Provincetown is Your LGBTQ Travel Destination for Fall and Winter
Provincetown's bustling summer season has come to a close, but this LGBTQ hot spot remains an ideal destination during the fall and winter months. October, November and December are filled with festive things to do, from costume parties, drag bingos and brunches to holiday markets, dance parties, fireworks and themed events for leather enthusiasts, women, and the transgender community.
"The Provincetown Business Guild board, staff and members look forward to the fall and winter seasons each year," said Fred Latasa-Nicks, board president of the Provincetown Business Guild. "There is nothing like experiencing the crisp autumn air and fall foliage in and around Provincetown or taking in a stunning sunset from the edge of a snow-covered beach."
October in Provincetown brings a lineup of events for diverse members of the LGBTQ community. Mates Leather Weekend is for those who want to socialize, relax or celebrate with other like-minded people in leather, rubber, and uniforms. Celebrating its 35th anniversary is Women's Week, produced by the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown, which features live music, comedy, workshops, dancing, and outdoor activities. Fantasia Fair, the longest-running transgender event in the world, is a weeklong celebration that is part learning experience, part social gathering, and part reunion, where attendees can spend an entire week presenting their gender as they wish.
As the height of the fall season hits Provincetown, it's time for Halloween, which has enjoyed great cultural significance for the LGBTQ community for decades. And Provincetown knows how to celebrate this holiday with all the costumes and fanfare one would expect. Halloween events include haunted and spooky editions of the legendary Boatslip tea dance, the Black & Gold Halloween Ball (benefiting the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod), multiple costume parties and Spooky Bear Weekend.
Thanksgiving kicks off Provincetown's season of lights with the annual lighting of the Pilgrim Monument, the largest all-granite building in the country. This ceremony commemorates the Pilgrims' first landing in the New World, illuminates the dark winter sky with light and love and reinforces the monument as a beacon of tolerance and hope and a reminder that there are many throughout the world who do not enjoy the same acceptance and peace experienced in Provincetown.
On Thanksgiving Day, many restaurants will open their doors for locals and visitors to enjoy a delicious holiday meal. The day after Thanksgiving, Tiki Bronstein will host the annual drag bingo tradition, at which families, friends and visitors gather at the Crown & Anchor for a jovial fundraiser for the Provincetown Business Guild. Then the annual lighting of the Lobster Pot Christmas tree, a well-loved seaside tradition, will take place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Started by artist Julian Popko as a holiday tribute to the town's hard-working lobstermen, it features a unique tree at Lopes Square in the heart of Provincetown, created by stacking over 100 real lobster pots.
"Provincetown is the original welcoming destination for the LGBTQ community," said Latasa-Nicks. "Thanksgiving in Ptown is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with your friends, chosen family and anyone who makes you feel safe and comfortable."
Just after Thanksgiving, kick off the December holidays with Holly Folly, Provincetown's annual LGBTQ holiday festival, presented by Tito's Handmade Vodka, which puts a very queer twist on many holiday traditions. The three-day festival is filled with entertainment, food, shopping, nightlife and merry events created to welcome the winter season to the queerest resort town in the nation. From December 6 through December 8, visitors can stroll and shop their way along Provincetown's busy Commercial Street and enjoy sales in Ptown's one-of-a-kind boutiques and shops, holiday menus at many restaurants and the always-popular Jingle Bell Run, where revelers in holiday speedos, bathing suits and tutus make their way down Commercial Street for cheers, prizes and a champagne brunch.
The "shop, hop and punchbowl" stroll takes place throughout Holly Folly and offers a great way to support small, independent businesses, many of which are LGBTQ owned. Visit participating shops, many of which serve complimentary hot chocolate, cider and holiday cookies, and check items off your holiday gift list.
The centerpiece of Holly Folly is the always-festive performance by the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. On Saturday, December 7, "A Super Gay Christmas" will bring 200 chorus members to Provincetown to sing traditional favorites and modern classics sure to put all attendees in the holiday spirit.
A few weeks later, stretch your New Year's festivities into a week of fun during First Light, from December 27 through January 2. Fireworks, dance parties, two drag bingo events, end-of-year sales and live performances will all help you bid farewell to 2019 and welcome 2020.
"As with everything in Provincetown, we have our own unique style of celebrating the holidays," said Bob Sanborn, executive director of the Provincetown Business Guild. "The diversity of things to do, the natural beauty of this location and the campy holiday fun from Halloween through New Year's Day are reasons for everyone to include Provincetown in their fall or winter holiday travel plans."
The latest list of fall and winter events in Provincetown includes the following:
October
October 3—7: Mates Leather Weekend
October 14—20: 35th Annual Women's Week
October 20—27: Fantasia Fair
October 22: Fantasia Fair Follies, proceeds benefit the Provincetown LGBTQ Welcome Center
October 31—November 3: Spooky Bear Weekend
November
November 2: Black & Gold Halloween Ball
November 27: Annual Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument, 5:00—7:00 p.m.
November 28: Thanksgiving
November 29: Day after Thanksgiving Drag Bingo, 3:30—5:30 p.m., Crown & Anchor*
November 30: Annual Lighting of the Lobster Pot Tree, 5:30 p.m., Lopes Square
December
December 6: Boston Gay Men's Chorus Welcome Reception, 8:00 p.m., Shipwreck Lounge*
December 6—8: Holly Folly*
December 7: Jingle Bell Run and Champagne Brunch, run begins at Fanizzi's, continues along Commercial Street and ends at the Crown & Anchor, run: 9:30—10:30 a.m., brunch: 10:30 a.m.—noon
December 7: Boston Gay Men's Chorus presents "A Super Gay Christmas," 8:30 p.m., Town Hall*
December 8: Holly Folly Drag Bingo, 2:00 p.m., Pilgrim House*
December 28: First Light Drag Bingo, 2:00 p.m., Crown & Anchor*
December 28: First Light Fireworks viewable at harbor beaches throughout town, 5:30 p.m.
December 30: First Light Drag Bingo, 2:00 p.m., Crown & Anchor*
December 31: New Year's Eve
January 1: Polar Bear Plunge
* denotes an official Provincetown Business Guild event
For the full fall and winter schedule of events including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Holly Folly and First Light, please visit www.ptown.org/calendar-of-events/.
About the Provincetown Business Guild
The Provincetown Business Guild is a not-for-profit organization promoting and supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer business community in Provincetown, MA. The Guild is committed to improving the Provincetown community by advocating for the acceptance of diversity and tolerance through projects, programs and education. The Guild welcomes residents and visitors to experience America's first LGBTQ tourist destination. For more information about the Provincetown Business Guild, visit www.ptown.org.