Carnival 2022 Guide to Must Do Events!

Provincetown’s Carnival is one of the largest outdoor celebrations in Massachusetts with a week of revelry, costumes, and a parade.  There  is a never ending schedule of fun events.  ptownie wants to make sure you know about all our favorites!

Feet Over Front Street 5K – Carnival Run & Walk
SUNDAY AUG 14
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Get Carnival week started off on the right foot by sharing some self-love in the form of fresh air, exercise and community right in step with your LGBTQ+ fam. ‘Feet Over Front Street’ will stretch the entirety of Commercial Street (originally hailed as ‘Front Street’) giving you a start-to-finish, rainbow-railroad takeover of the main drag of the world’s premier queer travel destination.

“Let’s Get Kraken” Carnival Cruise
SUNDAY AUG 14
3:15 PM – 7:00 PM

Legendary cruise ‘Let’s get KRAKEN!’ featuring music by celebrity DJs Bright Light Bright Light & Justin Dawson, sponsored by Bay State Cruise Co!
Provincetown’s 44th Annual Carnival – Monsters, Myths & Legends, will officially get KRAKEN with a legendary cruise and MONSTER dance party featuring music by NYC’s own Bright Light Bright Light and Justin Dawson. The KRAKEN dance party will feature three hours of joyful sunshine-spinning by our DJs, a full cash bar with specialty cocktails, and concessions for purchase. COME AS YOU ARE. This party is for ALL Carnival-goers!

Miss Swamp Thang – Carnival Opening Party
SUNDAY AUG 14
9:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Miss Swamp Thang has crawled out of the Cranberry Bogs of Provincetown and is headed straight to the dance floor at Crown & Anchor.

As our Carnival guests recoup from battling the Kraken at sea during our sunset cruise, all the little Swamp Thangs will gather to groove together at 9PM at Paramount for Carnival’s official Monsters, Myths and Legends Opening Party. Together we will raise to the throne a new Miss Swamp Thang. The most monstrous swamp-lewk will win $250 cash and spot aboard one of the PBG’s floats in Thursday’s Carnival Parade.

The Myth of Medusa Carnival Pool Party
MONDAY AUG 15
1:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Get ready for the return of the infamous The Myth of Medusa Carnival Pool Party at The Brass Key, benefiting the Provincetown Business Guild!

Hosted by adult superstar Trenton Ducati and his bevy of bathing beauties around the pool – you never know what kind of surprises he might have in store! Now is the time to get those speedos, thongs and kaftans ready as Provincetown’s SEXIEST POOL PARTY is back for the first time in THREE years!

Join over 1,500 of the sexiest folks at Carnival for a truly massive, one-of-a-kind experience. Dance the day away under the sun on the gorgeous grounds of the Brass Key Guesthouse – plenty of surprise performances jaw-dropping feats throughout the afternoon await.

Gesellschaft Presents – 1986: Legends of Zelda, O’Queerina of Time
MONDAY AUG 15
10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

This one goes to all the GAYmers out there!! Whether Gesellschaft a Link-Twink, or a full-bodied Jiggly Puff with show-stopping twerk talents, we know you’ll bring the spirit of your favorite gamer legends to the dancefloor.

Legendary Tea
TUESDAY AUG 16
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Boatslip is the Tea!

‘HORNY’ – Official Carnival Dance Party
TUESDAY AUG 16
10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

“Do I make you HORNY, BABY?” Provincetown’s longest-running discotheque is already the stuff of legends, so let’s horn-up and get-down on A-House. It’s about to get real devilish in here with all you little monsters running around.

Legend of the Pied Piper – Pop-Up Girl Party
WEDNESDAY AUG 17
4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Provincetown’s famed (and last!) lesbian bar returns to Provincetown for a one-afternoon-only girl-party over Carnival week at The Provincetown Brewing Co. Hosted by celebrity chef and Boston-based restaurateur Tiffani Faison with music curated by DJ Leah L’Duke, this Pied Pop-Up is gonna bring all the girls to the yard…

Mx Justin Vivian Bond: Oh Mary, It’s Carnival Week!
WEDNESDAY AUG 17
8:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Viv Is Making Their Provincetown Town Hall Debut & Joining Us As Our Carnival Parade Grand Marshal – Oh Mary, It’s Time to Celebrate!

To celebrate the return of Provincetown’s legendary Carnival festivities, your Auntie Glam, Justin Vivian Bond is bringing their brand new show: Oh Mary, It’s Carnival to our queer and quaint seaside paradise for one night only! Yes, that’s right, it’s ALL MARY, ALL THE TIME! Songs by, for, or about Mary’s brought to you by one of the most glamorous MARYS from the mystical, mythical mists of MARYLAND. Oh, MARY, IT’S CARNIVAL!

“KAPOW!” Lycra Party
WEDNESDAY AUG 17
10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Super-Hero Secret #1 – straight from the wardrobes of Batman, Robin and Catwoman: “Half the battle for looking SNATCH during Carnival is wearing your Super-lycra bodysuit.” Join us at the Red Room, venue of Provincetown’s iconic Underwear Party. Clothes-check will be available. Be prepared to live your best life in lycra. “KAPOW!”

Provincetown Follies – Carnival Edition
WEDNESDAY AUG 17
10:00 PM

Join us for a night at the Provincetown Follies, for a cabaret style show produced by Jonathan Hawkins that is packed with fun and colorful craziness plus a touch of Vegas, the Folies Bergere and the Moulin Rouge!

The Gayest Show in Town is a benefit for the Provincetown Business Guild, which works to market and promote
Provincetown as the world’s premier LGBTQ+ travel destination.

44th Annual Carnival Parade: Monsters, Myths & Legends
THURSDAY AUG 18
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

The fun starts early in the day as more than 150,000 visitors and locals pour into the street bedecked as their favorite Monsters, Myths or Legends – showing off their incredible costumes as they wait for the Parade to begin at 3pm.

Winding its way down Commercial Street from the Harbor Hotel in the East End to the Coast Guard Station in the West End, this year’s 44th Annual Carnival Parade will again serve as a symbol of Provincetown’s inclusiveness, creativity and diversity.

Strangers & Saints Private Carnival Viewing Party
THURSDAY AUG 18
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Join Strangers & Saints for our annual Carnival Parade Viewing Party. We’ll take care of the decorations and snacks and you come dressed as a monster, myth or legend (or not). Alcohol is not included in the price of admission but our bars will be open for both cash and credit purchases.

OLD HOLLYWOOD HORROR CARNIVAL PARTY 2022
THURSDAY AUG 18
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Join us at the Post Office Cafe & Cabaret for our Old Hollywood Horror Carnival Party. Mix and Mingle with party goers as DJ Philip James spins the hits on our patio. Enjoy passed hors d’oeurves & delicious concocted cocktails. Prime viewing location for the Carnival Parade! Hosted by Abby Cummings.

Monsters – Myths – Legends Viewing Party
THURSDAY AUG 18
12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Prime viewing location for Provincetown’s 2022 Carnival Parade! Enjoy the return of the infamous parade with VIP seating. Join Spindler’s for a fiesta sure to delight the spirits. Come dressed in your favorite costume or just be yourself!

King Arthurs Court(yard) Block Party & Parade Viewing
THURSDAY AUG 18
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM

VIP Carnival Parade Watching at Pilgrim House
THURSDAY AUG 18
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

SLURP – Paige Turner’s Tawdry Pool Party feat. DJ James Cerne
FRIDAY AUG 19
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Mayhem. Foolishness. Music! Celebrate the return of NYC’s longest-running drag show, Paige Turner SLURP poolside before Provincetown’s famous Tea Dance at the Boatslip. Expect prizes, show-stopping numbers and banana hammocks galore plus beats from the hunky DJ James Cerne.

18th Annual Drag Brunch at Patio
FRIDAY AUG 19
12:00 PM

Make sure to dress your best drag and part take in this wonderful 2022 Drag Brunch at Patio help the amazing women form Helping Our Women (HOW). Ms. Richfield 1981 will host this event as usual and you are welcome to join in and bring your own MP3 or CD and perform an act. The cover charge goes 100% to charity and admits only if dressed for the event. Please bring some extra cash or checks for our amazing raffle prizes, donations or to tip our world class performers.!!!

Rainbow Connection: Big Feet Dance Party
FRIDAY AUG 19
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Provincetown Brewery Co’s bridge-party from Tea Dance to your night out in Provincetown is BACK specially for Carnival 2022 – Monsters, Myths and Legends. Jump into the ‘Legend of Big Foot’ and bring your BIG FEET dance-moves to groove amongst the redwoods of the taproom. Who knows, maybe Sassy-Squatch will make an appearance? Grab some food and the best beer in town to keep the party going. Tickets available at the door only.

The 5th Carnival Friday Madonna Party!
FRIDAY AUG 19
10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

The 5th (almost annual) Carnival Friday Madonna Party!
Red Room sell out every year, so get them while you can!

Monster Mashup Carnival Closing Party
FRIDAY AUG 19
10:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Not your average graveyard smash. The Monster Mashup closing party will wrap-up the entirety of our Monstrous, Legendary, Mythical week, and smush all of our themes together into one big party climax. Expect DJ Chris Racine to serve a mashup (or two,) to keep the children entertained. Dance until your tank is out of gas, because this will be the final serve! See you Friday, August 19th in Paramount at The Crown & Anchor.

Queer AF Bingo: Studio 54 Carnival Edition with Austin & Mackenzie
Saturday AUG 20
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

What do Grace Jones, Andy Warhol, Eartha Kitt, and Bianca Jagger on a white horse all have in common? They’re icons of the legendary Studio 54 nightclub, of course! Relive the glamor by dressing up as your favorite Studio 54 legend and then join Ptown celebrity-duo, drag queen Mackenzie + lovable co-host Austin as they tell some stories and pull some (Bingo) balls!

Your stop for a full schedule of Provincetown events, programs, shows, parties, and more!: Provincetown Event Calendar

Everything you need to know about drag shows in Provincetown this summer: 2022 Provincetown Drag Shows