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The Provincetown Business Guild (PBG), one of the oldest LGBTQ business organizations in the country, has announced Carnival, their largest annual event, is going online. The PBG has partnered with Jonathan Hawkins and his production company, Live from Provincetown, to create a virtual celebration, titled Forever Provincetown, that will take place Saturday, August 22.
Kicking off Carnival at 5 p.m. Eastern is This MaskQueerAde, a virtual tea dance and costume celebration hosted by The Boatslip Resort. Following the tea dance will be a live broadcast at 7 p.m. featuring appearances by beloved Ptown performers including Peter Donnelly, Jon Richardson, The Boy Band Project, Mackenzie, Qya Cristal, Zoe Lewis, Marti Gould Cummings and Miss Richfield 1981 plus international drag artist and singer, Courtney Act and actor Daniel Franzese (Mean Girls, Looking.) Additional acts to be announced.
“I am honored to help the PBG celebrate the rich history of Carnival with a virtual experience,” said Jonathan Hawkins of Live from Provincetown. “Participants can relive their favorite moments from past Carnivals and make new memories watching this year’s stellar lineup of performances.”
Started in 1978 by a group of LGBTQ innkeepers who wanted to enliven Provincetown and celebrate the LGBTQ community, Carnival commemorates the town’s creative legacy, history as a welcoming community and haven for LGBTQ people. Carnival’s legacy, its importance to the history of Provincetown and its importance to the LGBTQ community is why the PBG decided to create a virtual Carnival celebration and bring the magic of Carnival to homes across the globe.
“Carnival has brought hundreds of thousands of people to Provincetown for over 40 years to celebrate our magical, welcoming town and the freedom to fully express oneself,” said Bob Sanborn, executive director of The Provincetown Business Guild. “With Forever Provincetown, we can bring the tradition of Carnival into people’s homes and reinforce the message that Provincetown will continue to survive this pandemic and will thrive again.”
Forever Provincetown encompasses Carnivals past as well as this year’s Holiday theme inspiring a myriad of safe costume and celebratory options. “The creative (and safe) mask options are endless!” said Bob Sanborn.
Provincetown businesses are encouraged to decorate for Carnival and many businesses will be celebrating Carnival in a safe and fun manner through outdoor dining, creative take-out food and drink options, outdoor performances, festive costume offerings and more. While there are no large public events this year, residents and visitors to Provincetown are encouraged to dress in costume on Thursday, August 20, the traditional Carnival parade day and while participating in Saturday’s virtual Carnival experience.
The 2021 Carnival theme will be announced at the end of the virtual experience, keeping with the custom of the last float of the Carnival parade revealing the next year’s theme.
Carnival’s Flagship Sponsor is Tito’s handmade Vodka. Additional sponsors include, the Provincetown LGBTQ Center, the Provincetown Tourism Office and The Boatslip Resort.
Forever Provincetown is free to view and will be available via Facebook live and YouTube live. For the full virtual Carnival lineup, visit www.ptown.org/provincetown-carnival/.
Updated list of performers:
Peter Donnelly
Jon Richardson
The Boy Band Project
Mackenzie
Qya Cristal
Zoe Lewis
Marti Gould Cummings
Miss Richfield 1981
Daniel Franzese
Cortney Act
Mike Flanagan
Mama Tits
Jonathan Hawkins
Billy Hough
Ryan Landry
Scarbie
Bobby Wetherbee
Varla Jean Merman
Todd Alsup
Harrison Fish
The Provincetown Business Guild is a not-for-profit organization promoting and supporting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer business community in Provincetown, MA. The Guild is committed to improving the Provincetown community by advocating for the acceptance of diversity and for tolerance through projects, programs and education. The Guild welcomes residents and visitors to experience America’s first LGBTQ tourist destination. For more information about the Provincetown Business Guild, visit www.ptown.org.
