Things To Do in Chatham
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Chatham Attractions
Monomoy, a Wildlife Reserve
The uninhabited nature reserve known as Monomoy encompasses 2,750 acres of brush-covered sand favored by some 285 species of migrating birds. Monomoy stretches south from Chatham with Nantucket Sound on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other; annual shoaling, when tides break up the sand, determines whether there are one or two islands. The summer and fall are the best times to watch the birds as they embark on their migration. Monomoy Island Ferry (tel. 508/237-0420; www.monomoyislandferry.com) offers cruises to Monomoy from the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters on Morris Island. The price for a 90-minute cruise is $30 for adults, $25 for children.
Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary conducts guided natural history tours of Monomoy throughout the year (tel. 508/349-2615 for information or reservations). Cape Cod Museum of Natural History also runs guided tours to Monomoy Island, including overnight stays at the restored lighthouse on South Monomoy. To reach Monomoy headquarters on Morris Island, take Route 6 east to Route 137 south to Route 28. A left turn takes you through downtown Chatham (about 3 miles). Turn right at the stop sign, to the Chatham Lighthouse and Coast Guard Station. Take the first left after the lighthouse, then the first right. Follow Morris Island Road to signs for the Refuge on the left.
Kid Stuff
The Play-a-Round Park, on Depot Street, will keep kids entertained for hours on end. The weekly band concerts (tel. 508/945-5199), at Kate Gould Park, held Friday nights in summer, are perfectly gauged for underage enjoyment: There's usually a bunny-hop at some point in the evening. Junior connoisseurs get a chance, once a year in late July, to enjoy some really fine music, when the Monomoy Chamber Ensemble puts on a free morning children's performance at the Monomoy Theatre (tel. 508/945-1589; www.monomoytheatre.org), and musicals there are always fun.
Chatham Shopping
Chatham's tree-shaded Main Street, lined with specialty stores, offers a terrific opportunity to shop and stroll. The goods tend to be on the conservative side, but every so often, you'll happen upon a hedonistic delight.
Arts & Crafts
Headed for such prestigious outlets as Neiman Marcus, the hand-blown glassworks of James Holmes originate at Chatham Glass Company, 758 Main St., just west of the Chatham rotary (tel. 508/945-5547; www.chathamglass.com), where you can literally look over their shoulders as the pieces take shape. Luscious colors are their hallmark; the intense hues, combined with a purity of form at once traditional and cutting-edge contemporary, add up to objects that demand to be coveted.
At Chatham Pottery, 2058 Rte. 28, east of the intersection with Route 137 (tel. 508/430-2191; https://www.chathampottery.com), striking graphics characterize the collaborative work of Gill Wilson (potter) and Margaret Wilson-Grey (glazer). Their work consists primarily of blue block-print-style designs set against off-white stoneware. The most popular design may be the etched pair of swimming fish, based on sketches more than 100 years old. It's a look that's somewhat addictive. Luckily, it's available in everything from platters and bowls to lamps and tiles.
Books
Yellow Umbrella Books, Main St., in the center of town (www.yellowumbrellabooks.net; tel. 508/945-0144), offers both new and used books (from rare volumes to paperbacks perfect for a disposable beach read). This full-service, all-ages bookstore invites protracted browsing.
Fashion
Catering to fashionable parents and their kids, ages newborn well into the teens, the Children's Shop, 515 Main St., in the center of town (tel. 508/945-0234), is the best children's clothing store in a 100-mile radius. While according a nod to doting grannies with such classics as hand-smocked party dresses, Ginny Nickerson also stays up-to-speed on what kids themselves prefer.
The flagship store of Puritan Clothing Company is at 573 Main St., Chatham (tel. 508/945-0326; www.puritancapecod.com). This venerable institution, with stores all over the Cape, has updated its clothing considerably in the past 10 years. You'll find a wide range of quality men's and women's wear, including Polo, Nautica, Eileen Fisher, and Teva, at good prices.
Chatham Nightlife
Although most towns host some comparable event, Chatham's free band concerts -- 40 players strong -- are arguably the best on the Cape and attract crowds in the thousands. This is small-town America at its most nostalgic, as the band, made up mostly of local folks, plays those standards of yesteryear that never go out of style. Held in Kate Gould Park (off Chatham Bars Ave., in the center of town) from July to early September, it kicks off at 8pm every Friday. Better come early to claim your square of lawn (it's already a checkerboard of blankets by late afternoon), and be prepared to sing -- or dance -- along. Call tel. 508/945-5199 for information.
