Provincetown Carnival Kicks Off This Weekend: What To Know

PROVINCETOWN, MA — The 44th Provincetown Carnival kicks off this weekend and, despite recent infrastructure issues in the town, it appears most events will be unaffected. This year's theme is "Monsters, Myths and Legends".

Provincetown officials are currently working to fix a sewer issue which forced them to close restaurants and ask residents to drastically reduce their water use, including a plea for them to flush and shower less.

However, officials seem hopeful they're making serious progress and, if their original 48 hour timeline remains intact, Sunday's events shouldn't need alterations.

Read more: Provincetown Restaurants Remain Closed, Sewer Emergency Persists

The Providence Business Guild has a list of events which begin with the Feet Over Front Street 5K on Sunday, and end with a number of events next weekend. Click here for the full schedule, and find a few highlights about the week below.

Feet Over Front Street 5K

This run or walk 5K starts at the Harbor Hotel and finishes at the Provincetown Inn on Sunday. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. A registration fee of $55 is established for runners, while walkers have a $35 fee. Anyone $25 and under will need to pay a $25 fee to enter.

Carnival Parade

The parade will snake down Commercial Street from the Harbor Hotel to the Coast Guard station starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18.

Perhaps the highlight event of the week, here's what the business guild says about the parade:

Since the Provincetown Business Guild’s founding in 1978, the PBG has produced the Carnival Parade and Celebration as way to introduce new LGBTQ+ visitors to Provincetown, while welcoming by our queer community and our allies – making their summer vacations to Ptown a part of all our annual traditions.

Grand Marshal

Mx Justin Vivian Bond will serve as Grand Marshal for this year's carnival parade, which, it should be noted, returns for the first time after the coronavirus pandemic this year. In addition to serving as Grand Marshal for the parade, Mx Bond will perform a one-night only show, 'Oh Mary, It’s Carnival Week!', at Provincetown Town Hall on Aug. 17 at 8:30 p.m.

To read more about Mx Bond, click here.

Featured Artist

Eric Lesh isn't a person you can describe in one word, or even with just one hyphen. Lesh, a portrait and figurative artist, LGBTQ rights lawyer and, recently, Provincetown art gallery owner, was selected as this year's featured artist and poster designer.

According to the Business Guild, "his artwork depicts queer subjects, capturing form and expression in as few lines as possible. He recently celebrated the opening of his new gallery in Provincetown’s Whaler’s Warf."

In addition to his recent art world success, Lesh was recognized as one of the 40 best LGBTQ+ lawyers under 40 by the National LGBT Bar.

For more on Lesh, click here.