There is something special about coming back to where it all began. More than 35 years ago, NGPA was founded in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and this year, more than 200 NGPA members returned to the town for the Cape Cod Classic, the organization’s flagship East Coast event. For four days, Provincetown became a familiar meeting place for a community that has continued to grow well beyond the small group that first gathered there decades ago.
The Cape Cod Classic has a way of bringing people together that is hard to recreate anywhere else. Longtime members returned to see friends they have known through years of NGPA events, while new members arrived to experience an NGPA gathering for the very first time. Before long, those lines seemed to disappear. Whether someone had been part of NGPA for decades or was still getting to know the organization, everyone found themselves part of the same community in Provincetown.
Friday got underway with the NGPA Town Hall, hosted by Executive Director Justin Ellixson-Andrews, giving members an opportunity to hear directly about the organization and its work. The morning continued with “Amelia Earhart: Beyond the Skies,” where members explored Earhart’s legacy and the impact she continues to have on aviation.
By noon, the mood was one of excitement as members made their way to the Boat Slip for the iconic pool party. It was one of those moments where the schedule almost became secondary. Members spent the afternoon together, catching up with old friends, and enjoying the kind of unstructured time that often ends up becoming some of the best part of an NGPA event.
Friday evening brought everyone back together again for the Friday Night Reception, one of the biggest moments of the weekend. With so many members gathered in one place, the room captured what the Cape Cod Classic is really about. There were familiar faces reconnecting after time apart, new members being welcomed into conversations, and plenty of excitement around being together in Provincetown. The reception also provided an opportunity for the NGPA community to come together around an important goal for the weekend: supporting the organization’s local chapters.
This year, NGPA set out to raise $55,000 to support chapters across the organization. By the end of the weekend, that goal had been completely blown out of the water, with more than $71,000 raised thanks to the generosity of the NGPA community. The support from donors and Flight Deck members will help strengthen the local communities that are such an important part of the NGPA experience. It was an incredible reminder that the community built at events like the Cape Cod Classic continues long after everyone heads home.
Saturday was left open for members to create their own Provincetown experience. The Build Your Own Adventure gave everyone the freedom to spend the day however they wanted, whether that meant exploring the town, or simply finding a place to spend time with friends. The weather was not always cooperative, but the gray skies did little to change the mood around town. Wherever NGPA members went, they seemed to find one another.
The weekend also brought a new aviation tradition to Provincetown. For the first time, NGPA held the Cross-Country Air Races, challenging members to submit their expected arrival time and then see how close they could come to their prediction. Rather than being about who could simply get there fastest, the challenge brought a little more strategy and fun into the flying. The aviation spirit continued into Saturday evening with the traditional Queen of the Fleet at Provincetown Municipal Airport, giving members another opportunity to bring their love of aviation into a weekend that is ultimately about being together.
Sunday brought the weekend toward its finale with the fabulous Drag Brunch, hosted by Ongina alongside local drag queens. The room was full of energy as members gathered for one of the final celebrations of the weekend. It was a fitting way to spend the last morning together in Provincetown before everyone eventually headed to the water for the Sunset Sail.
As the boats moved out for the final event of the weekend, there was a chance to slow down and take in everything that had happened over the previous four days. The Cape Cod Classic had brought more than 200 people together in the place where NGPA began, but what made the weekend memorable was not simply the location or the schedule. It was the people who came back, the members who came for the first time, and the connections that happened between them.
After more than 35 years, NGPA is still coming back to Provincetown. The town remains part of the organization’s history, but weekends like this show that it is also part of its future. The Cape Cod Classic continues to give members a reason to return, while giving new members a chance to discover what so many have already found in NGPA.
