Two Already Sold Out. One You Have Until August to Act On.

It's official. My beautiful wife Lisa wore her white sandals to the Orleans Yacht Club opening weekend and just like that — summer 2026 is here.

Now look, this newsletter does a wonderful job keeping you posted week to week. But some things need more than a week's notice. Some events sell out months ahead. Some you blink and miss. So here's my list — the ones worth putting on the calendar right now and actually protecting. Get the tickets, make the reservation, write it in pen.

I've pulled from all across the Lower Cape so there's something for everyone. And yes — I've included two events that require a little road trip to Hyannis. I know, I know. But trust me on these two.

THE LIGHTHOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL FOUNDATION ANNUAL AUCTION

Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School | 195 Route 137, East Harwich Watch their website — 2027 auction date to be announced

This one doesn't get the buzz it deserves. The Annual CCLCS Auction is the cornerstone fundraiser for one of the finest middle schools on the Lower Cape — a public charter school that's been doing extraordinary things for kids in grades 6 through 8 since 1995. Every dollar raised goes straight to the CCLCS Education Foundation, which funds the field trips, enrichment programs, and special events that make Lighthouse such a special place for families.

I'll be honest — this one is personal for me. My beloved son Derek was there for his 6th, 7th, and 8th grade years. He was part of the very first three classes when the school opened. Watching what that place did for him and for the kids around him was something I'll never forget.

This year's auction was held in March at the Wequassett Resort — and if you missed it, don't feel too bad, but do mark your calendar now for next year. It's a fun night, it's for a genuinely great cause, and if you have any connection to this school at all, you want to be in that room. Local businesses donate experiences, art, and gift certificates. The bidding gets spirited. And the dollars go somewhere that truly matters.

📍 cclighthouseschool.org | 📞 774-408-7994

THE PBCB SAILABRATION GALA

Monday, June 29 | 6 PM | Wequassett Resort & Golf Club, Harwich ⚠️ Sold Out — Waitlist Available

If you didn't get your tickets to this one — join the waitlist right now. Because this is the summer fundraiser on the Lower Cape.

Pleasant Bay Community Boating throws their annual Sailabration Gala every June at the Wequassett Resort right on Pleasant Bay — and it's a genuinely wonderful evening. Cocktails, delicious food, live and silent auctions, and views of the bay that remind you exactly why you live here. Last year they raised $168,000 — blowing past their $150,000 goal — and every dollar goes toward keeping their programs accessible to every family on the Lower Cape regardless of what they can afford.

PBCB has been quietly doing extraordinary things for this community for years. The gala is already sold out, but waitlist spots are still being accepted. Don't wait on this one.

📍 pbcb.cc | 📞 508-945-7245

THE CHATHAM BAND CONCERTS

Kate Gould Park, Main Street, Chatham Every Friday | 8 PM | July 3–September 4 | Free

This one doesn't need a ticket. But it absolutely needs to be on your summer list because people still manage to miss it every year and then feel terrible about it in September.

Every Friday night from July 3rd straight through Labor Day weekend, the Chatham Band — a 40-piece uniformed band made up of people who live right here in the surrounding towns — plays a free concert at Kate Gould Park on Main Street. Up to 6,000 people show up. Nobody in the band gets paid. This is their gift to the community, and they've been doing it for nearly a century.

Bring a lawn chair and a blanket. Arrive early because the park fills up fast. Walk Main Street before the concert — grab dinner, browse the galleries, get an ice cream. Then sit back and listen to the music with your neighbors as the sun goes down. That's a summer evening done exactly right.

🅿️ Parking tip: Town lots behind the Chatham Squire and behind Town Hall on Main Street. Get there before 7 if you can.

📍 chathamband.com

KIDSUMMER AT THE CAPE COD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

869 Main Street (Rte. 6A), Brewster | Starts June 29

I know this newsletter has covered the KidSummer program before, but there is something special about the very first week of the season when it feels like everything is waking up at once — the Butterfly House, the Aquarium, the Mud Kitchen, the Brewster Flats. If you have grandchildren visiting in late June or early July, get them registered for a week. It's one of those experiences they'll still be talking about when they're grown.

Ages 4–15, runs through August 14. Scholarships available for families who need support.

📍 ccmnh.org/kidsummer | 📞 508-896-3867 📧 Scholarship inquiries: [email protected]

WELLFLEET OYSTERFEST

Saturday & Sunday, October 17–18, 2026 Downtown Wellfleet | Gates 10 AM – 5 PM

Yes, it's October. I'm putting it on the summer list anyway because tickets cap at 10,000 per day and they go on sale in August. If you wait until September to think about this, you will miss out.

OysterFest started in 2001 and it has grown into one of the great community celebrations on the entire Cape. Twenty thousand people come through downtown Wellfleet over the weekend. Oysters straight from the people who grow them on the flats. Live music. Local food and drink. Arts and crafts. An oyster shucking competition that is legitimately the largest in America. A bounce house for the grandkids.

If you've never gone, make 2026 the year. Set a phone reminder right now for August when tickets go on sale.

🦪 Wellfleet residents: Free Sunday admission with advance registration.

📍 wellfleetoa.org

SYMPHONY AT THE SEASHORE

Salt Pond Visitor Center Amphitheater, 50 Nauset Road, Eastham August 2026 | 7 PM | Free — no tickets required

Every summer, the Cape Symphony comes to the outdoor amphitheater at the Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham for a free outdoor Pops concert — and it is one of the loveliest evenings this part of the Cape has to offer. Salt air, a sea breeze, the sun going down over the marsh, and a full orchestra playing American classics under the open sky. No tickets, no fuss. Just bring a lawn chair, maybe a picnic, and your people.

This concert fills up fast. The 2026 date hasn't been announced yet — watch both websites as we get into summer and mark it the moment they do. This is the kind of evening you don't want to miss because you forgot to check.

📍 capesymphony.org | National Seashore info: nps.gov/caco

AND NOW — TWO ROAD TRIPS TO HYANNIS

I know what you're thinking. Hyannis? In July? With the traffic? Bear with me. These two are worth it.

ROAD TRIP #1

ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION featuring Jerry Douglas

Tuesday, July 28 | 7:30 PM | Cape Cod Melody Tent 41 West Main Street, Hyannis ⚠️ Sold Out — Check resale or waitlist availability directly at melodytent.org

Look, if you are willing to brave the Route 28 summer traffic — and I am saying this as someone who knows exactly what that drive looks like on a Tuesday in July — Alison Krauss at the Melody Tent is worth every single minute of it.

Alison Krauss is one of the most gifted musicians of her generation. Twenty-seven Grammy Awards. A voice that could stop you mid-sentence. She's touring with Union Station and the legendary Jerry Douglas on Dobro in support of Arcadia, their first studio album since 2011. This is a once-in-a-while kind of show, and the Melody Tent — a 2,250-seat venue in the round where every seat is genuinely a good seat — is one of the most intimate places in the region to hear a performer of this caliber.

Yes, it's sold out. Check resale options and keep an eye on their site for released tickets. If you can get in, leave early, bring your patience for the drive, bring your beautiful spouse or your best friend, and just enjoy one of the greatest voices in American music doing what she does, twenty-five minutes from home.

📍 melodytent.org | 📞 508-775-5630

ROAD TRIP #2

CAPE COD CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL — Free Community Concert

Monday, August 3 | Hyannis | Free admission

Now here's one that costs you nothing but the gas money and the adventure of actually going to Hyannis in August. And unlike Road Trip #1, you don't even need a ticket.

The Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival runs July 31 through August 21 this year, with eleven performances across five Cape Cod venues. On August 3 they're offering a free community concert in Hyannis as part of their 20th anniversary celebration of artistic directors Jon Manasse and Jon Nakamatsu. World-class chamber music, free, right up the road.

And if you don't feel like making the drive at all, their season also includes performances in Wellfleet — no road trip required. Check the website for the full schedule and locations.

📍 capecodchambermusic.org

One last thing. A handful of these need attention right now — the Sailabration Gala is sold out (get on that waitlist), and the Alison Krauss show at the Melody Tent is sold out (check resale). OysterFest tickets go on sale in August; don't sleep on that one either.

The rest? Just show up, bring good company, and enjoy the summer. That's the whole point.

Always confirm dates, times, and ticket availability directly with each organization before heading out.