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The Cape’s Love Local Fest Holiday Edition embodies the spirit of community, drawing together local artisans, artists, farmers and makers to sell their wares from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday, December 4 at the Hyannis Village Green. No click-through ordering here; meeting these talented craftspeople is almost as much fun as finding the unique handmade gift for your loved one. Sip on craft beverages, visit food trucks and enjoy some holiday cheer, as this event will be part of that weekend’s Hyannis Village Stroll!
Martha’s Vineyard is well known as an aesthetic haven for artists and artisans, with their many talents on display in independent shops offering “available only on the island” gifts, clothing, and other mementos. Martha’s Vineyard Made, Featherstone Center for the Arts Holiday Gift Show, and the Vineyard Artisan Festivals are brimming with a stunning array of one-of-a-kind choices from Vineyard artists that depict the Vineyard experience via a variety of media. The Vineyard Holidays pages will keep you informed of all the one-of-a-kind happenings from now through the New Year.
Nantucket Noel, the Islanders’ take on yuletide celebrations, unfurls from November 26 to January 1, with the Christmas Stroll, a treasured tradition, scheduled for December 3–5. First created to keep locals on-island for holiday shopping, the stroll now includes hundreds of decorated trees, costumed carolers, and special dinners at various restaurants, as well as great artisan holiday crafts. The entire town and Whaling Museum invite visitors into the splendor of glistening lights, evergreen garlands that encircle historic columns, and a holiday punchbowl of good cheer. Nantucket’s yuletide stockings are filled to the brim with great gifts for the season.
Warm & Cozy Holiday Escapes to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket
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Go On An Epic Whale Watch
his 2021 holiday season, we can’t wait to toss our contemporary concerns away and revel in simpler, authentic holiday traditions: a
village lane festooned with sparkling lights, an array of artisan gifts, and a nourishing bowl of award-winning clam chowder to enjoy while nestled beside a roaring fire.
When it comes to finding wintry scenes straight out of a Robert Frost poem, nowhere quite compares to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Longtime refuges for summer escapes, the Cape and Islands continue to dazzle us come winter. Spend a few days here, and you’ll feel as refreshed as an Atlantic breeze.
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On Cape Cod, a joyful spirit fills the air throughout the season. Greet Santa as he cruises into a local harbor, and check out one or more of the Cape’s festive village strolls. The Sandwich Glass Museum’s annual Glassblowers’ Christmas Celebration is a chance to browse and purchase intricate hand-crafted ornaments by local glassblowers. Just down the street at Heritage Museums & Gardens, the annual Gardens Aglow will transport you into a winter wonderland, with miles of twinkling lights adorning the 100 acres of gardens and woodlands. In downtown Provincetown, admire a fully illuminated tree made from over 100 lobster pots borrowed from local lobstermen; in the distance, the 252-foot Pilgrim Monument will stay lit through the holiday season.
Martha’s Vineyard shines as bright as a lighthouse during the holidays. It’s a chance for you to step back in time onto an island that, gorgeous at any time of the year, assumes a certain glow come winter. The 40th Annual Christmas in Edgartown December 9-12 returns, with carriage rides and themed shopping from December 10 to 13. Artisans will also offer goods at several Vineyard pop-ups, including Heather Gardens, and the Workshop Gallery. And don’t miss the Teddy Bear Suit scavenger hunt.
The holidays will sail back into the harbor on Nantucket as well, beginning with the Nantucket Historical Association’s Festival of Wreaths, an annual fundraiser that features wreaths made by local artists, businesses, and schoolchildren. The wreaths will be hung with care from November 19–27, with bidding until 8 pm on November 25.
Nantucket
Winter is coming and the Cape’s storied dining establishments are ready. The Frost Bar at Brewster’s Ocean Edge Resort entices guests with outdoor fire pits, panoramic water views and private heated igloos, where you can warm up with a Jack Frost cocktail or S’mores Skillet. Greenhouse dining remains in full bloom at Scargo Café in Dennis, where up to six guests can cozy up in outdoor gazebos well into the winter months, as an alternative to the restaurant’s indoor dining. At The Canteen in Provincetown, savor dynamic local flavors from a seat in the restaurant’s seasonal heated tent.
Nothing warms away the winter chill like a piping hot bowl of award-winning New England clam chowder. The Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven adds extra scumptious house made croutons. The Offshore Ale Company, also located in Oak Bluffs, makes a traditional chowder that also goes heavy on the clams. The Wharf Pub boasts a chowder that’s as buttery as it is thick.
Nantucket restaurants warm visitors the traditional way, with glowing fireplaces and cozy confines. The Brotherhood of Thieves is a classic island pub. Think brick walls and low, wood-raftered ceilings and two fireplaces. It serves an array of local favorites, including Island Quahog Chowder. Situated in the heart of historic downtown, or the Whale boasts an expansive 22-seat oak bar staffed by a friendly crew that adds extra warmth to enjoy its American bistro cuisine.
Christmas on Cape Cod - Photo by Orleans Chamber of Commerce
Nantucket Christmas Tree Lighting
Clam Chowder from the Wharf Pub in Edgartown
ver the past many months, we’ve all come to appreciate simpler pleasures, like the love of friends and family, freshly fallen snow, and
a sublime sunset. The Cape & Islands have always conjured up these images: a horse-drawn buggy trotting through town, a perfect bowl of chowder, and a gallery of maritime-themed works by local artists.
With scores of bucolic inns and hotels awaiting guests, heading to Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket to celebrate this holidays season will never be better.
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Martha's Vineyard - Edgartown Town Hall in lights
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Nantucket Christmas Stroll Dory
Photo by Paul Scharff