Planes, cars, sea creatures & a dance party: 15 top things to do on Cape Cod June 10-16

Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll, Cape Cod Times
·11 min read

The natural world is a big focus for things to do this week, with three book-related events about ocean creatures, and a food truck festival to raise money to help them; a garden talk and a look at plants in ponds; and an expert revealing secrets about why birds sing.

Music fans will find an Afro-Caribbean concert in Mashpee and dance party in Hyannis; a classical concert in South Harwich; the Chatham Chorale and an organist in Chatham; and a top finger-style guitarist in South Yarmouth. Other highlights include a party at the Chatham airport, an art exhibit opening in Provincetown, a classic car show in Sandwich, and an author on book tour with a beach read set on Cape Cod. Take a look:

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Events bring Falmouth community together to read

The Falmouth Public Library will hold two events this week in connection with its 2022 Falmouth Reads Together book pick “The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness” by Sy Montgomery. The documentary film “My Octopus Teacher” will screen, followed by a book discussion several days later.

What: film at 2 p.m. Friday; discussion at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 16

Where: Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main St.

Admission: Free (registration required)

Information: https://www.falmouthpubliclibrary.org/; 508-457-2555

The Afro-Caribbean band Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra will give two Cape concerts in connection with its residency with music students at Mashpee Middle High School.
The Afro-Caribbean band Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra will give two Cape concerts in connection with its residency with music students at Mashpee Middle High School.

Orchestra plays Caribbean sounds for outdoor concert and dance party

The Afro-Caribbean band Alex Torres and his Latin Orchestra will give two Cape concerts in connection with its residency with music students at Mashpee Middle High School. On Friday, the group will play a “Live Music Night at the Bandstand” concert at Mashpee Commons, featuring some of the local students. Lawn chairs and blankets welcome for listeners. On Saturday, the orchestra will lead an outdoor dance party at Cape Cod Beer in Hyannis, with food and beverages. All ages are welcome to both. The 12-piece orchestra led by Bronx-born Torres has performed for hundreds of festivals, performing arts centers and events around the country, playing salsa, merengue, cha-cha, bomba, plena and Latin jazz.

When and where: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Mashpee Commons bandstand, 45 Staple St.; 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinneys Lane, Hyannis

Admission: Free in Mashpee; $20 at Cape Cod Beer

Information and reservations: for Friday, https://mashpeecommons.com/upcoming-events/; for Saturday, https://www.eventbrite.com (in case of rain for the dance party, only people with advance tickets will be admitted to relocation indoors); https://alextorres.com/home

Philip Malicoat's "The Chess Players" will be part of a new exhibit at Provincetown Art Association and Museum.
Philip Malicoat's "The Chess Players" will be part of a new exhibit at Provincetown Art Association and Museum.

Artist Malicoat’s large works on view at Provincetown museum

This is the opening weekend for a new exhibit at Provincetown Art Association and Museum called “Philip Malicoat: Large Works,” with an opening reception on Friday. The exhibit celebrates the work of Malicoat, considered the patriarch of a large family of Provincetown artists spanning multiple generations dating back to the early 1900s. The exhibit is curated by two of the artist's granddaughters, Breon Dunigan and Robena Malicoat. Unlike smaller landscapes, Malicoat’s large paintings, including still lifes and figural assemblages, have remained in his family so have been rarely seen.

When: reception 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, exhibit on view through July 24

Where: Provincetown Art Association & Museum, 460 Commercial St.

Tickets: Free to reception, museum admission for exhibit at other times

Information: https://paam.org/

Internationally known organist Katelyn Emerson will perform Friday at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Chatham
Internationally known organist Katelyn Emerson will perform Friday at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Chatham

St. Christopher’s Church to host organist Katelyn Emerson

Internationally known organist Katelyn Emerson will perform Friday at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Chatham on the church’s new Dobson pipe organ. She has played concerts in North America, Europe, and Asia, showcasing a repertoire that ranges from the 14th to the 21st centuries.

When: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: St. Christopher’s Church Episcopal Church, 625 Main St., Chatham

Admission: Free

Information: https://www.stchristopherschatham.org/, 508-945-2832; https://www.katelynemerson.com/

Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto — a guitarist and composer who fuses folk, jazz and world music — will present both a concert and class at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod.
Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto — a guitarist and composer who fuses folk, jazz and world music — will present both a concert and class at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod.

Guitarist to give concert, workshop

Guitarist Hiroya Tsukamoto — a guitarist and composer who fuses folk, jazz and world music — will present both a concert and class at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. Born and raised in Japan, Tsukamoto came to the U.S. in 2000 to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, and has since played internationally, including the Blue Note in New York City, the United Nations, and on Japanese national television. He is a second-place winner of the International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship and will present an acoustic guitar workshop, demonstrating that finger-style technique, including chords and basic theory, and talk about elements of music and the importance of practice.

When: concert 8 p.m. Friday; class 12:30-1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth

Tickets: $25 for concert only; $40 for workshop; $55 for combination ticket

Reservations and information: www.cultural-center.org or 508-394-7100

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Chatham airport celebrates transportation at open house

The Chatham Municipal Airport will host an Open House with a theme of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" that will include displays of aircraft, including an antique World War II War Bird and military aircraft; a display on aircraft maintenance; a Nauset Model Railroad working display; vehicles from the Model A Ford Club of Cape Cod and other car clubs. There will also be representatives from the Chatham fire and police departments, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; music, including by the Chatham Band and Cape Cod Ukulele Club; and kids activities, including face-painting. An aerial tribute is planned for Gail Halverson, known as the Berlin “Candy Bomber.” Food trucks will be on hand for refreshments and there will be a charity raffle for Monomoy Community Services.

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Chatham Municipal Airport, 240 George Ryder Road

Admission: Free

Information: https://chathamairport.com/, 508-945-9000, https://www.facebook.com/CQX122.8 (under Cape Cod Flying Circus)

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Auto show marks golden anniversary

Heritage Museums & Gardens will hold its 50th annual auto show highlighting antique and classic automobiles, hot rods, and custom cars in excellent original or restored condition. To connect with this year’s special exhibition in the museums, “Creating Cape Cod,” the auto show will highlight Woodie wagons.

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (rain date Sunday); parade of cars at 2 p.m.

Where: Heritage Museums & Gardens, 67 Grove St., Sandwich

Tickets: Show is free with museum admission ($21, $11 for ages 3-17), but tickets must be purchased or reserved online in advice and will be date and time specific (10 a.m. to noon, noon to 2 p.m, with all visitors allowed to stay until the museum closes at 5 p.m.)

Reservations and information: https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/

Food trucks to help injured animals

The National Marine Life Center will host its first annual Food Truck Festival fundraiser, with trucks offering food that will include ice cream, pizza, kettle corn and more. There will also be face painting, live music, a petting zoo, and local crafters. NMLC’s Discovery Center will also be open. All funds raised will help NMLC’s mission of rehabilitating and releasing sick and injured seals and sea turtles.

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: National Marine Life Center, 120 Main St., Buzzards Bay

Admission: $5 for ages 5 and older

Pre-ordered tickets and information: https://nmlc.org/food-truck-festival/

Outside: Hiking Cape Cod: The Maple Swamp Conservation Area in Sandwich

Kristin Higgins will stop at four Cape Cod bookstores over a week to talk about her Cape-set beach read "Out of the Clear Blue Sky."
Kristin Higgins will stop at four Cape Cod bookstores over a week to talk about her Cape-set beach read "Out of the Clear Blue Sky."

A beach read about our beaches

Bestselling author and annual Cape Cod summer visitor Kristan Higgins will stop at four local bookstores to talk about "Out of the Clear Blue Sky," set on the Outer Cape. Her 22nd novel is a story of reinvention that focuses on a nurse-midwife whose husband dumps her on the day their only child leaves for college, and she finds support and friendship from three unlikely sources.

When and where: 2 p.m. Saturday at Where the Sidewalk Ends, 432 Main St. Chatham; 11 a.m. Sunday at Perks Coffee Shop & Beer Garden, 545 Route 28, Harwich Port, hosted by Below the Brine Bookstore, Harwich Port; 6 p.m. Monday, East End Books, 389 Commercial St., Provincetown; 3 p.m. Friday, June 17 at Brewster Book Store, 2648 Main St.

Admission: Free to most; Harwich Port is ticketed event

Information: http://www.booksonthecape.com/; https://www.belowthebrinebookshop.com; https://www.eastendbooksptown.com/; https://brewsterbookstore.com/

Accompanist Donald Enos, left, and Music Director Joe Marchio will be part of a "Let Music Live!" concert by the Chatham Chorale.
Accompanist Donald Enos, left, and Music Director Joe Marchio will be part of a "Let Music Live!" concert by the Chatham Chorale.

Chatham Chorale presents 'Let Music Live'

The Chatham Chorale, its chamber singers, music director/organist Joseph Marchio, pianists Donald Enos and Anne Franciose Perrault, and flugelhorn player Joe Mongelli will join for three concerts titled "Let Music Live" to spotlight "the life-enhancing power of music." The program includes works by Brahms, Bernstein, Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Charles Ives, Joseph Martin and Randall Thompson.

When: 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: First Congregational Church 650 Main St., Chatham

Tickets: $25, free for under age 18

Reservations and information: 774-212-9333, www.chathamchorale.org/tickets info@chathamchorale.org. (Masking is optional, proof of COVID-19 vaccination required.)

Edie Widder, ocean explorer and author of “Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea,” will do a reading and give an interview Saturday in Woods Hole.
Edie Widder, ocean explorer and author of “Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea,” will do a reading and give an interview Saturday in Woods Hole.

Ocean explorer discusses depths of the sea

Edie Widder, ocean explorer and author of “Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea,” will do a book-signing Saturday and then be the guest for the “Dispatches From An Ocean Planet” summer series presented in Woods Hole. Widder will do a reading and be in conversation with Sam Harp, vice president for advancement for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, in a program introduced by WHOI marine biologist Larry Madin. Her book takes readers deep into the Earth’s oceans as Widder pursues questions about bioluminescence.

When and where: book-signing 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Falmouth Public Library, 300 Main St.; and book-signing, Q&A and signing 4-5 p.m. Saturday at Redfield Auditorium, WHOI, 45 Water St., Woods Hole

Admission: Free

Reservations and information: https://events.whoi.edu/belowtheedgeofdarknessopen

Pianist Dan Berlinghoff, co-founder of The Music Project, will be part of a concert at the South Harwich Meetinghouse playing an instrument he donated.
Pianist Dan Berlinghoff, co-founder of The Music Project, will be part of a concert at the South Harwich Meetinghouse playing an instrument he donated.

Concert features musicians with NYC experience

The Music Project will present a program of three trios with clarinet, piano and violin/voila featuring music by Milhaud, Schumann, Mozart and Martinu as the final concert in this year's "Masterpieces at the Meetinghouse" series. Musicians will include pianist Dan Berlinghoff, co-founder of The Music Project (playing its 100 New York City subscription concerts, plus radio broadcasts, festivals and tours) and former Broadway and off-Broadway accompanist who was instrumental in developing the first "Masterpieces" series and donor of the meetinghouse’s historic Steinway that he will be playing. Other musicians will be Yevgenia Strenger on violin, former concertmaster with the New York City Opera; Sander Strenger, a soloist with several symphony orchestras, on viola; and Steve Hartman, principal clarinet in the New York City Ballet Orchestra.

When: 3 p.m. Sunday

Where: South Harwich Meetinghouse, 270 Chatham Road

Admission: $25

Reservations and information: southharwichmeetinghouse.com, 508-364-5223 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/masterpieces-at-the-meetinghouse-the-music-project-tickets-228671652067. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masks are required.

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Learn how to spot invasive plants in ponds

“Is that plant supposed to be here?” is the name of a free Weed Watcher Workshop, hosted by the Brewster Ponds Coalition on how to identify invasive aquatic plants, understand how they spread, and what to do if you find them. Jim Straub and Tim Flannery from the state Department of Conservation & Recreation Lakes & Ponds Program will lead the two-hour program aimed at helping maintain the health of local ponds and catch problems early. Participants are encouraged to bring plants (rooted or floating) from their own ponds.

When: 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, June 15

Where: First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist Church, 1969 Main St., Brewster

Admission: Free (but participation limited)

Registration: https://tinyurl.com/y66j94sa

Information: https://www.brewsterponds.org

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Why do birds sing? Expert tells all

Local naturalist Phil Kyle will talk about “Why Birds Sing” for the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, exploring how birds use song, call notes and behavior to communicate with each other. His talk includes slides and his own carvings.

When: 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 16

Where: Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, 869 Main St. (Route 6A), Brewster

Tickets: $10

Reservations and information: https://www.ccmnh.org/

Author to talk about “Women and Gardens” at Highfield

As part of Highfield Hall & Gardens’ summer Garden Talk series, Marion Mako, author and professional gardener in the United Kingdom will talk about “Women and Gardens,” from Adam and Eve through modern gardeners. Inspired by various historical styles, Mako has explored estates in the U.K. and Europe and will use photos and archive materials in her presentation, followed by a Q&A.

When: 4 p.m. Thursday, June 16

Where: Highfield Hall & Gardens, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth

Tickets: $30, $20 for members

Reservations and information: https://highfieldhallandgardens.org/

To have your event considered for Best Bets, send information to bestbets@capecodonline.com at least two weeks before the CapeWeek publication. Contact editor Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at kdriscoll@capecodonline.com.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod things to do: Planes, cars, ocean creatures, music June 10-16