Provincetown, MA (The Hollywood Times) 10/12/26 – Provincetown Women’s Week is officially underway, and the laughter is about to get a whole lot louder!
Comedian, storyteller, and everyone’s favorite “fun lesbian aunt,” Mina Hartong, kicked off her four-night run, Tuesday, October 13, at 6 p.m. at The Red Room, performing nightly through Friday, October 16.
And yes, The Hollywood Times is here in Provincetown to cover the festivities, including Mina’s much-anticipated return to the town where her comedy journey began more than 25 years ago.
Earlier this summer, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my dear friend Mina for an exclusive interview about her return to Women’s Week, her evolving comedy career, and her debut comedy special, Miss Personality.
Now that Women’s Week has arrived, the excitement is real, the audiences are gathering, and Mina is ready to bring her signature combination of fearless humor, music, crowd work, and heartfelt storytelling back to Commercial Street.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Mina Hartong,” she told me with her signature warmth, “and my pronouns are she, her, and the fun lesbian aunt you always wanted, and also a comedian, funny lady, and host.”
CLICK BELOW FOR OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MINA HARTONG:
Watch our interview with comedian Mina Hartong
For Mina, these four performances are much more than another comedy booking. They represent a homecoming to the place that helped shape her voice as a performer.
Mina first performed in Provincetown in 2000 and 2001, when she was, as I reminded her during our interview, a “baby comic.”
Her first show, Mimi’s Wedding, was a solo comedy production about coming out in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the wedding her mother always wanted.
“I was up and down Commercial Street in a big wedding veil, in a wedding dress, promoting my show,” Mina recalled. “And then for Herring Cove Beach, I did a cute bikini with a wedding veil up and down the beach. Because remember, no social media. It was all postcards, paper flyers.”
Imagine that! Before Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook promotions, there was Mina in a wedding dress, working Commercial Street and charming audiences one flyer at a time.
“I was totally fearless about it,” she said. “It taught me how to bark, right? To be brave about talking to people. That was a big takeaway from being in P-Town.”
More than two decades later, Mina returns with an impressive career that includes performances for Olivia Travel, the Rehoboth Beach Women’s FEST, Joe’s Pub, and the New York Comedy Festival, along with international appearances and recognition among America’s funniest women.
“It is completely and totally exciting to me to come full circle,” Mina said. “At my stage of my career, having done this for 25 years plus, full-circle moments are what it’s all about.”
Women’s Week in Provincetown has always been about celebrating women, friendship, laughter, and LGBTQ+ community. And Mina understands her audience better than most.
“There’s nothing that gives me more joy than seeing lesbians and queer women having fun,” Mina said. “Letting loose, feeling comfortable, feeling authentic, and just the joy of that. So that’s a real privilege for me to perform at Women’s Week.”
Mina’s shows begin at 6 p.m., which she believes is the perfect time for her audience.
“I know my lesbians,” she joked. “They love an early show. It’s an hour show, so you can have dinner before or after and still be in bed by lesbian bedtime, which is 9 to 9:30 p.m. That is real.”
And naturally, Mina is prepared for just about anything.
“Always snacks,” she laughed. “I was a teacher, so snacks, cheese sticks are always in my bag if you’re hungry on Commercial Street in October.”
But don’t let the snacks fool you. Behind that easygoing personality is a seasoned performer who has spent months preparing new material, rehearsing, and getting ready for her Provincetown return.
Mina’s comedy has evolved over the years, becoming more personal, spontaneous, and fearless.
“I think my voice has evolved to be even more fearless as I get older,” she said. “You don’t care as much anymore what people think. You’re going to do what you really want to do with your time and your life.”
Her wife, Pia, offers a simple piece of advice before every performance.
“My wife Pia always says to me at every show, ‘Have fun and they’ll have fun,'” Mina shared.
That philosophy is at the heart of her performances today, which blend married life, growing up in Connecticut, teaching, song parodies, and plenty of relatable observations about everyday life.
And with so much happening in the world, Mina believes comedy is more important than ever.
“Not a lot is making us laugh right now,” she admitted. “It’s a really tough time to laugh.”
But that’s exactly why she gets on stage.
“What’s really drawing me in now is being able to have people come to a show and be with me inside the world that I’m creating so we can both get some relief and some laughter and some joy.”
Along with her Women’s Week performances, Mina is celebrating another exciting accomplishment: her debut comedy special, Miss Personality.
Filmed in Palm Springs, the special was picked up by Comedy Dynamics, with a streaming release anticipated later this year.
“That’ll be my first TV credit in all these years of doing comedy,” she told me during our interview. “So that’s a big deal.”
After decades of making audiences laugh, Mina is finally receiving the recognition she deserves.
And while a streaming special will introduce her comedy to new audiences, Mina still believes the best way to experience her humor is live.
“Seeing it live is the best,” she said. “That’s the most fun that we can have together.”
When I asked Mina what she wanted audiences to feel after seeing her show, her answer was beautifully simple.
“I hope they feel better,” she said. “That’s the goal.”
She also hopes people leave feeling connected.
“The more connected we feel, the easier it will be to get through this world that we’re in right now and to have more joy,” Mina said. “We need it. We need it every day, all day.”
And isn’t that exactly what Women’s Week is all about?
Whether you’ve followed Mina’s career for years or are discovering her comedy for the first time, this week’s performances offer an opportunity to laugh, connect, and celebrate together.
Of course, I couldn’t finish our interview without asking Mina whether she would once again be roaming Commercial Street promoting her shows.
“I won’t be wearing a wedding dress,” she promised, “but I definitely will be out on Commercial Street saying hi to people. So I’ll be wearing something Trina Turk probably, right, Valerie?”
Of course, Mina! Always represent!
And when I asked what song best describes her Provincetown homecoming, she immediately chose Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out.”
“To be able to come back and still be here, still be doing it, and I haven’t quit yet, and I still love it,” Mina said. “It’s got to be ‘I’m Coming Out’ because we’re always coming out, right? And Provincetown is a great place to come out again and again.”
More than 25 years after she first walked Commercial Street in a wedding veil, Mina Hartong is back, bringing the same fearless spirit, plenty of new material, and a whole lot of laughter.
And starting tonight, Provincetown audiences get to experience it all!
I’ll be there to support Mina and cover her show for The Hollywood Times.
See you at The Red Room, girl! And don’t forget your Trina Turk!
Mina Hartong: Miss Personality — Show Information
Mina Hartong: Miss Personality — Show InformationDates: October 13–16, 2026
Time: 6 p.m. nightly (doors open at 5:45 p.m. for October 13)
Venue: The Red Room, 258 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA
Tickets: CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS
Website: minahartong.com
Don’t miss four nights of bold comedy, unforgettable storytelling, and the fun lesbian aunt you always wanted!
The Hollywood Times is covering Provincetown Women’s Week 2026, bringing readers interviews, entertainment highlights, and stories celebrating LGBTQ+ artists and the community.
By Valerie Milano
