These 16 top things to do on Cape Cod Sept. 9-15 will keep you entertained
The kids may be back in school, but it's the adults who could learn something this week with so many intriguing topics to see and hear about.
On Martha's Vineyard, a new exhibit explores the island's Black history. The activism of a Broadway lyricist is discussed by his grandson. International bestselling author talks about his historical fiction. The women's suffrage movement is explained in postcards.
Music options are just as varied. The first Vineyard Campout brings the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong band to Oak Bluffs. A guitar virtuoso explains his instrument. Bluesmen join for a West Yarmouth concert. A cellist goes solo in Provincetown. And there's music in a campfire event at Sandy Neck beach and at the burlesque show taking over the main stage at Cotuit Center for the Arts.
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Other highlights include a motorcycle ride to raise money to fight opioid abuse, an art exhibit at Castle Hill, an adult night at a museum, an antique car show, a graveyard tour and a fun run at the children's museum. So many choices: Take a look.
Museum exhibit looks at island’s Black history
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum has opened a new exhibit that is named “Grow, As We Are” and features large-scale photo portraits documenting the Island's Black community, from individuals and families with deep Island ties to first-time visitors. The exhibition is curated by The Bureau, a multidisciplinary studio and creative media platform founded in Minneapolis in the wake of local and international uprisings sparked by the killing of George Floyd. The Bureau said the hope is to look to the past and future with the exhibit, on display through Jan. 8, including the long legacy of Black Americans in the island and how it has been “a haven, safe from the rampant violent racism of the rest of the country.” The exhibition, according to museum information, is the result of Bureau artist Bobby Rogers' three-year residency with the Inkwell Haven Foundation, launched in 2019.
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When: Through Jan. 8; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays for summer hours
Where: Martha’s Vineyard Museum, 151 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven
Admission: $18, $15 for seniors, $5 for ages 7 to 17; free for age 6 and under and for members
Information: https://mvmuseum.org/
Johnson paintings on display at Castle Hill
Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill will host a second exhibit of work by California artist, Mitchell Johnson, titled “Nothing and Change” and spanning his work from 1990 to the present. Among those will be new paintings from Paris, Newfoundland, New England and New York as well as early work from France, Denmark and North Truro. An 80-page exhibition catalog with an essay by poet Jesse Nathan, and exhibition posters will be available at Castle Hill.
When: Sept. 7-18; gallery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (reception 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 8)
Where: Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, 10 Meetinghouse Road
Admission: Free
Information: https://www.castlehill.org/; www.mitchelljohnson.com
Burlesque takes over Cotuit stage
Pepper Grinds, leader of the Cape Cod Brazen Belles Burlesque, will return to Cotuit Center for the Arts with other burlesque dancers for the ninth annual “Summer Striptacular!” Pepper is described as “bawdy and bold,” the show will be hosted by Mr. Gorgeous and other performers from around the country will include Minnie Tonka, P. No Noire, Faggedy Randy, Tansy and The Maine Attraction.
When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 7-8, 9-10
Where: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28)
Tickets: $40, with a $5 discount for members and a $2 discount for seniors/veterans
Reservations and information: https://artsonthecape.org/ or 508-428-0669, ext. 0
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Song and storytelling at monthly campfire
The monthly summer Circle by the Sea campfire will have its grand finale musical gathering Friday at Sandy Neck Beach. Featured entertainment will be Jackson Gillman, the Standup Chameleon, who performs song, mime and storytelling. There will also be open talent time and toasting marshmallows. Participants should bring instruments, a mask, beach chairs, a flashlight, a piece of firewood (optional) and non-alcoholic beverages. The event will be canceled if it rains.
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9
Where: Sandy Neck Beach, off Route 6A, West Barnstable
Admission: $7 requested donation
Information: 563-6647, and on Facebook
Cellist plays on his own
Daniel Shevlin, cellist for the playing/singing group Well-Strung will join the Broadway series at the Art House with a solo show titled “Versatile.” Lance Horne will join on the piano.
When: 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10
Where: The Art House, 214 Commercial St., Provincetown
Tickets: $35 and $45
Reservations and Information: https://provincetownarthouse.com/
Vineyard Campout kicks off
Fresh off Beach Road Weekend, producer Innovation Arts and Entertainment will host the first Vineyard Campout, pairing four sets by the Pigeons Playing Ping Pong band on Friday and Saturday at the Loft in Oak Bluffs with camping packages at partner Martha’s Vineyard Family Campground. Nashville-based singer-songwriter Maggie Rose will open Friday, while the Eggy band will perform Saturday. Pigeons Playing Ping Pong is a psych-funk quartet that started at the University of Maryland a decade ago and has gone on to perform more than 1,000 shows in 44 states.
When: 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9 (with Maggie Rose), 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 (with Eggy);
Where: The Loft, 9 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs
Tickets: $50
Information: https://www.vineyardcampout.com/
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Tour antique cars at annual show
The 13th annual Antique Auto Show & Picnic, featuring “the best” 1920s jazz recordings, will return to Cataumet Schoolhouse, with all cars from 1960 and before welcome. Food will be available for purchase from a food truck. Rain date is Sept. 11.
When: Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10
Where: The Cataumet Schoolhouse, 1200 County Road
Admission: Free, with no registration fee for autos
Information: http://www.cataumetschoolhouse.org/
Hear author Bernard Cornwell talk about his books
The Friends of the Mashpee Library will host internationally known author Bernard Cornwell, who lives in Chatham, for a talk about his historical fiction. Cornwell's books include the Sharpe novels, the Starbuck Chronicles, the Warlord trilogy, the Grail Quest series, the Alfred series and “The Last Kingdom,” which became a Netflix series.
When: 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10
Where: Mashpee Public Library, 64 Steeple St.
Admission: Free, no registration required
Information: https://mashpeepubliclibrary.org/
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Musician shares secrets of the guitar
Guitar virtuoso Aaron Larget-Caplan will give two programs Saturday through a grant program at Wellfleet Public Library. At noon, in an interactive talk for all ages, “Travels of the Guitar” will look at that type of music in other cultures, including Spain. In early evening, “Looking Bach, Listening Forward,” will perform a program of “standards” plus additional solo music. Among them: preludes and a fugue by Bach; reimagined lullabies; music inspired by a 13th-century Japanese legend, meditations by John Cage and Larget-Caplan’s original music from his album “Honey Cadence.”
When: Saturday, Sept. 10; at noon and 5 p.m.
Where: Wellfleet Public Library, 55 W. Main St.
Admission: Free (face masks required)
Information: 508-349-0310, https://www.wellfleetlibrary.org/
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Museum fun run begins with Gannon honor
Cape Cod Children’s Museum will hold a ceremony to raise a flag (that has flown over the U.S. Pentagon) to honor fallen hero Sgt. Sean Gannon of the Yarmouth Police Department on Sunday. That will be followed by the third annual MACE Race to celebrate Grandparents Day and honor the memory of longtime Cape residents (and grandparents) Laura and Dick Mace. The 5k walk or run out and back will be lined with signs celebrating grandparents. Participants can enjoy a kids’ fun run as well as free museum entry until noon.
When: 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11
Where: Cape Cod Children’s Museum, 577 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee
Admission: Free until noon for participants
Registration and information: https://capecodchildrensmuseum.org/, 508-539-8788.
Bikers will roar to call attention to opioid abuse
Hundreds of bikers are due to ride from Falmouth High School to Barnstable Intermediate School in Hyannis to raise awareness and funds to support recovery from opioid use disorder. The ROAR has been happening since 2018 to benefit Duffy Health Center, which has received $42,000 so far for substance use disorder programs and services. The ride is organized by Cape Codders and avid bikers Karen Herrand and Jamie Pina, both of whose lives have been impacted by opioid use disorder.
When: 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 11
Where: Start at Falmouth High School, 874 Gifford St.
Information: https://duffyhealthcenter.org/
Postcards turn into history lesson
Carol Crossed will give a talk on “Vintage Tweets: Telling the Story of Suffrage through 19th Century Postcards” at the Atwood Museum, which is operated by the Chatham Historical Society. Crossed calls the postcards the “social media of the late 19th and early 20th centuries” and will discuss how both the opposition and supporters of the suffrage movement were depicted in the collection.
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13
Where: Atwood Museum, 347 Stage Harbor Road, Chatham
Admission: $10 for non-members, members are free
Reservations: https://chathamhistoricalsociety.org/
Hammerstein grandson talks about civil rights
The Cape Cod Museum of Art and Miller White Fine Arts gallery will cohost a talk titled “Carefully Taught” by Oscar Andrew “Andy” Hammerstein III about his famed grandfather, Broadway librettist & lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. Andy Hammerstein is internationally recognized as a writer, lecturer and family historian who has devoted much of his adult life to preserving the archives and influences of his family’s legacy. He will present his grandfather with a political focus, such as the song about hatred from the “South Pacific” musical, “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” and the “Sound of Music” warning about the dangers of fascism. The elder Hammerstein became a human rights champion and voice in the civil rights movement. Following the talk, there will be a meet-and-greet with refreshments and music by The Brentwood Brass Ensemble, playing Rodgers & Hammerstein music.
When: 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14
Where: Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis
Admission: $20, $17 for members
Reservations and information: https://www.ccmoa.org/
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Tour some Brewster resting places
The Brewster Historical Society will present “A Grave Situation: A Narrated Walking Tour of the Brewster Cemetery” that organizers say will include stories of “the famous, the infamous, the unknown and the ignored — until now.” Participants are warned that terrain will be uneven and the tour is not suitable for under age 8. Another tour will take place on Oct. 27.
When: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15
Where: Brewster Cemetery, Lower Road
Admission: $15, $12 for members and $10 for ages 8-12
Information: https://www.brewsterhistoricalsociety.org/
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It’s adult time at natural history museum
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History will host “Come Play!,” a fundraiser for age 21+. Adults are invited to explore the museum’s rooms, but also have fun with cocktail concoction experiments, a hole-in-one golf competition and a marshmallow construction competition, pop quizzes, and a messy Mud Kitchen, plus the chance to view the sun through a Sunscope Telescope with Larry Brookhart of the Harwich Observatory. There will be hot dogs, Pizza Shark pizza and Local Scoop ice cream to buy, and a cash bar. The benefit raises money for the museum’s animal care, KidSummer scholarships, and programs.
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15
Where: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, 869 Route 6A, Brewster
Admission: $50 (includes two drink tokens and snacks)
Information: 508-896-3867, ext. 133; https://ccmnh.org/
Duo plays blues show at Music Room
Blues Music Award nominees Anthony Geraci and Billy Price, who have been friends for more than 40 years, will perform together as the Boston Blues All-Stars for a show at the Music Room in West Yarmouth. The two first met in Pittsburgh when they did shows together at the Fat City Lounge. Both artists have toured the world, playing with musicians who include Lonnie Mack, Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard and Otis Clay.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15
Where: The Music Room, 541 Main St., West Yarmouth
Reservations and information: https://www.musicroomcapecod.com/
To have your event considered as a Best Bet, contact CapeWeek editor Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at bestbets@capecodonline.com at last two weeks in advance.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod things to do: music, history, burlesque, motorcycles, art
