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After the hustle and bustle of summer on Cape Cod, the fall festivals usually come, which pull people outdoors in September weather even without concerns about COVID-19.
This weekend is packed, whether you’re a fan of music, crafts, food, beer, or games. Or dogs – more than 900 will compete against each other every day on the Cape Cod Fairgrounds.
And don’t check your calendar: it’s fall, but Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade will still meander down Route 28 in Yarmouth on Saturday after the pandemic ends typical March plans. Upon their unusually punctual return, the parade will celebrate the heroes of all kinds from this pandemic, and organizers say this may be the biggest event they have ever had.
Here’s a look at five of the most ambitious get-togethers scheduled for this week. Some COVID-19 precautions are in place, but attendees can also design the accommodations that are most convenient for them:
‘Cranberry Cluster’ dog shows
After being canceled in 2020, the Cape Cod Kennel Club and South Shore Kennel Club will reunite to host the Cranberry Cluster dog shows that have been going on for more than a century. This will be the Cape Club’s 111th and 112th All-Breed Dog Shows and the South Shore’s 101st and 102nd shows.
The events take place Thursday through Sunday, September 16-19, 8am to 7pm at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth.
The competition takes place under a large tent at “exterior” events, in which dogs over 6 months are judged according to breed, with the levels “Best in Show” and “Owner-Handled Best in Show” (not permitted for professional dog handlers are). until Sunday.
About 50 breeds (which you can find out in the exhibition calendar of infodog.com) will be presented in front of 40 flown in judges from all over the country. There will also be a puppy competition for 4 to 6 month old dogs every day, as well as a junior showmanship competition for people aged 9-18.
Certain breeds get special shows: Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Bulldog, Cairn Terrier, Dalmatian, Labrador Retriever, Newfoundland, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Springer Spaniel and the Glen of Imaal Terrier. Other dogs take part in “rally” and “obedience” events.
There will also be diving dog competitions and a “try it” option for owners to bring dogs to test the sport off the dock.
Admission to the exhibition site is $ 5, and children under 12 are $ 2. Participants must sign a COVID-19 waiver. Information: https://capecodkc.org/cranberry-cluster/.
St. Patrick’s Parade
“We can’t wait to say thank you for everything you’ve done”: This is how the announcement began that the 16th Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade would take place in September instead of March this year.
And that sentence from the organizing committee and chairman of the parade, Desmond Keogh, signals that there won’t be a single Grand Marshal this year. Instead, the parade will be dedicated to key workers, first responders and frontline workers who Parade officials say “helped us survive the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“This amazing group of people went to work tirelessly day after day, month after month, masked, gloved and sometimes in full body suits, without knowing what new challenges the day would bring,” said an announcement from the Autumn Parade. Key workers included van drivers, grocers, artisans, restaurant workers, teachers, and anyone involved in healthcare and public safety.
Everyone was invited to walk or ride in the parade, and Keogh said he was amazed at the response. Among the more than 60 marching groups will be a wide variety of workers, including representatives from major local supermarkets and nurses coming south from Boston.
“It’s getting bigger and bigger by the minute,” he said last week. “It’s going to be bigger (a parade) than ever before. … So many people are looking forward to it.”
Others in the parade, he said, will be the Irish American Police Officers Association Pipe & Drums, HKS Clydesdales Horses, the Yarmouth Minutemen, the Boston Police Gaelic Column of Pipes and Drums, stilt walkers, and state cops on horses.
The parade starts at 11:00 am from Bass River Sports World, 934 Route 28, South Yarmouth and continues down Route 28 to the junction with Higgins Crowell Road in West Yarmouth. Participants and visitors are encouraged to wear green and are certainly welcome to wear masks.
Keogh has sought advice from local and state health officials and estimates the parade will last about two hours this year as organizers try to distribute the participating groups. He said he hoped this would encourage viewers to distance themselves for social distancing from COVID-19 as well.
All the usual indoor events don’t take place, but the parade itself “is outdoors … and there will be plenty of room to spread out,” he said when asked about safety concerns. “I think people look forward to going out … and that’s something happy.”
A bonus to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day six months late? The weather. No snow plows have to be ready, he said.
“I guarantee it will be warm even if it rains,” he said, noting that the parade will still take place in rain or shine.
Details: https://www.capecodstpatricksparade.com/; https://www.facebook.com/capestpatsparade.
Harwich Cranberry Festival and CranJam 2021
A full day of entertainment is planned for Saturday and Sunday in Harwich, combining the craft, food and beer of the Harwich Cranberry Festival with the music of CranJam 2021, and the celebration will be followed by fireworks on Saturday at dusk (around 8pm ) interrupted.
More than 100 artisans, vendors and community groups will display their wares in the fields of the Harwich Community Center on 100 Oak St from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Food trucks will be on site and wine and beer will be sold during the music festival.
The preliminary entertainment on Saturday includes: 12.30pm, heyday; 1:45 p.m., porch party mums; 3:45 p.m., Entrain; and 5:45 p.m., The Catbirds, with Chandler Travis. On Blues Sunday, the preliminary line-up is at 12:15 pm, The Undaunted Professor Harp; and 1:30 p.m., Danielle Miraglia and the Glory Junkies. The music tent has a dance floor and guests are advised to bring a chair or blanket.
Information: https://www.harwichcranberryartsandmusicfestival.org/.
Sandwich Village VerandaFest
For the fifth time, musicians will spread out for strollers in the city center at the Sandwich Village PorchFest. Musicians will play on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the verandas of houses, shops and churches along a hiking trail through the Main, Jarves and Schulstraßen, with a rainy day on Sunday.
The free, family-friendly outdoor event “combines the best of music and community,” says singer / songwriter Kim Moberg, who performed at the Wellfleet PorchFest in 2016 and brought the idea to the Sandwich Arts Alliance, in an event announcement. “Visitors from near and far return every year to hear their favorite musicians, meet new artists and enjoy the unique beauty of Sandwich Village.”
With the help of Sandwich Community Television, the city’s PorchFest was moved to a virtual zoom version last year, which attracts people streaming from afar. But Moberg said: “This year the musicians are eager to perform outside again.” Genres represented include Americana, folk, rock, classical, jazz, and traditional Irish music, and visitors are given a map to follow to each location.
According to Allianz, the Outdoor PorchFest 2019 attracted more than 2,500 people to Sandwich over three hours. Details about this year’s event: https://www.sandwichartsalliance.org/.https://www.sandwichartsalliance.org/.
Cape Cod Canal Day
The family-friendly Cape Cod Canal Day community event returns this year and takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Buzzards Bay Park on Main Street.
Activities include local food trucks, artisans, craft beer and wine, live entertainment, children’s activities, a cornhole tournament, and a 3 mile road race.
Information: 508-759-6000.
Contact Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at kdriscoll@capecodonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @KathiSDCCT.
