Today begins what is known in Provincetown as Carnival Week. To those of you who, in the last 20 years or so, have never been here during the third Thursday in August, it isnt what it sounds like. It started as a very small promotion of local businesses as a way of attracting people here during what was historically the slowest point of the summer. Every year more and more businesses participated until it became a larger-than-life (and in some places) x-rated EVENT encouraging every kind of personality to come out and.parade his/her/its stuff...................ALL their stuff ....balls and bosoms and everything from north to south. Its a no-hold-barred fracas of floats and foot soldiers, confetti and condoms, candy and cock rings, hats and handbags, drama queens and delinquents, artists and airheads, underwear and utters, water guns and wiseguys, fashionistas and funk=lovers, studs and duds. Everyone running, jumping, spinning, shrieking, tossing, laughing, posing, and panicking with nobody keeping any kind of order or continuity from the front end to the tail. The brave, eager and insane spectators begin lining up their lawn chairs elbow to elbow on Commercial Street as early as 7A.M.. The parade usually doesnt start until 4. Im a wet blanket whos been in the middle of the madness for far too many Augusts and although I try not to judge the ones who LOVE this thing, Im not one of them. For 15 years -unless Thursday happened to be my day off- I was downtown suffocating in the crowd or resenting the shoppers who wouldnt get the hell out of Marine Specialties so we could close (and still get paid) while the parade went by. People poured in after that. This year, I have a new job so Ill be working the opposite end. The PARKING end which is another major challenge on normal days , much less during carnival. The theme this year is Comic Book Capers just in case you think you need to be here. Dont worry about crime, Dick Tracey is expected. You decide.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 11:51:40 +0000
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