I woke up this morning to sunshine after two gray and rainy days on Cape Cod and decided that it’s time for some inspiration. After all it’s only 38 days now until daylight savings begins and 45 days until the vernal equinox, which signals the start of spring. So I started thinking about all the great annual events held here on Cape Cod that I, and so many others like me, look forward to each year.

I remember my dad quoting his grandmother, Gramma Rockwell, as some annual event approached in his small hometown in Massachusetts. “Goin’ to the time tonight?” she would ask. The “time” could be anything from a local church supper to the annual local fair, but knowing who was and who wasn’t going was big news apparently.

Our bed and breakfast guests often inquire if anything special is going on during their planned visit. Although Cape Cod offers a wealth of activities to enjoy at any time of the year, I think it makes our guests feel somewhat more connected if they can take in a special event or two during their stay. It’s part of the “authentic experience” movement that seems so prevalent these days.

I look forward to getting my copy of all the annual guides to Cape Cod, like the Cape Cod Life Annual Guide and the Cape Cod Travel Guide, each of which publish an upcoming calendar of events. So for those of you who want something to look forward to, as I do, here are some great local Cape Cod events to mark on your calendar.

• March 18-20 11th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
• April 29-May 1 Brewster in Bloom
• April 29-May 1 Nantucket Daffodil Festival Weekend
• May 8-14 Cape and Islands Beer Week
• May 18-22 15th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival
• May 28-30 Figawai Race Weekend
• June 11-12 10th Annual Cape Cod Maritime Festival
• July 10 14th Annual Secret Garden Tour
• July 16-23 167th Barnstable County Fair
• August 7 26th Annual TD Bank Pops by the Sea
• August 14 Falmouth Road Race
• August 12-13 Seventh Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival
• September 8-11 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival
• September 10-11 Eighth Annual Bird Carvers’ Show and Sale
• September 17-18 23rd Annual Glass Show and Sale
• September 23-25 42nd Annual Bourne Scallop Fest
• October 14-15 Fifth Annual Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival
• October 15-16 10th Annual Wellfleet Oyster Fest

As always, we’d love to have you as our guest at the High Pointe Inn if you plan on attending any of these events. We are centrally located mid-Cape  in West Barnstable, MA, an hour’s drive from Boston or Providence and in close proximity to the ferries for the islands of  Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

1.) We’re just about an hour door-to-door from Boston, and only an hour and 15 minutes from Providence. Get out of the city for a couple days of rest and relaxation on the beach. Construction on the Sagamore Bridge is now complete, the new flyover bridge entry from Route 3 eliminates the old nightmare of rotary traffic coming onto the Cape, and Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, is newly paved and a pleasure to drive.

2.) All our favorite clam shacks are open for the season, serving up succulent fried clams, scallops, shrimp, oysters, and onion rings. It’s not officially summer until you’ve had your first lobster or clam roll of the season.

3.) Four Seas Ice Cream opens for its 76th season this Saturday, May 22 with its annual 15% off sale of your favorite flavor. Come down and grad a pint or two to take home.

4.) Cape Cod Beer just sent out this great post on Facebook: “We just got off the phone with your boss. He/she wants you to leave early today and enjoy the weather with a fresh Craft Beer to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. We wouldn’t lie.” Come taste the difference with a locally brewed “Beach Blond”.

5.) Cape Cod Restaurant Week continues through the 23rd of May, and Provincetown Restaurant Week is just beginning. Try a great dining experience for a fraction of the price.

6.) The rhodies are blooming at Heritage Museum and Gardens. Take a stroll through their lovely manicured grounds and go for a whirl around an authentic carousel.

7.) The 14th Annual Nantucket Wine Festival is celebrating all things vino through May 23rd. Take the Steamship Authority’s Fast Ferry and be on the island in just a little over an hour. It’s a great day trip from the High Pointe Inn.

8.) The Harbor Your Arts Artist Shanties open for the season on Saturday, May 22. Support the arts and score a great piece of local artwork at affordable prices.

9.) Truro Vineyards host the Coastal Wine Trails Kick-Off event on Sunday, May 23rd from 1-3PM. Nine wineries from Southeastern New England will be sampling their wines for the afternoon.

10.) Anthony Everett, co-host of Channel 5’s Chronicle HD, featured Cape Cod this week on this nightly news magazine. If you love Cape Cod’s natural charms – but can do without summer’s cars and crowds – spring is prime time. He samples some extremely fresh, world famous oysters, gets a dramatic picture of how Mother Nature is changing the shape of the seashore, and finds a taste of France by way of Las Vegas. Watch all three parts of the episode and see what all the buzz is about.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Winters are long on Cape Cod. Not necessarily cold, but often gray. Hence, one of our favorite winter pastimes is anticipating the arrival of spring and summer with their inherent seasonal offerings and requisite celebrations. Cape Cod is rife with special events that highlight our symbiotic relationship with the fruits of land and sea, and the High Pointe Inn avidly supports many of these events. In fact, Rich is a major contributor to the Wellfleet OysterFest, making his annual sacrifice by consuming 4-5 dozen oysters single-handedly. (more…)