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Halloween on a Saturday, an hour back on Sunday
Celebrate Lower Cape · October 29–November 4, 2026
Arthur Radtke
October 29, 2026
Halloween gets a whole Saturday this year, and the Lower Cape is using all of it. In Chatham, Eldredge Public Library runs trick-or-treat from 10:30 to 4:30, and the Pumpkin People still sit in Kate Gould Park until Sunday. Brewster has every shop at Lemon Tree Village handing out candy. Wellfleet has a parade at 1, a trunk-or-treat at 3 and Pumpkin Palooza at 6, one after another.
Then the week turns. At 2 a.m. Sunday the clocks go back an hour, and by Monday the sun sets around 4:30. Sunday afternoon has a Schumann piano trio in Orleans and a free hymn sing in Brewster, both a good fit for the first dark Sunday of the year. Monday at 4, Chatham walks a labyrinth in Chase Park in remembrance.
Tuesday is Election Day. Wednesday night, Brooks Free Library hosts a free evening for parents on how to talk to kids about staying safe online. After the candy, the week slows down, and it's worth paying attention.
Reading the week
Saturday is the crowded day, and it's mostly daylight. The Chatham library is open all day, Monster Mash runs 11 a.m.–1 p.m., the Eastham library hands out candy 10 a.m.–4 p.m., and the Wellfleet day goes 1, 3, 6. If you have kids, choose a town first and let the rest of the day follow from that.
Saturday night belongs to the grown-ups. Costume contests run at Hog Island in Orleans, the Wild Goose and the Squire in Chatham, and a disco benefit in Wellfleet. Provincetown's Spooky Bear weekend has its own section below, and nearly all of it is 21+.
Read the small participation details. The Puppet Playgroup is part of a six-week series and requires registration. The free cholesterol screening in Brewster asks you to register and attend the talk first. Provincetown's Adult Community Center wants RSVPs for the Nov. 4 lunch by noon Thursday, Oct. 29. These details can change an outing before it begins.
This Week’s Headlines
Election Day: Massachusetts votes Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early in-person voting ends Friday, Oct. 30. Chatham votes at the Community Center, 702 Main Street, and its Center for Active Living offers free rides 10–11 a.m. (reserve at 508-945-5190). Harwich votes at the Community Center, 100 Oak Street. In Brewster and Orleans, confirm your polling place with the town clerk.
Fall back: Clocks go back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1. All Sunday-and-later times in this issue are the new clock.
Scallops: Chatham’s town notice says bay scallop season opens Nov. 1. Check your permit before you go out.
A last day in Provincetown: Chach on Shank Painter Road closes for good Monday, Nov. 2, after 21 years.
The Seashore commission meets: The Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission meets Monday at 1 p.m. at the Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham, in person and online, for the first time since September 2025.
Book ahead: The Chatham Turkey Trot is $35 through Nov. 6 and $45 after. Order the $10 shirt by Friday, Oct. 30. Provincetown’s Food & Wine Festival starts Nov. 5, next week.
Don’t Sleep On This
A dusk walk, listening for owls. Wellfleet Bay’s Owl Prowl runs 5–6:30 p.m. Friday. A naturalist leads the walk while the light goes, listening for great horned and screech owls. For adults and families with kids 10–17. $14 members; $18 nonmembers. The night before Halloween, it’s as spooky as it gets without a costume.
A Tuesday music session in a schoolhouse. Irish Music & More with Denya LeVine & Friends runs 7–9 p.m. at the Pond Hill School, 65 Old Paine Hollow Road, South Wellfleet. It’s an open session for players and listeners: Irish, Scottish, French, old-time, folk. No cover; donations welcome; bring your own refreshments. Bring an instrument if you play, and bring a friend if you don’t.
An hour on the bridges. Steve Tupper of the Cape Cod Commission talks about the future of Cape Cod’s bridges at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Wellfleet Public Library. Every Cape resident has an opinion on the bridges. This is a chance to hear from someone who works on the plan.
All times are Eastern; clocks fall back Sunday. Follow the event links for tickets or registration. Prices appear where published; remaining seats and schedules can change.
🎃 One Big Thing
Sat, Oct 31 · library trick-or-treat 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Monster Mash 11 a.m.–1 p.m. · Eldredge Public Library and Kate Gould Park, Chatham
Eldredge Public Library, 564 Main Street, is open for trick-or-treating all day: kids through teens, in costume, with Halloween books and plenty of chances to show off. Come any time; you don’t need to register. In the front meeting room, Monster Mash! has kids 5 to 10 draw a monster and then build it out of felt and fur with a grown-up, to take home. Use the Library Lane side entrance.
Walk a block down Main Street to Kate Gould Park, where the Pumpkin People are up through Sunday. All of it is free and within walking distance. Make it a Main Street day: library in the morning, pumpkins at noon, and home before the porch lights go on.
🎨 Arts & Culture
Three openings and two last chances. Go by the light; most of these galleries close by dark.
Sun, Nov 1 · 3–5 p.m. · Wellfleet Adult Community Center, 715 Old Kings Highway
Thirteen years of photographs of the same marsh, all taken from one spot on Old Wharf Point. On the first Sunday after the clocks change, a show about watching the light change is good timing. On view through November. No price is posted.
Thu, Oct 29 · 4–6 p.m. · Castle Hill, Truro
On view through Nov. 20. No price is posted.
Through Sun, Nov 1 · Thu–Fri 4–8 p.m., Sat–Sun noon–5 · Tillies Art & Provisions, 512 Commercial Street, Provincetown
Mixed-media haunted houses with paper windows and moving parts you turn by hand. The final weekend.
Fri, Oct 30 · free 5–8 p.m. · Provincetown Art Association and Museum
Free admission in the evening. The 11 a.m. guided tour is included with $15 admission.
Mon, Nov 2 · 6–7 p.m. · Provincetown Commons, 46 Bradford Street
Geologist and songwriter Katie Castagno sings from Our Queer Elders; Milisa Moses reads from Ocean Effect. Free.
Nov 2–30 · Eastham Public Library, 190 Samoset Road
Most of the work is for sale. The reception is Tuesday, Nov. 3, but the guild and the library list different hours, so confirm before you go.
Through Nov 13 · Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–2 p.m. · 154 Crowell Road, Chatham
🧵 Hands & Habits
November projects start this week. Bring your knitting.
Sun, Nov 1 · 11 a.m.–1 p.m. · Wellfleet Public Library
Bring whatever you’re working on. The circle meets every Sunday in November, so the first one is the easiest to join. Free; no sign-up. The clocks give you an extra hour Sunday morning; this is a good use for it.
Wed, Nov 4 · 5–6:30 p.m. · Wellfleet Public Library
For ages 10 and up and adults. Check the library page for registration and openings.
Wed, Nov 4 · 1–3 p.m. · Truro Public Library, 7 Standish Way, North Truro
Tuesdays, Nov 3–24 · noon–3 p.m. · Wellfleet Preservation Hall
Alston Brown teaches a four-week monologue class through Open University of Wellfleet. $60 for the series; registration required.
🍽 Community & Food
A soup lunch, the last market, a pumpkin to guess, and some practical help.
Mon, Nov 2 · noon–1 p.m., or until the soup runs out · First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street, Wellfleet
Soup, bread, salad and dessert, on the first Monday of every month from October through May. Free; everyone welcome. In a town that empties out in November, this is where to find the people who stay.
Sat, Oct 31 · 9 a.m.–1 p.m. · Ryder Street by Town Hall
The last market of the season. SNAP purchases are matched up to $10 a week.
Through Mon, Nov 2 · 44 Main Street, the Orleans Windmill and Triangle Park, East Orleans
Visit the three giant pumpkins and send in a guess of their weight online. Separately, vote for the best-decorated homes and businesses on the town’s map. The top homes win a holiday wreath from The Farm.
Thu, Oct 29 · noon–1:30 p.m. · Eastham Public Library
Five help stations: phones and tablets, computer fixes, passwords and two-factor login, speed-ups, and a scam-awareness table. Free.
Fri, Oct 30 · 10 a.m.–4 p.m. · Eastham Public Library
Book an appointment through the Cape Cod Healthcare donor portal.
Tue, Nov 3 · 9:30–11:30 a.m. · Harwich Family Pantry, 133 Queen Anne Road
Barnstable County nurses check blood pressure and glucose and answer questions. The consultation is free.
Wed, Nov 4 · 2–3:30 p.m. · Brewster Ladies’ Library, 1822 Main Street
A short talk from county nurses, then a finger-stick test with no fasting. Free; register through the library or at 508-896-3913.
Wed, Nov 4 · 7:30–9 a.m. · Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster
Networking breakfast. Free; get a ticket.
Sat–Sun, Oct 31–Nov 1 · about 8 a.m.–3 p.m., weather permitting · Wellfleet Drive-In, Route 6
The market says it runs until at least the second weekend of November, depending on the weather. Most vendors take cash only.
🎶 Music & Nightlife
A Sunday trio, a Sunday sing, a concert for the season and a lot of costume contests.
Thu, Oct 29 · 5 p.m. · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham
Tlingit artist Kim Moberg retells an Anishinaabe prophecy in song, with a short talk, a video and fiddler Heather Swanson. Best for ages 7 and up. Registration required; the Chatham Cultural Council funded it. It’s a story about choosing a path, and it lands five days before an election.
✦ Lighthouse Chamber Players: Schumann Piano Trio · Sun, Nov 1 · 3 p.m. · Orleans Historical Society. See The 5 Picks in this week’s email.
Sun, Nov 1 · 3:30–4:30 p.m. · Performing Arts Center, 95 Southern Eagle Cartway, Brewster
A community sing with light refreshments. Free.
✦ Irish Music & More · Tue, Nov 3 · 7–9 p.m. · South Wellfleet. See Don’t Sleep On This.
Sat, Oct 31 · 7–10 p.m. · Outermost Performing Arts Center, 2357 Route 6, Wellfleet
Seventies disco, a costume contest and a raffle, as a benefit for the center. $25 general; $75 supporter; $125 benefactor.
🎶 Music & Nightlife at a Glance
Date | Act / program | Venue · Town | Time | Price / booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fri, Oct 30 | Hog Island Beer Co. · Orleans | 6–9 p.m. | See venue | |
Fri, Oct 30 | The Squire · Chatham | 6 p.m. | See venue | |
Fri, Oct 30 | Chatham Bars Inn · Chatham | 8–10 p.m. | $40 incl. one drink; 21+ | |
Fri, Oct 30 | The Barley Neck · East Orleans | 8:30 p.m. | See venue | |
Sat, Oct 31 | Hog Island Beer Co. · Orleans | 7–10 p.m. | Costume contest | |
Sat, Oct 31 | Outermost PAC · Wellfleet | 7–10 p.m. | From $25 | |
Sat, Oct 31 | Wild Goose Tavern · Chatham | 8 p.m.–close | Book a table; contest winners 10:30 | |
Sat, Oct 31 | The Barley Neck · East Orleans | 8:30 p.m. | See venue | |
Sat, Oct 31 | The Squire · Chatham | 9 p.m. | See venue | |
Sun, Nov 1 | Orleans Historical Society · Orleans | 3 p.m. | Tickets on Zeffy | |
Sun, Nov 1 | The Squire · Chatham | 4 p.m. | See venue | |
Tue, Nov 3 | Pond Hill School · Wellfleet | 7–9 p.m. | No cover; donations |
🌿 Nature & History
The last warm-light mornings before the clocks change, and plenty of birds moving through.
Sun, Nov 1 · 10 a.m.–noon · Harwich Conservation Trust
A walk in the woods to find what’s growing on fallen logs and under the leaves after a wet fall. You get an extra hour of sleep and still make it on time. $15; limit 15; register.
Fri, Oct 30 and Tue, Nov 3 · 8–10 a.m. · Harwich Conservation Trust preserves
Friday covers fall migration; Tuesday covers newly arrived waterfowl at Cold Brook and Bell’s Neck. $20; limit 13; register.
Thu, Oct 29 · 10–11 a.m. · Harwich Conservation Trust
$20; limit 15.
✦ Owl Prowl · Fri, Oct 30 · 5–6:30 p.m. · Wellfleet Bay. See Don’t Sleep On This.
Wed, Nov 4 · 8–10 a.m. · Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, 291 Route 6
For adults. $18 members; $22 nonmembers.
Tue–Wed, Nov 3–4 · morning and afternoon sessions · Harwich Conservation Trust
A babywearing walk for new parents, and a nature hour for ages 2–5. Free; registration required; small groups.
📚 Talks, Books & Big Ideas
Bridges, a medieval mystic, a civic film and a federal commission meeting.
Mon, Nov 2 · 1–2:30 p.m. · Center for the Spiritual Journey, 880 Main Street, Chatham
Hildegard von Bingen, a 12th-century abbess, heard next to Pärt, Tavener and Messiaen. This is the third of four sessions, and it’s fine to join midway. $25 a session; $100 for the series. It’s a good way to spend the first early-dark afternoon.
✦ The Future of Cape Cod’s Bridges · Thu, Oct 29 · 3 p.m. · Wellfleet. See Don’t Sleep On This.
Thu, Oct 29 · 11 a.m.–noon · Wellfleet Public Library
Thu, Oct 29 · 6:30 p.m. · Outermost Performing Arts Center, Wellfleet
Indivisible Outer Cape screens a 2026 documentary about civic action and voting rights. Free.
Mon, Nov 2 · 1 p.m. · Salt Pond Visitor Center, 50 Nauset Road, Eastham
Its 318th meeting, open to the public in person and by teleconference, with time for public comment at the end.
Tue, Nov 3 · 2 p.m. · Online, through Eldredge, Eastham and Truro libraries
Tue, Nov 3 · 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. · Center for the Spiritual Journey, Chatham
$10 suggested; no one turned away.
✦ Keeping Kids Safe Online · Wed, Nov 4 · 5:30 p.m. · Brooks Free Library, Harwich. See The 5 Picks in this week’s email.
🎭 Theater & Film
A ghost hunter on stage, five horror films in a row and a detective who stays through November.
Thu, Oct 29 · from 11:45 a.m. · Chatham Orpheum Theater, 637 Main Street
Poltergeist, Misery, The Ring, Scream and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, back to back, with five-to-ten-minute breaks in between. One pass gets you into all five, and you can come and go. You can also buy single films. It’s a full Thursday in the dark, and most of these you’ve only seen on a small screen.
✦ True Tales of the Paranormal with Adam Berry · Thu, Oct 29 · 7:30 p.m. · Cape Rep, Brewster. See The 5 Picks in this week’s email.
Fri–Sat, Oct 30–31 · 7 p.m.; Sun, Nov 1 · 2 p.m. · Cape Cod Theatre Company, 105 Division Street, West Harwich
Sherlock Holmes, with a cast that finds you before you find your seat. It runs through Nov. 8. Box office 508-432-2002; EBT and WIC cardholders get 50% off.
Fri, Oct 30 · 1–3 p.m. · Brooks Free Library, Harwich
Capra’s murderous-aunts comedy, for adults. Free; popcorn; no registration. The Addams Family (1991) plays Saturday at 1 for all ages.
Fri, Oct 30 · noon–2 p.m. · Brewster Council on Aging, 1673 Main Street
Pizza, a spooky film and a prize for the best costume. Free; register at 508-896-2737.
Mon, Nov 2 · 1–3 p.m. · Wellfleet Adult Community Center, 715 Old Kings Highway
Stanley Tucci plans a Mona Lisa heist. Rated TV-MA. Free; RSVP so they can make enough popcorn.
👨👩👧 Family & Little Ones
Halloween comes early on Friday and runs all day Saturday. Wellfleet makes a full day of it.
Sat, Oct 31 · parade 1 p.m.; trunk-or-treat 3–6 p.m.; Pumpkin Palooza 6–8 p.m. · Town Hall, Wellfleet Drive-In and Preservation Hall
The costume parade leaves Town Hall at 1 and ends with a party at Baker’s Field, with free refreshments. No bikes or scooters on the route. At 3, the Trunk or Treat Festival fills the Drive-In lot, with free hot dogs and cider. The organizer says it starts at 3; the town calendar says 3:30. At 6, Pumpkin Palooza at Preservation Hall has outdoor games, a pumpkin maze, a dance party and a cash bar for the parents. All free. A small town that puts on three parties in one day is showing you how much it cares about its kids.
✦ Chatham library trick-or-treat and Monster Mash · Sat, Oct 31. See One Big Thing.
Fri, Oct 30 · 10:30–11 a.m. · Brooks Free Library, 739 Main Street, Harwich
A story and some songs, then little ones march to Town Hall to trick-or-treat. Free; no registration.
Sat, Oct 31 · all day · 1069 Route 6A, Brewster
Every shop hands out candy.
Sat, Oct 31 · 10 a.m.–4 p.m. · Eastham Public Library
Three stops: the adult desk, the children’s desk and the director’s office. Babies through young adults.
Thu–Fri, Oct 29–30 · open hours · Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster
Hands-on science activities, free with admission.
Mon, Nov 2 · 10–11 a.m. · Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street
Miss Mary’s puppets, songs and stories. Free; registration required at 508-240-3310.
Tue, Nov 3 · 10:15–11 a.m. · Eastham Public Library
Up to age 3, with a grown-up. No registration. Last week’s session was cancelled, but this one is on.
Wed, Nov 4 · 10:30 a.m. · Truro Public Library
🐻 Spooky Bear in Provincetown
Provincetown’s Halloween bear weekend runs Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. Most of it is 21+, and the ticketed shows are selling.
Thu, Oct 29 · 7–9 p.m. · Crown & Anchor Restaurant & Courtyard, 247 Commercial Street
Free pumpkins and carving tools while they last, with live music. No cover.
Fri, Oct 30 · 7 p.m. · Red Room, 258 Commercial Street
$35 general; $45 VIP, plus fees. Only a few VIP seats were left Wednesday.
Sat, Oct 31 · 7 p.m. · Red Room
An adults-only Halloween cabaret. $35 general; $45 VIP, plus fees.
Sat, Oct 31 · 8–10 p.m. · Crown & Anchor Restaurant & Courtyard
Jarvis Derrell hosts a Halloween cabaret with Alexander Zenoz, the Birds of Paradise and a live band. No cover.
Sat, Oct 31 · from 9 p.m. · Crown & Anchor
A Roaring Twenties ball with a $500 costume prize. Ticketed; the price is on the Crown’s page.
Sat, Oct 31 · 10 p.m. · Red Room
Three themed club rooms and a $1,000 costume prize. The cheapest presale tickets are gone; $25–$35 tickets and $120 VIP remained Wednesday, plus fees.
🌊 Out Toward the Tip
Eastham: The tech help fair is Thursday at noon, and the blood drive runs all day Friday. On Saturday, kids trick-or-treat at the library from 10 to 4. On Monday, the Seashore Advisory Commission meets at Salt Pond at 1, and the Painters Guild show opens at the library.
Wellfleet: This is the town to spend the week in. On Thursday there’s the bridges talk at 3, and the Historical Society’s lantern-lit ghost tour leaves the museum at 8 p.m. ($20; 15 people max). On Friday the Owl Prowl starts at 5. Saturday is the three-shift Halloween, with the disco benefit at 7 for the grown-ups. Sunday has the knitting circle at 11 and the marsh photographs at 3. Monday has soup at noon and Masterplan at 1. Tuesday’s music session starts at 7.
Truro: Castle Hill opens Stephen Tarantal’s shaped canvases Thursday, 4–6 p.m. The library’s November calendar has mahjong Tuesday at 1. Wednesday has storytime at 10:30, free medication appointments with Honest Pharmacist at 11 and crochet at 1. Truro is quiet on the weekend, so enjoy that.
Provincetown: Spooky Bear runs Thursday through Sunday (see above). Saturday morning is the last farmers’ market of the year, and Sunday is the last day of Kelly Knight’s haunted houses at Tillies. Monday brings the OUTWASH panel at 6 and the last day at Chach. The Adult Community Center’s November calendar is posted (508-487-7080). Starred programs need registration, and it’s offering rides to the polls Tuesday.
🗓 The Week Beyond the Weekend
Day | A daytime anchor | A later option |
|---|---|---|
Mon, Nov 2 | Community Lunch · Wellfleet · noon; free, or Hildegard · Chatham · 1 p.m.; $25 | Walk of Remembrance · Chatham · 4 p.m., or OUTWASH panel · Provincetown · 6 p.m.; free |
Tue, Nov 3 | Vote, 7 a.m.–8 p.m., then waterfowl with Peter Trull · Harwich · 8 a.m.; $20 | Irish Music & More · Wellfleet · 7 p.m.; donations |
Wed, Nov 4 | Cholesterol Basics + free screening · Brewster · 2 p.m.; register | Keeping Kids Safe Online · Harwich · 5:30 p.m.; free, childcare, or Metal Nightlight Workshop · Wellfleet · 5 p.m. |
Arthur’s note: Every year we get one Saturday when the whole town knocks on its neighbors’ doors, and one Sunday when the clock hands us an hour back. This year they fall on back-to-back days, and Election Day comes right after. Give the costume its day, spend the extra hour on something slow, and then go vote. Next week the Provincetown Food & Wine Festival opens, and the Lower Cape starts thinking about Thanksgiving.
— Arthur
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