First Night Chatham F.A.Q.
Buttons
Is a button required to attend First Night Chatham?
A First Night Chatham button is required for most indoor entertainment and activities, while almost all outdoor activities are button-free.
The Carnival Caper, outside in front of the Chatham Squire, is button-free but has a separate entry fee. (See Carnival Caper listing for details.)
No button is required to roam around, enjoy the ambiance of First Night Chatham, and partake of any of our food vendors.
You can enjoy being in Chatham button-free from the Town Photo at noon until the final activities on the schedule.
For a complete list of button free events, see the
Button-Free
Button Free
page. Everything else requires a button.
Where can I buy buttons?
Buttons are on sale at First Night Chatham Headquarters, and also at several locations in Chatham and adjacent towns until Noon on Dec 31st.
Buttons can be purchased at several merchant locations in Chatham and adjacent towns. Buttons will also be on sale at First Night Chatham Headquarters after it opens on December 26th. Buttons can also be purchased online.
Button sale locations are listed in more detail, with addresses and phone numbers, on the Buy Buttons page.
The following merchants are selling buttons:
- First Night Chatham Headquarters
- The Chatham Clothing Bar
- Cape Cod Five Bank (Chatham branch)
- Chatham Orpheum Theater
- Puritan Cape Cod (Chatham Store)
- Snow’s Home and Garden in Orleans
- South Chatham Liquors
- North Chatham Outfitters
- Chatham Paint and Hardware
- Harwich Paint & Decorating Center
- Shop Ahoy Liquors
How much do First Night Chatham buttons cost?
Adult buttons cost $30, for anyone age 12 or above. Children’s buttons are $5, for ages 3-11. Children 2 and under are free.
All Sales Are Final. There are no exchanges or refunds.
For online purchases, there is also a small handling fee, which is listed here.
What's the latest I can buy buttons online or in stores?
The "Ship to your home" option will end on December 16th; After that, all online orders will be "Will-Call".
All online orders for buttons will end at midnight on December 28th.
Merchants stop selling buttons around Dec 29-30, sometimes earlier; after that buttons are sold only at Headquarters.
Headquarters sells buttons every day it's open, including all day Dec 31st, unless we sell out.
Do buttons sell out? What then?
Buttons have sold out in prior years, and it is likely they will sell out again. We limit button sales to 6,000 adults and 1,500 children.
If buttons sell out, check out the button-free activities.
There are many button-free individual activities.
No button is required to roam around, enjoy the ambiance of First Night Chatham, and partake of any of our food vendors.
You can enjoy being in Chatham button-free from the Town Photo at noon until the end of the day..
For a complete list of button free events, see the
Button-Free
Button Free
page.
How do I get my buttons when I purchase them online?
Online button purchases made on or before Dec 16th can be mailed to the shipping address you provide, or you can elect to have them held for pickup at First Night Chatham Headquarters.
Online purchases made after close of business Dec 16th will be held for Will Call at First Night Chatham headquarters. Please refer to the Headquarters Headquarters page for Headquarters location, hours, and map.
Will you hold buttons for me at Headquarters if I call?
We are not able to take button orders over the phone or by email, and buttons held for Will Call at First Night Chatham Headquarters must be purchased online with the Will Call option.
If you cannot get to one of the merchant locations to buy buttons, but want to pick them up when you get to Chatham, we suggest you purchase buttons online using the Will Call delivery option. If you purchase buttons online in the second half of December after First Night Chatham Headquarters is open, please allow at least 24 hours for an order to be processed and delivered to Headquarters.
I lost my button. What can I do? Can I get a replacement?
All button sales are final. There are no refunds, credits, or replacements. We suggest that anyone wanting to take extra care of their buttons place a sticker with name and/or phone number on the back of the button. You can check with Lost & Found at First Night Chatham Headquarters to see if anyone turned in your marked button. Also check the list of button-free activities on the Button-Free Button Free page.
First Night Chatham Performances & Activities
When and where will First Night Chatham programs be available?
The First Night Chatham printed program will be available at headquarters and at the merchant locations who sell buttons, starting around mid-December.
The full program schedule will also be available in a pull-out section of the Cape Cod Chronicle published the week before Dec 31st.
The schedule is also available on the First Night Chatham website. You can view the Performances and Activities schedule online.
How can I be sure to get in to see my favorite performance?
There is no guaranteed or reserved seating. The most popular performances usually have a line in front of the entrance well before performance time. At the end of each performance, we encourage the audience to vacate the venue to give those who have been waiting in long lines the opportunity to be seated.
Check with volunteers if there is too long a line, for recommendations about less well-attended performances. The purpose of First Night Chatham is to celebrate the arts and the passage of time with friends and family with a wide variety of entertainment; there are likely to be other performances nearby within easy access.
Can I bring my food, beverages, or alcohol into the performances?
First Night Chatham is an alcohol-free event! Food and non-alcoholic beverages are sold by a variety of vendors during First Night Chatham, some indoors at our venue buildings, and others are located outdoors. At the schools, no food or beverage is allowed in the auditoriums, or the gyms. At the church venues, no food or beverage is allowed in the sanctuaries or chapels. At other venues, check with a volunteer.
Refer to the Food Vendors Food Vendors page for a list of food vendors who set up in venues or other locations especially for First Night Chatham. A Restaurants page will also be active in late December, which gives the status of Chatham restaurants that will be open on December 31st.
Logistics & Transportation
How can I contact First Night Chatham? Is there a phone at First Night Chatham Headquarters?
You can contact First Night Chatham year-round by email or regular mail. This email address is info@firstnightchatham.com
The mailing address is
First Night Chatham, PO Box 80, Chatham, MA 02633
The First Night Chatham phone is operational only in November and December. It rings at First Night Chatham Headquarters while Headquarters is open during the latter part of December. Before headquarters is open, messages can be left which will be retrieved and responded to. The phone number for First Night Chatham is 508-945-1122.
Where is First Night Chatham Headquarters, and when is it open?
First Night Chatham Headquarters will be located downtown in the Main St area.
Headquarters will be open starting in late December, through Dec 31st. The phone number at headquarters is 508-945-1122.
Please refer to the Headquarters page for Headquarters location, hours, and map.
Where can I find food?
A list of food vendors is available in the First Night Chatham printed program, as well as online, on the Food Vendors Food Vendors page. A Restaurants page will also be active in late December, which gives the status of Chatham restaurants that will be open on December 31st.
Where are the nearest restrooms?
The Town of Chatham restroom facilities that are open during First Night Chatham are
- Town Hall (Main & Cross Streets), at the rear exterior of the building.
- Town Parking Lot (Main Street behind the Orpheum Theater/Ben Franklin).
- Kate Gould Park (Chatham Bars Avenue), on the North side of the park.
Volunteers at our venues can tell you which restrooms are nearest.
Where do the free shuttle buses go?
Free shuttle buses run from the Rockland Bank corner at the Main St rotary. They go by all First Night Chatham venues that are not located on Main St or within easy walking distance of the Main St. rotary. The buses run all day and into the evening. The buses on the Middle School route continue to run after the Fireworks at Oyster Pond, to ferry people back to the Middle School parking lot.
See the Buses page for more details and maps of the routes. Bus stops at the venues are indicated with signage. One bus is handicapped accessible, and will go to whichever venue is needed.
Where can I park?
Public parking is available at
- Monomoy Regional Middle School (Crowell Road). This is the largest parking area. The free shuttle buses can get you where you want to go from there.
- Town Parking Lot (Main Street, behind the Orpheum Theater)
- Elementary School (Depot Road)
- Oyster Pond Parking Lot (Stage Harbor Rd)
- Chatham Community Center Parking Lot (Main Street, west of the rotary)
Are the First Night Chatham venues accessible?
Yes, all venue sites are normally accessible.
Where can I stay in Chatham for First Night Chatham?
The members of the Chatham Chamber of Commerce offer a wide range of accommodations, from guesthouses to cottages, inns, bed and breakfasts and motels. Please consider one of these members when seeking lodging for First Night Chatham.