☀️ You know summer’s really here when Main Street fills up with folding chairs and someone’s whispering where the best donuts (or parade shortcuts) are. That’s Cape Cod—everyone’s got the inside scoop, and nobody wants to miss out.

That’s why I started Celebrate Mid Cape—your new go-to for the stories, neighbor gossip, and “can’t-miss” moments you won’t find anywhere else. Forget headlines. This is where you hear about the secret fireworks spot, the best chowder on a rainy Tuesday, and who’s hosting the porch concert everyone’s talking about.

Who’s it for?
Anyone who loves being in on the good stuff—lifers, newcomers, and anyone who just wants to feel like a local.

So pour your coffee, pull up a chair, and jump in. Here’s what not to miss this week—
And if you see me out there, say hey!

—Art

Sponsored by Radtke and Associates

Noticed more “For Sale” signs in Barnstable, Yarmouth, or Dennis lately? You’re right—Mid Cape inventory is up for the first time in years. Across Barnstable County, 790 single-family homes and 283 condos hit the market this May (that’s up 17% and 63% from last year, respectively). And yes, you can feel it right here: more open house signs, more choices, and a bit less pressure for buyers to rush.

What’s happening on our streets?

But the real local scoop?

Timing matters:

The reality check:

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Tip:
Curious which streets are buzzing with new listings, or who’s actually getting offers? Want the inside scoop on what’s really selling in your part of the Mid Cape? Just email me at [email protected]—happy to share local insights, no strings attached.

Barnstable Parade — History in Motion
Friday, July 4 | 9:00 AM (Arrive by 8 for front row)
Main St. (Route 6A), from County Courthouse

At first light, Main Street wakes up in patchwork: grandkids’ chairs staked in ritual rows, Red Sox towels like family crests, the scent of fresh donuts drifting past old shopfronts. Martha’s already settled, flag behind her granddaughter’s ear, golden retriever in patriotic bandana sniffing for friends.
Pro Moves: County Complex for parking, secret firehouse lot on Millway if you’re lucky. Pillowcase for candy—locals know.
By nine, sirens crack the morning open. Antique fire trucks, colonial drummers, candy raining down, neighbors hugging like it’s been a year (because it has). Afterwards, The Hollow buzzes with sack races and watermelon stains—no one’s in a hurry, except maybe to Nirvana for coffee or to peek at the craft fair.
Insider Hack: ADA viewing by the Unitarian Church; lost kids? Main & Millway’s your HQ.

Centerville Bike Parade — Wheels in Motion, Memories in the Making
Friday, July 4 | 10:00 AM (Line up at 9 for the starting bell)
Centerville Elementary → Rec Center

By nine, Bay Lane is already buzzing—bikes decked out in stars and stripes, Scout Troop 54 prepping banners, parents trading parade tips over iced coffee. The air shifts as the flag rises and voices unite for “America the Beautiful”—old tradition, brand new faces.

Then comes the moment: fire truck lights flashing, Color Guard at the ready, and a sea of kids—some pulling floats, some perched on handlebar seats—takes off down Bumps River Road. Main Street cheers as strollers roll by, neighbors waving from porches, every family a piece of Centerville’s living story.

At the Rec Center, summer truly begins: hot dogs in every hand, ice cream and cotton candy disappearing faster than parade candy from the “candy cannon.” Baseball players high-five future sluggers, face painters work their magic, and the boldest bikes claim their moment with shiny awards.

Insider Tip:
Early birds park at the school or Our Lady of Victory. Bring your wildest bike bling—and maybe an extra bag for all the candy. In Centerville, every kid’s a headliner.

Cotuit’s Fourth — Still for Locals
Friday, July 4 | 11:00 AM (Arrive by 10)
School St. → Main → Federated Church

Main Street’s alive with candy bags, sunhats, Kettleers mascot mugging for selfies. Edna claims her usual spot—she calls it her “personal New Year’s.”
Parking: Ropes Beach or Freedom Hall, then stroll in.
Decorated pickups, yacht club floats, grandmas in golf carts tossing candy, families dressed as lobsters. Post-parade: lemonade, cookies, rumor of a singalong in the shade, library book sale for cool-off browsing.
Overheard: “Don’t sit too close to the fire truck—kids love the water spray more than your iPhone will.”

Hyannis Port — Small Parade, Giant Heart
Fun Run 9:00 | Parade 11:00
Post Office → West Beach Club

Golf carts in bunting, Kennedy flags fluttering, lemonade stands popping up as neighbors shout “good morning.” Fun Run: shoes optional, popsicles at the finish.
Pro Tip: Park at Keyes Beach, stroll in. Anyone can join—decorate, walk, wave.
Watch for the kazoo band, fishing boat float, maybe even a Kennedy cousin waving from a convertible.
After: West Beach turns picnic central, bagpipes on the dunes, costume contest glory.
Micro-story: Tom, last year: flip-flops, outran his grandson, grinned all day.

Downtown Hyannis — Cape Summer, Center Stage
Friday, July 4 | 3–9 PM
Harbor, Main St., Aselton Park, Village Green

Harbor parade: boats decked to the nines, Bismore Park roaring early, best views at the quieter benches. Main Street shuts down for bands, magicians, food trucks, ukulele jams, and train rides for the little ones.
Local Hack: Park on North/Ocean by 3, ADA at Bismore.
No fireworks? End with harbor sunset, music, and melting ice cream.
Overheard: “Who needs fireworks with a sunset like this?”

Osterville Fireworks: The Local’s Show
Saturday, July 5, 9:30 PM, Dowses Beach

This isn’t on any flyer. Locals pack blankets and snacks, line North Bay by dusk, and let the three-barge show light up the sky.
True Pro Move: Bike in, bring cocoa for the breeze, snag a brownie if Mrs. Perkins is making the rounds.

Dennis Port & Dennis Village
Port Summer Nights (July 2):
Bands, bubble machines, parade dog, Auntie’s ice cream—start here, stroll home slow.
Sip & Shop (July 3):
Lemonade, violin, sunset at Scargo Café.

Baseball—Cape’s True National Anthem
July 4, 5 PM: Y-D Red Sox vs. Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Red Wilson Field
Picnic, foul balls, bat cracks mixing with distant fireworks—America, Cape Cod style.

Neighbor Call: Pass It On!
Share your hacks, parade snaps, and summer stories with #MidCapeNeighbors—because around here, everyone’s part of the story. See you out there!

If you noticed Taunton Road buzzing with lights and film crews last week, you caught a slice of Hollywood right here in Dennis. Gina’s by the Sea, closed since 2024, was reborn as the set for “Tony,” A24’s much-anticipated Anthony Bourdain biopic. For nearly three weeks, more than 150 cast and crew brought the landmark restaurant back to life—turning everyday beach strolls into front-row seats for some serious movie magic.

Why Dennis? While Bourdain’s early days unfolded in Provincetown kitchens, Gina’s vintage charm was the perfect stand-in. Local kitchen pros answered the casting call, while Jane’s Craft Services kept energy high with 300 shots of espresso a day (and enough chocolate to power the entire crew).

With Dominic Sessa as young Tony and Antonio Banderas stepping in as his mentor, this project promises heart—not just Hollywood gloss. The plot and release date are still secret, but for those who glimpsed the action, it’s already a story worth telling.

So when “Tony” hits theaters, you’ll know the magic started right here on the Mid Cape.

Got a local sighting? Let us know—your tip could be next week’s headline!

On Cape Cod, the Fourth is a feeling—and it’s best tasted. Before the fireworks, the real magic happens at the table. Here’s how to eat your way through the holiday, one iconic bite at a time.

☕ First Light: Nirvana Coffee Company, Barnstable Village

Scene: By 7 AM, Main Street’s buzzing—folding chairs staked out, sleepy kids in tow, dark roast mingling with ocean air.

Order:

Overheard:
“They’ve got the best matcha on the Cape. Don’t skip the curry chicken salad if you stick around.”

🥞 Breakfast Rush: The Pancake Man, South Yarmouth

Scene: By nine, the foyer’s packed with little leaguers, cousins, and Red Sox hats. Plates clang and laughter bounces as pancakes and bacon fly from the kitchen.

Order:

Secret Ritual:
Your server knows who needs extra napkins—this is less a diner, more a Cape Cod family reunion.

🦪 Harbor Lunch: Spanky’s Clam Shack, Hyannis

Scene: Noon brings sandy flip-flops, sunhats, and tables packed with lobster rolls and fried clams. The air’s salty with sea breeze and childhood nostalgia.

Order:

Intimate Tip:
Kids chase fries, regulars grab harbor views, and locals whisper, “Ask for fries on the side for max crisp.”

🦞 Cape Supper: Scargo Café, Dennis Village

Scene: Candlelight flickers, laughter hums, and every table feels like a celebration.

Order:

Local Secret:
You’ll spot Anke or Staci gliding by, greeting guests like old friends. Warm bread and soft butter mean dinners linger, just the way Cape Cod likes it.

🍦 Grand Finale: Four Seas Ice Cream, Centerville

Scene: The blue-and-white parlor glows as kids and locals spill into the lot, swapping parade stories, puppy licking black raspberry from a “pup cup.”

Order:

Intimate Moment:
Owners Josh and Leslie hand-deliver pints to grandfathers and treat beloved pets, always with a smile that says, “We’ll be here another hundred years.”

🌟 The Secret Recipe: Share the Cape

The Cape’s real Fourth magic? Neighbors pulling up an extra chair, passing a plate, and making room for one more. Every bite, every cone, every smile in line—this is how the Cape welcomes you home, again and again.

Pass it on: Snap a pic, tag #MidCapeNeighbors, and share your food memory. Around here, every story is a local tradition in the making.

If you know, you know—this week, the Cape feels electric. You spot neighbors everywhere: kids dashing into art class, familiar faces at the golf course ribbon-cutting, shanty doors swinging open on Main. By the Fourth, chairs line the curbs, parades pulse through village streets, and the block party spills across Hyannis like confetti. Every day’s a new scene: whales for the curious, comedy for the bold, drumming, auctions, and hands-on art for anyone hungry for more. From pints with your pup to late-night laughs, this is the Cape’s secret recipe—creative, sunlit, and totally alive.

It’s a classic Cape Cod twist—just as the season hits its stride, the wild heart of Dennis reclaims the shoreline. Crowes Pasture, usually a haven for off-roaders and barefoot explorers, has traded the hum of four-wheel drives for the softer soundtrack of summer: the bright, urgent calls of piping plover chicks and the hush of wind over dunes.

This isn’t your average beach closure—it’s a rite of passage. The familiar sight of jeeps dotting the sand, tailgates down for sunset picnics, gives way to something quieter and even more Cape: neighbors lingering at the rope lines, searching the flats for a flash of tiny legs, sharing updates like local gossip—“Three new hatchlings by the lavender!”
Every summer, Dennis makes room for these feathered locals, posting signs and laying out barriers with a mix of pride and gentle insistence. Last year, the town’s careful stewardship sent several chicks soaring; this season, hopes are higher as multiple pairs have tucked nests into the sandy grass, hatchlings darting like shadows at low tide.

Of course, there’s a pang—ask at the Mercantile or catch the sunrise regulars at the Ice Cream Smuggler and you’ll hear it: a longing for the freedom of early morning drives or secret fishing holes only reachable by sand. But for most, the trade feels right. “If it means the plovers make it, we’re happy to wait,” says a local, echoing a sentiment that’s as Cape as lobster rolls and porch lights twinkling at dusk.

For now, it’s a walker’s paradise. Leashed dogs tiptoe the margins, birders set up scopes, and everyone, just for a while, remembers that this sandy spit belongs to the wild. By August, the gates may open again, but this pause—this act of patience and protection—becomes its own kind of Cape Cod tradition.

Because here, summer is never just about what you do, but what you protect—and the stories you get to tell next year, about the time the plovers took over Crowes Pasture.

Yarmouth Port’s own Patti Lloyd has just been named the 2025 Mercy Otis Warren “Cape Cod Woman of the Year”—and if you’ve ever crossed paths with her, you know why. For over 30 years, Patti was the beating heart behind Cape Cod tourism, greeting everyone with her signature energy and warmth, whether at a Hyannis meeting or a Las Vegas travel show.

But Patti’s real legacy is her kindness: from launching lemonade stands with neighborhood kids for charity, to quietly filling holiday shoeboxes for troops overseas. She’s always the first to roll up her sleeves, whether the cause is cancer research, local sustainability, or helping at church.

This year, the entire Cape paused to celebrate her, as Patti received her bronze statuette among friends and family in Barnstable Village. Humble as ever, she credits her neighbors for lifting her up, but on this day, Patti’s generosity and love for the Cape took center stage.

Congratulations, Patti—you’ve made your community proud, one small act at a time.

Just as summer finds its groove, Crowes Pasture takes a breath. The ORV convoys and sunrise anglers are on pause—nature’s VIPs, the piping plover chicks, have claimed center stage. This week, the only tracks in the sand belong to tiny, darting legs and the footprints of locals swapping beach chairs for binoculars.

Dennis has turned plover protection into a Cape tradition.
Rope lines and bright signs now guide visitors, but it’s not just about rules—it’s about pride. Last year’s chicks soared because the community waited; this year, there’s even more hope, with fluffy hatchlings dashing through the dunes and neighbors trading sightings like summer secrets.

Sure, off-roaders miss their early morning freedom.
But for now, Crowes is all about slow strolls, leashed pups, and front-row views of Cape Cod’s wildest side.

By August, the gates may open again—but this summer pause?
It’s a story worth sharing.

Get ready, Mid Cape—summer’s classic mix of sun, breeze, and the occasional mist is setting the perfect scene this week.

Let’s make this our spot to swap local secrets:
Got a parade photo, a food tip, or just want to say hi? I’d genuinely love to hear from you. My inbox is always open, or just wave me down if you see me lingering a little too long at Nirvana or chatting at Four Seas.

What do you love most about the Mid Cape?
What’s that hidden gem you think more folks should know? Send it my way—this newsletter is better when it feels like everyone’s on the porch together.

Thanks for being here for the very first edition of Celebrate Mid Cape.
I can’t wait to trade tips, share a laugh, and keep this Cape community close—one neighborly email at a time.

See you on Main Street,
—Art

P.S. Answer to the July 4th Trivia:

Sure, the parade’s a big deal—but every Barnstable old-timer knows the real Fourth of July showdown is “Where’d My Chair Go?” One minute your trusty seat’s right where you left it, next minute it’s two blocks away, draped in a Red Sox towel and guarded by a stranger’s Nana who swears it’s always been hers.

Forget the Patriots—this is Cape Cod’s seat-saving championship. Reclaiming your chair is local legend status. Extra points if you snag a shady spot and dodge a couple Super Soaker blasts on the way. That’s the Mid Cape way, neighbor. 🦞