Valentine events, concerts, creatures & pirates: 15 things to do on Cape Cod Feb. 11-17
It may be the dead of winter, but there is so much to do, both in person and virtual. And it's a big weekend as Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine's Day collide.
One Valentine's Day idea here means spending part of the day with a turtle, but other options are a love-centric concert, and a program of poetry and music. For different musical tastes, there are other concerts to enjoy this weekend, too.
More ideas include art shows; talks on flowers, owls, bees and history; and if you're daring, take a plunge in the ocean for a good cause.
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Here are some ideas for the week:
Highfield Hall & Gardens: Explore the art of collecting
Highfield Hall & Gardens' theme as it reopens for 2022 is “Collectors Collecting Collections,” which explores what people collect, why and how. Thematically organized into four parts, the collection series launches with “Part 1, Natural World," which includes pages from the 1953 herbarium of plants and trees that once grew around Highfield Hall, selected plates from a facsimile of "The Temple of Flora," a drawing collection depicting a forest over a period of time and rare Russian boxes with nature and fairytale imagery. The exhibit introduces the concept of "collecting as a pursuit" and its Italian Renaissance origins with the inclusion of an unusual cabinet of curiosities and its menagerie of animals and rare artifacts. Parts 2-4 will debut later this year.
When: gallery hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday
Where: Highfield Hall & Gardens, 56 Highfield Drive, Falmouth
Admission: $10
Information: https://highfieldhallandgardens.org
Wild Care: Spend Valentine's Day with bachelor turtle Garv
Wild Care wildlife rehabilitation organization invites donors to a turtle talk and lunch with a bachelor turtle named Garv. He is an eastern box turtle that was brought to Wild Care in need of medical care in winter 2015. Because he was deemed too tame to be released back to the wild, he has become an educational ambassador. A $10 donation made through Sunday gets a personalized e-valentine for the Valentine's Day mean on Monday on Facebook Live. Wild Care’s executive director Stephanie Ellis will host and discuss all things turtle. Questions are welcome.
When: Donations can be made through Sunday; lunch at noon Monday
Where: Facebook Live event; presentation will be recorded and available to watch afterwards on Wild Care's YouTube page @wildcarecapecod for anyone who does not have Facebook.Online event
Information: https://wildcarecapecod.org
Wellfleet Adult Community Center: Celebrate 'Works in Wax' at artist reception
The Wellfleet Adult Community Center will host an artist reception for "Works in Wax," a showcase of artwork by Janet Lesniak, which is on display through Feb. 28. Lesniak is executive director of Wellfleet Preservation Hall but also a trained therapist and lifelong creative, with her life and work, according to the center, inspired by a commitment to healing and wellness through creativity and community engagement. The show is a collage of work created using encaustic paint, oil pigment sticks and cold wax, including remembered landscapes, furniture, flowers, nests and abstract expressions.
When: 4-6 p.m. Friday for reception; center is open for exhibit viewing 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
Where: Wellfleet Adult Community Center, 715 Old Kings Highway
Information: 508-349-0313
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Mass Audubon Cape Cod: Learn about winter 'marsh owls'
The diversity of owl species in Massachusetts increases during the winter months, and winter owls are often seen on Cape Cod during twilight hours at salt marshes at this time of year. An online presentation sponsored by Mass Audubon Cape Cod will focus on three species: snowy owl, short-eared owl and long-eared owl. Speakers will be Scott Santino, a teacher and naturalist for Audubon's North Shore Region; and Sean Riley, forest and park supervisor for the Department of Conservation and Recreation's Belle Isle Marsh Reservation and Rumney Marsh. Discussion will include what's being done to help and support "marsh owls."
When: 7-8:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Online event
Admission: $10
Information: https://bit.ly/MarshOwls211
Will Evans plays at Cape Cod Beer
Will Evans, frontman for the New England-based roots-rock band Barefoot Truth, will be joined by musician John Beninghof for a show at Cape Cod Beer. Evans employs live-looping that showcase his skills as a multi-instrumentalist, including the didgeridoo, steel drums, percussive beatboxing, acoustic guitar and layers of vocals. Beer, wine, cider, cocktails and soda will be available for purchase, as well as small bites from JP’s Twisted BBQ. Tables and general admission standing room will be available.
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinney's Lane, Hyannis
Admission: $15-$35
Information: https://capecodbeer.com
Gosnold Behavioral Health System holds 'Freezin' for a Reason' polar plunge
Freezin' for a Reason, Gosnold Behavioral Health System's annual polar plunge event, will again raise funds for Gosnold's addiction and mental health work. Event organizers hope to raise $25,000 this year. After participants run into the chilly waters off Falmouth Heights Beach, a complimentary “Warm-Up” will follow. Those interested in donating without going into the water can visit the event page to make a contribution.
When: 11 a.m. Saturday for registration and check-in; opening remarks at 11:45 a.m.; the plunge at noon.
Where: Falmouth Heights Beach, Grand Avenue
Admission: $30
Information: https://bit.ly/GosPlunge22
Albino Mbie gives Afro-pop and Moz-jazz concert
Albino Mbie is an award-winning musician, guitarist, singer, composer, and sound and mixing engineer born in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. He will bring music to South Yarmouth that incorporates his musical experiences from Mozambique, the U.S. and many other places around the world, combining rhythmic patterns and musical concepts to create a unique Afro-pop and Moz-jazz sound.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth
Admission: $25
Information: https://cultural-center.org
Cape and Island Orchid Society: Talk orchids with the orchidPhile
The Cape and Island Orchid Society will host Carri Raven-Riemann, "the orchidPhile," at its monthly meeting, which is open to the public. Raven-Riemann's presentation “Is That Really a Phalaenopsis?" will cover new directions in phalaenopsis hybridizing, touching on their breeding background and covering their growth habits, their fragrance and/or flower presentation as it differs from the average phalaenopsis. Plants will be available for purchase via pre-order and during the meeting.
When: 12:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: St. David’s Episcopal Church, 205 Old Main St., South Yarmouth
Information: https://caios.org/
Voices of Poetry: Program focuses on love in verse and music
The Voices of Poetry group will present an afternoon of poetry and music in celebration of all aspects of love, just in time for Valentine's Day. "Words of Love" will feature poets Kristin Knowles, Chuck Madansky, Gloria Monaghan and Wilderness Sarchild, along with fiddler Rose Clancy and clarinetist Monika Veress. Sea Howl Bookshop will provide copies of the poets' books for sale at this event.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Orleans Modern Art, 85 Route 6A
Admission: $15 suggested donation
Information: https://orleansmodern.com
Robbie Pate plays Nat King Cole
Jazz vocalist and pianist Robbie Pate will pay tribute to the music of Nat King Cole in a musical program titled "L-O-V-E." Pate will be joined by Jacob Hiser on piano, John D'Amico on guitar, Alex Bilodeau on bass and Ryan Sands on drums.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., South Yarmouth
Admission: $25
Information: https://cultural-center.org
Concert continues 'Masterpieces at the Meetinghouse' series
The “Masterpieces at the Meetinghouse” music series continues this month with a concert by Quartett Giocosa, featuring Heather Goodchild Wade on violin, and Elizabeth Schultze and Bo Ericsson on cello. The Schultze-Ericsson Cello Duo will play music by Kummer and Gliere, as well as duets for violin and cello by Paganini and Viotti, some Bach from the solo cello suites, and a new arrangement of "The Entertainer" for solo violin, arranged and performed by Heather Goodchild Wade. The program will conclude with a Handel trio for violin, cello and continuo. The monthly series continues through June 12.
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: South Harwich Meetinghouse, 270 Chatham Road, Harwich
Admission: $25
Information: http://southharwichmeetinghouse.com
Group plays 'Music To Touch Our Hearts'
An all-classical program for cello, clarinet and piano will feature songs of love and romance as part of the Cape Cod Museum of Art's Music and More series. The concert, "Music To Touch Our Hearts,” will have clarinetist Monika Woods, cellist Lisa Gross and pianist Abigail Field performing works by Finzi, Poulenc, Piazzola, Liszt, Villa-Lobos, Faure, Purcell and Debussy. Tickets include the option to watch the livestream concert from home.
When: 3-4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis
Admission: $18
Information: https://ccmoa.org
Discover the secret life of bees with the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association
Deb Carmel of the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association will be the guest speaker at a meeting of the Garden Club of Yarmouth that is open to the public. Carmel will discuss how honeybees grow, live cooperatively in their hives and the important role honeybees and other pollinators play in the ecosystem. Carmel will include slides on how to create a safe environment for bees using shrubs and native plants, and she will share ways to protect these busy little bees and encourage them and other pollinators to visit perennial flower beds.
When: 1 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Yarmouth Senior Center, 528 Forest Road
Admission: $5 donation
Information: https://gardenclubofyarmouth.org
'The Finest Hours' author Casey Sherman commemorates the 70th anniversary
The Atwood Museum will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Pendleton Rescue with a virtual talk by Casey Sherman. He is co-author of the book "The Finest Hours" (which became a movie partially filmed locally) about the historic Coast Guard rescue on Feb. 18, 1952 of seamen stranded in the waters off Chatham.
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Zoom event
Admission: $10
Information: https://chathamhistoricalsociety.org
Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos: Discover the women behind the pirates
Author, historian and journalist Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos will give a talk about her research that corrects long-held beliefs about pirate life and brings to light the strong women behind these men. Her book is "The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates’ Wives, Families, and Communities." Registration for the in-person event is required.
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Sturgis Library, 3090 Main St., Barnstable
Admission: Free, but registration required
Information: https://sturgislibrary.org
For your event to be considered for Best Bets, contact Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll at kdriscoll@capecodonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod things to do Feb. 11-17 Valentine's events, concerts, talks
