As summer heats up on Cape Cod, Provincetown readies for its grandest tradition: Carnival Week. This year the extravaganza runs August 16–23, with the 47th Annual Carnival Parade rolling down Commercial Street on Thursday, August 21. Wondering what to wear? Well, dig out your old scouting uniform (or maybe just a pair of vintage jorts), because this year’s theme is, “Summer Camp!”
Since its founding by the Provincetown Business Guild in 1978, Carnival has been the town’s dazzling, inclusive celebration of creativity, expression, and community, drawing tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ folks and allies to the Outer Cape each August. But this year, Carnival is also P’town’s unofficial summer camp for grown-ups—so expect playful costume contests, wild pool parties, raucous night cruises and kitsch silliness around every bend.
After all, in the context of LGBTQ communities, “camp” doesn’t just refer to bonfires and bears—it’s an aesthetic core of queer culture. From Susan Sontag’s essays to John Waters’ transgressive cinema, camp uses excess, irony and theatricality to poke fun at a serious world and tear down the artifice around manufactured identities. In Provincetown, there’s no higher stamp of approval than this: Waters, long described as “the King of Camp,” has had a home in the community for decades. In fact, if you want to catch Waters this summer, he’s performing his revealing one-man show “The Naked Truth” at Provincetown Town Hall on July 24, just ahead of Carnival.
So start planning your lodging, coordinate with float buddies (registration is open through Friday, July 18), sketch out that best “canoe princess” or “lifeguard with lip-sync skills” costume, and keep an eye on ptown.org or the Provincetown Business Guild newsletter for updates on the weeklong schedule and special events.
Two P’town Campgrounds for Staying on Theme
If you’re heading to Provincetown Carnival 2025 and want to go full Camp—yes, with a capital C—why not ditch the guest house and sleep under the stars? This year’s “Summer Camp” theme practically begs you to trade your feather boa for a flannel and pitch a tent. Two campgrounds within walking or pedaling distance of Commercial Street—Dunes’ Edge Campground and Coastal Acres Campground—offer different vibes for your Carnival experience.
Unwilling to go without Wi-Fi during your overnight in the outdoors? Choose Coastal Acres Campground in the West End, which is closer to Commercial Street (and your iced coffee in the morning). It offers full RV hookups, clean bathrooms, hot showers, and even laundry facilities—crucial for keeping your camp counselor getup crisp. You’ll still sleep under the stars, but you won’t have to rough it. Coastal Acres is perfect for Carnival-goers who want to stay close to the glitter and maybe host a mini talent show at their site.
Pro: Convenience
Con: Can get crowded. Walk to Tea Dance at the Boatslip—about 10 minutes.
Dunes’ Edge Campground, managed by the Trustees of Reservations, an organization that protects natural spaces in Massachusetts, is nestled right where P’town meets the wild edges of the Beech Forest and beach dunes. It’s family friendly, peaceful and rustic: There are spots for trailers here, but most folks camp in tents. There are some electric hookups, water spigots, hot showers and a small camp store, if you forgot to pack your toothbrush.
Pro: Privacy
Con: On the other side of Route 6, it’s less convenient for getting back and forth to town on foot. Walk to Tea Dance at the Boatslip—about 40 minutes.
However you rough it (or don’t), you’ll find a spot to rest your head for a fraction of the cost of room in town, which makes camping a great option for last-minute trips, especially with a group that’s game for a night or two in the great outdoors.
Not a subscriber? Sign up today for a free subscription to Boston Spirit magazine, New England’s premier LGBT magazine. We will send you a copy of Boston Spirit 6 times per year and we never sell/rent our subscriber information. Click HERE to sign up.