You spend the entire stroll running into every single person you know ... There's something really magical about it.
— Meghan McLaughlin, President. Barnstable Village Association
Strolling the Holiday-way
'Tis the season to stroll, sing a carol or two, and sip hot chocolate, eggnog or hot apple cider by a roaring bonfire.
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December 10 2025 – BARNSTABLE, MA – The annual holiday strolls on Cape Cod are drawing more people than ever this year — in Barnstable Village as well as in dozens and dozens of other villages and towns across the region.
What is the Barnstable Village stroll?
People marked their calendars – just like they’ve been doing for decades. For some, it’s the cotton candy, for others the fire department’s chili or the hot cider or the sugar cookies. On the first Wednesday evening of December Barnstable Village closes Rte 6A to cars and opens to people who sing, mingle, and celebrate the community feeling of the holidays.
“I grew up in Marstons Mills and I would go to the Barnstable stroll year after year after year…” said Meghan McLaughlin, president of the Barnstable Village Association. “It was just definitely a big part of what I wanted my kids to experience growing up here.”
What is a holiday stroll?
No one knows for certain who had the idea first — was it Chatham? or Nantucket? — but we do know in the fast changing world of 1960s and early 70s the Cape and Islands reached back in time for inspiration and grew their own new tradition: the holiday stroll.
The stroll brings people onto the streets, businesses open up their doors, and everyone celebrates the holiday season with some combination of food, drink, music, Santa, and sometimes street performers.
For some strolls, the event supports buying local and offers a sort of festive marketplace, while others weigh more strongly on music and general holiday interaction. The variety brings cadres of people who just love to stroll the different strolls.
How many strolls are on Cape Cod?
The Barnstable Village Association’s stroll on Rt 6a in the heart of the village represents one of the dozens upon dozens of gatherings on Cape Cod in December, each reflecting the personality of the dozen upon dozens of Cape villages.
“People are realizing that every single town has a stroll and they want to go to all of them, they want that home town feel, they want to also support local and small businesses and get this festive experience across the Cape,” explained McLaughlin.
Are holiday strolls popular?
This year, organizers say the strolls seem more popular than ever, drawing in crowds for a toast to community in a time when many say we need that more than ever.
As McLaughlin explained, “It’s a small town feel, it’s tradition, it brings everyone together. It’s community. It’s really something beautiful.”
