This year’s Carnival parade marks the return of the annual event after a two-year hiatus and the Provincetown Business Guild cannot wait to welcome everyone back! The 44th annual Carnival parade is on Thursday August 18, 2022; it kicks off from the Harbor Hotel (698 Commercial Street) at 3pm and will travel down Commercial Street to the Coast Guard Station (125 Commercial Street).
Continue reading for advice on how to make the most of this year’s celebration and visit ptown.org/Carnival to get full details about all of this year’s events & happenings.
First & Foremost: Stay Safe
The parade draws a huge crowd to Provincetown and the energy of it is kinetic. To make sure that everyone is able to have a safe & enjoyable time, remember:
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
- The Carnival Parade Offers Little Shade (From Trees At Least) so be sure to wear sunblock
- Do Not Attempt to Climb into or onto any moving vehicles or floats
- Stay Off Of Commercial Street when walking contingents & floats are passing
- Do Not Bring Any Kind of Water Gun or water/glitter cannons to the Parade
- If You See Something, Say Something. Please inform law enforcement if you see something that concerns you or if anyone around you needs immediate help
Plan Ahead & Get Yourself a Good Seat
The parade will travel down Commercial Street, meaning Commercial and its access streets will be closed to vehicular traffic most of the afternoon (access streets will close and re-open on a rolling basis as the parade progresses from the east end to the west end). Give yourself extra time to travel around town and plan to walk whenever possible.
Many of the businesses that line Commercial Street are offering reserved seating to get an optimal view of the parade. If there’s a place you’d like to watch from, give them a call now and see if you can reserve a seat. Otherwise grab a spot anywhere on the sidewalk downtown and enjoy!
Meet the Grand Marshal: Mx Justin Vivian Bond
The 2022 Grand Marshal is a legend in the Queer cabaret community. Bond has been at the forefront of Trans visibility and activism since the early 1990s, and has appeared on stage, screen, television, nightclub stages, and in concert halls worldwide.
Learn more about Mx Justin Vivian Bond’s legacy in the Queer community and experience them LIVE at Town Hall on Wednesday August 17th @ 8:30pm.
Next Year's Carnival Theme is...
As is annual tradition, the theme for next year’s Carnival will be announced on the last float of the parade. Be sure to stick around for the very end to see the reveal of 2023’s creative inspiration.
