Antiques/Collectibles
Wheeler-dealers should head for the Wellfleet Flea Market, part of the Wellfleet Drive-In campus at 51 Route 6, north of the Eastham-Wellfleet border (tel. 508/349-0541). A few days a week in summer and during the shoulder seasons, the parking lot of the Wellfleet Drive-In Theater “daylights” as an outdoor bazaar with as many as 300 booths. Though a great many vendors stock discount surplus, there are usually enough collectibles dealers on hand to warrant a browse through. Summer hours are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8am to 3pm. Lookers are charged $2 to $3 per carload.
Farmhouse Antiques, Route 6, at Village Lane, Wellfleet (tel. 508/349-1708), is a large storehouse filled with a variety of goods, including a wide array of furniture, stacks of books, and ephemera.
Arts & Crafts
One of the more distinguished galleries in town, the smallish Cove Gallery, at 15 Commercial St. (tel. 508/349-2530)—located by Duck Creek, with a waterside sculpture garden—carries the paintings and prints of many well-known artists, including the late John Grillo, whose work delights with boldly painted tango-themed paintings, watercolors, and prints. It’s closed mid-October through April.
Also by Duck Creek, the Left Bank Gallery, 25 Commercial St. (tel. 508/349-9451) is set inside a 1933 American Legion Hall that makes an optimal display space. Crafts make a stronger stand than art here; although the paintings occupying the former auditorium sometimes verge on hackneyed, the “Potter’s Room” overlooking the cove is packed with sturdy, handsome, useful vessels, along with compatible textiles.
Fashion
At Hannah, 234 Main St. (tel. 508/349-9884), Susan Hannah shows her own private label in this nicely rehabbed house, along with other designers' works. The emphasis is on flowing lines and relaxed fabrics -- slinky rayon, soft cotton jersey, and nubby linen. Closed mid-September to late May.
Slightly more citified is Off Center, 354 Main St. (tel. 508/349-3634), where the clothes are neither traditional nor trendy, but right-on, go-anywhere chic. Closed January through March.
Somewhat to the left of -- and across the street from -- its parent shop, Off Center, is Eccentricity, 361 Main St., in the center of town (tel. 508/349-7554). The store lives up to its name with dramatic antique kimonos and artifacts from Japan, India, and Africa. Closed January through March.
Karol Richardson, 11 W. Main St. (tel. 508/349-6378), is owned and operated by its namesake, an alumna of the London College of Fashion and a refugee from the New York rag trade. She has a feel for sensual fabrics and a knack for lovely clothes that, in her own words, are “wonderfully comfortable but sophisticated at the same time and very flattering to the less-than-perfect body.” It’s closed mid-October through April.
Gifts
North of Wellfleet in the town of Truro, Jules Besch Stationers, 3 Great Hollow Rd. (tel. 508/487-0395), specializes in papers, ribbon, gift cards, handmade journals and albums, desktop pen sets, guest books, and unusual gift items. It’s closed January through March.
A Vineyard in the Dunes
One of the last working farms in the Outer Cape, Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod, 11 Shore Rd./Route 6A, North Truro (tel. 508/487-6200) uncorked its first homegrown chardonnay and cabernet franc in the fall of 1996, and Muscadet and merlot soon followed. Inside the main house on this pastoral property, the living room, with its exposed beams, is decorated with interesting wine-related artifacts. From late May through October, wine tastings are every half hour at $10 per person. Free winery tours are offered at 1pm and 3pm. On the premises you’ll also find the South Hollow Spirits distillery, offering 20 Boat Rum and Dry Line Gin. Distillery tours are at noon and 2pm. Events take place all summer with live music and high-end food truck vendors; check website for details. Open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, Sunday noon to 7pm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
