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Cape Cod Events
January 2024

Updated: January 2, 2024

January Nature Walk at the Beach

Polar bear plunges, live music extravaganzas, guided nature hikes, a fabulous orchid show, and so much more.

There's plenty to see and do around Cape Cod this first full month of winter!

[*Note: Event details may be changed or events may be postponed or canceled by the sponsors at any time without my knowledge. Be sure to confirm all information directly with the event sponsor before making plans to attend.]

Special Events & Fun Things to Do in January 2024

Provincetown Polar Bear Plunge

When: January 1, 2024 at noon

Where: Johnson Street Parking Lot Landing, Provincetown, MA

Admission: Entry fee for participants $60; onlookers - no charge

More Info: Provincetown Polar Bear Plunge

Can you imagine donning your bikini or trunks and running full speed into Cape Cod's winter surf? Yikes! I'm shivering just thinking about it!

For all you adventurous (crazy?!) folks who take the plunge, there'll be cocktails, warm drinks and chili awaiting you at the Harbor Lounge to help bring the color back to your lips. 

This New Year's Day event benefits the Center for Coastal Studies. It's a cool time for a great cause!!

FOYCOA's Annual Polar Plunge

When: January 1, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Smugglers Beach, South Yarmouth MA

Admission: $25 for participants; no charge to watch

More Info: FOYCOA

Nantucket Sound boasts some of the warmest waters around Cape Cod in the summer months.

How chilly does the surf become in the heart of winter? Here's your chance to find out! ;-)

This is the main fundraiser of the year for Friends of Yarmouth Council on Aging. Come on out and take a dip!

"Freeze the Day" Polar Plunge

When: January 1, 2024, 11 a.m.

Where: Attaquin Beach, Mashpee, MA

Admission: $25 per plunger; spectating is free

More Info: "Freeze the Day" Polar Plunge

Kick off the New Year with a splash at the 2nd annual "Freeze the Day" polar plunge, brought to us by the Town of Mashpee Recreation Department in collaboration with Naukabout Brewery.

This chilly thrill takes place at Attaquin Beach in Mashpee. If you're up for it, register in advance online at online at the link above, or sign up in person at Naukabout Brewery starting at 10 a.m. on New Years Day.

All proceeds from this event go to the Kiwanis Club of Mashpee. Whether you're diving in or cheering from the sidelines, this will surely be a fun way to start the year!

Monument Beach Polar Plunge

When: January 1, 2024 at noon

Where: Monument Beach, Bourne, MA

Admission: $25 registration to participate; free for spectators

More Info: Monument Beach Polar Club

This annual polar plunge brings members of Monument Beach Polar Club and its supporters together to dive (or wade!) into the waters of Buzzards Bay.

Funds from this event will go toward the Club's goal of raising $25,000+ to benefit Bourne Food Pantry. A worthy cause, to be sure!

First Day Hikes

When: January 1, 2024, throughout the day

Where: Various venues around Cape Cod

Admission: Free (pre-registration required for some hikes)

More Info: Barnstable Land Trust

Building on the popularity of the national state park program originally launched in Massachusetts, this unique regional celebration features free special walks, talks, and hikes in communities across Cape Cod.

These events are the perfect opportunity for families, children, residents, and visitors to get outside and explore on the first day of the new year!

Cape Cod Museum of Art Winter Concert Series

When: Sundays in January 2024 at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis, MA

Admission: Individual tickets $18/member, $24/non-member; season passes also available

More Info: CCMOA Winter Concert Series

Looking for something to do on a Sunday afternoon? Cape Cod Museum of Art has you covered!

CCMOA's Winter Concert Series features performances in many different musical disciplines from Swing to Bluegrass, Jazz, Celtic and Classical.

IRS Burn Ceremony

When: January 7, 2024, 4 p.m.

Where: East End, Harbor Hotel beach, Provincetown Harbor, Provincetown MA

Admission: Free

More Info: 41st Annual IRS Burn Ceremony

When you saw "IRS" in the name of this event, I'll bet you thought of the IRS we all dread reporting to in April. But this IRS is different. :-)

It's the International Re-Rooters Society, the brainchild of artist Jay Critchley back in 1983.

Each year, on January 7th, Critchley and his followers gather at P'town Harbor for (as Critchley describes it): "a purging of political and personal distress from the year gone by. The mission of the IRS is to re-root ourselves to and embrace the earth body and all of our human and non-human relatives."

The ritual of singing, chanting and dancing concludes at sunset, when a recycled Christmas tree is set ablaze on a small boat and sent out into the harbor.

If you're looking for a fun - and very unique - way to start the year on a positive note, this is it!!

Winter Film Festival at Salt Pond

When: January 7, 14, 21 & 28, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.

Where: Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitors Center, 50 Nauset Road, Eastham, MA

Admission: Free

More Info: Winter Film Festival

Looking for something to do on a chilly Sunday afternoon?

Head to Salt Pond Visitors Center in Eastham for the Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore's popular Winter Film Festival. 

This month's films:

January 7 - Moby Dick

January 14 - Old Man and the Sea

January 21 - Billy Budd

January 28 - Mutiny on the Bounty

There's plenty of free parking available, and the film festival event is free to attend, too!

Arts & Entertainment Lecture: "95 Years of Music to Speak to Our Time"

When: January 13, 2024, 3:30 p.m.

Where: Online streaming

Admission: Free

More Info: Arts & Entertainment Series

Don't feel like going out today? Pour your favorite beverage, sit back in your comfiest chair, and embark on a musical journey with Dr. Samuel Adler, an extraordinary figure in the world of music, boasting a career spanning an incredible 95 years.

This free, livestream event offers a unique opportunity to delve into Adler's life, shaped by historical events, and explore his lasting impact on the realm of music.

Don't miss this chance to witness the remarkable story and enduring contributions of a living legend!

Outermost Contra Dance

When: January 19, 2024, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 335 Main Street, Wellfleet, MA

Admission: $15 general admission; $10 for those under 30; $5 with student ID

More Info: Outermost Contra Dance

Put on your dancin' shoes for this fun event at Preservation Hall!

Contra dancing is the older cousin to the square dance. No fancy footwork is needed – if you can walk, you can contra dance!

All the dances are taught and called. If you're new to contra dance, be sure to get in on the early dances to learn the basic moves. (No need to bring a partner; there are plenty of friendly people in this welcoming dance community.)

Come to dance or come just to watch and listen to the music. All are welcome!

Cape & Islands Orchid Show

When: January 20 & 21, 2024, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Resort & Conference Center at Hyannis, 35 Scudder Avenue, Hyannis

Admission:  $10/adult, $5/child (under 12)

More Info:  Cape & Islands Orchid Society

Imagine being surrounded by thousands of colorful orchids in full bloom. What better way to brighten up a winter day?!

The Cape & Islands Orchid Society's show features vendors from near and far with displays that'll have you dreaming of a greenhouse of your own!

Flowers After Hours

When: January 22, 2024, 5:30-7:30pm

Where: Flower Angels USA, 851 Route 28 #3, South Yarmouth, MA

Tickets: $25 per adult

More Info: Flower Angels

Flower Angels invites you to indulge in the art of flower arranging, surrounded by friends and flowers at the Flower Angels workshop in South Yarmouth!

Flower Angels volunteers will guide you in making a gorgeous flower arrangement to take home or give to a loved one. Bring your own teacup to hold your arrangement, or use one of theirs.

Flowers and light refreshments provided.

Ticket proceeds from this event support Flower Angels and its mission of repurposing donated flowers into floral arrangements for delivery to Cape Cod nursing home residents.

Space is limited, so get your ticket soon!

S'mores & More at Long Pasture

When: January 26, 2024, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, 345 Bone Hill Road, Barnstable, MA

Admission: Adult Members $15; Adult Nonmembers $18; Child Members $10; Child Nonmembers $13 (*Note - Registration is required for this event!)

More Info: S'mores & More at Long Pasture

Get your gooey marshmallow-graham-cracker-chocolate fix after taking a walk to look and listen for local owls and other nighttime wildlife.

Spend time warming up around the campfire as you roast a marshmallow, learn about owls, and watch the full moon rise.

This event is part of MA Audubon Society's "S'mores & More" series taking place across Massachusetts in January and February.

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Important Note: The date, time, place, admission charges, etc. of the events on this page may be changed by the event sponsor at any time, without my knowledge. Please be sure to confirm all information directly with the sponsor before you make any plans!