Concerts, a circus & dogs with frisbees: 20 (!) top things to do on Cape Cod July 8-14
There are a lot of music and history-related events happening this week, covering multiple genres of tunes and centuries past. Among our highlighted concerts, music fans can find bluegrass at a picnic or a blues and roots concert in Falmouth; a concert to help people in Ukraine in Wellfleet; traditional music and the start of a jazz festival in Dennis; a cabaret show in Provincetown; and bluegrass and folk at the National Seashore.
If you find looking into the Cape Cod and Islands' rich past intriguing, the Highland House Museum in Truro has a Family Day of events; you can watch 18th-century weaving in Dennis; a Revolutionary War reenactment on Nantucket; a walking tour in Brewster;
Other things to do include family fun with circus acts and dogs; an unusual mix of words, music and art in Provincetown; an exhibit of contemporary glass in Sandwich; and a chat with an author in Mashpee.
Sandwich Glass Museum showcases ‘Innovators in Glass’
The Sandwich Glass Museum has launched an exhibit on glass art and experimentation in the 21st century called “Innovators in Glass,” which brings together contemporary works by noted artists and explores the spectrum of technical and artistic possibilities. The group show, museum officials say, features artists whose works illustrate sculptural beauty, as well as experimentation and technical ingenuity, demonstrating the complexity and versatility of the material.
When: on display through Oct. 30 during museum hours
Where: Sandwich Glass Museum, 129 Main St.,
Admission: Free with admission
Information: https://sandwichglassmuseum.org/event/special-exhibit-innovators-in-glass/
Library to hold “Village Unplugged” music and picnic event
The North Falmouth Village Association will present its annual "Village Unplugged," a live music event and picnic featuring the acoustic music of Corey Heaslip and the Pine Street Pickers. Heaslip is the lead singer and guitarist for the band Grasshopper Green. The Pine Street Pickers is a bluegrass band that has played locally at the West Falmouth Day celebration, at Woods Hole Trad Stroll events, and for non-profits. Its members play mandolin, bass, recorder, fiddle, and guitar.
When: 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, July 8
Where: North Falmouth Library Lawn, 5 Chester St.
Admission: Free
Information: https://www.northfalmouthvillageassociation.org/
Highland House Museum to welcome visitors with Family Day
The Highland House Museum will host a Family Day featuring several events at the museum. The museum is featuring the work of artist Neil Personeus in the exhibit “Treasures of the Tide,” and Personeus will work on and talk about his art for the event. Other events include ‘Talking Shipwreck with Dan Sanders," a scavenger hunt, rope- splicing activities, and sea shanties for "Tunes of the Sea" with Denya Levine. Attendees will also get to know more about the Highland Light’s original lighthouse keeper, Isaac Small, through his great-great-great grandson John Small.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, July 9
Where: Highland House Museum, 6 Highland Light Road, North Truro
Admission: $10/family; free for members.
Information: https://trurohistoricalsociety.org/events/family-day-at-the-museum/
Susan Kelley to demonstrate weaving on the loom
Weaver Susan Kelley will showcase weaving skills on an 18th-century barn loom at the Josiah Dennis Manse on Saturday to re-create the efforts women in the mid-1700s went through to provide for their families before there were clothing stores. Under the guidance of Kelley, who has been weaving for more than a half-century, visitors of all ages will have the chance to try on the antique barn loom. Costumed docents and local history experts will be at the Manse to answer visitors’ questions about the 1736 homestead and its relation to early Cape Cod history. The period rooms include two parlors, the borning room, the keeping room and multiple upstairs bedrooms, plus a Maritime Room featuring Dennis' sea-connected history.
When: weaving at 1 p.m., Saturday, July 9; the exhibition will be open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays until Aug. 25
Where: The Manse, 61 Whig St., Dennis at the intersection with Nobscussett Road
Admission: Free, donations appreciated.
Information: https://www.dennishistoricalsociety.org/events/2022-07-09/weaving-on-the-loom
Learn how they do it at the circus
The Cirque by the Sea troupe at Payomet Performing Arts Center will hold a Circus Summer Social under a tent to both show off circus acts and give visitors a chance to try. All ages and abilities are invited to try different forms of circus arts including aerials, acrobatics, hula hoop and juggling. Local ice cream will be served, and the circus team will perform short shows every hour.
When: 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Payomet Performing Arts Center, 29 Old Dewline Road, North Truro
Admission: Free (registration not required)
Information: https://payomet.org/
Paul Rishell and Annie Rainers to play at Highfield
Blues guitarist Paul Rishell and multi-harmonicist Annie Raines will play blues and roots music as part of Highfield Hall & Gardens’ "Music Under the Tent" series. Rishell and Raines have been working as a blues duo for 25 years; have recorded six albums together, including the W.C. Handy Award-winning "Moving to the Country" (2000); and received numerous award nominations from the Blues Foundation. The two are visiting artists in the Berklee College of Music’s American Roots Music Program, and have previously opened for Ray Charles, Little Feat, Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi, John Sebastian and many more artists.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday, July 10
Where: Highfield Hall & Gardens, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth
Admission: $35, $25 for members
Information: https://highfieldhallandgardens.org/
Bourbon Sunset Trio to perform outdoors in Dennis
The Bourbon Sunset Trio will play three-part harmonies, accompanied by the traditional string instrumentation of mandolin, banjo and guitar as part of the Cape Cod Museum of Arts' summer Outdoor Concert Series. The concert will feature various types of music, including swing, bluegrass, Dixieland jazz, Celtic music, jazz standards and classical.
When: 4:30 p.m., Sunday, July 10
Where: Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis
Admission: $20, $17 for members. Tickets may be purchased online until 3:30 p.m. on the day of concert; afterwards, they may be available for purchase at the door..
Information: https://www.ccmoa.org/
‘Music for Ukraine’ concert to raise funds to help
The First Congregational Church of Wellfleet and pianist John Thomas will present a concert to raise funds to help Ukrainians inside and outside of their home country. The concert, which will also feature saxophonist Ken Field, will include Ukrainian folk melodies, works by Ukrainian composers Mykola Lysenko, Mykola Leontovych, Victor Kosenko and Mykhailo Verbytsky and others. Half of the donations will be sent to the International Rescue Committee, and half will be sent to the United Church of Christ Global H.O.P.E. Ukraine Emergency Appeal. The “Music for Ukraine” concert was first presented in April in Provincetown; $4,000 in donations were sent to the International Rescue Committee and to Oastea Domnului Chisinau.
When: 5 p.m., Sunday, July 9
Where: First Congregational church of Wellfleet, 200 Main St.
Information: 508-349-6877; https://www.rescue.org/, https://www.ucc.org/global-h-o-p-e/ukraine-emergency-appeal/, https://johnwthomas.com/, https://www.wellfleetchurch.org/
Author Colleen McKeegan guests at library cocktail hour
The Friends of the Mashpee Library will host a cocktail hour with author Colleen McKeegan to celebrate her debut novel, “The Wild One.” Wine and cocktails will be available via a cash bar at the event. The novel is described as a dark and twisted coming-of-age thriller featuring three young women exploring their childhood trauma at a summer camp. Before turning to fiction, McKeegan was the senior features editor at Marie Claire, and she has held various editorial roles at The Cut, Fast Company, Bloomberg, Fortune, The New Yorker and Bicycling.
When: 5 p.m. Sunday, July 10
Where: Willowbend Country Club, 100 Willowbend Drive, Mashpee
Admission: A suggested $20 donation to the Mashpee Library
Information: RSVP at friendsofthemashpeelibrary@gmail.com
Bear Week shows include the Provincetown Follies and Nina West
Throughout the summer, the Provincetown Business Guild is partnering with the Crown & Anchor on a new season of the "Provincetown Follies," a cabaret style show featuring local talent and guests as a benefit for the guild. For Bear Week, a guest performer at the Crown & Anchor will be Nina West, the Miss Congeniality of "RuPaul’s Drag Race" Season 11. West is currently starring as Edna Turnblad in the national tour of "Hairspray," and is the founder of the Nina West Foundation, which has raised more than $2 million to support LGBTQ+ kids and families.
When: 9 p.m., Sunday, July 10 for "Provincetown Follies Bear Week Edition"; 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14 for "Nina West: Bear Trap."
Where: Crown & Anchor, 247 Commercial St., Provincetown
Admission: $35-$45 for Provincetown Follies; $45-$125 for Nina West performance.Information: https://ptown.org/events/provincetown-follies-pride-edition-the-crown-anchor/
Vannatter, quintet begin Provincetown Jazz Festival
The 18th annual Provincetown Jazz Festival will feature Ohio singer Dane Vannatter accompanied by the Cape Cod Jazz Quintet. Vannatter, who has won two BackStage Bistro Awards performs regularly at the annual Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention in Manhattan and venues in Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Boston and the Cape. The quintet will feature Steve Ahern on trumpet and flute, Bruce Abbott on saxophone and flute, Fred Boyle on piano, Ron Ormsby on bass, and Bart Weisman on drums. The jazz festival will continue Aug. 8 in Cotuit with Leala Cyr and Cameron Shave; and Aug. 16 with 15-year-old pianist Ben Collins-Siegel.
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, July 11
Where: Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St, South Yarmouth
Admission: $30
Information: 508-394-7100; https://www.cultural-center.org/
Watch dogs playing with frisbees
The Flying High Dogs group will be part of family-friendly entertainment at West Falmouth Library, led by Mike Piazza, multiple-time world finalist and world-record holder in the sport of K-9 frisbee. Attendees will receive complimentary frisbees.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12
Where: West Falmouth Library, 575 West Falmouth Highway
Admission: Suggestion donation of $10 per family at the door.
Information on all family event at the library: http://www.westfalmouthlibrary.org/
Words, music and images unite for “Unprayed Prayers”
"Unprayed Prayers” will be a collaborative program blending work by award-winning writer Mary Gordon, musician Suzzy Roche of The Roches band and Wellfleet artist Ellen LeBow at the Rice Polak Gallery in Provincetown. The three have been working together for a decade, and Gordon says she wrote the prayers, which were then set to music by Roche, and the idea of including scenes with powerful narratives came from Lebow.
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 12; exhibition of LeBow's art will be on display from Friday, July 8 through July 20.
Where: Rice Polak Gallery, 430 Commercial St, Provincetown
Information: 508-237-5499; ricepolakgallery@yahoo.com
Seashore presents summer entertainment
A concert and a talk this week are part of a summer of events at the Cape Cod National Seashore's outdoor amphitheater or indoor auditorium at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham. On July 12, Toast and Jam’s Tim Dickey and Julie Charland will perform original bluegrass, modern folk, Americana and swing. On July 13, Stephen M. Smith will headline an event on "Salt Marsh Dieback and the Future of Cape Cod," which will cover how salt marshes filter pollutants, providing nursery habitat for shellfish and finfish, and buffer storm surge.
When: Toast and Jam, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 12; salt marsh lecture at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 13
Where: Salt Pond Visitor Center, 50 Nauset Road, Eastham
Admission: Free, reservation required
Information: 508-255-3421
Historic walking tour to be held in Brewster
The event features an hour-long, guided "Haunts and Habitats" walking tour along Brewster’s historic Main Street, also called the Old Kings Highway. Participants will have a chance to discover the history behind many antique homes, learn about the shipmasters and others who lived there, and pay a visit to some significant graves in the Ancient Burial Ground. The event will recur in August.
When: 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 13
Where: Tour starts from Woodshed Parking Lot, 1993 Main St., Brewster
Admission: $15 for adults; $12 for members (reservation required)
Information: https://www.brewsterhistoricalsociety.org/
Nantucket project brings Revolutionary War era to life
The Nantucket Historical Association is collaborating with Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution for its first display of the traveling Oval Office Project exhibition. The project is an immersive experience that includes hand-sewn tents that replicate Gen. George Washington's encampment and handmade camp furniture to portray the stories of the diverse people and complex events of 1775-1783. There will be replica equipment, tools, and uniforms, plus living history interpreters, plus programmed lectures.
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 and Thursday, July 14; 6 p.m. July 13 lecture with Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution; 6 p.m. July 15 lecture by author Nathaniel Philbrick
Where: display at Nantucket Historical Association's Old Mill, 50 Prospect St.; lectures at the Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St.
Admission: Free
Information: https://nha.org/
To have your event considered for a Best Bet, send information to CapeWeek Editor Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at kdriscoll@capecodonline.com at least two weeks before the event.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod to do: Music, history, book, Bear Week, jazz, dog, frisbee
