🐚 Sundaes, studio strolls, and a DIY falafel love story

Author

Arthur Radtke
April 30, 2025

Together with

Good Morning, Neighbor 🌞

It’s official: the flip has switched. May has landed on the Lower Cape like a golden retriever at the beach — full of joy, kind of sandy, and ready to make every day a story worth telling.

If this is your first time reading Celebrate Lower Cape — well, it’s ours too. And we’re glad you’re here.

This newsletter was born out of a simple idea: what if someone just told you all the best stuff happening around Orleans, Brewster, Chatham, and Harwich — without the fluff, without the digging, and definitely without the feeling that you're reading a town memo from 1997?

We skip the fluff. You get the good stuff — parades, pizza, pop-ups, concerts, cottages, croissants, and more.

This week?
🌸 Brewster goes big with art, music, and a chowder-fueled spring festival
🎶 Orleans turns up the volume with live music all weekend
🎨 Chatham’s artists fill the town with color — indoors and out
🧘 Harwich brings the calm with yoga, concerts, and a Baptiste masterclass
🏡 Five homes in Orleans make jaws drop
🍕 And 3 Fools serves up the pizza everyone’s whispering about

We’re just getting started — and we’d love to hear what you think.

So pour a mug, pop your sandals on, and let’s see what’s up.

🌊 “Wait… That’s in Orleans?”

Five stunning homes that made us stop and stare
Sponsored by Radtke & Associates – local insight, not just listings

📍 71 Towhee Lane · $10.75M
Perched on Pleasant Bay with a pool, spa, deeded beach, and boathouse. Inside? Coffered ceilings, Wolf/Sub-Zero kitchen, and sliders that open to that unreal view. Bonus: a full cabana with its own bath + kitchenette.

📍 77 Towhee Lane · $9.99M
They call it Pleasant Dreams — and it delivers. A 2.5-acre estate with a guest cottage, boathouse, and 345 feet of private shoreline. Everything’s built for gathering — and unwinding.

📍 64 Pershing Lane · $6.99M
Brand-new and already buzzed about. This Mayflower Point beauty comes with a saltwater pool, elevator, 14-ft island, and stairs that lead straight to the water’s edge.

📍 30 Deer Run · $5.99M
Wide-open views from Mill Pond to Nauset Light. Renovated in 2024 with a mooring, pool, vaulted ceilings, and sliders that flood the place with light and salt air.

📍 40 Toms Hollow Lane · $5.9M
Tucked into nearly 4 acres on Little Pleasant Bay. Private beach, historic boathouse, and a timeless home made for long dinners and quiet mornings.

✨ Not planning to buy a $10M home?
But it’s fun to peek behind the curtain — and these homes tell you a lot about where the market’s headed.

Curious what this all means for your street, your neighborhood, or your plans?
Arthur’s happy to chat — no pressure, no pitches.

📞 (774) 209-6032
📧 [email protected]

3 Fools — Orleans

Missing this place? That’s on you. And honestly... it oughta be a misdemeanor.

3 Fools isn’t just good — it’s pull-over-before-you-hit-the-rotary good.

The Firebird pizza brings the heat — crispy edges, perfect char, and a sweet little sting from the honeyed jalapeños. The lemonade? Tastes like someone squeezed it out back and meant it. And if the eggplant parm or crispy wings don’t reel you in, the Tramonto pizza will — roasted garlic, ricotta, spinach, tomato… it’s basically a local love letter in pie form.

They’ve got gluten-free down so well you forget it’s gluten-free.
The all-day egg sandwich is Cape Cod breakfast gospel.
And the falafel? Green, herby, crunchy — like they plucked it out of a cookbook written by your favorite neighbor.

Easy ordering, honest prices, and a crew that’ll treat you like family — whether you’re sandy from Nauset or running errands in your beat-up hoodie.

But don’t wait too long. The good stuff flies fast, and half the town already knows. If it’s not in your regular rotation yet, it will be.

📍 82 Main St, Orleans
🧭 @3foolsorleans

⛵ Ahoy, young sailors! The Orleans Yacht Club is gearing up for its 65th year of the Junior Sailing Program, and this summer is shaping up to be their best yet.

Designed for kids ages 8–16, the program mixes skill-building with sun-soaked fun — think racing, knots, games on the docks, and the occasional water balloon ambush. Many of today’s adult skippers got their sea legs here.

What’s even better? Thanks to the Robert Radtke Memorial Fund, scholarships are available for local families — because we believe every kid should have a chance to learn the ropes.

Spring doesn’t just arrive in Brewster — it throws a party.
Music in the streets. Chowder in the air. Art around every corner.
Neighbors popping up like daffodils — waving, hugging, catching up after the long Cape winter.

And it all starts tomorrow.

FRIDAY warms things up.
🌿 Pick up a free herb plant at Allard Farm (and maybe win a hydrangea).
🖼 Galleries and studios swing open their doors.
🍦DIY sundae bar at the Council on Aging — you’re never too old for whipped cream.
🍽 At 5 PM, the Ocean Edge Tasting Showcase begins — nine local restaurants, one pass, all the flavor.
🎶 At 7 PM, the Brewster Band brings Broadway and movie classics to life.

SATURDAY brings the buzz.
🏃‍♀️ Start your morning with the 5K.
🛍 Head to the green for the Juried Arts & Crafts Show — 86+ vendors, food, and sunshine vibes.
📚 All over town: garden demos, storytime, pet clinics, author signings… and chowder at JT’s.
🎩 Bayzo’s Derby Party brings mint juleps, bold hats, and Southern snacks.

SUNDAY wraps it with a bow.
🥞 Start with brunch.
🎉 At 1 PM, it’s the big parade on Main Street — floats, fire trucks, bagpipes, waving kids, and dogs in bandanas living their best life.

✨ It’s Brewster at its best.
And it’s just hours away.

But that’s not all the Cape has up its sleeve this week...

From Chatham’s artist receptions to peaceful labyrinth walks, from Orleans storytime to Harwich yoga, the rest of the Lower Cape is showing up strong.

Here’s what’s happening — day by day, town by town. Let’s map out your week.

📅 Thursday, MAY 1

📅 Friday, MAY 2

  • 🖼️ Art Exhibit: thINK! by the Printmakers of Cape Cod
    10:00 AM · Snow Library, Orleans

  • 🌿 Forest Bathing Walk — 10:30 AM, Museum of Natural History, Brewster
    This isn’t hiking. It’s slowing down and being present — and it’s pretty amazing.

  • 🎨 Jack Garver Exhibit Reception — 4:30 PM, Creative Arts Center, Chatham
    Breezy, come-and-go reception for a longtime local artist. Casual and neighborly.

  • 🖼️ Spring Fling Art Reception — 5:00 PM, The 204, Harwich
    Your friends might be in the show. Seriously.

📅 Saturday, MAY 3

  • 🏡 Windmill Village Open House — 12:00 PM, Drummer Boy Park, Brewster
    Only opens a few times a year — go wander and say hi to the volunteers.

  • 🏛️ Cobb House Open House — 1:00 PM, Lower Road, Brewster
    Step inside Brewster history. Quietly one of the best spots to explore.

  • 🕊️ Labyrinth Peace Walk — 1:00 PM, Chase Park, Chatham
    No phones, no noise. Just you and the stones.

  • 🎨 Hojalata Tin Art Craft — 2:00 PM, Snow Library, Orleans
    Yes, it's at the library — but it's weirdly fun and very satisfying.

📅 Sunday, MAY 4

📅 Monday, MAY 5

  • ✂️ Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – Uplift Physical Therapy
    8:30 AM · South Chatham

📅 TUESDAY, MAY 6

  • 🎉 OE Elks Bingo - 5:00 PM · Orleans

  • 🗳️ Candidates Forum — 5:00 PM, Brewster Ladies Library
    Show up. Speak up. This is how you actually shape your town.

📅 WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

  • 📖 Author Talk: Dawn Tripp — 4:00 PM, Brewster Ladies Library
    Nationally known author. Local roots. Easygoing, bookish crowd.

  • ❓ Trivia Night — 8:00 PM, Land Ho!, Orleans
    Locals pack the place. Tables fill early. If you know Cape Cod minutiae, bring it.

Sand between your toes. Music in the air. The sounds of the Cape this week — all killer, no filler:

Tunes, tributes, and twirls — your Lower Cape soundtrack for the week.

🎻 Gaudete Baroque Ensemble
May 1 @ 7:30 PM · Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans
A sacred space. A soaring sound. Don't miss this elegant night of harmony.

🎸 Live Music with Tim Sweeney @ The Barley Neck
May 1 @ 8:30 PM · Orleans
Thursday guitars, local pints, and that classic Orleans vibe.

🎤 Pop-Up Practices
May 2 @ 1:00 PM · Orleans Community Center
Unscripted, unplugged, and casually magical.

🎶 Brewster Band Spring Concert
May 2 @ 7:00 PM · Brewster Baptist Church
Part of Brewster in Bloom — big sound, hometown pride.

🎸 Live Music with Josh Ayala @ The Barley Neck
May 2 @ 8:30 PM · Orleans
The Friday night edition. Come early, stay late.

🎺 Cape Community Orchestra
May 3 @ 3:00 PM · Monomoy Regional High School, Harwich
Spring concert feels. Local talent, big energy.

🎻 Gaudete Baroque Encore
May 3 @ 7:30 PM · Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans
The kind of concert that gives you goosebumps (again).

🎸 Live Music with The Jones' @ The Barley Neck
May 3 @ 8:30 PM · Orleans
Guitars, locals, and salty air. A Saturday ritual.

🎶 Géza Frid Clarinet Concerto
May 4 @ 12:00 PM · Pilgrim Congregational Church, Harwich Port
A hidden gem for classical music lovers. Quietly stunning.

🎷 Jazz with Mike Garvan Group@ The Barley Neck
May 4 @ 2:30 PM · Orleans
Easy breezy weekend jazz with neighborhood charm.

🎻 Gaudete Baroque (Matinée)
May 4 @ 3:30 PM · Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans
Breathtaking music in a space that sings back.

🎶 Music Speaks Benefit Concert
May 6 @ 6:30 PM · St. Christopher’s, Chatham
A night of beautiful music — all for a powerful cause.

🌤️ What the week’s looking like down here

Temps:

  • Thu–Sun: Highs in the upper 50s to low 60s

  • Mon–Wed: Cooling off, highs in the mid-50s

  • Lows stay in the mid-40s to low 50s

  • Friday & Saturday bring the most wind

  • Off-and-on drizzle, nothing too dramatic

Tides:

  • High tides: early (3–9 AM) and again late (3:30–10 PM)

  • Low tides: mid to late morning into afternoon (10:30 AM–4 PM)

Good timing:

  • Flats walks & beachcombing: 11 AM–3 PM

  • Evening paddles or a quiet dock sit: just before dinner

  • Bayfront golden hour: after 6 PM, especially midweek

🎉 Know Someone Who’d Love This? Send it Their Way

Thanks for reading Celebrate Lower Cape.
If this felt more like a chat with a friend than a newsletter — that’s the goal.

If you found something worth checking out,
share it with someone who still calls Stop & Shop “Finast”
and knows exactly when to hit Skaket for low tide.

We’ll be back next Thursday
with more stories, hidden gems,
and the kind of local scoop you only get
from someone who lives down here.

Until then —
🍦 Keep it breezy.
🎶 Follow the music.
🌊 And always take the scenic route.