Your LGBTQ+ Guide to Good Times in Provincetown
Summer 2022
Welcome to Provincetown!
Following two summers of uncertainty we are excited to welcome you to Provincetown to relax and recharge. This is your opportunity to celebrate a Big Queer Summer in the biggest queerest summer destination and we’re thrilled to have you join us here!
More than 67% of visitors to Ptown identify as LGBTQ+ and we’re proud to be known as one of the gayest communities in the United States.
This didn’t just happen by chance. The very guide you were reading is prepared by the Provincetown Business Guild, a nonprofit organization founded by a local group of queer business owners in 1978. Their goal was to ensure that Provincetown established an everlasting bond with the LGBTQ+ population at large and that people knew there would always be a safe place at the tip of Cape Cod for them to express their full selves. Whether literary, performing, visual, multidisciplinary, or other artists and creatives, our members have always shared their passions and talents with travelers coming to exercise their own right to love through catering to guests’ every need and desire throughout their entire experience here, where the land ends.
At its inception the PBG created Carnival. Ptown’s original summer celebration, as the physical manifestation of this hospitable message.
In 2022 the Provincetown Business Guild is grateful to have hundreds of members, many of which are advertisers and sponsors of the content you’ll find in our Guide to Good Times.
Your support of Ptown and our businesses by making trips here and wisely spending your money in a community that values diversity and inclusion helps to ensure that this will always be a place where we are all welcome.
To learn more about the Provincetown Business Guild and to support our mission, visit Ptown.org. Again, welcome, all!
Stephan Hengst
Executive Director
Trevor Pittinger
Associate Director
Thank You to Our 2022 Sponsors
Explore What's New in Provincetown
Provincetown is teeming with new ideas, businesses, events, people, and directions. In the downward curve of the pandemic we’re excited about the promise of a blowout summer ahead! With so many new things in town – including the Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum’s Incline Elevator – there’s much to experience this season.
Feet Over Front Street 5k Run & Walk / Sunday, June 5 & Sunday, August 14
Whether you are competing for time or walking for community, share some self-love in the form of fresh air, and exercise in step with your LGBTQ+ family. Feet Over Front Street will stretch the entirety of Commercial Street—originally hailed as ‘Front Street’—giving you a start-to-finish, rainbow-railroad takeover of the main drag of the country’s premier queer travel destination. Your fur babies are welcome to join in the fun, too!
The Return of the Carnival Parade / Thursday, August 18
The PBG first presented the Carnival parade when the organization formed in 1978 as a way of highlighting the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship to Provincetown. Now in its 44th year, the parade is BACK for the first time in three years. She may not be brand new, but oh, how we have missed her!
Ptown's Queer Arts Scene
Our creative enclave at the edge of the world is constantly evolving and working to better highlight new, queer artists and introduce them to Provincetown. In addition to checking out fine arts staples such as the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, Provincetown Commons, or our famed Provincetown Gallery Stroll, there is a slew of new, art-based events springing up, including the ArtProvincetown Festival, DriftWood, Art Gaysel, and the Washashore Festival.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
In the spirit of recent cultural wake-up calls many in Provincetown recognize that, although this space is considered a queer-topia for some, there is much work to do in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion—as well as accessibility. While racial equity work has been the mission of groups such as Racial Justice Provincetown for decades, last year locals voted in the creation of an office of DE&I for the Town. Many businesses and groups, including the PBG, are working to be sure Ptown is striving toward broader representation and strengthening its community through the diversity of its visitors and locals.
Townie Turnover
The changeovers in ownership and management at many Provincetown institutions means there are brand new Ptown experiences coming down the line for visitors. The Crown & Anchor, Brass Key and Shipwreck Lounge, Crowne Pointe, Governor Bradford, Lands End Inn, and Red Room all have been making changes, from small to large-scale. Be on the lookout for what is to come!
Provincetown Business Guild Membership Directory
Calendar of Events
May
June
- 2-4 | Art Gaysel Ptown
- 2-5 | Womxn of Color Weekend
- 3-5 | Provincetown Pride
- 3-5 | International Encaustic Conference
- 5 | Inaugural Feet Over Front Street 5K Run & Walk
- 6-12 | Ptown Pride Retreat
- 15-19 | Provincetown Film Festival
- 16-20 | Men of Color Weekend 2022
- 21-26 | Provincetown CabaretFest - Hooray for Hollywood
- 23-26 | Provincetown Portuguese Festival & Blessing of the Fleet
Provincetown Pride / June 3-5
Express yourself and celebrate the full spectrum of our community with a rally at Town Hall, queer comedy, parties + more.
July
August
- 13-20 | Carnival
- 14 | Feet Over Front Street 5K Run & Walk - Carnival Edition
- 17 | Mx. Justin Vivian Bond @ Town Hall
- 18 | 44th Annual Carnival Parade
Carnival / August 13-20
This year Ptown's original summer celebration is celebrating Monsters, Myths & Legends. Don't miss the beloved Carnival parade down Commercial Street will return on Thursday August 18.
September
- 2-5 | Labor Day Weekend
- 9-11 | Provincetown Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla Weekend
- 15-18 | Gay Pilots Cape Cod Classic
- 17 | Annual Harbor to the Bay Bike Ride
- 17 | Provincetown Art Association & Museum Auction
- 17 | Yankee Lambda Antique Car Show
- 18-24 | Pet Appreciation Week
- 22-25 | Annual Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival
- 29-October 3 | Mates Leather Weekend XXV
October
November
December
Holly Folly / December 2-4
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ptown's kickoff to the holiday season.
Explore Undiscovered Provincetown
Provincetown may be a small slip of sand jutting out to sea, but the possibilities for unexplored territory here still are seemingly endless. Why not discover something new to add to your annual itinerary? We love a kiki at tea, roaming our favorite beaches, and happy hour at The Red Inn. But, in the words of Peggy Lee, “Is that all there is?” In Ptown, absolutely not! Check out these hidden gems.
Fine Arts Work Center
Located off of Bradford Street at the historic 24 Pearl Street site, visitors are welcome all summer long to experience readings by faculty and students, exhibitions in the galleries and shopping in their bookstore. Looking for a more immersive experience? Week-long classes in poetry, memoir, painting and more are also available.
Fire Road Trail
As far as natural beauty goes for sunsets, the fire road connecting Race Point to the Dune Shacks Trail takes the cake. Overlooking Hatches Harbor, this otherworldly vantage point captures the lighthouse, harbor, dunes, and ships trudging in the distance under the summer sky.
Friday Night Art Strolls
Nestled amongst the store fronts of Provincetown you’ll find countless art galleries and studios showcasing works by myriad artists that appeal to collectors at all price points. Spend your Friday evenings enjoying the weekly art stroll from Memorial Day to Columbus Day Weekend.
Irie Eats / 70 Shank Painter Road
Did you know that Provincetown boasts large workforce populations from both Jamaica and Eastern Europe? Jamaican-owned Irie Eats brings local fare to our town as well as Jamaican goods. Try the curried goat!
Provincetown Theater / 238 Bradford Street
While everyone has strolled up and down Commercial Street, you may have missed this theater if you have not spent much time strolling the outer reaches of Bradford Street. Featuring a wide array of programming, the Provincetown Theater’s calendar is rich in offerings for queer fans. Do not miss this season’s productions of shows, including The Lady Hamlet and the very sexy Jerker.
Shark Center Provincetown / 16 MacMillan Pier
Awareness inspires conservation. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy’s second outreach facility, Shark Center Provincetown, is the perfect place to be inspired by great white sharks. With a focus on research, education, and public safety, visitors of all ages can explore hands-on, interactive exhibits and dive into the world of our local apex predators.
Explore Off-Season Provincetown
One of the most frequent questions asked of locals is “What is Provincetown like in the winter? What do you all do?” The truth is, while winter can be challenging, many who live here or visit covet this time most of all, and for good reasons. Here are a few of them you should consider visiting in the fall, winter, or spring.
Affordability & Access
In high season finding a week-long rental can be difficult and often requires throwing down a fair amount of cash. Provincetown is here for the LGBTQ+ community year- round, no matter the size of your wallet. Think about visiting in either of the shoulder seasons or winter to find more availability, less-costly rates, and an undiscovered Ptown experience along with a growing frequency of events and themed weekends.
Community Commitment
The local population from summer to winter dips down from 60,000 all the way to around 3,700. While Provincetown’s community is always tight-knit, when visiting during winter you might find yourself dropping in to more community-oriented events, folding in with the year-rounders, and connecting with Ptown’s locals in a new way.
From Shoulder to Shoulder
Longstanding events such as Holly Folly, First Light, Snowbound Leather Weekend, and Out of Hibernation bring exciting pops of travelers during our quieter months. These moments in Ptown now are bigger than ever with record-breaking attendance. Additionally, new events are cropping up all over the calendar surrounding the Provincetown Food & Wine Festival, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, and “4/20”— just to name a few. Be on the lookout for new PBG events coming this year to help amplify the growing shoulder/winter seasons.
Introspection, Meditation & Balance
The reason writers and thinkers like David Henry Thoreau have produced odes to our part of the world is due in part to the quiet and solace granted by this place in the off-season. Why not come here as an alternative to a silent retreat or meditative getaway? Bury your mobile devices in a drawer, light a fire, and crack open a book while the sound of wind gusts outside creates a buffer between you and the rest of the world.
It's All Natural
Rediscover during the shoulder and winter months the spaces you know so well to see them through a brand new lens. We may be known for lush, seaside summers, however the famous Cape light, dunes, and strolls through Provincetown take on different colors and qualities throughout the year. Winter quiet balances bustling summer. You just might find even greater enjoyment and deepen your love of Ptown.
Celebrating the Art of Gaston Lacombe
The design for the cover of the PBG’s summer guide book was created by Gaston Lacombe.
The Canadian/American artist has lived and worked in Provincetown since 2018. His diverse artistic practices include painting, drawing, photography, and mixed-media techniques. After obtaining a degree in professional photography from Boston University in 2009, he garnered multiple international awards and worked on assignments on six continents, including a 2-month artistic residency in Antarctica. Over the last decade his list of clients has included National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, National Parks and many others. His work has been shown in galleries and museums in North and South America, Europe and Africa. Since 2016 Gaston Lacombe has dedicated himself fully to his fine art practice, centered around his Provincetown gallery, Studio Lacombe. Visit Studiolacombe.com or follow @gastonlacombe to learn more.
Celebrating the Design of Jay Biethan
