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 

Francis "Flyer" Santos- oil on canvas

Stephen Borkowski holding a portrait of
Francis "Flyer" Santos, oil on canvas

Provincetown Art Commission Chairman, Stephen Borkowski is shown holding a recently conserved portrait of Francis "Flyer" Santos, oil on canvas, painted in 1980 by Gladys Maynard which is on display in the Town Hall central corridor display cases during Regatta Week as a special nod to Provincetown’s maritime heritage.  

Mr. Santos, who will be 98 years old this year, was the builder of the model of the Rose Dorothea in what is now the second floor of the Provincetown Public Library.  The display cases which were funded by a Community Preservation Grant approved by the voters, allow a continuous rotating display of art and artifacts from the holdings of the Town to intrigue and delight visitors and residents alike.

“We are delighted to show this portrait of which due to its size is rarely shown.  A larger portrait of Mr. Santos by Salvatore Del Deo is hung in the library near the model that Mr. Santos and his team lovingly created,” said Borkowski. 

The Art Commission is charged with the care of the artwork owned by the Town of Provincetown.

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

An Evening with Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux

Date: Saturday, June 30

Time: 6:00 pm 

Location: Provincetown Town Hall Auditorium 

The Provincetown Public Library, in collaboration with the Norman Mailer Center and Writers Colony, proudly presents a special appearance by acclaimed author and Massachusetts native Paul Theroux.  Theroux has written multiple best sellers including The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia.  He will be on hand at the historic Town Hall Auditorium for a discussion about writing, his life, and his new book, The Lower River.   

Theroux, who holds honorary doctorates in literature from Trinity College in Washington and Tufts University, is appearing as part of fundraising efforts organized by the Norman Mailer Center and Writers Colony.  He is also the 1977 American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Literature Award winner and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Geographic Society in Britain.  Doors open at 5:30 pm and the event is free to all Provincetown residents, although donations are accepted.  Non-resident admission is $10.  Cash and checks only will be accepted at the door.

Following the Town Hall presentation, at 8:00 PM, there will be a private reception, with an opportunity to meet Mr. Theroux, at the Mailer Center at 627 Commercial Street.  Reservations and a donation of $125 per person (of which $100.00 will be tax-deductible) are required for the reception, which will be limited to 80 persons.  All proceeds of the evening will go toward the Center's capital campaign to purchase* of the Mailer home from the Mailer Estate.

Reservations for the reception at the Mailer home can be made by calling 646 374 3939, option 1. 

Notes from Land's End: March 6

Bow-Wow Provincetown

By Laura Shabott
March 6th, 2012 

When the Mayflower set anchor in Provincetown’s harbor on that fateful day in 1610, a Mastiff and a Springer Spaniel, both English, were on board, bringing to shore a canine’s sensibility that is still gloriously celebrated today. As the #1 friendliest Dog Town in America, there are an abundance of amenities: Pilgrim Bark Park with two separate areas for big and small hounds, pet portraiture, welcoming accommodations and even an annual Pet Appreciation Weekend. 

I am, admittedly, a cat person but if I were to convert to a doggie-type, this spit of land would be the place to bring my pooch. It would be delightful to come by ferry on a Bay State Cruise from Boston, arriving at MacMillan Wharf refreshed from a brisk ninety-minute jaunt across the high seas. We would walk to Gabriel's, a well-appointed Bed and Breakfast in the center of town, known for pet pampering and settle in.

Summer Fun, Courtesy of Elaine Mowery

Friends might come to join us by staking a tent at the Dunes' Edge Campground right across Route 6. Adjoining the National Seashore, we would go to the beaches for Frisbee romps and eco-woodland walks to sniff the flora and fauna. Other urban pals and their furry companions could go to the newly-renovated Harbor Hotel that allows pets, making this another affordable place to stay. Located across from Provincetown harbor, daily walks might include a healthy stroll into town.

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"Lesson learned in Provincetown"

Lesson Learned in Provincetown

There's snow tonight in Provincetown

The benches so empty.

Commercial Street without a soul

So peaceful by the sea.

The winter's cold the people scarce

Some gone to warmer shores

The opposite of summer days

Few restaurants, few stores

Remembering when I was young

I'd come with family

As soon as we were old enough

My sister, friends and me.

This town would always speak to us

So softly we would hear

"In Provincetown we welcome all

There is no need to fear"

I've always felt so out of place

When here, can just be me

This town has taught me kindness, love

This jewel by the sea.

Poem by Barb, New Jersey

Provincetown: "Best Resort Town" Award on Gaycities.com

Provincetown, MA was voted "Best Resort Town in 2011" by Gaycities.com readers. This is a great honor for Provincetown and the award comes after the US Census declared Provincetown "the gayest city in America," also in 2011. 

Provincetown: "Best Resort Town"

"It's no surprise to me that our members voted to make Provincetown the Best Resort Town 2011," said Scott Gatz, Gaycities.com CEO. "Just one look at GayCities guide to P'town and you'll see it's got everything you'd want for your escape: great food, great beaches and a great social scene," he added. 

www.GayCities.com

Provincetown won 28% of the total votes, whereas Palm Springs, the runner-up, received 24 percent. Sitges, Saugatuck and Rehoboth Beach followed with 18, 8 and 6 percent, respectively. 


"Members from all over the world casted tens of thousands of votes for their favorite towns. Provincetown and Palm Springs were neck and neck up til the very end. Both places offer a great escape for the traveler (and nearby locals) and are incredibly welcoming to the gay community. Our members were asked to choose their favorite resort town, and the results show just how loyal folks are to P'town," said Gatz. 


Other categories included "best nightlife," "best pride," "best food," "best city," etc. 

Provincetown Town Hall

Beautiful photo of our newly renovated Town Hall, by Paul Cezanne

Provincetown Town Hall, by Paul Cezanne

Same-sex duo dances for a cause in Provincetown

By Terrence Doyle

Provincetown Banner

Posted Dec 13, 2011 @ 06:44 AM

Looking for something to do Thursday, Dec. 15, from 8 p.m. onward? Well, look no further. 


Same-sex ballroom dance champions Kalin Mitov and Michael Winward will be performing and delivering a short instructional class on ballroom dancing in the Gifford House’s basement venue, Club Purgatory. The event is a fundraiser in support of the “It Gets Better Project,” which helps teens in the LGBT world deal with bullying and combat depression and thoughts of suicide. There will be no cover at the door, though Mitov says a donation will be suggested. There will also be a raffle.


“We've gotten local businesses to donate things like clothing and gift certificates as prizes,” says Mitov. Mitov and Winward are the current holders of both the U.S. and the North American same-sex ballroom dance titles, as awarded by the North American Same Sex Partner Dance Association. 


According to the NASSPDA’s mission, the body is “a membership organization committed to the promotion and expansion of social and competitive same-sex partner dancing, which includes Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Country Western and other partner dances, as well as different styles within those terms, such as International and American Style. NASSPDA acknowledges and celebrates its origins in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.” Read more: Same-sex duo dances for a cause in Provincetown.
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Happy as a Ptown Clam

I never thought I'd enjoy scratching for clams, but...well, I was wrong. I am in Cape Cod after all, and, when in Rome...

Nancyann

Scratching for clams

Halfway there

Clamming is just one of the many winter activities in Provincetown if you're not too busy attending popular social events, catching up on your reading or lighting a bonfire on the beach. 

John and Nancyann

Low tide at Breakwater

Whether you're a visitor or a Provincetown resident you can easily acquire a shellfish license at Town Clerk's Office, which is good for the entire season (November through March that is). 

Low tide at Breakwater

A good friend of mine gave me some Clamming 101 lessons and I was ready to go. She was also kind enough to lend me the gear: a bucket, a rake with long prongs, rubber boots and advice on where "hotspots" might be. 

Sunshine over the Moors

This year clamming takes place near the Breakwater, right at the very West end of Commercial Street, and it is only allowed on Fridays and Sundays (for obvious reasons given the popularity of this activity) when tides are low. 

Beautiful day for clamming

"Why should I acquire a license and go clamming?" you may ask. Here are just a few good reasons: it is fun, you're spending time outdoors exercising (trust me, clamming is a good workout), you get to eat fresh clams for dinner, you get to see some of your friends who you haven't seen in months, and last but not least, the scenery is gorgeous. And I have pictures to prove it...

John and Nancyann

Two hours and a bucketful later I had met my daily quota and I was happy as a Ptown clam.

Beaux Arts Costume Ball

"I am so happy they are reviving this," said a Provincetown business owner yesterday. 
Indeed, the Beaux Arts Costume Ball is scheduled to take place this year on Saturday, October 29, from 8:00 to 11:00 pm inside Provincetown Town Hall's Auditorium, after a break of five decades. 
The event, sponsored and organized by Marc Jacobs, is expected to attract more than 800 participants from the Cape, New England area, but also second-home owners who are currently not in Provincetown.

Tickets are $25 and they go on sale October 1st at the Marc Jacobs Store in Provincetown, located at 184 Commercial Street, and October 3rd at Town Clerk's Office (Provincetown Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street). 
The cap is four (4) tickets per buyer. One can also order tickets by phone at 508.487.0723. 
The jury will consist of five judges including Marc Jacobs himself.
Remember, competition will be tough, and the most creative and original costume will win the grand prize. 
Posters and rack cards available at the Provincetown Tourism Office (Freeman Building, 330 Commercial Street).
Let the countdown begin! 
posted by rdl