Christmas on Cape Cod

The December festive season is one of the best times to be on the Cape. Christmas on Cape Cod affords you a chance to enjoy several unique experiences by yourself or in the company of friends and family members.   Most of the popular events have been running for many years. You are, therefore, guaranteed an authentic Christmas

experience different from the heavily commercialized festivities you may have come to expect of the holiday season.

Below are some of the fun things you can do to celebrate Christmas on Cape Cod:

Join Heritage Museums in a Celebration of Lights

The Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich run a yearly month-long event called Gardens Aglow. During Gardens Aglow, the museum’s expansive gardens are decked in beautiful Christmas lights resulting in miles and miles of bright wonderland. Besides the display of lights, the museum also offers several fun activities on its grounds and galleries during Gardens Aglow.

You can visit the gardens with family members on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays over the entire month of December. You should get your tickets in advance before the weekend arrives as tickets sell out on some evenings. Tickets are available for purchase online.

Some of the offerings during Gardens Aglow at the Heritage Museums include Christmas-themed music and dance performances, tasty snacks and warm drinks at the Magnolia Café, a scavenger hunt, opportunities to take pictures with Santa Claus, outdoor marshmallow roasting, art exhibitions, opportunities to contribute to charitable causes, and a chance to create your own holiday decorations with their giant Lite Brites.

See Santa Dock at Falmouth Harbor or Chatham Fish Pier

Every year, Santa comes to Cape Cod by boat. It’s a big deal at both the Falmouth Harbor and the Chatham Fish Pier and it affords families one of the best Christmas by the Sea experiences around. In Chatham, Santa is escorted by the Coast Guard.

Admission to the events is free. You should bring the entire family with you during this experience. The events usually mark the beginning of the Christmas season and kick holiday festivities into high-gear all over the Cape.

Enjoy Thousands of Shopping Options on the Cape

Cape Cod has thousands of shopping options and you can find whatever you need for Christmas in its shopping centers and districts. Whether you are looking for treats, art, gifts, or clothing, Cape Cod has you covered.

Cape Cod has a very active art community. If you are new to the area, simply ask the staff of the hotel you are staying at to recommend spots worth checking out. Most evenings on Cape Cod during the holiday season are very relaxed. You can take a long walk and window shop in many streets with absolutely no pressure to buy anything.

Ride the Cape Cod Christmas Train

A mainstay of the Cape Cod Christmas tradition is the Train to Christmas Town. From the end of November to just before Christmas, the Cape Cod Central Railroad offers a Christmas-themed adventure train ride to Christmas Town.

It is a lively and vibrant ride. The moment the train departs, you will be dancing on the train’s isles to your favorite Christmas tunes. As you enter Christmas Town, your eyes will be treated to a colorful display of Christmas colors and lighting in a town specifically dedicated to the Christmas spirit of family-friendly fun, gift sharing, delicious treats, and Santa and his elves.

You can make bookings in advance.  Children two and under are allowed in for free if they are in the company of a paying adult. Ticket prices are as follows:

Adult (ages 12+)

• Standard Class - $44
• First Class - $59
• Diamond Class - $79

Child (ages 3-12)

• Standard Class - $34
• First Class - $49
• Diamond Class - $69

Join Chatham’s Christmas by the Sea Stroll

For decades, the Chatham Merchants Association has been organizing the Christmas by the Sea Stroll weekend. The spirit of the event hasn’t changed much in the 4 decades it has been running but it has gotten better and more fun every passing year.   The event brings together Cape Cod residents, tourists, and local businesses for weekend festivities like no other.

Activities during the weekend include touring elaborate lighting decorations, holiday caroling, music concerts, giveaways by various local businesses, raffles, book signings by local authors, and much more. The events usually start on a Friday evening and run for the entire weekend. For the last couple of years, the tree lighting ceremony has been held at the beautiful Kate Gould Park. Kate Gould Park can accommodate a lot more people than the event’s former grounds, Sears Park.

You should bring the entire family along for the lighting parade. The parade begins from across the Sears Park at Carmine’s Pizza just before 6 pm and then proceeds to Kate Gould Park where Santa will be patiently waiting for the kids you bring along. This will be a fun Christmas experience for the entire family.

Attend the Lobster Pot Tree Lighting Event

This event happens every year on the immediate weekend after Thanksgiving on Lopes Square. The Lobster Pot Tree is a special holiday tree that has become part and parcel of Cape Cod’s Christmas celebrations. During the festive season, the tree lights up Lopes Square with thousands of lights wired around it in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Typically, more than 3,000 LED lights are used to light up the tree. It remains lit throughout the holiday season into January. You can always stop by any time during the Christmas season to enjoy the beautiful showcase of lights.  

For more information, photos, and videos follow the Provincetown Lobster Pot Tree on Facebook.  

Attend the Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument

The Pilgrim Monument is a Cape Cod historical site that commemorates the first landing of pilgrims in Provincetown in 1620. The lighting of the Pilgrim Monument is one of Cape Cod’s most consistent annual events. The monument is usually decked with more than 3100 'landing lights'.

The event is free to attend and light refreshments are usually available. The lights remain on throughout the holiday season through to the first week of January. If you miss the lighting event, feel free to go to the site of the monument any time during the festive season to take in the beautiful scenery.

Enjoy a Seaside Christmas in Orleans

A Seaside Christmas in Orleans is a recurring annual holiday event that takes place from the last week of November to the end of December. It is actually a series of events in Orleans that afford the Orleans Community a chance to enjoy interesting live shows as well as shopping discounts and offers from spas, art galleries, restaurants, local inns, theaters, and various other local businesses.

Go to Nauset Model Railroad Club’s Open Houses

If you are a fan of model railroads, you should attend at least one of the open houses organized by the Nauset Model Railroad Club every Saturday afternoon in December. The event features several model trains making their way through miniature tracks aptly decorated for the holiday season. The open houses are free to attend. The Railroad Club is located at Hilltop Plaza in Orleans.

Go to the Enchanted Village in Hyannis

The Cape Cod Resort organizes a month-long Christmas season experience dubbed the Enchanted Village. At the Enchanted Village, you will be welcome to a fantasy world with colorful displays and lights. It is quite an elaborate display and all the members of your family, young and old, will be glad to be there. Santa comes to the Enchanted Village on weekend evenings.

The Enchanted Village is open to both the guests of the resort as well as the general Cape Cod community. The resort does not charge an admission fee to attend the events. However, whenever possible, consider bringing unwrapped gifts or gift cards. The donations are given to the Independence House.