Race Point Beach in Cape Cod
With New England’s remarkably brief summer, locals flock to the beaches between June and August to soak up as much beachfront fun as possible. Cape Cod has long been the hub of the region’s warm weather activities. Every year, it plays host to some of the Northeast’s best summer festivals. Here are just five of our favorites:
Quahog Day Celebration (June)
If there’s an official New England mollusk, it’s no doubt the quahog. Every June, Cape Cod hosts the quirky Quahog Day Celebration to usher in the first day of summer. As a silly take on the annual Groundhog Day, residents look to Doug the Quahog to answer the question of just how many days of sunny, beach-worthy weather lie ahead for New England. Doug is kept safe throughout the year in a velvet-lined clam basket and only sees the light of day once a year to share his forecast with Johnny Quahog, the Secretary of Quahog Republic.
SandwichFest (June)
Of course the town of Sandwich, Massachusetts was just begging to be marketed as a destination for great sandwiches. Enter the annual SandwichFest. Every year, dozens of area restaurants enter the competition to see who will be crowned as creator of “the best sandwich in Sandwich”. Beyond sandwich tasting, this family-friendly festival offers plenty of live music, arts & crafts booths, and other quirky activities such as the pet-and-owner lookalike competition.
Cape Cod ChowderFest (June)
There’s no question that New England’s flagship dish is clam chowder. During the summer months, every destination from Maine to Newport plays host to their own clam chowder cookoff. Every June, the annual Cape Cod ChowderFest offers all-you-can-eat samplings under the famous Cape Cod Melody Tent. Visitors vote for their favorite chowder while enjoying live music and other family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Woods Hole Film Festival (July)
Cape Cod isn’t the first place to spring to mind when people think of great film destinations. But the annual Woods Hole Film Festival draws thousands of filmmakers and film enthusiasts from around the globe. Throughout its 8-day run, the festival runs more than 100 feature-length films. The week is interspersed with workshops, readings, individual awards, and other parties as well.
Pops by the Sea (August)
Even if you’re not a classical or instrumental music fan, the Boston Pops Orchestra is a unique and beautiful experience. While they typically play outside the city only on special occasions, the group bring their world class musical talent to Hyannis each year during Pops by the Sea. Pops master Keith Lockhart is joined by a guest conductor each year to perform the group’s most memorable arrangements on the Hyannis Town Green.
For Boston travelers heading to Cape Cod, it can be a long drive by car. However the Cape Cod Fast Ferry provides the fastest, most convenient transportation between downtown Beantown and Provincetown at the tip of the Cape.
>>See all that Boston has to offer with these tours!
- Contributed by Mike Richard