On a walk down Commercial Street, the horizon line of Cape Cod Bay meets the sky in such a way that a demarcation of blue lines is the whole town’s background. The foreground is a bustle of energy and color. Stripes provide a perennial theme in summer décor, with a classic symmetry that plays it cool. From the umbrellas at Patio to the Breton shirts favored by tourists, the nautical navy-and-white version reads neat and crisp. But leave it to Provincetown — where even the crosswalks are rainbow colored — to put its own spin on the motif.

The White Wind Inn juxtaposes its blue-and-white pinstriped awnings with the neon stripes of LGBTQ Pride flags. Tropical striped rope doormats at Roots Home & Garden are stacked beneath a Black Lives Matter sign. And everywhere red heart signs of hope are painted on the striped slats of wooden pallets. The eye seeks order, but here it’s inclusive, a celebration of summer for all stripes.

At the White Wind Inn, all kinds of pride fly brightly next to traditional navy-and-white awnings. (Photos Molly Newman)

Hand-painted hearts all over town and Route 6 are a new kind of stripe on view this summer, and a reminder to keep hope in trying times.

At Roots Home & Garden, striped door mats are made from fishing rope, an homage to the working roots of this community.

Monument Shave Shoppe displays a nostalgic red, white, and blue streak in the West End.