The pilgrims first set foot in the New World in Provincetown, MA, in 1620, and they drafted the Mayflower Compact in what is now the town’s harbor. Nearly four remarkable centuries later, Provincetown can tell its story for the enrichment of generations to come.

The Mass. Memories Road Show stops in Provincetown Saturday, September 28, 2013, from 10am to 2pm, at the Veterans Memorial Community Center on 2 Mayflower Street.

The Road Show represents a digital time capsule that is being developed to archive the history of the State of Massachusetts, one town at a time, in the most democratic of fashions. On Saturday the 28th, all residents of Provincetown – locals, part-time and regular visitors – are encouraged to bring three photographs, documents or objects that represent the importance of the Provincetown community to them personally. Participants will be recorded for the project, explaining their objects’ significance.

So far the project has documented 22 of the 351 towns and cities in Massachusetts in the span of a decade. Four times a year the group sets out to different communities, archiving and recording folks talking about their items. These stories become part of an online exhibition from which to learn and enjoy the unique stories of this storied place steeped in American history.

Local station PTV is planning to screen completed videos from the project as a series and the Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum will be enlarging many of the photographs for a future exhibition. The Provincetown Library will also place the event online, as well as produce DVDs that will be entered as reference material for Provincetown’s next generation to enjoy.

This event celebrates Provincetown locals’ sense of community, ensuring a memorable experience for all who take part and those who will enjoy the memories captured by the exhibition. The event is free to the public and further information is available by contacting Rebecca Levin at the Provincetown Library (rlevin@provincetown-ma.gov), or by calling 508-487-7094, extension 214.

Transportation to the event is available by calling 508-487-7080 by noon, September 27th, to schedule. The Mass. Memories Road Show is based in the University Archives & Special Collections Department at the Joseph P. Healey Library, UMass Boston, and is co-sponsored by the Patricia C. Flaherty ’81 Endowed Fund.

America’s First Destination announces its lineup of September & October events

While most vacation destinations are shuttering their windows and packing away the patio furniture, Provincetown, Mass., is rolling out a fresh season of diverse events that can only be found in this idyllic haven at the tip of Cape Cod.

Locals cherish this time of year, as warm sunshine mixes with cool ocean breezes, and long sunsets unfurl slowly into the sea. The town’s quaint shops, charming restaurants and renowned art galleries open their doors to the sidewalks, and the award-winning beaches remain a picturesque spot for fun and relaxation.

Second Summer begins on Labor Day weekend. There is great music at the Sundays at Five Concert Series at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House on Sunday, September 1st, featuring an “I Heard it at the Movies” theme. Or you can opt for the Aids Support Group of Cape Cod Annual Silent & Live Auction.

September 2-6 is The Great Provincetown Schooner Regatta & Yacht Race, a five-day sailing event that’s both fun and educational for young and old alike. The event helps to encourage public awareness of the vital role that maritime history played in this country’s cultural and economic evolution.

On Saturday 9/7, Ptown visitors can participate in the Provincetown Harbor Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla, a benefit for AIDS, Women’s Health and the Provincetown community. The event is considered one of the town’s quintessential traditions.

From 9/9 – 9/15, there’s The Afterglow Festival, an entire week of performance art by emerging as well as renowned artists who are sure to create sights and sounds you’ve never before experienced. The following week brings to town the Kate Clinton Classic Women’s Flag Football Tournament, in which national & international women’s teams compete in 8 on 8, semi-contact flag football. It’s definitely a sight to behold. September 13 – 22 is Ptown’s 10 Days of Art at the Provincetown Town Hall Auditorium, where local artists Zehra Khan and Tim Winn’s work will be featured along with many others. Special programming, theater, music and video presentations will all be offered as well. Rounding out the end of the month is September 22’s Pilgrim Monument Historic House Tour, in which participants will be granted admission to the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum, in addition to a tour of the homes in the far East End of the town. Of special note is the tour’s featuring of The Norman Mailer House.

Still not enough fun for you? The month concludes with a bang in the form of the annual Tennessee Williams Theater Festival from 9/26 – 9/29. This year celebrates the woman. Eight productions will be presented that explore Williams’ renowned classics as well as some lesser-known experiments, in conjunction with works by Gertrude Stein and Jane Bowles. Theater enthusiasts and novices alike will not want to miss it.

As many options as September in Ptown provides, that’s only one half of its “Second Summer” season:

OCTOBER 2013

Oct. 3-6: Mates Leather Weekend – Leather/fetish community events and music with a portion of proceeds benefitting the AIDS support group.

Oct. 4-6: Provincetown Food and Wine Festival – Participants can enjoy the beautiful Ptown landscapes while sampling an array of fine wines and delicious cuisine from local establishments, all benefitting the Provincetown Soup Kitchen and the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. Culinary writer and comedian Cheril Vendetti will be the special guest for the event.

Oct. 11: Provincetown Art Association & Museum Gala – An elegant benefit for PAAM’s curatorial projects.

Oct. 11-13: Townwide Yard Sale – Bargains and fun as shopkeepers’ wares spill out onto the sidewalk.

Oct. 14-20: Women’s Week. A week of events, shows, exhibits and fun all geared toward women.

Oct. 20-27: Fantasia Fair. The longest-running annual event in the transgender world with shows, workshops, and food.

Oct. 25-27: The Provincetown Business Guild 50/50 Raffle, haunted houses, cemetery walking tours, food, and more. Be prepared to be scared!

Oct. 31-Nov. 2: Ghost Town – Visit this haunted attraction for a spine-tingling scare!

Oct. 31-Nov. 3: Halloween @ The Crown

Tens of thousand of merrymakers begin to descend on Provincetown this week for the annual rite of summer’s passage – Ptown’s annual Carnival Week extravaganza. It is a time where village homes are transformed and individual and group costuming rivals that of Rio and New Orleans. More than a few Elvis impersonators and run away brides are likely to be seen this year as the theme, “Viva Las Vegas” sets the moods for the gaiety and street scene.

Carnival Week has grown to be the first and longest running festival of its kind in New England, always hosted in Provincetown, known as America’s first destination. Designated so because of so many firsts, Ptown enjoys a first in American history, being the first landing spot of the Pilgrims. Many recognize the town as first to officiate gay and lesbian marriages and as a primary destination welcoming diverse population who revel in rich artistic traditions, history, beautiful landscapes, and a progressive cultural scene.

This year’s Carnival Week is packed with variety, humor and the outrageous. The fun began on August 17, with a Pre-Carnival party hosted by Svedka Vodka, in a complex of bars, including the town’s largest nightclub, the town’s only video bar, a cabaret venue, as well as a heated pool and poolside bar.

The official Carnival Week got underway Sunday with the Rehab Pool Party at The Brass Key Guesthouse, part of a unique resort made up of nine restored buildings, which surround a courtyard, infinity pool and large in-ground spa. For a $10 entrance fee participants can soak up the sun poolside and recover from the night’s previous activities or prepare for what’s to come. The Rehab Pool party will last from 2pm to 5pm, and is the best way for first time Carnival-goers to “get their feet wet.”

Carnival activities today include the Vendor Fair at Bas Relief Park, on Bradford Street at the Portuguese Square. Visitors can peruse local arts and crafts for the perfect, eclectic memento from their trip. The fair begins at noon and runs until 4pm. Monday evening, at the Boat Slip Resort, is the Provincetown’s Original Costume Party, that will sure to be a highlight of the week. The night gets underway at 9pm and goes until midnight, the theme being “Don’t Be Yourself.” Judges will award CASH prizes, sashes, crowns and even a chance to be in the ever-popular Carnival Parade. Admission is $10.

Tuesday brings even more fun to the Carnival agenda with the “Hound Dog Party” at the Watership Inn, from 3pm – 5pm, where guests can pay a $10 admission to enjoy cocktails, beer, wine and light food. Directly following, from 5:30pm – 9pm there’s the Mirage Boat Cruise at MacMillian Pier for those who’d like to get out on the open water. Admission is $25 and DJ Lee Thornhill will be providing the music. Another female-exclusive option is the “Luck Be a Lady Sailing Cruise” from 6:30-8:30pm, also at MacMillan Pier. It’s ladies choice on this intimate women-only cruise on the iconic Viking Princess around Provincetown Harbor, as attendees can enjoy beer, wine, food and the views of Ptown’s coastline. Closing the night from 10pm-1am is the “So Gay Dance Party” ($10) where partygoers can dance the night away with Resident DJ and Billboard Magazine reporter David LaSalle. A portion of each admission charge goes to benefit the Provincetown Business Guild & Girl Power.

Don’t miss the “Tropicana Las Vegas GLAM Clambake” on Wednesday at 5:30pm, ($55-$75) at the Crown & Anchor, followed at 6:30pm by “Jubilee Drag Bingo’ at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House. Another ladies-exclusive event, The “Flamingo A-Go-Go Dance Party,” will be held at the Pied Bar, where ladies are encouraged to wear white or pink, with prizes for the most creatively dressed. (9:30pm-1am, $10). Wednesday night, Club Purgatory will host the first annual “Sin City Leather Dance Party” from 10:30pm-1am ($5).

Thursday is the crown jewel of the week, as it is the 35th annual Carnival Parade down Commercial Street through of throng of thousands of revelers. Join Provincetown residents in taking in the sights, sounds and incredible pageantry of this procession down the city’s main drag from 3pm-5: 30pm. Be sure to look for the last float of the procession announcing the theme for the 2014 Carnival week!
Friday, August 23rd concludes Carnival Week, where the “Hangover Drag Brunch” at Patio American Grill from Noon-2pm at Patio American Grill, benefitting the Helping Our Women charity, has the crowds taking pictures and sharing the laughs of letting it all go. Directly following is the “Going to the Chapel Inn Stroll,” with various Inns around town participating, all of whose locations can be found inside of the Carnival Booklet (2pm-5pm, $25). The evening brings comedian Kate Clinton’s “Sis-Boom-Bah” show from 7-10pm at the Crown & Anchor for an admittance fee of $45. The week’s festivities conclude late with two separate parties, the first option being the “Circus Circus” Closing Dance Party from 9pm-1am ($15), at the Crown & Anchor. The second is the “Girl Party Black and Red” Dance Party, from 9:30pm-1am ($10), at the Pied Bar. As with each frolicking day, Tea Dance at the Boatslip Resort and late hours at the Vault and Little Bars or dancing at the Atlantic House, keep the beat continuously rocking. For additional information on the week’s events, please visit http://ptown.org/Carnival.asp

Text & Images by; M.Sebastian Araujo

Creativity has always been a cornerstone of life in New England.

Poltically,Architecurally,and Artisitcally…it seems to be alive and thriving in this little olde town,called Provincetown, Ptown to those of us who come back time and again! Every Friday night during the ” Season” and for many after the galleries of Ptown have openings,to showcase “Art”. After many visits to many galleries a over the years,one does become a bit used to seeing the classical genre ” landscape” paintings,which are all quite lovely and some rather masterful…this past Friday evening however, I went to see something quite different,the work of Richard Lacasse.

Aptly titled “Transitions” this is Richard’s first gallery showing . Using everyday often discarded objects to tell his own personal narrative…he composes and develops organically formed ideas which resound in the viewer and give new meaning to otherwise rather mundane objects. These “Still Lifes” break barriers of what we may consider to be Art. Taking into the sun consciousness of the 21st Century ,showing a modern idea of media and technology and yes even emotion.

The show is on view until August 15th 2013 @ the Larkin Gallery, 405 Commercial Street, Provincetown or online http://www.larkingallery.com .
From the colorful and boisterous reception ,I believe we will be seeing more of Richard’s work in the future.