01/06/2021
The following post is concerning Bear Week Provincetown, July 10 – 18, 2021. Please read.
From John Burrows, founder and director of Bear Week, December 28, 2020
Provincetown businesses have welcomed visitors to the renowned LGBTQ resort community in 2020 while successfully following public health and safety guidelines that were put in place in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Based on their experience this past year, a majority of local hotels, guest houses, restaurants, shops, and galleries will open for the 2021 season and Provincetown will continue to comply with current state and local public health safety rules.
A message from Provincetown Business Guild says: "Provincetown is anticipating a stronger season in 2021 and the Provincetown business community will be offering appropriate and safe events and programming throughout 2021."
In light of uncertainties with Coronavirus, Provincetown Bears regrets that public events for Bear Week 2021 cannot be announced six months ahead as is usual. We anticipate that some bears plan to keep their reservations and anticipate enjoying a quieter than usual vacation in Provincetown next summer. Next July there will be an informal bear week, but not a typical Bear Week Provincetown™ with hosted public parties.
Due to the state of emergency brought about by Covid-19, the Governor of Massachusetts has mandated strict occupancy limits, restricted business hours, and enforced a state-wide curfew. These impede our promoting an official Bear Week program for 2021. Tourists who plan to travel from outside Massachusetts should consider state imposed travel rules prior to making summer plans (these rules are subject to change, but currently a 14 day quarantine is required for travelers from most states). Please check the Massachusetts government web site for current information: [www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order](http://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-travel-order). These State mandates are certain to change by July, and Provincetown Bears will keep in contact with the managers of our host venues and keep our community informed.
The town of Provincetown has worked diligently during the course of this year to protect the health of residents, staff, and visitors. Strict mask-wearing bylaws are enforced, and social distancing has been advised. Vacationers have been implored to socialize within their immediate household groups and are asked to not host parties. It is a long standing policy that any official events that are part of Bear Week must be held in venues with established entertainment licenses; this year there are additional rules on occupancy that have been set by the state.
Provincetown hotels and guest houses have added new housekeeping protocols to ensure that their guests have a safe stay. Restaurants opened last summer for take-out service and there have been creative accommodations for outdoor dining. Shops and galleries have adhered to new occupancy guidelines. In 2020, cabaret managers created outdoor stages that enabled many of our favorite entertainers to return for the season. Those of us who were able to travel to Provincetown during the summer of 2020 found a warm welcome, and we anticipate as sincere a welcome in the 2021 season.
Since the late 1800s summer tourists in Provincetown have appreciated sunny days and the healthy vigor of the refreshing salt air. The Cape Cod National Seashore offers visitors countless outdoor activities including miles of beaches, dunes and woods which Bear Week attendees have always enjoyed exploring. While in town, Commercial Street remains one of the best outdoors places to meet up with old friends and make new ones.
As the promoter of Bear Week for 20 years, I look forward to seeing friends in Provincetown in July. Bear Week has always been organized as a gathering of our community. Though our numbers will not be as great as in past summers, I know that Provincetown looks forward to our return this summer. I hope that, in years to follow, all of our friends from around the world will join us and Bear Week Provincetown will again be the high point of our summer.
John Burrows
Provincetown Bears
Effective August 1, 2020, all visitors and returning residents entering Massachusetts must follow new travel orders. The Commonwealth has made great progress to slow the spread of COVID-19 and gradually re-open the economy, and all visitors have a responsibility to help us keep transmission levels a...
