Bandstands and Music - Cape Cod

One thing that Cape Cod is plentiful in... is music. Almost all of the 15 towns on the Cape have bandstands that offer wonderful settings to hear the melodies, marches, riffs and beats of so many different musical groups. Several of the bandstands emerged in the early thirties, while many of the town bands had already been formed before the turn of the century.  These early bands entertained inside halls, public gathering places, parades and of course, greeting someone important at train depots. Economic reasons may have been why only a few towns had bandstands.

                                                        Photo by Lenny at Affordable Cape Cod Vacations

Summertime in Chatham is the place to be for a traditional band concert on Friday evenings. The night is filled with people, children singing, colorful balloons and the melodious sounds of the town band. Chatham's first bandstand stood on what is now the municipal parking lot next to Chatham Town Hall in the 1920s. After WWII, it was moved to Kate Gould Park. Around 1950, money was raised for a new one. The old gazebo was moved once again to Chatham Veteran's Field, where it was enclosed and still serves as an equipment storage shed for the Chatham A's baseball team.
Concerts begin at 8 P.M.

                                                            Photo courtesy of Cape Cod Travel

 Harwich's bandstand was built by the Kiwanis in 1935 and rests near the center of town in Brooks Park. Concerts begin at 6 P.M. on Mondays.

The town of Brewster built a bandstand in 1994 with funds and volunteer help from the Brewster Board of Trade, now the Brewster Chamber of Commerce. It sits nestled on a lovely patch of grass in Drummer Boy Park with a view of the sea. Tim and our second oldest son fondly remember helping a work crew one Saturday morning when construction was almost completed, and along with others, signed their names and date hidden up in the rafters for posterity.

 Nauset Beach in Orleans is the center for outdoor music every Monday and Thursday. Come early for dinner at Liam's Clam shack or bring your own. Make sure you take a walk down to the beach to see the crashing waves and surfers. Little ones run and dance around the bandstand while kites and seagulls soar across the blue horizon. One evening I counted 12 kites!

Along with town bands offering concerts, Citizens Bank of Cape Cod in partnership with Cape Cod Arts Foundation offer a series of FREE concerts across the Cape. Here is a link to their schedule:
Citizens Bank Concert Series

You can attend a concert every weekday across the Cape and all for FREE! Bring a picnic basket and your beach chairs or just stretch out on a blanket for a relaxing summer evening on old Cape Cod.