along the beaches, rent a bike and be where the “Boyz” are.

5. July 4 Parade and Fireworks- provincetown-ma.gov
Provincetown loves to celebrate our country’s independence. The parade starts at 11am, beginning in East End at the Harbor Hotel (formerly Cape Inn) and finishing at Commercial and Franklin. Fireworks, beginning at dusk from any bayside beach, are always exciting!
6. July 7-15 Bear Week – ptownbears.org

Bear Week - provincetown.com

Big is beautiful in this massive meeting of the “Bears”, an international men’s group one million strong. Thousands of fun-loving, restaurant-grazing, sun-worshiping crowds and their friends, the Cubs and Otters, take over the town for an amazing week.

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December 1 - World Aids Day

The Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla is being honored at the State House in Boston on December 1st, World AIDS Day, in Nurses Hall.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Swim next year, Jay Critchley will speak and the Prayer Ribbons will be displayed from 11:00am to 3:00pm. These five-foot long colored ribbons have been collected over 15 years and are inscribed with names and messages of people we wish to honor in our lives, both living and deceased.

The event is being organized with Rep. Sarah Peake, the Mass Department of Public Health and other legislators. Donna Roll's students from Longy School of Music will sing musical selections. HIV/AIDS organizations from across the state have been invited, and the event is open to the public.

The Prayer Ribbons bear witness to the annual Swim for Life, a quintessential Provincetown event.  They are on view in the Meeting House, on Commercial Street and on the Boatslip deck during the event.   

The 25th Annual Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla will be held on September 9, 2012.