The Week on the Lower Cape

Memorial Day weekend lands with a lot of small decisions.

Saturday is the one to plan carefully. The Harwich by the Sea Plant Sale opens at Doane Park at 9. Orleans Farmers Market is back on Old Colony Way at 9. Chatham Orpheum screens Sunflowers at 10. Ann P. Ryan signs Dad, Barbie & Me at Yellow Umbrella Books from noon to 3. Kami Lyle & Friends play Parish Park at 1. Lighthouse Chamber Players bring Beach, Beethoven, and Dvořák to Orleans Historical Society at 3. The Wind Ensemble plays Liberty in Brewster at 3:30. Addison Art Gallery hosts Cape Rep, live painting, and Sarah Burrill from 5 to 7.

That is a lot of Cape in one Saturday.

The rest of the week doesn’t exactly disappear. Cape Rep’s 9-Ball keeps running in Brewster. The Importance of Being Earnest finishes its Harwich run Sunday. Chatham marks Memorial Day Monday morning. Orleans does too. Horseshoe crabs get their own Monday morning walk at Morris Island. Chatham Farmers Market returns Tuesday afternoon. Sound Dunes brings a free spring dance and concert to Harwich Wednesday night.

This is not a week to skim once and forget. It is a week to come back to before you make the weekend too full.

✦ Don’t Sleep On This

Three events this week that are easy to miss and hard to forget.

✦ “Dad, Barbie & Me” Book Signing with Ann P. Ryan — Book Signing · May 23, 2026 · 12:00 PM–3:00 PM · Yellow Umbrella Books, Chatham · Check listing

Chatham author Ann P. Ryan signs her new book about her father, Jack Ryan, whose toy-design work is tied to Barbie, Chatty Cathy, and Hot Wheels. That is already enough of a hook. But the setting matters too: a Saturday afternoon at Yellow Umbrella Books, on Main Street, at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend. This is one of those local bookstore events that feels small until you realize the story behind it has been sitting in American childhood for generations.

✦ Horseshoe Crab Walk — Guided Nature Walk · May 25, 2026 · 8:30 AM–10:30 AM · Morris Island / Monomoy Refuge Trailhead, Chatham · From $10

Monday morning, before the beach day starts to feel like a beach day, Mass Audubon leads a walk at Morris Island to look for horseshoe crabs coming in to spawn. The program covers their life cycle, behavior, medical importance, and role in the local fishing industry. In a week full of ceremonies, concerts, and long-weekend traffic, this is the quieter Cape Cod story: ancient animals, a changing shoreline, and a morning tide that locals know to respect.

✦ Wind Ensemble Memorial Day Concert: Liberty — Memorial Day Weekend Concert · May 22 at 7:30 PM / May 23 at 3:30 PM · Performing Arts Center, Brewster · $35

The Wind Ensemble marks Memorial Day weekend with Liberty, part of its America 250 concert series. The program honors service, sacrifice, and the country’s founding ideals through patriotic concert music. Veterans, students, and youth are listed with free admission. It plays Friday night and again Saturday afternoon, which means you can build the weekend around it without losing the whole day.

Arts & Culture — A room worth stepping into

🎨 Galley West Spring 2026 Show — original work from Lower and Outer Cape artists in a quiet East Orleans gallery · May 21–24 and May 27 · Galley West Art Gallery, Orleans · Free

🖼️ LIGHT/LINE/MEMORY — three ways of seeing through photography and painting at Brewster Ladies’ Library · May 21–27 · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Check listing

📸 By the Water: A Cape Cod Portfolio — John Kudukey’s black-and-white Cape Cod waterside photography continues at the museum · May 21–27 · Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster · Check listing

🎬 Art Film Series: Sunflowers — an Exhibition on Screen film about Van Gogh’s sunflowers and the questions around them · May 23 · 10:00 AM · Chatham Orpheum Theater, Chatham · $13

🎨 Art On and Off the Walls: Meet Cape Rep — new work, casual painting demonstrations, Cape Rep connections, and live music by Sarah Burrill · May 23 · 5:00 PM–7:00 PM · Addison Art Gallery, Orleans · Free

📚 “Dad, Barbie & Me” Book Signing with Ann P. Ryan ✦ See above — Don’t Sleep On This · May 23 · 12:00 PM–3:00 PM · Yellow Umbrella Books, Chatham · Check listing

🎭 9-Ball at Cape Rep — Art Devine’s 1967-set drama returns for its 25th anniversary; pool, swapped identities, prison, war, and one decision that does not stay small · May 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 · Cape Rep Indoor Theater, Brewster · From $30

🎭 The Importance of Being Earnest — Oscar Wilde’s comedy finishes its local run in West Harwich · May 22 · 7:00 PM / May 23 · 4:00 PM / May 24 · 4:00 PM · Cape Cod Theatre Company / Harwich Junior Theatre, Harwich · From $21

Classes & Workshops — An hour that teaches you something you might actually use

🌿 Patio Planter Class — build a summer flower planter with Chatham Bars Inn fine gardener Pam Vasques; includes prosecco, cookies, and take-home planting tips · May 21 · 4:00 PM–5:30 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · From $75

🎨 Thursday Open Painting Sessions — a relaxed weekly work session for local artists through the Guild of Harwich Artists · May 21 · 1:00 PM–3:30 PM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · Check listing

🏺 Amy Bourbon Pottery — beginner pottery session at Creative Arts Center · May 21 / May 22 · 12:15 PM · Creative Arts Center, Chatham · Check listing

✍️ Memoir Group — a steady Friday writing group with a Zoom option · May 22 · 10:30 AM–12:30 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham · Free

🪡 Boomerang Bags Sewing Bee — help cut, sew, iron, and organize reusable bags made from post-consumer fabric · May 22 · 1:00 PM–4:00 PM · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Free

🌿 Herb Window Basket Class — design and plant a take-home herb window box for summer cooking · May 23 · 1:00 PM–2:30 PM · Chatham Bars Inn Farm, Brewster · From $75

📷 Walking Photography Workshop — Paul Muratore leads a hands-on photo walk through Chatham Fish Pier and nearby seaside views; beginners and smartphone users welcome · May 23 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn / Chatham Fish Pier / Seaside Vista, Chatham · $50

🌱 Ask a Master Gardener — bring plant questions, photos, or stubborn Cape Cod garden problems · May 26 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Free

🚑 CPR / Stop the Bleed: Basic First Aid Steps — Chatham Fire Department’s Michael Lopriore leads a practical emergency-preparedness session · May 26 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Chatham Community Center, Chatham · Free

🍳 Cooking Class with Chef Heather Bailey — a practical afternoon cooking session through Chatham’s local calendar · May 27 · 1:30 PM–3:00 PM · Chatham · Check listing

Community & Social — The rooms where the Cape overlaps

🎂 Birthday Luncheon — a midday Chatham community gathering · May 21 · 12:30 PM–2:00 PM · 50 George Ryder Road, Chatham · Check listing

🤝 Business After Hours at Oceana — Orleans Chamber gathering with Oceana, Mahoney’s, and Cape Cod Mobile Mixer · May 21 · 5:30 PM–7:00 PM · Oceana, Orleans · From $10

🎨 Evening Salon — painters, poets, performers, and creative thinkers gather in Studio 205 · May 21 · 6:00 PM–8:00 PM · The 204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building, Harwich · Check listing

🌱 Harwich by the Sea Plant Sale — perennials, annuals, shrubs, hanging baskets, natives, silent auction, and the Garden Club cookbook · May 23 · 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · Doane Park, Harwich · Check listing

🌾 Orleans Farmers Market — local growers and food producers return to Old Colony Way · May 23 · 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · 19 Old Colony Way, Orleans · Free

✂️ Ribbon Cutting at Cape Cod Chokers — a small local-business moment in Orleans · May 23 · 10:00 AM · Cape Cod Chokers, Orleans · Check listing

🏷️ Community Yard Sale — shoppers, sellers, tables, and a holiday-weekend browse at the old schoolhouse · May 24 · 12:00 PM–4:00 PM · Old Northwest Schoolhouse / OddFellows Hall, Orleans · Check listing

🌾 Chatham Farmers Market — farmers, fishermen, bakers, and local food vendors in South Chatham · May 26 · 3:00 PM–6:00 PM · Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Chatham · Free

🧩 Legos! — drop-in LEGO building through the afternoon and early evening · May 27 · 1:00 PM–7:00 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

Food & Drink — Tables worth sitting at

🌾 Orleans Farmers Market — Saturday morning farm goods and local provisions · May 23 · 9:00 AM–12:00 PM · 19 Old Colony Way, Orleans · Free

🌾 Chatham Farmers Market — a Tuesday afternoon South Chatham stop for local produce, seafood, baked goods, and farm fare · May 26 · 3:00 PM–6:00 PM · Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Chatham · Free

🃏 Cape Cod Trivia at The Barley Neck — Memorial Day night trivia with gift cards for first and second place · May 25 · 7:00 PM–8:00 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans · Check listing

🔥 Leisure Bonfire — private beach bonfire setup for groups looking for a resort-style fireside night · May 22, 23, 24, 25 · 7:00 PM–10:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · $350

Games, Hobbies & Clubs — Familiar rituals. Low pressure. No explaining.

♟️ Kids’ Chess Club — young players can practice, learn, and build confidence over the board · May 21 · 3:30 PM–4:30 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

📚 Banned Book Club — this month’s discussion centers on The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls · May 21 · 3:00 PM–4:00 PM · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Free

📚 Any Book Club — bring a book that fits the month’s theme · May 21 · 5:15 PM–6:30 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham · Free

🎤 Karaoke at The Squire — Thursday night, downtown Chatham, familiar as ever · May 21 · 8:00 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

🧠 Trivia Night at Jake Rooney’s — a casual Thursday dinner-and-game stop in Harwich Port · May 21 · 6:30 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich · Free

🎤 Karaoke at Jake Rooney’s — Friday-night pub karaoke before the holiday weekend fully kicks in · May 22 · 8:00 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich · Free

🎱 Pool Tournament at The Squire — Monday night cue sticks and friendly competition · May 25 · 7:00 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

🃏 Magic: The Gathering Club — young adults meet for card-game strategy at Brooks · May 26 · 3:30 PM–4:30 PM · Brooks Free Library, Harwich · Free

🧠 Trivia at The Squire — Tuesday night teams testing what they know · May 26 · 7:30 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

🎵 Musical Bingo at The Squire — familiar songs, casual game-night format, downtown Chatham · May 27 · 7:00 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

Health & Wellness — Small resets that keep you functional

🚶 Brewster COA Walking Club — a roughly hour-long scenic walk with the Council on Aging · May 21 · 9:00 AM–10:00 AM · Brewster Council on Aging, Brewster · Check listing

🧘 Weekly Mat Yoga — gentle movement and breathwork at First Congregational Church of Harwich · May 21 · 5:00 PM–6:00 PM · First Congregational Church of Harwich · Donation

🧘 Restorative Yoga with Sound Healing — quiet movement, sound, and joint-friendly decompression · May 21 · 7:00 PM–8:00 PM · Chatham Community Center, Chatham · $12

💫 Sound Healing & Salt Therapy — crystal singing bowls inside the Oceanair Himalayan Salt Cave · May 21 · 5:30 PM–6:30 PM · Oceanair Himalayan Salt Cave, Orleans · $45

🌲 Forest Bathing — a guided Shinrin-yoku-inspired walk through the museum landscape · May 22 · 10:00 AM–12:00 PM · Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster · $12

💫 Sound Bath — free guided sound bath with crystal bowls, gong, voice, and nature-based meditation · May 22 · 3:00 PM–4:00 PM · Brewster Council on Aging, Brewster · Free

🥋 Family Karate — movement, discipline, and old-school karate basics · May 22 · 4:30 PM–5:30 PM · Chatham Community Center, Chatham · $60

☯️ Family Tai Chi — a Friday evening class open to ages 6 and up · May 22 · 5:30 PM–6:30 PM · Chatham Community Center, Chatham · $60

🧘 Sound Bath Meditation with Ashley Woodworth — singing bowls, chimes, frame drums, rattles, and gong · May 23 · 4:00 PM–5:30 PM · Power Yoga of Cape Cod, Harwich · Check listing

💧 Floating Sound Bath at Ocean Edge — float, listen, and reset in the Bayside Indoor Pool · May 22 · 7:00 PM · Ocean Edge Resort, Brewster · From $20

Music & Live Entertainment — Early sets, late nights, and places that stay open

🎸 Power Load at Hog Island — AC/DC tribute energy at the Orleans brewery · May 22 · 6:00 PM–9:00 PM · Hog Island Beer Co., Orleans · Check listing

🎹 Donny Nolan: Piano in The Mansion — live piano in the Grand Hall at Ocean Edge · May 22 and May 23 · 6:00 PM–9:00 PM · Ocean Edge Resort, Brewster · Free

🎶 Lonely Parrots Folk-Pop Duo — Michael Martinez and Max Embers bring folk-pop to Chatham Bars Inn · May 22 · 6:30 PM–8:00 PM · Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham · $60

🎵 Right to Go Left — Meredith Bohannon and Dave Walton cover everything from Taylor Swift to Nirvana · May 22 · 8:30 PM–10:30 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans · Check listing

🎸 Funktapuss at The Squire — late-night Friday music downtown · May 22 · 9:30 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

🎵 Pop-Up Concerts — Saturday arts-and-culture programming at 44 Main Street · May 23 · 11:00 AM–4:00 PM · 44 Main Street Community Building, Orleans · Check listing

🎵 Pop-Up Practices: Kami Lyle & Friends — Kami Lyle, Joey Spampinato, Barbara Blaisdell, Tim Utt, and Jerome Deupree bring songs and stories to Parish Park · May 23 · 1:00 PM–2:00 PM · Parish Park, Orleans · Check listing

🎻 Lighthouse Chamber Players at OHS — Beach, Beethoven, and Dvořák in a Saturday afternoon chamber setting · May 23 · 3:00 PM · Orleans Historical Society, Orleans · Check listing

🎺 Wind Ensemble Memorial Day Concert: Liberty ✦ See above — Don’t Sleep On This · May 22 · 7:30 PM / May 23 · 3:30 PM · Performing Arts Center, Brewster · $35

🎸 Life After Dark at Jake Rooney’s — Saturday night live music in Harwich Port · May 23 · 8:00 PM–11:00 PM · Jake Rooney’s, Harwich · Check listing

🎸 Doreen & Les — classic-rock vocals and guitar at The Barley Neck · May 23 · 8:30 PM–10:30 PM · The Barley Neck, Orleans · Check listing

🎵 Cape Connection at The Squire — Saturday night music downtown · May 23 · 10:00 PM · The Chatham Squire, Chatham · Free

🎹 Krisanthi Pappas at Bayzo’s Pub — Memorial Day evening music at Ocean Edge · May 25 · 8:30 PM–10:30 PM · Bayzo’s Pub, Brewster · Free

🎶 Sound Dunes Harwich Spring Dance/Concert — free spring dance and concert with the Sound Dunes Swing Ensemble · May 27 · 6:00 PM–8:00 PM · Harwich Community Center, Harwich · Free

Nature & History — Old ground. Shifting edges.

🐦 Birding Around Brewster: Mother’s Bog — build practical birding skills by sight and sound during spring migration · May 21 · 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · Mother’s Bog Conservation Area, Brewster · From $35

🐦 Birding By Ear with Mass Audubon — learn how to recognize birds by sound, not just sight · May 21 · 10:00 AM–11:00 AM · Center for Active Living, Chatham · Check listing

🌿 Volunteer Workday — help maintain Orleans conservation land · May 21 · 9:30 AM–11:30 AM · Orleans Conservation Trust, Orleans · Free

🌊 The Ecology of Crosby Landing — Peter Trull leads a field ecology class along barrier beach, salt marsh, dunes, and outer beach habitat · May 22 · 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · Crosby Landing Beach, Brewster · $20

🌊 Guided Field Walk — museum naturalist walk through salt marsh, barrier beach, tidal flats, and upland forest · May 24 · 11:00 AM–12:30 PM · Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, Brewster · Free with admission

🦀 Horseshoe Crab Walk ✦ See above — Don’t Sleep On This · May 25 · 8:30 AM–10:30 AM · Morris Island / Monomoy Refuge Trailhead, Chatham · From $10

🐦 Bird Identification & Natural History Field Class — Peter Trull leads a slow search for spring migrants around Cold Brook Preserve and Bell’s Neck · May 26 · 8:00 AM–10:00 AM · Bell’s Neck Conservation Lands, Harwich · $20

🌿 Newbies in Nature — caregiver-and-baby nature walk on Harwich conservation land · May 26 · 8:00 AM–9:00 AM / 4:00 PM–5:00 PM · Harwich · Free

🌿 Preschool Explorers — Andrea Higgins leads children ages 2–5 through trails, stories, plants, animals, and outdoor discovery · May 26 and May 27 · Harwich Conservation Trust lands · Free

Talks, Books & Big Ideas — Conversations that earn their hour

📚 Local Author Michelle Ferguson — a talk on Grace, Grief, and Gratitude · May 21 · 2:00 PM–3:00 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham · Free

🧬 Farming Edible Insects — an adult program on insect farming for livestock feed and product development · May 22 · 4:00 PM–5:00 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham · Free

📚 Cozy Murder Mystery Club — May’s pick is Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott · May 26 · 3:00 PM–4:00 PM · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Free

🤖 The Loss of Humanity in the Age of A.I. — an evening talk at Snow Library · May 26 · 6:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

📖 Author’s Talk: Grace Grief & Gratitude — a reflective library talk centered on resilience, grief, and gratitude · May 27 · 6:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

🧠 Practical Philosophy: Navigating Life’s Big Questions — part of Eldredge’s Learning Series · May 27 · 1:30 PM–3:00 PM · Eldredge Public Library, Chatham · Free

📝 Poetry Group — discussion of Maggie Smith’s work · May 27 · 6:00 PM–7:00 PM · Snow Library, Orleans · Free

Theater & Classical — Give the night somewhere to land

🎭 9-Ball at Cape Rep — Art Devine’s Cape Rep drama continues through the holiday weekend and into Wednesday · May 21 · 7:30 PM / May 22 · 7:30 PM / May 23 · 2:00 PM + 7:30 PM / May 24 · 2:00 PM / May 27 · 7:30 PM · Cape Rep Indoor Theater, Brewster · From $30

🎭 The Importance of Being Earnest — Oscar Wilde’s sharp comedy closes its local run Sunday · May 22 · 7:00 PM / May 23 · 4:00 PM / May 24 · 4:00 PM · Cape Cod Theatre Company / Harwich Junior Theatre, Harwich · From $21

🎻 Lighthouse Chamber Players at OHS — a Saturday afternoon chamber program with Beach, Beethoven, and Dvořák · May 23 · 3:00 PM · Orleans Historical Society, Orleans · Check listing

🎺 Wind Ensemble Memorial Day Concert: Liberty — America 250 concert series, Memorial Day weekend edition · May 22 · 7:30 PM / May 23 · 3:30 PM · Performing Arts Center, Brewster · $35

Community Openings & Civic Moments — The Cape’s ongoing business

🏛️ Select Board and Charter Commission Meeting — joint meeting for residents following Harwich town governance and charter work · May 21 · 6:00 PM · Harwich Town Hall, Griffin Room, Harwich · Free

📚 Monthly BLLA Board Meeting — Brewster Ladies’ Library Association governance meeting · May 21 · 4:00 PM–6:00 PM · Brewster Ladies’ Library, Brewster · Free

🇺🇸 Memorial Day Observance — Chatham marks Memorial Day with a community gathering · May 25 · 10:00 AM–11:00 AM · Chatham Community Center, Chatham · Free

🇺🇸 Memorial Day Service — Orleans marks Memorial Day Monday morning · May 25 · 10:00 AM · Town of Orleans · Free

🎺 Harwich Town Band Memorial Day Concert — a Memorial Day morning tradition on the Harwich calendar · May 25 · 8:30 AM–11:30 AM · Harwich · Check listing

🏛️ Memorial Day Town Hall Closure — Brewster Town Hall closed for the holiday · May 25 · Brewster Town Hall · Free

🏛️ Memorial Day Town Hall Closure — Orleans Town Hall closed for the holiday · May 25 · Town Hall, Orleans · Free

🏛️ Planning Board Meeting — regular town-board meeting · May 26 · 6:00 PM · Harwich Town Hall, Small Hearing Room, Harwich · Free

🏛️ Historic Commission Meeting — preservation-related town business; check agenda for properties and cases · May 27 · 6:00 PM · Harwich Town Hall, Small Room, Harwich · Free

🏠 CFAL Open House — late-morning open house at Chatham’s Center for Active Living · May 27 · 11:00 AM–2:00 PM · Center for Active Living, Chatham · Check listing

Your event belongs here

This list exists because people in Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, and Orleans are doing things worth knowing about. If you’re running one of them — a class, a concert, a walk, a workshop, a dinner, an opening, a town meeting, a kids’ program, a community gathering — send it to us.

We read every submission. We don’t charge for listings. We don’t favor big venues over small ones. If it’s happening on the Lower Cape and it’s worth a neighbor’s time, it has a real shot at being in the next issue.

What to send: event name, date, time, location, price or free, and a link or a few sentences about what it actually is. That’s it.

Deadline: Monday at noon for that Thursday’s issue.

Send to: [email protected]

The people who read this newsletter are locals. They show up. Getting in front of them costs you nothing but two minutes and an email.