By Hannah Trumbo

Crowds form after the fireworks at the Canteen’s New Year’s market.

Off-season weekends in Provincetown have become more and more popular for visitors, especially during holidays like Halloween and now New Year’s. While the energy is calmer here in the fall and winter, these weekends are starting to draw crowds that almost rival those we see mid-August. Appropriately titled, “First Light Provincetown”, this New Year’s weekend featured the first set of January fireworks in 15 years. To attract locals and tourists alike, stores were open with impressive sales, nightclubs and bars had parties all week long, and new restaurants opened for the just the weekend as a preview to the 2016 summer season.

Plenty of visitors also enjoyed a prime viewing of the fireworks at the beach behind the celebrated Canteen restaurant in the heart of town. After two successful weekends of their holiday market in December, owners Rob Anderson and Loic Rossignon rounded out their successful 2015 season with the market as part of the weekend’s festivities. Customers enjoyed an extensive soup menu (think black eyed pea soup to ring in the new year), sausages and potato balls, and mulled wine and cider. They also invited local artisans to sell their goods and even musicians shared their talents, such as Boston-based harpist and singer Audrey Harrer, who performed songs from her critically acclaimed album, Alphabet Rain. It was a festive weekend in the charming backyard, a lovely way to share Provincetown’s artistic spirit with year-rounders and day-trippers. I had a chance to ask Anderson a few questions about his experience:

This was the first year you’ve held a holiday and New Year’s market – how did it go? For those of us who missed out on the bratwurst, can we expect the market next year?

The holiday market went better than we ever could have expected. 

 I’ll explain the best way I can: The goal of the holiday market was never about finances or making a certain amount of money. When Loic and I decided to organize it this year, our conversation centered on how we could create a space that doesn’t exist in town: somewhere for our community to gather and share holiday cheer; someplace for folks to embrace winter and the cold instead of hiding from it; a place for local artisans and performers to offer their goods and talents around the holiday season. The hope was to put on an event and create a place that was free of the modern trappings of the holidays (mindless consumerism, stress, etc.) and instead that connected people to the memory of what the holidays used to be – in reality or fantasy: full of wonder and merriment and child-like joy. So – obviously – that is a difficult goal to hit and measure, and maybe a complicated message to communicate to people. 

 So we were worried that people might not “get it” and that it wouldn’t take off. But boy were we wrong. People certainly got it – we’ve honestly heard nothing but positive feedback. We heard it though comments at the market, over and over again. People sent us personal notes. People stopped by days and days after the market had closed to let us know how much fun they had, how it reminded them of holidays past, and how it seemed to re-kindle a spirit of “old Provincetown.” (We consider that pretty much the highest praise anything can get in this town.) It was honestly so amazing and fulfilling to know that what we had hoped to create for people actually struck a chord. The most common things people have said to us is, “Everyone is talking about it and everyone is so happy and positive about it.” We know that means a lot in Provincetown, where word-of-mouth is so, so important. Our first notion that folks were getting the point of the market was Jen Cabral’s amazingly well written and generous post about it on the Provincetown Community Space.

That said, the market turned out to be financially viable as well. All of the vendors reported high sales and were happy with the money they made. I only bring that up because I think it’s great – and all too rare – when something is both successful with its idealistic mission *and* financially able to support itself. It’s really, really great! And that brings us to the second part of your question:
This year we learned there’s a need for something like the holiday market AND that it’s able to support itself financially. A win-win. So, yes, of course, we plan on doing the market again next year, and hope to grow it in a way so that more people can be involved and we can offer even more great performances, experiences, food and goods. 

Musician Audrey Harrer  from Boston performed songs from her award-winning album, Alphabet Rain.

How did the vendors like being a part of the market?

From the vendors’ point of view, I think a lot of the participants were very excited to be a part of something new and community-focused. And in a way, we started to form our own little community of youngish local entrepreneurs. I think a bond like that can be important and transformative. So we’re really looking forward to seeing how the group continues to interact and what we can create together. 

With this year being the first official “First Light Provincetown,” did you notice a difference in the energy in town?

There always seems to be a frenzy of activity around New Year’s in Provincetown, but usually it seems like it’s imported, if that makes sense. Folks from Boston and New York come to town and celebrate – by either staying in or by frequenting the few businesses that stay open or re-open. This year seemed different; Provincetown itself celebrated New Year’s and invited everyone to join in: members of our community and visitors to our community alike. I think that’s a great shift, and our season will only keep extending longer and longer into the winter as more people stay in town, more businesses stay open, and more people visit to see what Provincetown in the winter is really all about. 

Thank you, Rob, for taking the time to chat with us! Happy New Year to all readers out there, and make sure to stop by the Canteen when it reopens this spring.

Provincetown’s winter fireworks rivaled those in July! Photo by Ewa Nogiec.