From festive parades and food trucks to thrilling carnivals and grand illuminations, Cape Cod’s year-round festivals provide endless entertainment and excitement for visitors of all ages.
SPRING
Named for the hundreds of bright yellow daffodils planted along the Old King’s Highway, Brewster in Bloom (May 2-4,2025) is the epitome of Springtime celebrations. This three-day event, featuring a colorful parade, 5k Bloom run, Brewster Band concert and arts & crafts show, takes place in early May.
The Hyannis Father's Day Car Show (June 15, 2025) brings classic car enthusiasts and families together for a fun-filled day in downtown Hyannis. Held annually on Father's Day, the event features hundreds of beautifully restored vintage and classic cars lining Main Street, creating a nostalgic and exciting atmosphere for all ages. Kids will love seeing the shiny hot rods and muscle cars up close, while parents and grandparents can reminisce about their favorite automobiles from the past.
Watching the professional sculptors at work on the Yarmouth Sand Sculpture Trail is almost as intriguing as the finished product. From Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the trail features over 30 family-friendly sand sculptures throughout town, depicting everything from mermaids and lobsters to unicorns and whales. Download the trail map at yarmouthcapecod.com and start exploring!
SUMMER
Kick off the first day of summer at the Cape Cod Chamber’s Quahog Day (June 20, 2025), when Cape Cod’s trusty meteorological mollusk Doug the Quahog predicts how many beach days we can expect for the summer ahead. The whole family is invited to get in on the fun, and photo opps abound with local “shell-ebrity” Doug! Be respectful though, his security team is top notch. This year’s prognostication location is the oceanfront Blue Water Resort in South Yarmouth - find more details here!
The Provincetown Portuguese Festival & Blessing of the Fleet (June 27-29, 2025) is a colorful, high-energy weekend with live music, a kids’ fishing derby, dancers in traditional Portuguese costumes, and plenty of Portuguese food for sampling, from grilled meats to sweet pastries. The highlight of the weekend is the Blessing of the Fleet; as a procession of beautifully decked fishing boats enter MacMillan Pier., clergy bless them for safety and prosperity. It’s unique, moving, and visually stunning — something both adults and kids will find memorable.
Ever wish you could explore the secret gardens of Cape Cod? Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival (July 11-20,2025) is the perfect chance. From Woods Hole to Provincetown, extraordinary private gardens open to the public during this ten-day tour across Cape Cod, with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits.
Each July, the Barnstable County Fair (July 21-27, 2025) takes over Cape Cod Fairgrounds in Falmouth for a thrilling week of top-notch musical acts, amusement rides, livestock shows, petting zoos, and the world’s largest Demolition Derby. Food trucks abound, so get ready for some fried dough and corndogs!
More food trucks barrel into the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in August, when the fairgrounds play host to the Cape Cod Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival (August 16, 2025). Food trucks from all over New England serve up their best bites, from spicy Korean treats that melt in your mouth to traditional BBQ and wood-fired pizza. There’s also a beer tent, live music, kids' activities, and craft market to keep you entertained once you’ve satisfied your appetite.
At the summer edition of Love Local Fest (July 27, 2025), shopping local has never been more fun. Held three times a year on the Hyannis waterfront, the festival brings together about 100 Cape Cod makers, artisans, artists, farmers and businesses for you to explore and discover. Find the perfect Cape-made gifts and connect with the community of Cape Cod’s creators on the last Sunday in July and September, and the first Saturday in December.
Love local, and love all. Join hundreds of LGBTQ+ families from around the world for Family Week in Provincetown at the end of July. The inclusive week-long activities include daily yoga, lego builds, beach campfire nights, panels & workshops, scavenger hunts and the Family Pride Parade.
FALL
Trust us, you are going to want to get good at cornhole. The autumn festivals across Cape Cod are all spectacularly different, but there’s cornhole everywhere you turn, starting with the heated tournament at Cape Cod Canal Day (September 20, 2025). Overlooking the iconic railroad bridge that spans the canal, Canal Day embraces local food, local artisans, and yes, cornhole!
Easily the most exciting fundraising event all year, Seaside Le Mans (September 6, 2025) is a Formula One style kart race through Mashpee Commons. Watch competitors race around a quarter-mile track in European-style racing karts, while cheering on the fact that the annual event – sponsored by The Davenport Companies of South Yarmouth - raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for local nonprofits on Cape Cod.
A longtime fall tradition on the Cape, the Yarmouth Seaside Festival (October 11-13, 2025) features food vendors, a 5k race, 125+ artists and crafters, live music, a kayak and canoe race, sand sculpture contests, carnival rides and a fireworks display on Sunday night over Seagull Beach. Showcase your artistic talent at the Family Chalk Fest in the Bass River/Smuggler’s Beach parking lot!
What’s better than one Oktoberfest? Two of them! Mashpee welcomes Oktoberfest first (October 4, 2025) at the Mashpee Commons Village Green, where the celebration includes a traditional beer garden, authentic German food, German music & dancing, pumpkin decorating and local craft vendors. Later in October, make your way to Chatham’s festive Oktoberfest (October 18, 2025) in Kate Gould Park. After snapping selfies with the Chatham Pumpkin People in the Park, raise a toast to fall at the beer garden, nosh on German food, browse local artisan vendors, and keep the kids entertained with fun games.
Paying homage to the renowned Wellfleet bi-valve, Wellfleet Oyster Fest (October 18-19, 2025) features the most unique contest the Cape has to offer–the Oyster Shuck-Off! Live music, kids’ activities, local food, artisan vendors and a town spelling bee help round out the family fun.
HOLIDAYS
Warm up for the holiday season with a Seaside Christmas in Orleans. During the first weekend of December, expect to see the streets of Orleans crowded with Santas on a spirited 5k run at the annual Santa Stampede.
Clydesdales, festive floats and bagpipers are all part of the action at the Falmouth Christmas Parade (December 7, 2025), celebrating over 60 years! The following weekend, the Mashpee Season of Illumination Parade (December 13, 2025) is all about the lights. Floats, boats, and marching bands illuminate the streets of Mashpee Commons during this special night-time parade.
Also lighting up the night each holiday season is Gardens Aglow at Heritage Museums & Gardens. Miles of twinkling lights adorn the museum grounds and gardens, so bring your camera for some Instagram-worthy shots. Other fun includes a reindeer scavenger hunt, marshmallow roasting, rides on the vintage carousel and visits with Santa.
From magical gardens to magical trains, the Polar Express on the Cape Cod Central Railroad is a 1 ½ hour long family experience that brings the classic children’s book The Polar Express to life. Music and merriment accompany you along this journey to the North Pole, where Santa and his elves hand out gifts and cocoa. All aboard from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
WINTER
The Yarmouth Winter Carnival transforms an otherwise chilly weekend in the middle of February into a reason to celebrate. There’s an outdoor ice-skating rink, s’mores, crafts, and plenty of family activities, alongside food trucks and local vendors.
And we start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early here on Cape Cod, with the highly anticipated Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade in early March. The parade spans two miles, making it just long enough for the tens of thousands of spectators who join in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day. Watch marching bands, floats, Irish Step Dancers, Clydesdales, antique cars, and bagpipe bands fill the streets of Yarmouth. Be sure to don your green!