Top 10 Things to Do on Cape Cod in August

August is peak Cape Cod: cheer the Pan-Mass Challenge riders along the Rail Trail, hit the Main Street Block Party in Orleans, run the Brew Run in Brewster, and take a ferry day trip to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard.

Peak Cape vibes. Everything is open, everyone is here, and the days go long. The list:

1. Pan-Mass Challenge on the Rail Trail, Orleans. The largest athletic fundraiser in the country rolls through town the first weekend of August. Cheer them on.
2. Block Party and classic cars, Main Street, Orleans. The town closes Main Street and everyone goes.
3. Catboat Gathering on Pleasant Bay, Orleans. Classic sailboats on the Cape's most beautiful bay.
4. Fashion Week at The Barley Neck, East Orleans. Front row, Cape style.
5. Nauset Craft Fest and Antique Show, Orleans. Find a treasure.
6. Carnival week, Provincetown. The Cape's biggest, most colorful week. Worth the trip up Route 6.
7. The Brew Run, Brewster. A 5.2-mile evening race that ends in a party at The Woodshed.
8. Ferry day trips to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The fast ferry to Nantucket leaves from Harwich Port, about 20 minutes from Orleans; the Vineyard boat runs seasonally from Hyannis.
9. Summer Fair at the Federated Church, Orleans. Family fun on the lawn.
10. Sunset picnics at Skaket Beach, Orleans. The best golden hour on the bay side of the Cape.

And when peak Cape is what you came for, come stay with us. The house sleeps 10, the ferry is 20 minutes away, and Skaket's golden hour is 3. August weeks go fast, so ask early. Check your dates whenever you're ready.