Festivals, history, brunch & movie premieres: 11 top things to do on Cape Cod July 22-28
Festivals and shows this week are for varying tastes and ages. There's a maritime history festival in Falmouth, a fun fair for children in Sandwich, an antiques show in Eastham and an international festival in Hyannis.
History and book lovers might want to hear noted historical author Martin Sandler talk about President John F. Kennedy in his Hyannis museum or author Ben Shattuck talk about following in Thoreau's footsteps. Other entertainment highlights include the premiere of a Japanese movie in Hyannis, a play about actress Hedy Lamarr's scientific achievements in Barnstable, a concert in Dennis, and a musical show to enjoy with your brunch in Cotuit. Take a look:
Author Ben Shattuck to give talk and sign books
Author Ben Shattuck will talk about his book, “6 Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau,” at a Friday book-signing at Titcomb's Bookshop in Sandwich.On an autumn morning in 1849, Thoreau stepped out his front door to walk the beaches of Cape Cod and Shattuck, an award-winning writer, did the same more than a century and a half later. His book explores his new insights about family, love, friendship and fatherhood, a description says, as well as "understanding more deeply the lessons walking can offer through life’s changing seasons."
When: 6:30 p.m., Friday, July 22
Where: Titcomb’s Bookshop, 432 Route 6A, Sandwich
Admission: Free; registration required
Information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/author-talk-book-signing-with-ben-shattuck-six-walks-tickets-363278223947
Falmouth museums to hold maritime musical festival
Museums on the Green in Falmouth will hold a "Sea Shanty Musical Event" aimed at families in a celebration of the town's maritime history. The event will include maritime storytelling, an hour of sea shanty music by the local trio Rum-Soaked Crooks, and maritime games and activities for kids. Guests will be able to enjoy a picnic supper on the lawn, with food to purchase from The Filling Station Food Truck.
When: 4 p.m. Saturday, July 23 (rain date July 24)
Where: Museums on the Green, 55-65 Palmer Ave., Falmouth
Admission: $20, $15 for members, $5 for children
Information: https://museumsonthegreen.org/
Ladies will be brunching with audiences in Cotuit
Music and Sunday brunch fare will be provided by Cotuit Center for the Arts for the "Ladies Who Brunch" show that will play over four Sunday mornings. Singing will be Jo Brisbane, Ashley La Croix, Jane Loutzenhiser, Meg Morris and Rebecca Riley, plus Martha Paquin and Laura Shea Holland who also direct and produce, with Holland choreographing. Musical assistance will be provided by Jon Cornet, Ken Holland and Eric Johnson, with music direction by Marcia Wytrwal. Song choices will include pieces by Stephen Sondheim, Carole King, Stephen Schwartz, and Kander and Ebb. Brunch fare is included: Fruit, assorted pastries, and a dairy-free vegetable frittata will be available. Mimosas and Bloody Marys will be available for purchase at the bar.
When: 11 a.m. Sunday July 24 and 31, Aug. 7 and 14
Where: Cotuit Center for the Arts, 4404 Falmouth Road (Route 28)
Admission: $40, $5 discount for members; $2 discount for seniors/veterans; $25 balcony admission tickets (does not include brunch)
Information: https://artsonthecape.org/
Independence House presents International Festival
More than 30 nonprofit organizations and vendors from eight companies will offer goods from various cultures as part of the fourth annual International Festival presented by Independence House, an agency helping victims of domestic and sexual abuse. The event will include games and activities throughout the day, and entertainment will be provided by bands and groups representing Jamaican music, Judaic music, jazz, soul, Afrobeats, groove and hip‐hop, dance and spoken word. The goal of the family-friendly event, organizers say, is to offer outreach, recognition and opportunities to the Cape's cultural and underserved communities.
When: 11 a.m. Sunday, July 24
Where: Around the Village Green Bandstand, 367 Main St., Hyannis
Admission: Free
Information: https://independencehouse.org/
Listen to more music outdoors
Cape Cod Museum of Art’s Music & More Outdoor Concert Series will present the Digney Fignus Band, led by the singer/songwriter with a five-piece band playing music described as "a blend of blues, folk, Cajun, and old-time music with a rock and roll heart."
When: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24
Where: Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis
Tickets: $20, $17 for members
Reservations and information: https://www.ccmoa.org/music
Program reveals actress Hedy Lamarr's inventor skills
In the Tales of Cape Cod presentation "Tinseltown Inventor™: The Most Beautiful Woman in the World — Hedy Lamarr," produced by History at Play, historian Judith Kalaora will highlight the life of Lamarr, a Hollywood actress who was also a scientist and inventor of Spread Spectrum Technology (a form of wireless communication) and more. The show is an Immersive Living History Experience offered by the Historical Performance Troupe. The hourlong program will be followed by a Q&A. The show is suitable for age 13 and older.
When: 7 p.m., Monday, July 25
Where: Old Colonial Courthouse, 3046 Main St., Barnstable
Admission: $10 for members; $15 for non-members
Information: http://www.historyatplay.com/
Martin Sandler to talk on John F. Kennedy
Martin Sandler, author and editor of "The Letters of John F. Kennedy," will be part of a talk on the U.S. president in a series at the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. Sandler's dozens of books on historical subjects include "Kennedy Through the Lens" and "Lincoln Through the Lens," "Resolute" and "Lost to Time." He has won five Emmy Awards for his writing for television, and has taught American history at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at Smith College. The event will include light refreshments.
When: 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 27
Where: John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, 397 Main St., Hyannis
Admission: $15; free for members
Information: https://jfkhyannismuseum.org/
Facebook talks, music film give preview of Woods Hole film fest
The Woods Hole Film Festival runs for seven days starting June 30, but that's still not enough to get everything in. So the festival will hold Morning Filmmaker Chats for five weekdays leading up to the festival opening, plus host a July 28 pre-festival kickoff event featuring a screening of “Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues,” a portrait of a man who changed the sound of the blues and history with his harmonica. Director Bestor Cram and producers Judy Laster, the festival’s founder/director, and musician James Montgomery, frequently on Cape stages, will be part of a post-show Q&A.
When: Morning Filmmaker Chats at 10 a.m. Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29; "Bonnie Blue" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 28
Where: Chat on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/woodsholefilmfestival; "Bonnie Blue" screening at Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water St., Woods Hole
Admission: Free for chats; $25 for the screening
Information: https://woodsholefilmfestival.org/2022-schedule-page/; https://www.facebook.com/woodsholefilmfestival
Hyannis film fest to host premiere of Japanese indie film “Unplayed Lullaby”
The independent Japanese film “Unplayed Lullaby,” made by a former Cape teacher, will have its world premiere by Hyannis Film Festival, which will host a morning talk session and a film screening. American-born Steven J. Martin — a former teacher at Riverview School on Cape Cod, Cape Cod Academy and Sturgis Charter Public School — moved to Japan and wrote and directed the film, which is co-produced by Martin and his two costars, Nana Akuzawa and Kozue Ito. All three will be part of the events. The film, which explores loss, grief and motherhood through two friends, is set to debut in Tokyo this fall. Cinematographer Manx Taiki Magyar and photographer film colorist Geoffrey Bassett, both from Cape Cod, were part of the production crew.
When: Morning coffee session at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 26; film premiere at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 28
Where: Coffee session at Bread + Roses Café, 302 Main St., Hyannis; premiere at Sturgis Public Charter School, 529 Main St., Hyannis
Admission: $20 in advance, can be purchased on Eventbrite.com; $25 at the door.
Information: https://www.hyannisfilmfestival.com/
Antique dealers show wares in Eastham show
As a fundraiser, the Eastham Historical Society will present its 45th annual Outdoor Antiques Show, hosting 23 dealers from across the Cape and throughout New England. The antiques will represent the 18th, 19th, and early 20th century and include American country furniture, garden antiques, pottery, glassware, paintings, quilts, jewelry, books, decorative items and more. The historical society will also sell items from its collection.
When: 9 a.m. Thursday, July 28
Where: 1869 Schoolhouse Museum, 25 Schoolhouse Road, Eastham
Admission: $5 for adults; 18 and under free
Information: https://www.easthamhistoricalsociety.org/
Greenbriar hosts Family Fun Fair
Thornton W. Burgess Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen will present a Family Fun Fair called “Once Upon a Time.” The fair will feature activities for all ages, including face painting, sack races, bubble art, willow wands, a chance to visit the Green Meadow Forest, and guest performances by Trevor the Juggler and The Jam Band. There will be snacks available, including Cape Cod Ice Cream Pops from The Local Scoop in Orleans, Tacos & Hot Dogs, plus a taste of Green Briar’s jam.
When: 4 p.m. Thursday, July 28
Where: Thornton W. Burgess Society, 6 Discovery Hill Road, East Sandwich
Admission: $15, $10 for children age 2-11, free for children under 2 (but they must have a ticket)
Information: https://thorntonburgess.org/
To have your event considered for a Best Bet, email CapeWeek editor Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at kdriscoll@capecodonline.com. Driscoll contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod to do: festivals, history, books, antiques, brunch, movies
