Check out the upcoming Holiday events on the Cape this year:
12/1 – 12/3, times vary, Holiday on the Cape, Barnstable Performing Arts Center – The Cape Symphony and special guests take you to a world where Christmas dreams always come true. From “Sleigh Ride” and “Hallelujah Chorus” to “Home Alone” and a holiday sing-a-long with a thousand of your closest friends, this celebration will warm your heart. Also featured will be the world-premiere of “A Chanukah Festival.” Get tickets here.
12/1 (5PM) & 12/2 (3PM), Hyannis Main Street Stroll and First Friday Event – The merchants are preparing and looking forward to the Hyannis Main Street Stroll on Saturday, December 2nd and the First Friday event on December 1st from 5:00-8:00 pm. This is a great opportunity to get some holiday shopping done in a relaxing, festive environment or just walk the street and enjoy the holiday spirit. During this Winter Wonderland Weekend the LoveLocal Fest will be happening on the Village Green from 10:00-4:00 pm on Saturday and the Harbor Boat Parade later in the day, making it a weekend filled with something for everyone. Click here for more information.
12/1 – 12/3, Falmouth Holidays By the Sea Weekend, Town-wide – Events include the annual GHElf Run, the Jingle Jog 5K, the Lighting of the Village Green, the Village Stroll, and – on Sunday at noon – the 60th Annual Falmouth Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade, the largest Holiday Parade in Southeast New England! It features decorated floats, marching bands, live animals, costumed characters and Santa, of course! The full weekend schedule is here.
12/1 – 12/3, Christmas in Harwich Weekend Festival, Locations vary – A full weekend of holiday cheer! On Friday night, enjoy the annual Harwich Port stroll and caroling with the Harwich Elementary Chorus. Santa will arrive on a fire truck at 6:20 at the Harwich Chamber Porch. On Saturday and Sunday, Harwich Center will come alive with a live presentation of Dickens A Christmas Carol. Food trucks and vendors will be ready for you at Brooks Park. The Wequassett Resort and Golf Club will host a holiday market on Saturday as well. After Santa’s arrival and the tree lighting at 4, the annual holiday fireworks display happens at 6pm, overlooking Pleasant Bay. On Sunday, the Harwich Holiday Parade will step off at noon at Harwich Elementary School and end at Monomoy High School. More here.
12/2 – 12/16, 11AM – 7PM, Spectacle of Trees, Guyer Barn, Hyannis – Come view trees decorated by local non-profits – and adorned not just with tinsel and ornaments, but with all kinds of fabulous gifts! Some of the trees feature game systems, sports tickets, gift cards, artwork, and even vacations. Bid on the trees by donating “Tree Bucks”. Each tree buck that is put in an organization’s box, or is paid for online, earns that non-profit $10. The more Tree Bucks you donate, the better your chances of being awarded the tree and the more money that non-profit will earn. If you are lucky enough to be the winner of that tree, you will take it home – along with all the items used to decorate it. The worst thing that can happen is that the non-profit who designed the Tree will receive 100% of your support. Read more here.
12/1 – 12/2, Hyannis Winter Wonderland Weekend, Downtown Hyannis – Kick things off Friday with the lighting of the Village Green tree and a new nautical themed light display, a holiday sing-along, and after hours, 21+ shopping downtown. On Saturday bring the kids to enjoy the Main Street Stroll – featuring a petting zoo, pony rides, a holiday cookie contest, games and Santa sightings. The holiday edition of the Love Local Fest will take place at the same time, and finally, cap off the weekend with the Hyannis Harbor Holiday Boat Parade. More details on the weekend schedule can be found here.
12/2, 10AM, Love Local Fest, Holiday Edition, Hyannis Village Green – 120 local businesses will be offering holiday cheer and gifts galore. Find something for everyone on your list! This Fest is part of the Hyannis Winter Wonderland Weekend. The Fest is free to attend, but a voluntary $10 donation will be collected at the door for the 10 Year Anniversary Challenge. Severe weather date is Sun, 12/3. Check the list of vendors and get more details here.
12/2, 10AM, Eastham Holiday Festival, The Gift Barn Rt. 6 – Children can visit with Santa from 10 till noon. Activities include Hands-on Holiday Crafts, Face Painting and Balloon Twisters. Music by the Sound Dunes Brass Holiday Ensemble, and the Eastham Elementary School chorus. Free Refreshments. Then don’t miss Carols on the Green from 4-5. More info here.
12/2, 9AM, 10th Annual Santa Stampede, Barley Neck, Orleans – Registration at 8:30 am, Fun Run starts at 9:30 am, 5k starts at 10 am. Participants are encouraged to run in costume – there will be prizes for the most creative costumes. Register here.
12/2 – 12/3, 11AM – 3PM, Holiday Open House Festival at Taylor-Bray Farm – During the festival the barn is filled with delicious homemade baked goods, wreaths, swags, centerpieces and other crafts, all made by farm volunteers. Taylor-Bray Farm calendars, activity books, t-shirts and grocery bags are available. On the grounds you can purchase a beautiful Christmas tree – many sizes to choose from – and take a tractor drawn hayride, weather permitting. While you are at the farm, be sure to visit the animals. More info here.
12/2, 11AM – 5PM, Plymouth Holiday Market, Plymouth Memorial Hall – The 3d Annual Plymouth Holiday Market! A two-day market showcasing over 120 local handmade vendors for your holiday shopping adventure. Featuring giftable art and designer wares, home goods, jewelry, specialty food, food trucks and much more at the beautifully historic Plymouth Memorial Hall in downtown Plymouth Massachusetts. Click here for more information.
12/2, 3PM, 12th annual Jingle Jog 5K and Kids GhELF Run, Martha’s Vineyard Bank – We encourage you to wear your festive gear and bring your cheer – stay for the Main Street Stroll and Lighting of the Village Green as part of our Holidays by the Sea Weekend! Click here for more information and to register.
12/2 – 12/3, 11-3, Holiday Open House Festival at Taylor-Bray Farm – During the festival the barn is filled with delicious homemade baked goods, wreaths, swags, centerpieces and other crafts, all made by farm volunteers. Taylor-Bray Farm calendars, activity books, t-shirts and grocery bags are available. On the grounds you can purchase a beautiful Christmas tree – many sizes to choose from – and take a tractor drawn hayride, weather permitting. While you are at the farm, be sure to visit the animals. More info here.
12/3, 10AM, Santa’s 13th Annual Visit to Luke’s Love to benefit A Baby Center – Santa will arrive for his visit on a WBFD Fire Engine! Enjoy some photos and playtime with Santa, cookies & cocoa, and enter the FREE Christmas Raffle. Please bring an unwrapped gift for A Baby Center – diapers, wipes, Enfamil formula, and grocery or department store gift cards are especially appreciated. More here.
12/3, 12PM, Pony Rides and Pictures with Santa, Crescent Moon Farm, Sandwich – Kids over the age of 3 can come enjoy a pony ride, paint an ornament, and get a picture and gift from Santa. Admission for this age group is $30. Have a child that is younger than 3? They can come get a picture and gift from Santa for $10. Payment is due when signing up, and you can arrive anytime between noon and 3. Register your child for a time slot here.
12/3, 1-4PM, Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll, Route 6A – Enjoy trolley rides, live music, entertainment, and delicious holiday treats. At 4:15 there will be a tree lighting ceremony and caroling on the Village Green! Rain or shine. More details here.
12/3, 5PM, West Barnstable Tree Lighting, West Parish of Barnstable, United Church of Christ – Experience the nostalgic magic of Christmas with a tree lighting, live nativity and carol singing.
12/3, 12PM, Holidays by the Sea Weekend: 60th Annual Falmouth Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade – Bring your family, your guests, and your best friends to the best and largest Christmas Parade in all of Southeast New England. Presented for the 60th consecutive year by the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce and led by David Vieira, our Town Crier. The parade, organized under the theme of “Holidays through the Decades,” will step-off at noontime from Dillingham Avenue and Davis Straits and proceed along Main Street to the Village Green. For more information, click here.
12/3, 1PM, Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll – Come and celebrate the holiday season with us and the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth on Sunday, December 3rd from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM by joining our Christmas Stroll and walk along Route 6A in Yarmouth Port. Enjoy trolley rides, live music, entertainment, and delicious holiday treats! At 4:15 PM, there will be a tree lighting ceremony and caroling on the Village Green! FREE! Rain or shine! Click here for more information.
12/6, 6PM, Barnstable Village Winter Stroll – Be sure to join us for the Kick-off to the holiday season, the Barnstable Village Winter Stroll. Come, stroll and be merry! *Rain date is December 7th* Click here for more information.
12/8, 5PM, Osterville Christmas Stroll, Village Wide – Enjoy strolling from 5-9, and dress in your Gatsby best – Osterville Mercantile is sponsoring a costume contest – you can enter to win a gift card and participate in a Gatsby themed photo op!
12/8 – 12/10, Chatham Christmas by the Sea Stroll Weekend, town-wide – Enjoy the light parade and the lighting of the village tree with Santa on Friday, then explore Main Street with shops and businesses offering holiday cheer, live music, and specials all weekend long. More details on the weekend schedule here.
12/8 – 12/10, Outer Cape Chorale: “Songs to Light the Way”, Multiple locations – In the dark season of winter, Outer Cape Chorale brings us a concert of beautiful choral pieces to help inspire and light our way in the world. Free. Dec. 8th – 7 p.m. at Provincetown Town Hall Dec. 9th – 5 p.m. at Provincetown Town Hall Dec. 10th – 3 p.m. at Nauset Middle School in Orleans.
12/9, 10AM, Bass River 18th Annual Cookie Stroll – Walk or take the free Holly trolley around historical Bass River while tasting homemade cookies while touring homes, and village stops. There’ll be a Holiday Fair at the Cultural Center, the United Methodist Church and St. David’s will be offering lunch and holiday music and make sure to watch for Santa riding his boat along the Bass River or stopping by the Bass River Yacht Club. Tickets are $25.00* each; kids under 12 are free. Purchase tickets here or stop by the South Yarmouth Library and purchase in person between 12/4-9.
12/9, 5:30PM, 17th Annual Mashpee Chamber Christmas Parade – The Mashpee Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce dates for the 2023 Christmas Parade! Come on Saturday, December 9 at 5:30pm and celebrate the magic of the holiday season. Float entries are now being accepted! This holiday tradition is brought to you in part by sponsorship from local businesses. Happy Holidays to all! Click here for more information.
12/9 (3PM & 7:30PM) & 12/10 (3PM), Hometown Holiday, Plymouth Memorial Hall – Deck the halls. Hang the mistletoe. Our Hometown Holiday will turn all the bah hum-bugs into the heartiest ho, ho, hos! It’s Mr. Scrooge’s (180th!) Anniversary so let’s party like the Dickens and unwrap the best gift ever—The Ghost of Christmas Present, a mini, magical, and oh-so very musical vignette from A Christmas Carol with actor Neil McGarry playing all the parts. Another fabulous friend, tenor Matthew Anderson, will keep us in the holiday spirit with God Bless Us, Everyone from the Disney version of the Dickens classic. We’ll also take a sleigh ride into the great holiday songbook, tune up our annual March of the Toys charity toy drive, and say hello to our favorite seasonal sidekick, the one-and-only St. Nick! ‘Tis the season to be jolly, so come home to the Phil for some fa-la-la-la-la among family and friends. Click here to purchase tickets.
12/9, 12PM, Winter Wildlife Holiday Open House, Cape Wildlife Center, Cummaquid – Come see the work that takes place in the wildlife hospital every day and enjoy some fun and educational activities for people of all ages, including a live animal show from Amazing Animal Ambassadors, a bake sale,a Critter Crafters Corner, photos with Santa and Loki the educational Owl, a pop up holiday gift shop and more! Admission is free, but they’re asking for donations from their Amazon Wish List – find it here.
12/10, Time TBD, Centerville Christmas Stroll, Main Street – From musical serenades to dance performances, crafts and food, all activities are free to all who attend – however, donations to the Families in Need Fund are appreciated. Santa has his very own workshop in Centerville for him and his elves where he can greet each and every child who stops by to see him. More details are here.
12/10, 12PM, Annual Christmas Stroll at Mills River Sanctuary – A magical holiday stroll with the animals! This year’s theme is “Candy Land.” The ponies will be decked out in their Christmas outfits. Enjoy light refreshments and Christmas goodies, fun arts and crafts for the kids, and take a family photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus. More details and directions are here.
12/10, 12PM, Sandwich Village Stroll, Main Street and Side Streets – Part of the town-wide Holly Days Celebration. Be sure to get a reindeer scavenger hunt card and merchant passport at one of several different locations; complete it and be entered to win some great prizes. Live music, street vendors, merchant open houses, sips. nibbles, and special surprises. Find out more here.
12/10, 1 – 3PM, Santa Paws Pet Pics, Hyannis Country Garden – Bring your dog to visit Santa and enjoy a pet-friendly holiday photo op. Bring your own camera or smartphone, or they’ll take a picture and post it on their site! All well-behaved, leashed dogs will get a treat from Santa, and there’ll be special surprises too. This is a FREE event for all, no registration is necessary for Santa Paws Pet Photos.
12/10, 12PM, Dennis Village Christmas Stroll, Dennis Village Green – Santa Claus, trolley rides, live music – and your favorite local businesses!
12/11 – 12/16, Lyndon Lights, Camp Lyndon, Sandwich – Explore the camp and enjoy special events each night – like gingerbread cookie decorating and pictures with Santa. Tickets for this event can be purchased in advance here and cost $10 per car. While tickets are sold by the carload, this is a walking event. Wear weather appropriate shoes and clothing.
12/15, 8PM, The Irish Tenors – 25th Anniversary: A Family Christmas, Plymouth Memorial Hall – The Irish Tenors have been the acknowledged Celtic music kings since they burst upon the scene during a 1998 special. With ten best selling CD’s to their credit, they share company with the likes of The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli as the biggest money makers PBS has presented. Click here to purchase tickets.
12/15 – 12/17, “A Christmas Carol”, Upper Cape Tech High School Cafeteria – Get ready to rock around the holiday season as Upper Cape Tech High School’s Drama Club takes center stage with a special dinner theater production of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic. Doors open on Friday and Saturday at 6:30 PM and Sunday at 3:30 PM. Click here for more information.
12/15, 4 – 8PM, Orleans Holiday Stroll, Town-wide – Shopping, treats, live music and more. Get a complete directory here.
12/16, 10AM, Holiday Beach Clean Up, Craigville Beach – Time to fit in one more 2023 beach day by helping to clean-up Craigville Beach in Centerville. Just bring yourself – the Barnstable Land Trust will provide the gloves and trash bags. Pre-registration suggested but not required – you can do that here.
12/16 (2PM) & 12/17 (2PM & 5PM), The Chatham Chorale’s Candlelight Christmas Concert, FCC of Chatham – The Chatham Chorale will perform Christmas favorites, including the “Christmas portion” of Handel’s Messiah. Tickets are $25 with open seating and available here.
12/16, 12PM, Wreaths Across America, Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne – Civil Air Patrol Joint Base Cape Cod will be helping Massachusetts National Cemetery at Bourne to Remember and Honor our veterans by laying Remembrance Wreaths on the graves of our country’s fallen heroes. Volunteers are needed and welcome. More info is here.
12/22, 6PM, Christmas Classics Movie Night, Harwich Community Center – Three true holiday classics – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Frosty the Snowman. Popcorn will be provided. This is a FREE family event – no drop-offs please.
12/29 – 12/31, First Light Provincetown, Various locations – Provincetown First Light Provincetown is the final big festival of the holiday season! It’s a 3-day-long event featuring holiday parties, events, and performances. The biggest event of the celebration is the fireworks celebration at MacMillan Pier at 5:30 pm on Saturday, December 31st. The best views for the fireworks are on the beach by the pier, or you can watch from nearby bars, clubs and restaurants that have decks and indoor seating. Other events include the Lite Bright Bike Ride on New Year’s Eve and the annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day!
12/31, 5:30PM, New Years Eve Fireworks, Provincetown Harbor – Free parking is available for residents and visitors in any of the town’s municipal lots, such as the MacMillan Pier Parking Lot (located in the center of town by Lopes Square) and Grace Hall Parking lot (located at Prince Street and Bradford Street).
12/31, 12PM – 10PM, First Night Chatham – A family-friendly, alcohol free, town-wide celebration of the arts with over 70 performances and events. December 31st, 2023 will be First Night Chatham’s 33rd New Year’s Eve celebration. Festivities will start with the Town Photo at the Chatham Lighthouse at Noon, with both indoor and outdoor performances and activities, reaching a peak of noise and awe with the Noise Parade and Veterans Field Fireworks, and more performances until finishing at 10 PM. Click here for more information.
12/31, 4:30PM, Light Bright Bike Ride, part of First Light, P’Town Public Library – Light up your bike for a fun roll down Commercial Street! Prizes will be awarded for the brightest, most colorful, and most creative bike decorations. The ride starts at 4:30 from the front of the Public Library and heads about a mile down the street to the near West End. And there will be group bike decorating happening starting at 3. More here.
1/1, 10AM, Harwich Elementary New Year’s Day Polar Plunge, Red River Beach, Harwich – All funds donated at the Harwich Polar Plunge this year will be split to benefit the Harwich Children’s Fund and the Harwich Elementary PTO, who will provide the hot cocoa.
1/1, 10AM, Freeze the Day Polar Plunge, Mashpee/Wakeby Pond – Mashpee Rec and Naukabout Brewery have teamed up to host this 2nd annual event, which benefits the Mashpee Kiwanis Club. Registration is $25 and includes pre-plunge brews and bites at the lake, the plunge itself, then more fun at the Brewery. Register here.
1/1, First Day Hikes Cape Cod, Times and locations vary – This event is a unique one-day regional celebration featuring free special walks, talks, and hikes across the Cape, providing a range of opportunities for families, children, residents, and visitors to explore nature on the first day of the new year. Spearheaded by Barnstable Land Trust, this unique collaboration representing 15 conservation groups at multiple locations across Cape Cod is the only regional celebration of its kind in the nation. Details and sign up links for the different walks will be posted here.
1/1, 11AM, 7th Annual Polar Bear Plunge, Johnson Street Town Landing, Provincetown – This is part of First Light Weekend and a benefit for The Center for Coastal Studies. Plunge into Provincetown Harbor to start 2024. Sign up here.
1/1, 11AM, 9th Annual First Day 5K, Sandwich Recreation – Start 2024 on a healthy note! The race will start and finish at Sandwich Rec, on Quaker Meetinghouse Rd. The deadline for t-shirts is Friday the 8th. Walkers are welcome! Get more details and sign up here.
