Welcome to Main Street in Falmouth

Photographer Charles Sternaimolo

Wonderful artwork, colorful characters

Browsing at the Falmouth Art Market, which meets on Thursdays in summer in front of the Gus Canty Community Center, we met several local artisans. Among them was Carl Sheffer, a retired executive who sells his travel photographs while enjoying a nice pipe in the sun. Another artisan, Chico, sells necklaces and other jewelry made of wampum. He sands down the shells to reveal the pretty colors beneath the surface. “Every piece I picked up one mile from here on Menahaunt Beach,” he says. A few booths down was potter and woodcarver John Russo. “What’s not to love about Falmouth?” Russo says. “I like being on the water and in the water.”

Impressive recipes, unique name

Inside Bear in Boots Gastropub, we met owners Gates and Kate Rickard, who named the business after their kids—well, their kids’ nicknames that is. Charlie, who showed a strong personality as a baby, is called “Bear;” Alex, or “Boots,” is known for his big feet; and Eva, who often hides stuff around the house, goes by “Squirrel.” The restaurant glows with a warm, family feel, and the owners are knowledgeable about their craft. They age a variety of meats in-house including pepperoni and wild boar; they’re experimenting with suvi cooking—where water is maintained at a consistent temperature throughout—and at the bar they serve some tasty sangria infused with oranges and strawberries.

A star was born on Main Street

Did you know that Katharine Lee Bates, the writer of America the Beautiful, was born on Main Street? It’s true. Take a walk by 16 Main in the west end to view the attractive home where Bates once lived, and learn a little about the famous writer and Wellesley College professor.

The colorful Carousel of Light

We stopped by the colorful Carousel of Light on a few occasions. Local artisan Lance Shinkle intricately hand carved and painted each of the ride’s 20 horses, and they each have names like Pearl, Butterscotch and Poseidon. Who is Lance Shinkle, you might ask? For starters, he’s the gentleman who can often be seen riding his motorcycle around the Upper Cape. You can’t miss him—the bike looks like a lion! Carousel staffer Sue Lefcourt told us “real men ride carousels,” so we gave it a spin. Manager Beth Juaire provided lots of interesting details on the carousel’s history, and was quick with the one-liners. To me, her family joke—what did Juaire today?— is a Cape Cod classic.

A gathering spot for scholars & artists

In front of Eight Cousins Children’s Books we marveled at the awesome “Alphabet Chair” that Falmouth artist Sarah Peters created for the store. In town to visit their grandparents, siblings Jaidin, 11, and Tia Russell, 10, read perfectly for the role of chair models. Upstairs, we met Jackie Schon and Meghan Miklavic at The Paint Bar. A Falmouth resident, Jackie owns the store with her mother, Jill, and they offer painting instruction classes for kids during the day, and for adults at night.

Main Street Falmouth Photo Gallery

Photography by Charles Sternaimolo

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