Provincetown may be famous for its themed summer weekends, but increasingly exciting “off-season” events are luring lots of new visitors. Just ask Trevor Pittinger, a former New Yorker who initially fell in love with P’town over a Spooky Bear Halloween Weekend. Now, he’s a full-time resident and the associate director of the Provincetown Business Guild, helping to oversee programs and celebrations that stimulate tourism (and thus, the local economy) year-round.
That includes Holly Folly, a festive winter weekend that was originally founded by lesbian events producer Lynette Molnar in 1997. Holly Folly now attracts about 30,000 visitors annually with its spirited series of holiday parties, shopping experiences, a scantily-clothed Santa run, and other merrymaking moments—all filtered through an LGBTQ+ lens. We talked to Pittinger about what makes Holly Folly the most magical time of the queer year.
[Spirit] What makes the holiday season so special in Provincetown?
[Pittinger] There’s a lot of pressure around the holidays for queer people, who may or may not have comfortable relationships with their families, who may or may not align with the family politics over the Thanksgiving dinner table. Something really special that Provincetown can offer is an opportunity for LGBTQ+ people to connect with their chosen family. That doesn’t mean that we don’t want traditional families coming for the experience as well. It just means that there’s a freedom to experiencing the festivity of the holidays in a way that provides a little more freedom of expression, sense of self and connection to a community that really embraces who you are. I think the events reflect that. For the Jingle Bell Run, folks put on bikinis and speedos to run down Commercial Street with 100 other people, freezing their butt off. That is literally a physicalized expression of the freedom of celebrating the holidays here.
[Spirit] Holly Folly has become a huge event! It speaks to the idea that these off-season events can be a great entry point for new visitors.
[Pittinger] I think that’s an important point, because there’s a lot of conversation surrounding Provincetown’s decreased accessibility because of the price benchmarks to come here. It’s a really complex problem, and the answer isn’t about reducing prices during the high season—the answer is about making Provincetown a year-round community that is more accessible at other touch points. If, say, you’re unable to afford Provincetown for Bear Week, which is one of the most expensive weeks in town, come for Out of Hibernation in the deep winter. You’ll still experience an incredible time with your community in a space that has nearly 70 percent LGBTQ+ tourists. At any point of the year, that’s exciting and edifying and special.
[Spirit] Is there anything new or exciting about this year’s Holly Folly?
[Pittinger] The most exciting thing for us is the return of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. The BGMC had been coming for decades to Provincetown. There was a period of dormancy through the pandemic. Now the chorus is back for the first time in three years. Much of the community has been going to see that show for a long time, so they’re excited for it to be back in town. It also brings 200 additional revelers to roam town, supporting local businesses.
[Spirit] What’s the most magical aspect of Provincetown in winter?
[Pittinger] I think Provincetown is incredibly healing in the winter. It provides the counterpoint to the summer experience. A lot of people that live here balance out the wild, crazy, gay tornado of the summer with the beautiful, more stark, more quiet and community-oriented experience of the winter. I think a winter trip provides an opportunity to really get to know the local community and how special it is. There are events every weekend that are so unique to this space. And the landscape transforms. The light is never not beautiful and incredible, but it becomes more golden. The grasses turn from green to a golden color that reflects into the bay. You go out to the dunes and it’s so quiet. Anyone who falls in love with Provincetown learns a new way to love it by coming in the wintertime.
Holly Folly happens in Provincetown from Friday–Sunday, Dec. 1–3.
More: ptown.org/calendars/holly-folly
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