Cape Cod

Harwich

Harwich's favorite claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of the cranberry industry, and every fall, it holds a 'Cranberry Harvest Festival' to honor this delicious, most Cape-y native berry. The Brooks Academy Museum has a wonderful exhibit on the history of this fabled fruit, and traces the story of the men who made it a part of the American holiday season.

Harwich is blessed with 3 naturally sheltered harbors, which makes it popular with boaters cruising the Sound, and also makes it the ideal spot for a regatta. Every August, Harwich Port hosts 'Sails Around the Cape,' a 140 nautical mile boat race circumnavigating Cape Cod and ending back in Harwich Port. The south side has a lovely stretch of beach, boasting some of the most exclusive real estate on the Cape. There are excellent fresh-water ponds, such as the sparkling 743-acre Long Pond, great for boating, swimming, and bird-watching.

For more urbane pursuits, all along Route 28, art galleries feature a fine variety of styles, as well as restaurants and local shops. For the younger set, the unique Harwich Junior Theatre presents plays for kids with kids in starring roles. In the summer, band concerts are held Tuesdays at 7:30 in Brooks Park.