On Sunday October 11, 2026, 10:00am – 4:00pm the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre (WHAT)/Outermost Performing Arts Center is holding a "yardsale."  As part of its restructuring, the theatre is emptying its full backstage -  just in time for Halloween.  The sale features more than 20 years-worth of costumes, props, furniture, vintage clothing, home goods, and more. 

Starting October 15, the Higgins Art Gallery at Cape Cod Community College presents irèn handschuh: art modeste, a retrospective exhibition celebrating the life and work of the late French-born artist Irèn Handschuh (1951-2025). The show runs  October 15 through November 23. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, October 15, from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the Higgins Art Gallery. The event is free and open to the public.

In a release, the governor's office announced a state of energy emergency, removing charges from bills and expanding heating assistance to nearly $150 million. It also said the state will eliminate the SMART program charge on residential electric bills for three months and cut the Alternative Portfolio Standard by 50 percent this winter, which will lower energy bills for approximately 85 percent of ratepayers. The state is also partnering with Citizens Energy Corporation on a Winter Warmth fund for additional help.

Cape Cod Community College's current Artist in Residence Jackie Reeves exhibition, Domestic Affairs, has opened at the Higgins Art Gallery (Cape Cod Community College) and runs through October 9. The exhibit features large scale works and multi-media pieces. Her work brings together figurative and abstract elements through layered mark-making, material experimentation, and an ongoing interest in process, memory, and transformation.

The first Outermost Contra Dance of the season will be Friday, October 23, 2026 at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 335 Main St, Wellfleet. A Contra Skills Workshop begins at 6:30, followed by the dance at 7:00 Admission is $15, $10 for those under 30, $5 with student ID.

The 2026 OneCape Summit will take place on November 16, 2026 at the Wequassett Resort in Harwich, MA. The annual OneCape Summit is a regional forum for information, collaboration, and innovation across major policy issues and areas that impact Cape Cod.

Registration is now open. Visit onecape.capecodcommission.org for details.

The Cape Cod Commission has launched a new online survey asking residents and visitors to share their thoughts about open space as part of the development of the Cape Cod Regional Open Space Plan. The plan will help identify and prioritize the lands most important for conservation, community values, and long-term resilience. It will also focus on improving connections between open spaces to create a more cohesive regional network. Take the survey at www.capecodcommission.org/open-space.

Governor Maura Healey announced that Massachusetts has opened the application process for colleges, universities and eligible training providers, including aprenticeships, seeking state approval to offer short-term programs through the new federal Workforce Pell Grant program. Programs allow eligible students to use Pell Grant aid for training.

The application process for schools and training providers is open and underway. For more information about Workforce Pell and the application process, visit Preparing for Workforce Pell | Mass.gov.

Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital need your blood - and are holding multiple blood drives are being held across Cape Cod in October to address the shortage. All the blood collected at Cape Cod Healthcare blood drives help our families, friends and neighbors, and all donors to CCHC blood drives in October will receive a Wendy's gift card.

October 2: 8:40 a.m. – 3 p.m., Stand Down for Veterans, Margaritaville Resort, 1225 Iyannough Road, Hyannis

• October 6: 10:40 a.m. – 5 p.m., Harwich Police Department, 183 Sisson Road, Harwich

• October 8: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., Mark Hennessey Memorial Blood Drive, Cape Cod Beer, 1336 Phinney’s Lane, Hyannis

• October 9: 10:40 a.m. – 5 p.m., Brewster Police Department, 631 Harwich Road, Brewster

• October 13: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., St. Anthony’s Fatima Hall - part of St. Joseph Guardian of the Holy Family Parish, 167 East Falmouth Highway – East Falmouth

• October 14: 10:40 a.m. – 5 p.m., St. Margaret’s – Parish Hall, 141 Main Street, Buzzards Bay

• October 15: 9:40 a.m. - 4 p.m., The Federated Church of Orleans, 162 Main St., Orleans

• October 17: 8:40 a.m. – 3 p.m., The Harwich Chamber Home & You Showcase, Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak St., Harwich

• October 20: 8:40 a.m. – 3 p.m., Cotuit Federated Church, 40 School St., Cotuit

• October 21: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., Cape Cod Community College, 2240 Iyannough Road, Hyannis

• October 22: 9:40 a.m. - 4 p.m., 1st Congregational Church, 200 Main St., Wellfleet

• October 23: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., Stoneman Outpatient Center, 2 Jan Sebastian Drive, Sandwich

• October 26: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., Christ the King Church, 3 Jobs Fishing Road, Mashpee

• October 27: 9:40 a.m. - 4 p.m., John Wesley United Methodist Church, 270 Gifford St., Falmouth

• October 28: 9:40 a.m. – 4 p.m., Orleans Police Department, 99 Eldredge Park Way, Orleans

• October 30: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Eastham Library, 190 Samoset St., Eastham