Looking to recapture some old-fashioned holiday cheer this Christmas? Then kick off the season with all the traditional trappings in Yarmouth Port.
Sip hot chocolate or candy cane tea. Listen to holiday carolers and get your children’s photo taken with Santa Claus. Or just gather up gift ideas as you sample tantalizing treats in a mile-and-a-half-long buffet line — all for free.
Yes! The Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll is back.
“We are so excited to bring back the Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll for 2021,” said the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce’s Marketing, Communications, and Events Director Jenn Werner. “It is a great family event that is completely free.”
The Stroll was placed on ice last year due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, but it returns on Sunday (Dec. 5) providing a heap of holiday hospitality to visitors along Route 6A.
The event will be held from 1-4 p.m., rain or shine, followed by a tree-lighting ceremony at 4 p.m., with a blessing by Rev. Will Vaus of the First Congregational Church and caroling on the Village Green. If the weather turns chilly or if your feet get tired, just hop onto a free trolley, with stops along the way.
“The Stroll will be full of activities, live music, food, and new entertainment,” Werner said.
There are crafts with Mrs. Claus at Just Picked Gifts; refreshments and performances by Rosalita’s Puppets at Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod; live music by the Harper and the Minstrel at Chapter House; Lady Feyline’s Fantastikal face-painting and popcorn at Edward Gorey House; and a roaming balloon artist from Fun Clowns Balloons.
Meanwhile, at the Inn on Main, a pianist will perform seasonal music while guests sip holiday punch from innkeeper Sarah Bradburn’s grandmother’s recipe and munch on gluten-free oatmeal-cranberry cookies made by co-owner and chef Chris Kennedy. Simply Vintage of Cape Cod will serve cookies, hot cider, and doughnuts; Jack’s Outback II will have hot dogs and hot chocolate; and Taylor-Bray Farm will serve up free cider, hot chocolate, and cookies (with holiday trees, wreaths, centerpieces, and other gift items available for purchase).
A favorite stop for families is the Captain Bangs Hallet House, an authentically furnished sea captain’s home on Strawberry Lane. The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth hosts a visit from Santa Claus, who poses for free photos with children. The pictures are processed by Walgreens and can be picked up later at the South Yarmouth store.
This year, due to pandemic-related precautions, Santa will be greeting youngsters on the historical home’s porch. And masks will be necessary for children who want to meet with Santa or for families who choose to tour the home’s decorated interior, according to Bill Archie, program chairman for the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth.
Another hot spot is the Yarmouth New Church, where musical performances are scheduled throughout the afternoon. From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., listen to some 20 tubists from Christmas Tuba “oom-pah-pah” as one, followed by Cape Cod Carolers at 3 p.m. The carolers will later join the Regency Brass Band at the Village Green and perform at the tree-lighting ceremony scheduled for dusk.
Participating businesses, civic groups, and nonprofit organizations include: Captain Bangs Hallet House, the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, Chapter House Cape Cod, Cooperative Bank of Cape Cod, Design Works, Edward Gorey House, First Congregational Church of Yarmouth, Harvest of Barnstable, the Inn on Main, Jack’s Outback II, Just Picked Gifts, Lighthouse Keeper’s Pantry, Simply Vintage of Cape Cod, Taylor Bray Farm, The Friday Club, The Pampered Pearl Skin Care Studio, Voila!, Yarmouth New Church, W.D. Price, Yarmouth Port Library, and Yoga of Yarmouth Port.
Find more information about the stroll on the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce’s Events Calendar. The YCC site also has a detailed map of the Yarmouth Port Christmas Stroll route, with a guide to attractions at every stop.
The event is sponsored in part by the Town of Yarmouth’s Tourism Fund.