iPtown Smartphone and Tablet application is here

iPtown was created to be your personal connection to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Both first time visitors and longtime fans will find this app invaluable when planning a vacation to America’s First Destination, and then again when navigating all the wonders that Provincetown has to offer. 

Stay & Play

Arts, Culture & History

iPtown is a comprehensive mobile guide that will help you find all of the can’t miss destinations and experiences that abound in this haven at the tip of Cape Cod. From world-class accommodations, restaurants and galleries to breathtaking beaches, funky boutiques and unique events, iPtown puts it all at your fingertips. 

Eat & Drink

Travel & Transit

Photo galleries, videos and social connections make the app more interactive, as does handy mapping of all the locations listed – right down to parking lots, post offices, ATM’s and public restrooms.As the first landing place of the Mayflower pilgrims in the New World almost 400 years ago, Provincetown is steeped in history. It is the nation’s oldest continuous art colony and the birthplace of Modern American Theater.With great natural beauty, Provincetown has been named ‘Best Resort Town’, ‘Best Small Town in America’ and two of its beaches are included in the country’s top ten.

Entertainment

Shop

Ptown is proud of its character, personality and diversity, and it has become the number one destination for same sex weddings.No matter why you’re planning to visit Provincetown, make it a memorable experience with the help of iPtown.

Useful Information

Calendar

LGBT

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Town of Provincetown Art Collection - Captain Bickers (portrait)

The summer rotation of paintings in the tourism office includes a portrait of Captain Bickers by A.C. Bevin, show here with Art Commission Chair, Stephen Borkowski  He further states “We are highlighting works of art in town buildings that relate directly to the rich and storied history of Provincetown and is inhabitants.  The Provincetown Public Library will also feature selections from the Town collection on a rotating basis.”

Stephen Borkowski with portrait of Capt. Bickers

Women of Color Weekend in Provincetown, May 30 - June 2

Provincetown welcomes Women of Color Weekend this week, Thursday 5/30 - Sunday, June 2.  Show your support by going to two fabulously funny comedy shows - Mimi Gonzalez (Friday at 7 pm) and Karen Williams (Saturday at 8 pm) both at The Crown & Anchor. 

For more information, please visit womenofcolorweekend.com.

Karen Williams, Courtesy of WomenOfColorWeekend.com

Mimi Gonzalez, Courtesy of WomenOfColorWeekend.com

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum to re-open April 1

The Pilgrim Monument was founded in 1892 as the Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association—Cape Cod’s oldest not-for-profit organization. Its purpose is to commemorate the Mayflower Pilgrims’ first landing in the New World in Provincetown, in November 1620. Here the Pilgrims spent 5 weeks exploring the tip of Cape Cod, before they sailed on to Plymouth. They also drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact, which established the rule of law for the new land.

The Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association built the Pilgrim Monument to honor the Pilgrims’ first landing in Provincetown. President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone in 1907. In 1910, President William Howard Taft dedicated the finished 252-foot tower. In 1910, the Cape’s first building built to house a museum opened at the base of the monument, to educate the public about Provincetown’s role in Pilgrim history and American history.

Today, millions of visitors and generations of local residents have admired and climbed the 252 foot granite Pilgrim Monument for almost 100 years.

Some interesting facts: 

• The Pilgrim Monument was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landing of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown on November 21, 1620.
• The tower is 252 feet, 7.5 inches (77 meters) tall and rises 350 feet above sea level!
• The heart-healthy walk to the top on 116 steps and 60 ramps only takes about 10 minutes at a leisurely pace.
• The Pilgrim Monument is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States. The granite came from Stonington, Maine, and each stone is the thickness of the wall. The design is patterned after the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy.
• During your climb, you’ll see many interior stones that were donated by cities, towns and organizations from all of the United States. See if your city or town is here.
• President Theodore Roosevelt laid the cornerstone on August 20, 1907
• President William H. Taft led the dedication ceremony after the Pilgrim Monument’s completion on August 5, 1910.
• The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum is Cape Cod’s oldest non-profit and cultural institution.

Schedule and Admission: 

April 1 – Memorial Day, 9am – 5pm
Memorial Day – Labor Day, 9am – 7pm
Labor Day – November 30, 9am – 5pm
Closed Thanksgiving Day
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$12– adults
$9 – senior citizens (62 and older)
$7 – students (15 & older) w/ ID
$4–children 4-14
Free Admission for Members and children 3 & under

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Art's Dune Tours

Imagine dunes stretching as far as you can see with wispy beach grass, dark green pine trees and deep red beach plums nestled in hollows which are brought together by a silhouette of blue sky. You will travel through the majestic dunes where your guide points out the "dune shacks" where famous artists and writers like Eugene O'Neill and Harry Kemp became inspired to create their art.

You will also pass the remains of the Peaked Hill Life Saving Station and learn how the brave "life savers" enacted their heroic efforts to save the lives of thousands from the doomed shipwrecks!  It is such a beautiful tour.  You will be amazed!

Contact Art's Dune Tours

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CapeHouse

By Anita Devlin

OnFireAtFifty.com

View from Town Beach
Photo by Radu Luca

120 miles from Boston along the National Seashore on the outer most tip of Cape Cod is a historical and fascinating place called Provincetown. It seems only natural that Provincetown would be a draw for diverse visitors beginning with the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, establishing the roots of democratic government in America. The 1920’s and 1930’s saw the gay and lesbian presence flourish as artists, writers, playwrights, poets, novelists, journalists, and radicals began to summer in Provincetown.  Modern American theatre is born here when Eugene O’Neill debuts his first production on a Provincetown wharf.

FACTS:

Total area:                                    17.47 sq. miles

Year round population:              3,500

Seasonal population:                  30,000

2004: Gay marriage is legalized in Massachusetts and Provincetown becomes “the place to get married” with over 2,000 marriage licenses issued to date.

When my friend Paul and I decided to create a show about real estate on Cape Cod, we chose Provincetown. It’s a little bit scripted and it’s a little bit reality but most of all it’s a lot of fun. Paul has been selling real estate on the Cape for over 30 years and I did for almost 10 years myself.  Our show is a character based show of realtors who play themselves and decide to come to Provincetown to help me open my new office.  Paul agrees to be my mentor just to be rid of me and my unconventional way of doing real estate from his company.  He didn’t realize I’d be opening an office right next door to his.  The characters are colorful to say the least and we chose Provincetown because there is no place on earth more beautiful or fun where everyone is free to be true to themselves.

[...] Thank you Provincetown and all who live there for allowing us to show the world how beautiful your corner of the world is.  You can never be sad in Provincetown.

Holly Folly Weekend: Nov 30 - Dec 2

Holly Folly, Nov 30 - Dec 2, ptown.org

The Provincetown Business Guild presents A Gay and Lesbian Holiday Festival!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Holly Folly Headquarters will be located at 265 Commercial St (Way Downtown Restaurant) across from Town Hall on Commercial Street. Hours of operation: Friday & Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm.

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Holly Folly Shop Hop!- If you've had enough of drab malls and the same old thing then the Shop Hop is for you. Get your holiday shopping doneand get a chance to win one of 3 prize baskets. Shop at the unique stores or wonderful art galleries (there's lots of sales too) and then take a break by enjoying a meal at one of the many fine restaurants in town. Save the receipts from the participating stores, art galleries, and restaurants you've shopped or ate at, take them to the welcome center where your receipts get tallied and entered into a raffle to win a prize basket. It's that easy and lots of fun. A list of participating merchants is on the back of the Holly Folly program.

Annual Toy Drive to benefit the St. Peter’s Kitchen Angels Toy and Necessities Fund at The Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street
The toy drive will run from Friday, November 2nd through Saturday, December 1st. Our annual toy drive benefits the St Peter’s Kitchen Angels Toy & Necessities Fund. Help fill Santa’s sleigh by donating a new, unwrapped toy for any age child, from toddler to teenager. Monetary donations can be made in the form of a check made payable to St Peter’s Kitchen Angels. The Kitchen Angels assist families in the Outer Cape & Provincetown area. Please help brighten the holidays for a family less fortunate and donate what you can. If you have any questions please contact Rick Reynolds at 508-487-1430 ext. 227. 

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Jest & Jazz and Evening W/Loretta Laroche & Kenny Wenzel, at the Town Hall, 260 Commercial St. Start the Holly Folly Celebration with Loretta who does motivational shows with humor. Kenny, her husband who is a jazz musician with his group will play holiday music with several local Ptown singers.

This will all be sponsored by The Land’s End Inn (new owners are behind this) with proceeds going to the charity The Baobab Home in Tanzania, East Africa. http://www.tzkids.org

5:30 PM – 8:30PM, Holly Folly Sing-A-Long with Casey & Denise at thePorchside Bar, Gifford House Inn, 9 Carver Street (free)
Request your favorite holiday tunes. There is never a cover at the Porchside Bar.

9:00 PM TIS THE SEASON FOR GIVING, Show starts at 9pm in Paramount at the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street. This is a benefit for the Aids Support Group of Cape Cod. This years’ event promises to be bigger and better with MORE Raffle Items and amazing performances from some of Provincetown’s most talented entertainers!

9:00 PM - Close, "Official Welcome Party For Boston Gay Men's Chorus" at theShipwreck Lounge, 8 Carver Street at The Brass Key  
Come join us for a meet and great with the Boston Gay Men's Chorus.  Complimentary Snacks. www.ptownlounge.com

10:00 PM - 1:00AM, The Snow Ball at the A House, 4-6 Masonic Place ($5.00 cover for PBG Fundraiser). This Holly Folly tradition is also a fundraiser for the PBG. Great music and fun to start the weekend off. Hosted by Thirsty Burlington and featuring music by Resident DJ and Billboard Magazine Reporter David LaSalle. For more information visit www.ahouse.com.

  

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Holly Folly Headquarters will be located at 265 Commercial St (Way Downtown Restaurant) across from Town Hall on Commercial Street. Hours of operation: Friday & Saturday 11am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 3pm.

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Holly Folly Shop Hop! - Day 2

Annual Toy Drive to benefit the St. Peter’s Kitchen Angels Toy and Necessities Fund at The Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial Street
The toy drive will run from Friday, November 2nd through Saturday, December 1st. Our annual toy drive benefits the St Peter’s Kitchen Angels Toy & Necessities Fund. Help fill Santa’s sleigh by donating a new, unwrapped toy for any age child, from toddler to teenager. Monetary donations can be made in the form of a check made payable to St Peter’s Kitchen Angels. The Kitchen Angels assist families in the Outer Cape & Provincetown area. Please help brighten the holidays for a family less fortunate and donate what you can. If you have any questions please contact Rick Reynolds at 508-487-1430 ext. 227.

11:00 AM – 1:00PM, Mr. & Ms. Santa Photo-Op, Song Of Myself Photography,349 Commercial Street, Song of Myself Photography ($30). Get a professionally taken photo with Santa, Ms. Santa or both! Fun, festive or naughty you'll get a terrific memory of your weekend and help support two charities. All proceeds benefit Helping Our Women and the Aids Support Group of Cape Cod. Cost is $30.00 person, each additional person or pet is $10.00.

12:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Souper Saturday @ Frappo 66, 214 Commercial St. ($5)
A variety of soups will be available from many local restaurants at $5 a bowl. Proceeds benefit the Soup Kitchen In Provincetown. SKIP's goal is to provide nutritious and healthful meals in a welcoming and warm atmosphere to all individuals in the community who are either in need or seek community. The lack of proper nutrition for many in Provincetown is an ongoing challenge, particularly as it relates to the town's seasonally employed and chronically unemployed residents.

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM, Holly Folly Inn Stroll, (free)
Enjoy light refreshments and fabulous decorations as the following inns open their doors for some holiday cheer: Aerie House & Beach Club, Brass Key, Carpe Diem Guesthouse & Spa, Crews Quarters, Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa, Fairbanks Inn, Gabriel's at the Askbrooke Inn, Gifford House, John Randall House, Prince Albert Guest House, Somerset House Inn, Watership Inn and White Wind Inn.

3:30 PM – 5:30 PM, Holiday Drag Bingo, at the Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St. Come to this first Annual Holiday event dressed in your best holiday outfit. This is a perfect way to show your holiday spirit and kick off the season in style! This is a benefit fundraiser for our Cape & Islands PFLAG division and the Provincetown Business Guild.

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM, Holly Folly Sing-A-Long with Casey & Denise at the Porchside Bar, Gifford House Inn, 9 Carver Street. Request your favorite holiday tunes. There is never a cover at the Porchside Bar.

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, "Holly Folly Holiday Karaoke" at the Atlantic House, 4-6 Masonic Place. Sing A Long with Thirsty Burlington to your favorite holiday tunes in the Little Bar. www.ahouse.com

8:30 PM, BOSTON GAY MEN'S CHORUS at Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street. A great Holly Folly tradition, enjoy the perfect kick-off to the holiday season in Provincetown's own Grande Dame, Town Hall. One show only! Tickets are $27.00 each. Doors open at 7:30pm. We hope to see you there! Tickets on sale now at the Provincetown Business Guild office, 508-487-2313 and will also be on sale at 261 Commercial St across from the old Firehouse between Town Hall and Adam's on Holly Folly Weekend.

9:00 PM - Close, Doug Repetti will be performing at Central House at the Crown and Anchor, 247 Commercial St. Get ready for the holidays as local crooner Doug Repetti sings all your seasonal favorites and invites you to sing along in the Central House piano bar. www.onlyatthecrown.com

9:00 PM - Close, Retro Active Video Lounge in the Wave Bar, At the Crown & Anchor 247 Commercial St. Our resident VJ makes a special 'Holly Folly' appearance with his vast library of music and comedy videos to make your night Jolly!  
Welcome Boston Gay Men's Chorus!

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Provincetown Men's Weekend: Nov 9-11

Provincetown Men's Weekend: Nov 9-11, PtownMensWeekend.com

PMW continues the former Single Men and Meet Your Man Weekends simply calling it Men's Weekend, welcoming all men regardless of relationship status.

Provincetown is beautiful in the off season with reduced lodging rates, restaurant specials, and sales at the shops and galleries.

 

With a variety of offerings to choose from, we're sure you'll have a fun filled weekend. Meet and Eat Buffet Reception, Disco Night,  Underwear Party, Piano Bar, Leather Night and more!

All events are free of charge.

Scheduled events: 

Friday 11/9

7:00p-9:00p              Eat and Greet Welcome Buffet @ Club Purgatory

 

10:30p-1:00am         70's Disco Night with Manhunt

                              Mailbox Matchup@ Club Purgatory

 

 

Saturday 11/10

 

11:00am-1:00pm    Bayside Brunch @ Bayside Betsy's

                                        (10% off regular menu)

 

4:00pm-6:00pm      Tea Dance @ The Club Purgatory

 

7:30p-10:30pm       Billy Hough Piano Sing-a-long @

                                  Porchside Bar at The Gifford House Inn 

                                            

10:30pm-1:00am    Underwear Party @ Club Purgatory 

 

 

Sunday 11/11

 

7:30p-10:30pm         Billy Hough Piano Sing-a-long @

                                    Porchside Bar at The Gifford House Inn

 

10:30pm-1:00am      Leather Party @ Club Purgatory

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Ghost Town Haunted Attraction: Oct 26-31

Video produced by Tristan DiVincenzo

Prepare yourself for a frightful journey through condemned buildings, pirate ruins and scary grave-sites as you encounter terrifying creatures of the living dead. Keep your wits about you as you wind your way through areas of death, decay and doom trying to find your ultimate escape. The creatures of Ghost Town are dying for you to cross over and join them in a gruesome and grim afterlife. Please click here to purchase tickets.

On October 31, 1736, what once was a prosperous town, a place of hustle and bustle, buzzing with hope and excitement, Provincetown was turned into a frightful town of the dead. Masked by a dense bank of fog, pirate Captain Davy Flint and his crew of rapscallions aboard The Red Dawn, rolled in that very evening and pillaged and plundered everything in sight like a pack of wild beasts. Surprised by the onslaught, the peaceful townsfolk of Provincetown were defenseless against the Captain and his crew, and were slaughtered for their precious possessions. 

The town was set ablaze and was left in ruins and remains, to this day, an uninhabited place unsuitable for the living. Burned buildings, forced into decay from years of weathering and neglect, stand crookedly looming over empty streets, the air around them heavy and lifeless with the impressions of death. Today, locals from the surrounding towns believe that the ghosts of Provincetown's dead inhabitants are still looking for revenge. 

They say that October 31st and the days surrounding it bring a strange and eerie fog, and that blood-curdling screams can be heard piercing the air as angry spirits roam empty streets. They say the dead have come back to claim their town and that they have come to seek revenge. And so, as you make your visit to the ghost town of Provincetown, just beware of the perils that may lie in wait. 
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Contact: 
David Flower
508-487-9601
question@ptownhalloween.com 

Women's Week in Provincetown: Oct 8 - 14

Dancing with Mimi Gonzalez, WomensWeekProvincetown.com

Women’s Week in Provincetown means many things to many women. Whether it’s getting to see the best performers and comics in lesbian culture today, or just getting to walk down Commercial Street holding hands with that special someone, basking in the autumn sunlight and taking in the natural beauty of Provincetown, there is no festival on the planet that celebrates women like Women’s Week.

Starting on Columbus day each year in October, Women’s Week begins with events to welcome you and ease you into a Provincetown state of mind. The Welcome Party Monday night begins with a celebratory mood that extends through the following Sunday, with our famous Saturday Night Dance party a fitting crescendo to a fabulous week!

In between, there are so many events to choose from, you’ll have a hard time deciding. To help you out, there are copies of the Official Women’s Week Program distributed all over town before you arrive. In many colorful and beautiful pages, you’ll find details about what’s going on in the schedule, a listing of over 150 separate events, workshops, performances, gatherings, and parties.

New for this year, we’ll post news flashes on the news page — who will be performing, and when, as we hear about it! We will also add to our day-by-day schedule as the news develops, and the day-by-day listing can be found on our Schedule Page.

We’re thrilled to announce our Woman of the Year 2012, Irene Rabinowitz!
Irene Rabinowitz has been the Executive Director of Helping Our Women since 1995. She is a native of Providence, Rhode Island who lived in New York City for sixteen years before moving to Provincetown in 1986. Prior to working at Helping Our Women, she was a Case Manager and Housing Program Director at the Provincetown AIDS Support Group (now the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod) from 1989 to 1995.

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Provincetown: A Haven at the Nexus of Light, Water, and the Surreal

Days Cottages at sunset, courtesy of i.c.e images

From painters to photographers, artists have long cherished Cape Cod’s exceptional light, which reaches its apex at the Cape’s tip inProvincetown, Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe in 1916 called Provincetown the ‘Biggest Art Colony in the World,’ and its magnificent light, beautiful landscapes and dynamic, creative atmosphere has captivated the likes of Franz Kline, Mark Rothko and Norman Rockwell.

The unique personality and beguiling backdrops that have long called to painters and playwrights are now capturing more and more photographers. There is never a bad angle or wasted shot in Ptown. The scenery is exceptional all year long and as fall turns to winter, lodging rates drop, sales bloom and the scenery stays put.

Here where Cape Cod Bay meets the Atlantic, something magical happens. Maybe it's the feel good vibe of one of the most open societies in America or the diversity of sights found along dune-laden coastlines or among quaint shingled homes. Most, however, will tell you, “It is the light, silly.” 

It’s about time the camera made a stronger claim in a town with only one main street right out of central casting. Walking and biking are the preferred mode of transits here, as cars are, well, for big city folks or day-trippers. So, if you are getting this picture, you’ll find what most have learned, hang in Ptown for a few days and you’ll feel a degree of calm and relaxation that makes it hard to leave.

From snapshots of pets to peaceful sails against billowing clouds, Ptown never lacks for the picturesque. Focus on the outrageous cross-dressers or the centuries old Portuguese fishing fleet, where history is retold from the Pilgrim Monument, attesting to Ptown’s credential as “America’s First Destination,” having first welcomed voyagers to the promised land.

Photographic adventurers can set their own itinerary, from a dune tour, to a whale watch trip, to a bike ride through a national seashore that ends with a bonfire on the beach in the light of a stunning sunset. This is the place for vibrant multicolor skies and ocean reflections. No matter the conditions—fog, sunshine or snow—you will always get the shot.

Professional and amateur photographers alike say that the town inspires shooting because there are so many choices. The most stressful moment of the week will be deciding whether to spend time micro-focused on the flower box, wild field, vintage or architectural details, or the macro shots of land and seascapes.

And, if you can take a pause from night exposures, the many fine dining or casual eateries and some of the oldest continuous pouring taverns in the new world are sure to leave you with after-shoot enjoyment. And when making your plans, don't miss the live acts, which keep you singing or laughing until you greet the sunrise of a glorious new day at the tip of the Cape.

(To view some Ptown images captured by visitors and professionals, view on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ptowntourism/photos, on the Provincetown tourism website http://provincetowntourismoffice.org/index.aspx?nid=171, or Pinterest http://pinterest.com/search/?q=provincetown.)

Press Release
Provincetown Tourism Office
September 25, 2012

Rights free photo supplied by i.c.e. images

For more information, contact:

Gene Rose
gr@mcopr.com1-888-923-9945 x2