Holiday Celebrations On Cape Cod
There is no better place to celebrate Christmas and the holidays then on the Cape. Each of the different towns celebrate the magic of the season in a distinctive manner with parades, harbor lights, and festive open houses. Many communities orchestrate several weeks' worth of happenings with a special event just about every night. This post focuses on events in Orleans and Chatham with more town festivities highlighted in future blogs.
The "Seaside Christmas in Orleans" is a town-wide celebration that kicks off with Santa's arrival by boat the weekend after Thanksgiving. Santa's better half, Mrs. Claus, hosts a pancake breakfast at the Orleans Yacht Club for residents and families eagerly awaiting Santa's appearance. All that sugar and carbs only heightens the excitement surrounding the great man's arrival. Residents have the chance to work off those calories a week later at the Santa Stampede -- a 5K race and family fun run. Runners dress as Santa, reindeer, elves and a multitude of other fun costumes to stay warm while running for various philanthropic causes.
In Chatham, Santa also arrives by boat at the Fish Pier, followed by a fire truck ride to the Chatham Community Center. One of the highlights of The Chatham Christmas-by-the-Sea celebration is a stroll down Main Street with carolers and horse-drawn carriages leading the fun. The stroll concludes in a tree lighting ceremony with merchants offering complimentary hot chocolate to strollers perusing the twinkling lights and window displays of the shops as they walk.
The Chatham Chamber of Commerce also sponsors the much-anticipated tour of the Chatham Bars Inn featuring a gingerbread house display as well as decorations reminiscent of a Currier & Ives scene. Many residents also take the opportunity to tour the iconic lighthouse. Chatham Christmas-by-the-Sea events continue through New Year's Eve culminating in First Night Chatham as the final holiday event of the 2014 season.
And, as a lucky resident of the coast, you can always relax and bundle up by the seashore to enjoy a brilliant winter sunset far from the crowds.
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