THE SPIRIT OF '76
AN IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT AT THE VINCENT HOUSE
FREEISSUE
HIGHLANDS GENERAL
THE NEW SPOT ON CIRCUIT AVE.
STEPPING BACK IN TIME COTTAGE CITY
HISTORICAL WALKING TOURS
Week #1 June 22 - 25
Week #2 June 29 - July 2
Week #3 July 6 - July 9
Week #4 July 13 - July 16
Week #5 July 20 - July 23
Week #6 July 27 - July 30
Week #7 August 3 - August 6
Week #8 August 17 - August 20
info@mistymeadowsmv.org 508-338-7198 Monday - Thursday 9 am to 2 pm $ 850/week ($550 island rate ) *Scholarships available*
Photo Credit Randi Baird
6-10 Don’t miss A sampling of must-do events.
11-13 Vincent House
Celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. By Abby Remer
14-15 A sacred land
The ancestral Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah: A must-visit. By Abby Remer
16-17
Step into history
Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) Campgrounds walking tours. By Abby Remer
19-21 Island maps
Find your way around the Island.
23 ‘Jaws’ fans
Make a day trip around Amity Island and see locations firsthand.
24-25 Things to do
An index of all things to do.
27 How Islander are you?
Quiz yourself on these Island logos. By Nicole Jackson
28-29 A brief history of Martha’s Vineyard
From Noepe to ‘the Vineyard’: a brief history of the Island. By Nicole Galland
30-31 Make it a Vin-lit summer Summer reading recommendations. By Kate Feiffer
32-33 The new kid in town
Highlands General café and marketplace. By Allison Roberts
34-36 Dining index
Where to eat, buy groceries,
PUBLISHER: CHARLES M. SENNOTT • MANAGING EDITOR, FEATURES: NICOLE GALLAND • FEATURES EDITOR: ALLISON ROBERTS CREATIVE DIRECTOR: KRISTÓFER RABASCA • ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION MANAGER: DAVE PLATH • SENIOR DESIGNER: NICOLE JACKSON ADVERTISING: CHESLEY WISEMAN • TO ADVERTISE: EMAIL ADSALES@MVTIMES.COM OR CALL 508-693-6100. ON THE COVER: THE
A letter from the publisher
Welcome to Martha’s Vineyard. Whether this is your first trip or an annual pilgrimage that stretches back generations, we hope you find time to enjoy everything the Island has to offer. This summer it feels like history is very much on the menu.
Specifically, this magazine offers a full calendar of upcoming local events, many of which are part of the national celebration of the 250th anniversary of the July 4 signing of the Declaration of Independence.
That history comes alive with a visit to the Vincent House in Edgartown, which dates back to the 17th century and is managed by the Vineyard Preservation Trust. The historic home is a stop along a walking tour called “Independence on Foot,” which explores the role of the Island in the Revolutionary War –– part of any journey to understanding the meaning of that parchment dedicated to “We the People” and the struggle it symbolizes.
Set out on the historic walking tours of the Oak Bluffs Campgrounds and take a journey through the entire history of how Cottage City developed, a diverse Island weave of legacy and faith communities.
And the history of this Island stretches back in time to even before the 19th century development of a tourism sector — even, in fact, to before the American Revolution. It dates back thousands of years to the Wampanoag tribe and its traditions, which are celebrated up in Aquinnah at the farthest tip of the Island. And in this issue you can read about the Aquinnah Cliffs, which have deep meaning in the Wampanoag tradition, and the sweeping
lighthouse that has been circling for generations and protecting the historic fishing industry still at the center of the Island.
While you are here, we hope you will have time to see every corner of the Vineyard and reflect on all that history that surrounds you. We hope you will find time to look across the water at the sunset in Menemsha, or perhaps while on a bike ride along the bike path in West Tisbury, or just strolling through Edgartown on a sunny morning, and exercise that right that is enshrined in our Declaration of Independence: “the pursuit of happiness.”
Part of that pursuit should include checking out our lively music scene and art galleries, including the Oak Bluffs Arts District, and heading over to the Featherstone Center for the Arts to see the work its community of artists produces.
Be sure to seek out the great restaurants in every corner of the Island, from Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha, where you can get a fresh lobster roll, to fine dining in Edgartown at Alchemy, Détente, or L’Etoile — to name just a few. In Oak Bluffs, grab a delicious bite at Mo’s, and settle in at the Portuguese-American Club next door for some live music. In Vineyard Haven, you can go upscale at the Ocean Club, or you can have a family night with affordable and delicious fish tacos at El Barco. Or jump in the car and take a journey up-Island to State Road Restaurant, or even all the way up to the Outermost Inn.
Wherever you choose to go, we hope that our Island offers a respite from all the stresses and challenges of the times we live in, and we
hope this free magazine can serve as a guide to a great visit here on Martha’s Vineyard. While you are here, please be sure to follow the Martha’s Vineyard Times online at mvtimes.com and stay up-to-date through our free, awardwinning daily newsletter, The Minute.
We are proud to share that The Martha’s Vineyard Times print edition was named the weekly Newspaper of the Year by the New England Newspaper and Press Association last year, and we have continued to garner more awards for our outstanding work covering the Island. This year, The Minute has been named the top newsletter in New England, and we want to encourage you to sign up so you can stay current every day while you are here, about all that is happening on the Island.
Our focus is mostly on the year-round population, which should help you realize when you read our publications that you are hearing from real Islanders. But we also want to be sure we are being helpful to visitors about sharing this amazing place. We’d love to hear your thoughts on how we can best serve visitors, as well. We hope you will consider subscribing for delivery of our weekly print edition, and becoming a member of The MV Times community, which has always been guided by its founding slogan: “Real News for Real Islanders.” So, if you consider yourself a real Islander, or you aspire to be one, be sure to subscribe online and become a member. Enjoy your stay, and we wish you a wonderful summer as you follow your own “inalienable right,” as the Founding Fathers put it, to the pursuit of happiness!
Charles M. Sennott Publisher
First Friday
Don’ t Mi ss
AUTHOR EVENTS AND BOOKSTORES
July 15–16: Islanders Write Islanders Write produces a unique, free festival where writers with a connection to the Island come together for robust conversations, writing workshops about the art, panel discussions, book signings, and the craft and business of writing. instagram. com/islanderswritemv/
August 15: Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival
The 3rd Annual Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival is a premier celebration of Black literary excellence featuring panel discussions, author meetand-greets, and book signings. Tickets must be purchased in advance via eventbrite.com. Island Inn Conference Center, 30 I sland Inn Road, Oak Bluffs.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Alpaca Walk and Talk at Island Alpaca Island Alpaca welcomes the community to join their daily walks with their friendly alpacas. 1 Head of the Pond Road, Oak Bluffs. Space is very limited, so register early at islandalpaca.com/ alpaca_workshops_events.php.
First Friday
First Friday is a free, community-inspired outdoor event spanning the Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District. Celebrate all day with live music, local art displays, food trucks, artisan vendors, family-friendly activities, and a silent disco by Pathways Arts, the first Friday of each month, June through October. firstfridayvh.com
Historic Walking Tours of Edgartown
Step into the timeless character of Edgartown and its m ost iconic historic buildings. Led by Vineyard Preservation Trust educators, these 75-minute walking tours offer access to the Old Whaling Church, Daniel Fisher House, Vincent House, Norton Boat House, and other landmarks. June through September. vineyardtrust.org/tour/historic-walking-tour
Mass250
Mass250 is the statewide 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Many events are taking place on the Island. From early Indigenous and maritime history to Revolutionary-era connections and modern cultural contributions, the Vineyard’s
civic program explores liberty, democracy, and the meaning of independence then and now. Vineyard Preservation Trust, Old Whaling Church, 89 Main St., Edgartown.
July 8: Tisbury Street Fair
Tisbury celebrates its birthday by holding an annual Main Street block party. There will be lots of delicious food, art and crafts from local artists, along with music, games, and fun for the whole family. Main Street, Vineyard Haven.
July 9: Sail Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Buffet & Auction
h istory is deeply woven into the American narrative. Enjoy a series of educational, walking, and historical events, including the “Independence on Foot” tour, “Voices of Independence” at the Old Whaling Church, and specialized talks at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. mvy.com/ america-250-on-mv
Vineyard Artisans Festival
The Vineyard Artisans Summer Festival is an Island t radition and the only weekly juried art show where the public can meet over 70 Island artisans and buy directly from them. Visitors will find demonstrations, weaving, pottery, stained glass, oil paintings, pastels, mixed media, s culpture, wampum jewelry, quilts, clothing, sea-glass windows, handmade books, and more. July 2 to August 23. vineyardartisans.com/summer-festivals
July 7: 'Voices of Independence' at the Old Whaling Church Spoken word and music meet on the historic stage of the Old Whaling Church to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Featuring Island notables and h istoric texts alongside personal reflections, this one-night
The Seafood Buffet and Auction is Sail MV’s annual gala, with boats, music, a lobster dinner, and a live auction featuring sailing excursions. 5:30 to 9:30 pm. Tisbury Wharf, 138 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. sailmv. org/events
July 10–11: Vineyard Cup Regatta at Vineyard Haven Harbor
A weekend of racing, socializing, and dining to benefit Sail M artha’s Vineyard. Sunday the buoy racing for all classes will be held on the waters of Nantucket Sound and Vineyard Sound. The public is welcome to watch from the shore. 10 am to 5 pm. Benefits Sail MV’s maritime programs and education for Islanders of all ages a nd abilities. sailmv.org/events/ vineyard-cup
July 10: Vineyard Preservation Trust Generations Picnic
The Generations Picnic brings kids, parents, and grandparents together for an evening of food, music, and playful fun. This year’s “Magic” theme celebration transforms the Daniel Fisher House lawn into a whimsical, memory-making summer party. 4:30 to 7:30 pm. Dr. Daniel Fisher House & Gardens, 99 Main St., Edgartown. vineyardtrust.org/ event/generations-picnic-2025
BEN MCHALE
JULY 4 FESTIVITIES
Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association Children’s Fourth of July Parade
The MVCMA Children’s Parade meets up at 8:45 am on West Clinton Avenue. The parade starts at 9 am, and features decorated bikes, strollers, and walkers around Trinity Circle. Oak Bluffs.
Frederick Douglass Speech
The annual community reading of Frederick Douglass’ speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” will take place at Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs. Organized by Renaissance House, the event features residents and visitors reading segments of the 1852 speech, and is often broadcast by MVTV.
Island Community Chorus Concert
The Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs will host the Island Community Chorus Concert 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States on its actual birthday. 7 pm. islandcommunitychorus.com
Darty off Circuit 6 with Real Never Fades
A traveling private day party for ages 21 and up, featuring local food vendors and brands, live DJs, yard games, curated drinks, hookah lounge, and more. Open bar and catering while supplies last. Location to be disclosed day of. Tickets starting at $66.99. posh.vip/e/ darty-off-circuit-6
Red, White & Boom with Vineyard Legacy
The Legacy Day Party ’26 takes place from 2 to 8 pm, with check-in at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School at 100 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs. This 21+ event features music, food, and community, with proceeds supporting the Vineyard Legacy’s year-round initiatives.
Edgartown Fireworks
Enjoy the Edgartown parade of floats, bands, and classic cars. There will also be picnics, BBQs, and concerts throughout the day. Edgartown Harbor fireworks at dusk.
July 11: Campground Flea at MVCMA Tabernacle
9 am to 1 pm. 80 Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs. mvcma.org/mvcmaevents
July 11: Island Elderly Housing Benefit Concert
See Music Events and Concerts
July 11–12: Fluke for Luke Tournament
This annual Martha’s Vineyard fishing derby and fundraiser honors the late Luke G urney, with proceeds supporting his sons’ college fund. Participants can register at local tackle shops, including Coop’s Bait and Tackle, Dick’s Bait and Tackle, and Larry’s Tackle Shop. P.A. Club, 137 Vineyard Ave., Oak Bluffs. facebook.com/p/Fluke-forLuke-100064708777378
July 18: Annual Summer Gala at Featherstone Center for the Arts
Featherstone’s largest fundraiser of the year takes place on the Fe atherstone campus outside the Art Barn. Guests enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music, and dinner along with a silent auction and golden ticket giveaway to win one of five unique experiences. For more information and tickets, visit featherstoneart.org/gala.
July 25: Children’s Festival at Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association
A fun festival for everyone, but especially children. Games, crafts, goodies, and more for kids, parents, and grandparents. Tickets may be purchased for games with reward tickets for prizes. 10 to 11:30 am. Tabernacle at 80 Trinity Park, Oak B luffs.
July 25: Flying Horses Carousel 150th Birthday Party
The Flying Horses Carousel, America’s oldest platform carousel, is celebrating 150 years of magic, history, and the iconic
brass ring tradition. 15 Lake Ave, Oak Bluffs. vineyardtrust. org/event/flying-horses-carousel
July 26 to August 1: Legacy Week
Legacy Week on the Vineyard was created to engage, empower, and highlight the bond and value of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Join in t he 10th Anniversary of HBCU Legacy Week and party with a purpose, build new bonds, and get strategic in sustaining the legacies of our great schools. The weeklong celebration features daily events, networking, and HBCU spotlights pr imarily hosted at 11 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs. For a full list of events, go to legacyweekonthevineyard.com/.
July 30: Union Chapel Social
A garden-style festival celebrating the newly rejuvenated Union Chapel Park i ncludes live jazz, dancing, and treats. Union Chapel, 55 Narragansett Ave., Oak Bluffs. eventbrite.com/e/ union-chapel-social-tickets-1987349293234
July 30 to August 1: Sankofa Festival
The Sankofa Festival is an important part of the Oak Bluffs l ibrary’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The Oak B luffs Public Library hosts speakers, writers, scholars, artists, and performers each year to shine a light on the significant Black literature and culture, which are interwoven into the tapestry of Oak Bluffs history. 3 pm at the Oak Bluffs library, 56R School St. oakbluffslibrary.org/sankofa
August 1: I LOVE US Day Party
A day party of seersuckers and sundresses, wrapping up Legacy Week’s celebration of Black culture, community, and connection. 2 to 8 pm, 11 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs.
NICHOLAS VUKOTA
August 2: Misty Meadows Summer Benefit
Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center provides a unique a nd transformative experience unlike most traditional riding barns. Misty Meadows works with students to understand their emotional, physical, and mental needs, and how working with horses can help enhance and improve their health and wellness. The Summer Benefit is located at the facility in West Tisbury and features an evening of community, horses, and special events. Tickets: mistymeadowsmv.org/summer-benefit-1.
August
3:
All-Island Art Show
The All-Island Art Show is a long-standing tradition that began in 1956. Artists from all over the Island display their work in the Tabernacle, surrounded by the cottages of the Campgrounds. The show provides a festive atmosphere, with an opportunity to purchase fine art and meet the Island artists. 10 am to 3 pm, 80 Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs. allislandartshow.org/ about-the-show
August 3: Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard Summer Soiree
This highly anticipated annual fundraiser brings the community together at the Farm Neck Golf Club in Oak Bluffs for food,
drinks, music, and an evening of support for compassionate end-of-life care and grief services. hospiceofmv.org/fundraising/ events
August 4: All-Island Junior Art Show
Kids up to age 15 are invited to show their work, in any medium, in this standout art show, Island-wide for the first time. Bring your work, ready to hang, to the Tabernacle at 9 am; pick up art — and ice cream — at noon. Up to two pieces per artist, $1 fee each piece. 10 am to noon, 80 Trinity Park, Oak Bluffs.
August 6–9 and 14–17: Built on Stilts
The 30th annual Built on Stilts Dance & Performance Festival returns to the historic Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. Built on Stilts is a unique, all-inclusive festival that celebrates movement, dance, and music in an egalitarian, welcoming atmosphere. The lineup features a w ide-ranging mix of performers, from professional dancers and choreographers trying out new work to amateurs and young children stepping onto the stage for the first time.
August 8: 48th Annual Possible Dreams
Possible Dreams is Martha’s Vineyard Community Services’ largest annual fundraiser is hosted by comedian, talk-show host, a nd seasonal Island resident Seth Meyers. Allen Farm in Chilmark. my.onecause.com
August 9: Featherstone
Anonymous Art Show
Featherstone Center for the Arts Anonymous Art show is a fun and creative show featuring 6”x6” works of art donated by local professional and novice artists of all ages. E ach piece will be sold for $100. Guests at the event will not know who created each one until the end of the evening. The event is a fundraiser for Featherstone,
Agricultural Society Fair
with all artwork being donated and art sale proceeds benefiting the art center. $25 admission includes wine, beer, and light bites. featherstoneart.org/anonymousart.html
August 11–14: Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest
Martha’s Vineyard Comedy Fest is a celebration of African American humor, bringing together the brightest and boldest Black comedians from across the nation. The Strand Theatre in Oak Bluffs. Tickets: bandsintown.com.
August 12–14: Black Fashion Week
Black Fashion Week and Black Fashion Weekend are hosting several highly anticipated, culturally immersive experiences across the country. The event champions Black excellence, innovation, and diverse representation in fashion through runway shows, community events, and creative programming. Information: facebook.com/p/TheBlack-Fashion-Week.
August 13–16: Agricultural Society Fair
The 164th Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair is four days of livestock competitions, skillet-throwing, carnival rides, live music, and Island culture, drawing more than 30,000 visitors
to a 20-acre fairground. Dating back to 1858, the fair is operated by the Martha’s Vineyard
A gricultural Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and functions as both a social event and a working agricultural exhibition. Information: marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org/the-fair.
August 15: Black Book Festival
The Third Annual Martha’s Vineyard Black Book Festival celebrates Black literary excellence, featuring author showcases and panel discussions. I nformation: mvbbf.com.
August 19: Grand Illumination Grand Illumination Night on Martha’s Vineyard is a 157-yearold tradition that transforms the historic Oak Bluffs Camp Meeting Association Campgrounds i nto a glowing wonderland, when hundreds of Victorian gingerbread cottages simultaneously illuminate thousands of Japanese paper lanterns. mvcma. org/event-details-registration/ grand-illumination-2
August 21: Oak Bluffs Fireworks
The highly anticipated summer event features a band concert in Ocean Park starting at 8 pm, with the main fireworks show launching over the harbor shortly after 9 pm. oakbluffsma.gov/m/newsflash/home/detail/445
NICHOLAS VUKOTA
DENA PORTER
MV Black Book Festival
August 23:
Dance Theater of Harlem
Dance Theater of Harlem’s celebrated dancers and educational programs come to the Island during a multi-day residency. The program focuses on reaching the local community through open rehearsals, public events, and engaging workshops. dancetheatreofharlem.org/vineyard
August 31: Burgers and Bubbles
Burgers and Bubbles is an annual summer event hosted by Vintage MV Wine & Spirits. The event takes place on the lower lawn of the historic Daniel Fisher House in Edgartown, and features top local Island chefs going head-to-head to craft the ultimate gourmet smash burger. burgersnbubbles.com
FILMS & THEATER
June 25–28: FILMUSIC Festival at Martha’s Vineyard Film Center
The M.V. Film Society presents a long weekend of feature films and musical performances, celebrating the convergence of music, culture, and film. mvfilmsociety.com/ festivals/filmmusic-exploring-music-and-culture-through-film
July 27–31: M.V. Documentary Week
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society twelfth annual Documentary Week is five nights of n ew awardwinning documentaries and filmmaker Q&As, h ighlighting socially relevant films. M.V. Film Center, 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. mvfilmsociety.com
August 7–15:
African American Film Festival
The 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (MVAAFF) is an Oscar-qualifying festival for short films, featuring nine days of screenings, panel discussions, and evening events celebrating filmmakers of color. Passes are available for purchase directly at mvaaff.com.
Circuit Arts
Circuit Arts brings arts experiences to life across the Island, presenting pay-what-you-can film screenings, theater, live music, and other community arts events. Tickets and event details at circuitarts.org.
Edgartown Cinema
A neighborhood cinema where the seats are comfortable and the popcorn is fresh. 65 Main St. #8234, Edgartown. Check out their movie listings at yourneighborhoodtheatre.com.
Martha’s Vineyard Film Center
Immerse yourself in critically acclaimed movies and other events from the M.V. Film Society. The lineup includes feature f ilms, documentaries, comedy shows, live music, Exhibition on Screen, Met Opera Live, National Theatre Live, and more. 79 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven. mvfilmsociety.com
Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse
The Playhouse presents stage plays, live music, and community arts events with additional summer performances at the Tisbury Amphitheater. Operated by Circuit Arts, it offers experiences for audiences of all ages. 24 Church St., Vineyard Haven. Tickets at mvplayhouse.org and circuitarts.org.
The Strand Theatre
The lineup for 2026 includes the MV Sound Series, a multi-week comedy festival, and big-name concerts. 11 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs. strandtheatre-marthasvineyard.com
TBD Improv
Experience a highly interactive, hilarious show in which t he audience gives suggestions to Island-based performers, who create scenes right on the spot. The TBD Improv group performs at venues around the Island. tbdimprov.com
The Vineyard’s Drive-In
The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival and the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard have joined together to organize a summer-long drivein movie theater for the Island community. 91 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs. For upcoming movies, visit driveinmv. com/2026lineup.
MUSIC EVENTS & CONCERTS
July 11: Island Elderly
Housing Benefit Concert
This event is a key fundraiser for IEH, which relies on donations and grants to fund its programs for seniors on Martha’s Vineyard. Featherstone Center for the A rts, 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak
Bluffs. Check updates at iehmv. org/fundraisers and featherstoneart.org.
July 20: Ziggy Marley
Eight-time Grammy winner, Emmy winner, musician, producer, activist, and humanitarian Ziggy Marley will be h itting the Tabernacle stage in Oak Bluffs. The eldest son of Bob and Rita Marley, Ziggy has made his own path in the music business, infusing the reggae genre with funk, blues, rock, and other elements. 7:30 pm. mvconcertseries.com/ziggy
August 4: Bruce Randall Hornsby and the Noise Makers
Bruce Hornsby is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music covers a combination of traditions including folk, jazz, modern classical, bluegrass, and rock. The Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. Tickets: tickets-center.com/ bruce-hornsby.
August 7: Grace Kelly Benefit Concert
Catch world-renowned saxophonist, vocalist, and composer
G race Kelly as she celebrates over 20 remarkable years of music-making. The Old Whaling Church in Edgartown. Tickets: gotickets.com/ g race-kelly.
August 17: Martha’s Vineyard Gospel Festival
Festival at the Old Whaling Church in Edgartown, featuring Wintley Phipps and a slate of nationally recognized gospel artists. Tickets: eventbrite.com.
August 22: Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Experience
The Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Experience is an annual celebration held at the MVMCA Tabernacle honoring the r ich culture and history of Oak Bluffs while showcasing world-class contemporary jazz, neo-soul, and R&B. Tickets: eventssmarter.com.
Dock Dance Band
ONGOING MUSIC
Black Dog
The Black Dog Bakery Café hosts live music Saturday, 6 to 8 pm. 509 State Road, Vineyard Haven. The Black Dog Tavern has live music Friday nights. 20 Beach St. Ext., Vineyard Haven. theblackdog.com
Community Sing at the Tabernacle
Free, family-friendly singalong Wednesday nights, July through August, at 7:30 pm in the MVCMA Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs. mvcma.org/mvcmaevents
Dock Dance Band
Tuesday evenings at the Memorial Wharf, Dock Street, Edgartown. dockdance.com
Featherstone Concerts
Mondays and Fridays at Featherstone Center for the Arts, 30 Featherstone Lane, Oak Bluffs. featherstoneart.org/music
Grange Hall
The Grange Hall hosts regular concerts plus performances by Circuit Arts. vineyardtrust.org/ property/grange-hall
Maker Café
Live music in the garden starting June 29, Monday through Friday, 5:30 to 7:30 pm. 339 State Road, Vineyard Haven. makercafemv.com
Music on the Square
Live local music Thursdays outside the Eisenhauer Gallery and Vineyard Square Hotel in Edgartown, 6 to 8 pm.
MVCMA Sunset Concert Series
Live music Friday evenings, 6 to 7:30 pm. Bring a picnic and chairs. Trinity Park Tabernacle, Oak Bluffs.
MVYRADIO Summer Concert Series
Free performances every Tuesday at 6 pm. Winnetu Oceanside Resort Patio, 31 Dunes Road, Edgartown. mvyradio.org
Nomans
Live music, DJs, all summer. 15 Island Inn Road, Oak Bluffs.
Portuguese-American Club
Pool, live music, and good food f rom Mo’s Lunch. 137 Vineyard Ave., Oak Bluffs. paclubmv.org
The Ritz
Good food and a great lineup of musicians year-round, DJ dancing after 10 pm. 4 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, theritzmv.com/shows
S&S Kitchenette
Live music every week. 48 Main St., Vineyard Haven. sskitchenette.com.
Sound of the Vineyard
Free porch concert series Wednesdays 5 to 7 pm, July 1 to Sept. 2. Grange H all, 1067 State Road, West Tisbury. vineyardtrust.org/event/soundof-the-vineyard
Sounds Like Summer Concerts
Free, family-friendly concerts every Tuesday 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Edgartown library, 26 Edgartown–West Tisbury Road. edgartownlibrary.org
Sweet Life Café
Jazz every Thursday night from 6:30 to 9 pm. 63 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs sweetlifemv.com
Vineyard Grill
Brazilian-inspired menu, live local music. 15 Beach St. Ext., Vineyard Haven.
Woodstove Studios
Woodstove Studios is a recording studio and live-show venue. West Tisbury. For more information, visit woodstovestudios.com.
For more events and activities on Martha’s Vineyard, check the Vineyard Visitor website at vineyardvisitor.com and the event calendar at mvtimes.com/things-to-do.
Experience Revolutionary Martha’s Vineyard at the Vincent House.
BY ABBY REMER
The exhibit “Independence on Martha’s Vineyard: Then, Now, and Forever” is the brainchild of Norah Van Riper, consulting historian for the Vineyard Preservation Trust. This immersive show is part of its celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the
U.S. on July 4, 1776. Van Riper says, “I love having directly in the exhibition title that we’re talking about American ideals of independence and freedom in the past, present, and even into the future.”
Last summer, Van Riper worked as a local historian at the art installation “Our Golden Hours” at the Preservation Trust’s Vincent House, one of the oldest homes
on the Vineyard, built circa 1672. “I really started thinking about the stories a pre-Revolutionary War–era house could tell. I said, ‘I think we can do something unprecedented for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration.’”
Van Riper continues, “The story we really want to tell is multilayered. It begins with the events leading up to and surrounding
the American Revolution here on the Island. Throughout the exhibit, the emphasis is on how broader global events impacted us. We are not as isolated as we are sometimes made out to be. And our neutrality during the war has not been standing up to hard scrutiny.”
As you move through the house, each room shifts forward 50 years — all the way to 2076.
Van Riper notes that even before the Revolution ended, people were already quarreling about its meaning and how the narrative of those events should be told. By 1826, sectionalism and partisan politics debated whether the Declaration or the Constitution was more important, because the way it was presented would favor one party’s cause over that of the other. “We know about the history of the Revolution through the prism of all the interpretations that have happened in the last 250 years,” says Van Riper. “We will never be able to tell the ‘pure’ story of the Revolution, because even John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, when they were exchanging letters about how to tell this
history, said, ‘We can’t.’” Van Riper has chosen to focus on popular memory and how that has shaped this year’s celebrations.
Along with interpretive labels, the entire exhibit will be immersive and interactive, allowing visitors to learn through investigation and exploration. Van Riper explains, “You will open the drawers, read the letters, try on the clothes in the closet, and play the games to get
a sense of what life was like at each of those intervals. It will be like a treasure hunt.”
Since the entire exhibition will be handson and there is no climate control in the historically accurate Vincent House, the artifacts can’t come from museum collections. Instead, Van Riper has been hard at work sourcing items from our thrift stores, Facebook’s “MV Stuff for Sale” page, flea markets, yard sales, loans, and donations.
For the 300th-anniversary section, Van Riper is fashioning a small room as a time capsule, where people can leave their remarks about their hopes and dreams for what America and the Vineyard will be like 50 years hence. She says, “These will be sealed in a box at the end of the exhibit, and hopefully we’ll be opening it up in 50 years
2a, b.
The oldest house on Martha's Vineyard, the Vincent House, was built circa 1672.
PHOTOS: DENA PORTER, UNLESS NOTED
“ You will open the drawers, read the letters, try on the clothes in the closet, and play the games to get a sense of what life was like at each of those intervals. It will be like a treasure hunt. ”
— NORAH VAN RIPER
to see what did and didn’t come true.”
Van Riper wants visitors to realize that history is far more complex than we tend to believe. “It’s not a straight line or a single narrative. Who’s telling the story absolutely shapes it. And that’s been true for as long as human beings have been telling narratives about the past, because they shape our identity as Islanders, Americans, and citizens of the world.”
“Independence on Martha’s Vineyard: Then, Now, and Forever” is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 am to 2 pm. Docents are on hand for questions. Visitors can meet the curator, Norah Van Riper, on Tuesdays from 10 am to 2 pm. Vincent House, 99 Main St., Edgartown. For more information, visit vineyardtrust.org.
Norah Van Riper sits at a replica of a game table at the Vincent House. 2a, b. Visit the Vincent House exhibition in Edgartown. 3. Patriotic colonists boycotted imported tea following the Act of 1773 because of duties levied upon it. When tea was served, turning the cup upside down and placing the spoon on top indicated that the drinker would "take no tea." 4. To pass the time, locals during the pre-Revolutionary period played cards, enjoyed libations, and smoked pipes. 5. Locals would relax in a period chair, warm their feet on a foot stove, and rest their muskets in a safe place. 6a, b. Popular magazines that recapped the history of America's independence are on display in the exhibit. 7. of eight, Spanish milled dollar coins, were used as currency in colonial America. 8. The exhibition presents stories of locals' activism, such as the demolition of the Holmes Hole Liberty Pole.
A sacred land
The ancestral Gay Head
Cliffs
in Aquinnah: A must-visit.
BY ABBY REMER
The Gay Head Cliffs in Aquinnah, located on the Island’s southwestern tip, have been the sacred ancestral lands of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) for at least 10,000 years. It is said that the vibrant colors of the clay cliffs were formed and stained by the giant Moshup, a benevolent being with supernatural powers who lived in the area. According to tradition, Moshup caught whales and killed them by slamming them against the Cliffs to feed his people, staining the clay with blood, grease, and charcoal from his fires. The Cliffs’ distinctive mixture of reds, yellows, whites, greens, and black have been attracting visitors for centuries. And for good reason, as there has always been a lot to see and do.
There are records of visitors to the Cliffs as far back as the 1840s, including Charles
Lyell, a Scottish geologist visiting the United States, and Daniel Webster, who was on a fishing trip in 1849. Martha’s Vineyard Museum research librarian Bow Van Riper shares, “[Webster] wrote a rapturous description of the Cliffs as being like Niagara Falls if it were 150 feet of multicolored clay as opposed to 150 feet of falling water.”
Starting in the late 1800s, long before modern tour buses made hourly trips to the Cliffs, visitors regularly began taking day excursions by steamboat from Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. From there, they hiked up or rode in ox carts to visit the Wampanoag craftspeople who were selling their wares in Western-style tepees, see the lighthouse, and enjoy the surrounding beach.
Today, the tepees have been replaced by Wampanoag-owned and -operated, family-run
shops that have served tourists since the mid1950s. You will find wampum art, jewelry, books, clothing, and food, as well as a Heritage Exhibit offering information on Aquinnah’s history and Wampanoag culture.
There are also three options for take-out food. The Gay Head Store has a full menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups, and salads, and Middle Eastern mezes such as hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and baba ghanouj. Cliffhangers, in addition to its coveted softserve ice cream, offers lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, a sweet potato black bean burger, fish and chips, hot dogs, and other seaside fare. Aquila is well-loved for its specialty coffee, smoothies, and sumptuous açai bowls, all sold alongside enticing artisan wares.
A trip to the Gay Head Lighthouse is as popular today as it was in the late 19th century.
BY
PHOTO
NICOLE JACKSON
In the age of sail, the passage between Cape Cod and the Islands was second only to the English Channel in terms of ship traffic. But the entry to Vineyard Sound was treacherous, and the first lighthouse on the Island was built atop the Cliffs in 1799 to help guide vessels into and out of Vineyard Sound. The original octagonal wooden tower, commissioned by President John Adams, was moved back 75 feet from the eroding clay cliffs by John Mayhew of Edgartown in 1844, for $386.87. The present brick lighthouse was constructed in 1856. Due to severe cliff erosion, it was necessary to move it again, this time shifting it back 129 feet inland in 2015, at a cost of three million dollars.
tory through its exhibits, cultural events, school programs, and house museum tours. “Maintaining Our Sovereignty” is a new exhibition at the Center, debuting on June 16. The exhibit, curated by Mary Amanda McNeil, highlights Aquinnah Wampanoag sovereignty in response to the nation’s 250-
oral histories, and new works commissioned by Aquinnah Wampanoag artists to tell a story of Wampanoag political, cultural, and social mobilization.
You don’t want to go all the way to the Cliffs without seeing their magnificence from ground level. It’s a 10- to 15-minute walk from the paid parking lot to Moshup Beach. With the sun on your back and the ocean rolling in feet away, you can honor the Cliffs’ long history and acknowledge their sacred nature.
You can visit the 170-year-old lighthouse between 10 am and 4 pm, 7 days a week, through Labor Day weekend.
Down from the shops and lighthouse is the Aquinnah Cultural Center, which, between 1890 and 1897, was the home of William Adrian Vanderhoop and Beulah Occooch Salisbury Vanderhoop. The Cultural Center, open Tuesdays through Sundays from June 16 through Oct. 21, offers opportunities to learn about Aquinnah Wampanoag his-
year birthday celebration. Executive director NaDaizja Bolling says, “We decided to look at that in a different way and examine what that means to our tribal community, because the story is a little bit different.” The exhibit will primarily explore tribal members’ efforts and perspectives of the 1970s and 1980s surrounding the settlement between the town of Aquinnah and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), and the tribe’s fight for federal recognition. “Maintaining Our Sovereignty” assembles archival materials,
There are two splendid annual events at the Cliffs. The 19th Annual Native Artisan Market & Festival takes place on Saturday, July 18, from 11 am to 4 pm, when visitors can meet and purchase items from local and visiting Indigenous artists and artisans. The 2026 Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Intertribal Powwow will take place on Sept. 12 and 13, featuring local and visiting Indigenous dancers, drummers, and vendors.
You don’t want to go all the way to the Cliffs without seeing their magnificence from ground level. It’s a 10- to 15-minute walk from the paid parking lot to Moshup Beach. With the sun on your back and the ocean rolling in feet away, you can honor the Cliffs’ long history and acknowledge their sacred nature.
Please note: Only members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) are permitted to harvest clay, and as a federally protected landmark, it is illegal for the public to climb or disturb the area.
Step into history
Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) Campgrounds walking tours.
BY ABBY REMER
Pastel pinks, purples, yellows, greens, turquoise blues, and beyond adorn the gingerbread cottages in the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association (MVCMA) Campgrounds. The Campgrounds are magical. Simply walking through the secluded Oak Bluffs oasis is soothing and takes you back in time, starting in the early 19th century.
Walking tour manager Terry McCarthy oversees about 20 volunteer docents who lead small groups of 8 to 10 people on a 75-minute adventure. Although each tour is somewhat different depending on the guide and the questions visitors ask, everyone learns about the Campgrounds’ evolution, which touches on religious fervor, aesthetics, and history.
The idea for the Campgrounds originated in 1835, when Edgartown lighthouse keeper Jeremiah Pease, along with six men from the Edgartown Methodist Church, secured a half-acre of land for a religious camp meeting. These revival-style meetings, popular nationwide in the early 19th century, featured worship, preaching, and communion. McCarthy says, “Pease was a recent convert to the Methodist religion, and with that fervor that burns in the heart of a recent convert, he said to his buddies, ‘These religious camp meetings are happening where people go to somewhere fairly remote so they have no other option than to relate to God; I think we should start one here.’ They cut down trees and carved out benches and a pulpit, and then spread the word that there would be a meeting on August 14, 1835.”
The first meeting, with attendees staying in pitched tents, was a success, spawning an annual tradition. The early camp meetings were serious affairs, with prayers and preaching taking place morning, noon, and night.
Attendance grew rapidly in those early years. According to Martha’s Vineyard Museum research librarian Bow Van Riper, the first wooden cottages appeared during the Civil War, with 40 in place by 1864. The number rose to 250 by 1869 and 500 by 1880. Van Riper notes, “The peaked roof, peaked double doors, and intense verticality (created by the use of vertically oriented tongue-and-groove boards for the siding) — is a nod to the tents they replaced.”
In addition to their pastel colors, the cottages feature distinctive, intricate “gingerbread”
trim decorated with diamond, heart, and scalloped designs, among others. The work was made easier by the invention of the power-driven jigsaw. Van Riper says of the new tool, “It had a thin detachable blade better suited to elaborate curves and cutouts.” McCarthy conjectures that once the style caught on, builders were saying, “‘Hey, you want me to build your cottage? Look what I can make it look like,’ turning it into a competition of various kinds of gingerbread architecture.” As for how the colors started, McCarthy admits, “The answer is that nobody knows.”
One of the frequent stops on the tour is the cottage currently called Happy Daze, located at 18 Commonwealth Ave. Built in 1876, the home is famous for hosting the
first Camp Jabberwocky in 1953. Jabberwocky is the United States’ oldest residential summer camp for children and adults with disabilities. The founder, Helen Lamb, a speech therapist and the owner’s sister, brought children with cerebral palsy from Fall River to this 680-square-foot cottage for a beach vacation, establishing the first
On the tour, you will also visit the central 1879 iron Tabernacle designed by J.W. Hoyt (a cottage owner and architect), built to replace a massive, deteriorating sailcloth tent with a permanent, weather-resistant structure. Hoyt’s cottage is behind the stage side of the Tabernacle. McCarthy says, “He could literally sit on his front porch and watch the guys building it.” The Tabernacle was constructed to house thousands of Methodist worshipers, but today it is a center for religious and cultural life in the summer, as well as the venue for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School graduations.
If you are interested in getting a peek inside one of the cottages, the final stop on the tour is a repurposed cottage-turned-museum that gives you a sense of the space’s size and intimacy. You will find period furnishings, vintage photographs, including a selection of stereoscopic photos of Cottage City and the Campgrounds, and other interesting documents relating to the Campgrounds’ history.
McCarthy reports that between public and private tours, the docents are busy with about 300 walking tours per season. “They have become so popular that many times I have to call docents at the last minute and say, ‘Hey, are you having a good Friday morning? What are you doing this afternoon?’”
Walking around the Campgrounds, it’s easy
“The biggest highlight, in addition to sharing our history, is how shocked people are at the tranquility of the Campgrounds and that they feel like they are going back 100 years, walking into this little slice of Americana.” –Terry McCarthy
camp for disabled people on Island.
Docents, all of whom live in the Campgrounds themselves, are often asked who owns the cottages. One of the requirements for ownership is a reference from someone affiliated with a religious organization, supporting the MVCMA’s mission to perpetuate its religious and historical heritage and to engage all in education and spiritual growth within a welcoming faith community. McCarthy notes, “In addition to being a delightful little summer camp, we’re also a religious camp and never want to lose that. It’s no longer just Methodist; it’s much more interdenominational.” MVCMA Sunday worship services, open to all, are held at 9:30 am from June 29 to August 24, and there are Bible studies every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 am.
to see why the MVCMA was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on Dec. 14, 1978, and declared a National Historic Landmark on April 5, 2005.
McCarthy says of the tours, “The biggest highlight, in addition to sharing our history, is how shocked people are at the tranquility of the Campgrounds and that they feel like they are going back 100 years, walking into this little slice of Americana.”
Tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 am in July and August (no reservations required), and prearranged private tours are available from mid-June to early October. The Cottage Museum is open from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October. For more information, call 508-560-4914.
PHOTOS BY NICOLE JACKSON
Left, Campground cottages are intricately crafted and painted with bright colors. Above, the cottage Happy Daze, famous for hosting the first Camp Jabberwocky camp, is a popular stop on the tour.
PULL OUT MAPS Getting around the Island
Airports:
Katama Airfield
12 Mattakesett Way, Edgartown, 508-627-0421; katamaairfield.com
Martha’s Vineyard Airport
71 Airport Rd., Edgartown, 508-693-7022; mvyairport.com
Auto rentals:
A-A Auto Rentals
Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, MV Airport, 800-627-6333; mvautorental.com
Adventure Rentals
19 Beach Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-1959; islandadventuremv.com
AVIS Car Rentals
71 Airport Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2226
Budget Rent a Car
Vineyard Haven, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, 508-693-1911; budgetmv.com
DeBettencourt Enterprises
31 Circuit Ave. Ext., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0011
Hertz Car Rentals
72 Airport Rd., Edgartown, 508-693-2402; hertz.com
Sun ’n’ Fun Jeep Rentals
28 Lake Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-5457; sunnfunrentals.com
Bikes and Mopeds:
Adventure Rentals
19 Beach Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-1959; islandadventuremv.com
All Star Martha’s Vineyard Bike Rentals
5 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0062; marthasvineyardbikerentals.com
Anderson’s Bike Rentals
23 Circuit Ave. Ext., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9346; andersonsbikerentals.com
Cycleworks
351 State Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-6966
Edgartown Bicycles
212 Upper Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-9008; edgartownbicycles.com
Island Hoppers
23 Lake St., Oak Bluffs, 508-696-9147
King’s Rentals
1 Circuit Ave. Ext., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-1887; mvmopeds.com
Martha’s Bike Rentals
4 Lagoon Pond Rd., Vineyard Haven, 833-362-7842; marthasbikerentals.com
MVeBike-Oak Bluffs Bike Rental
15 Circuit Ave Ext., 508-693-0515; mvebike.com
Pedego Martha’s Vineyard (bike and electric bike rentals and sales)
9 Oak Bluffs Ave., 508-693-0515 pedegomarthasvineyard.com
Ride-on Mopeds
9 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-1887; mvmopeds.com
R.W. Cutler Bike Rentals
1 Main St., Edgartown, 800-627-2763; marthasvineyardbike.com
Sun ’n’ Fun Rentals
28 Lake Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-5457; sunnfunrentals.com
Wheel Happy Bikes
8 South Water St., Upper Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-5928; wheelhappybicycles.com
Buses:
The Lift (For elderly and disabled) 508-693-9440; disabilityinfo.org/records/the-lift
Martha’s Vineyard Regional Transit Authority (VTA) 508-693-9440; vineyardtransit.com
Public buses available at ferry terminals. Martha’s Vineyard Tours and Excursions 508-654-0381; marthasvineyardexcursions.com
MV Sightseeing
23 Lake Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-627-8687; mvtour.com
Ferries:
Chappy Ferry
53 Daggett Ave., Edgartown, 508-627-9427; chappyferry.com. Year-round, vehicles and passengers, service between Edgartown and Chappaquiddick Island.
Edgartown Ferry (Pied Piper) 508-548-9400; falmouthedgartownferry.com. Passengers only, departs from Falmouth May 24- Sept. 2.
Falmouth-Edgartown Ferry 278 Scranton Ave., Edgartown, 508-548-9400; falmouthedgartownferry.com
Hy-Line Cruises
800-492-8082; hylinecruises.com.
Passenger only, service between Hyannis and Oak Bluffs and Nantucket through October. Island Queen 508-548-4800; islandqueen.com. Passenger only, departs from Falmouth and Oak Bluffs.
Menemsha Bike Ferry North Rd., 508-645-5154. Passengers and bikes. Seasonal service between Menemsha and West Basin, Aquinnah.
MV Tours and Transport
508-939-1359; mvtransportandtours.com
Patriot 508-548-2626; year-round, passenger service between Falmouth and Oak Bluffs.
Seastreak
1 Seaview Ave., 1-800-262-8743; seastreak.com.
Seasonal, passenger only, service between Boston, New Bedford, and Martha’s Vineyard. Steamship Authority
Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, 508-693-9130; steamshipauthority.com.
Year-round, vehicles and passengers, service between Woods Hole and Martha’s Vineyard.
Vineyard Fast Ferry
401-295-4040; vineyardfastferry.com
Passenger only, service between Quonset Point, R.I., and Oak Bluffs from May to October.
Gas Stations:
Vineyard Haven
Citgo/ Xtra-Mart
7 Beach Rd., 508-693-9316
Coastal
378 State Rd., 508-693-7786
Tisbury Shell
40 Beach Rd., 508-696-7275
Oak Bluffs
Cottage City Texaco
83 New York Ave., 508-693-0751; yellowpages.com
DeBettencourt Nelson J. & Sons
83 New York Ave.
Phillips 66/ Jim’s Package Store
27 Lake Ave., 508-693-0236; jimspackagestore.com
Edgartown
Chappy Service Station
219 Chappaquiddick Rd. 219
Depot Corner Mobil
141 Upper Main St., 508-627-1299
Edgartown Mobil
199 Upper Main St., 508-627-4715; exxon.com
Shell
3 N. Line Rd., 508- 338-7884
Up-Island: Aquinnah, Chilmark, West Tisbury Menemsha Texaco 60 Basin Rd., 508-645-2641
Up-Island Automotive 5 Alley Way, 508-693-5166
Taxis:
Adam Cab
508-627-4462; adamcabmv.com
Alpha Taxi
508-693-8399; yelp.com/biz/alpha-taxi-west-tisbury Atlantic Cab
508-693-7110
Bluefish Taxi
508-627-7373; bluefishtaxi.net
Jon’s Taxi
508-627-4677
Lighthouse Taxi
508-645-6066; lighthousetaximv.com
Martha’s Vineyard Taxi
508-693-8660; mvtaxi.com
Stagecoach Taxi
508-627-4566; mvstagecoachtaxi.com
Your Taxi
508-693-0003;
BEACHES
B4 Cedar Tree Neck Public
D8 Chappy Point Beach Public
C9 East Beach Public
A7 Eastville Beach Public
E7 Edgartown Great Pond Beach Public
D8 Gardner Beach Public
E3 Great Rock Bight Preserve Public
B7 Joseph Sylvia State Beach Public
B5 Lambert’s Cove Permit required
D8 Lighthouse Beach Public
D8 Little Beach Public
F2 Lobsterville Beach Public
F6 Long Point Reserve Public
F3 Lucy Vincent Beach Permit required
A7 Marinelli Beach Public
E3 Menemsha Neck Preserve Public
F2 Moshup Beach Public
D9 North Neck Highlands Preserve Public
F8 Norton Point Public
B7 Oak Bluffs Town Beach Public
F2 Philbin Beach Public
E5 Quansoo Preserve Permit required
F3 Red Beach Permit required
B5 Seth’s Pond Public
F7 South Beach Public
G3 Squibnocket Beach Permit required
A5 Tashmoo Beach Public
E5 Tisbury Great Pond Beach Public
F9 Wasque Public
F2 Zack’s Cliffs Permit required
TRAILS
F1 Aquinnah Headlands Preserve
B6 Bare Hill Preserve
D7 Ben Toms Preserve
B5 Blackwater Pond Reservation
E4 Blue Barque Preserve
B6 Brookside Ridge Preserve
D7 Caroline Tuthill Preserve
B4 Cedar Tree Neck
C5 Child Farm East
C5 Child Farm West
F4 Chilmark Pond Preserve
C5 Christiantown Woods Preserve
D5 Crow Hollow Farm
F3 Englander Woods
B7 Farm Pond Preserve
C7 Felix Neck Preserve
E4 Fulling Mill Brook Preserve
F2 Gay Head Moraine
D3 Great Rock Bight
B5 Henry Goethals Conservation Restriction
A6 Hillmans Point Preserve
E8 Huckleberry Barrens
C5 John Presbury Norton Farm
E8 Katama Point Preserve
B5 Kingsbury Fields
C6 Little Duarte Pond Preserve
D5 Little Field Preserve
D6 Long Point Preserve
C5 Manaquayak Preserve
C6 Margaret K. Littlefield Greenlands
E3 Menemsha Hills Reservation
F3 Menemsha Neck Preserve
E7 Meshacket Neck/Turkeyland
Cove Park
E4 Middle Line Woods Preserve
E4 Middle Ridge Preserve
E4 Middle Road Sanctuary
D5 Music Street Fields
E9 Mytoi Japanese Garden
D5 Nat’s Farm
E8 Norton Fields Preserve
F4 Ocean View Farm Preserve
C5 Old County Arboretum
D8 Ox Pond Meadow
E9 Packard Preserve
E3 Peaked Hill Reservation
C7 Pecoy Point Preserve
D7 Pennywise Preserve
A5 Phillips Preserve
D5 Polly Hill Arboretum
E9 Poucha Pond Reservation
D5 Priester’s Pond Preserve
F5 Quansoo Farm
E8 Quammox Preserve
B6 Ramble Trail Preserve
B5 Ripley Field Preserve
D4 Roth Woodlands
B6 Sailors’ Burying Ground
E5 Sepiessa Point Reservation
D8 Sheriff ’s Meadow Sanctuary
C5 South Indian Hill Woodlands Preserve
C6 Southern Woodlands Reservation
D5 Square Field
D7 Sweetened Water Preserve
E4 Tea Lane Farm
E4 Tiasquam Valley Reservation
B5 Tisbury Meadow Preserve and the Good Farm
G2 Toad Rock Preserve
C6 The State Forest
C6 Thimble Farm
E9 Three Ponds Reservation
B7 Trade Winds Preserve
B5 Wakeman Center & Cranberry Acres
C6 Wapatequa Woods Reservation
D4 Waskosim’s Rock Reservation
C6 Weahtaqua Springs Preserve
A6 West Chop Woods
A6 Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve
B5 Wompesket Preserve
Federated Church, Edgartown
Courthouse
Esther’s Escape 34 Dunmere by the Sea 35 Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association
36 Eunice Rocker Home 37 Graves Machine and Tool Co.
38 Robert C. Hayden
BIKE TRAILS
Amity Island
Don’t leave without saying hello to these iconic 'Jaws' sites.
Aquinnah
This scene was filmed near the Aquinnah Lighthouse, even though it was depicted as South Beach. Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton) resists closing beaches despite the pleas of Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) and oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss).
East Chop Drive
East Chop Drive in Oak Bluffs, site of Chief Brody’s house. Not much has changed.
Menemsha
Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) and his shark-chumming boat, the Orca, fished out of Menemsha. In this scene, the boat is being pulled backward by “Bruce,” the nickname for the “Jaws” shark.
‘Jaws’ Bridge
Some call it the “Jaws” Bridge, but if you live around here, you know it’s the Big Bridge. Did you know it was reconstructed about 35 years ago? Today’s Big Bridge sits about 17 inches higher than it did in the film.
Chappy Ferry
Ah, the Chappy Ferry. Still kickin’. This shot is taken from the Edgartown side, looking toward Chappaquiddick.
Edgartown Harbor
Captain Quint (Robert Shaw) and his boat, the Orca, passing through Edgartown Harbor. That’s the Edgartown Lighthouse in the back.
In the opening scene, Chrissie Watkins (Susan Backlinie) goes for a midnight swim and is devoured by the unseen shark.
things to do
ARCADE GAMES
Flying Horses Carousel
15 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9481, vineyardtrust.org/property/flying-horses-carousel
The Game Room
19 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-687-9179, ryanfamily.com
AVIATION
Classic Aviators
Biplane rides at Katama Airfield, Edgartown, 508-627-7677, biplanemv.com
BOAT & FISHING CHARTERS
Beamish Charters 617-869-9135, beamishcharters.com
Cottage City Charters
Oak Bluffs, 781-718-1483, cottagecitycharters.com
Fishsticks Charters
287 Beach Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-951-5288 or 508-645-2832, fishstickscharters.com
Great Harbour Sport Fishing Charters
Edgartown Harbor, 508-627-2128, vineyardfishing.com
Menemsha Fishing Parties
Dutcher Dock, Menemsha, 508-645-2559, menemshafishingpartyboat.com
North Shore Charters Menemsha Harbor, 508-645-2993, bassnblue.com
The Skipper Oak Bluffs Harbor, 508-693-1238, mvskipper.com
Tomahawk Charters 508-645-3201, tomahawkcharters.com
BOWLING
Barn Bowl & Bistro
13 Uncas Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-696-9800, thebarnmv.com
CINEMAS & DRIVE-IN MOVIES
Circuit Arts
1067 State Rd., West Tisbury, 508-560-2134, circuitarts.org
Edgartown Cinema 65 Main St., 508-627-8008, yourneighborhoodtheatre.com
Martha’s Vineyard Film Center
Tisbury Marketplace, 79 Beach Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-696-9369, mvfilmsociety.com
Strand Theatre
11 Oak Bluffs Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-687-9681, strandtheatremv.com
YMCA and Circuit Arts’ Drive-in
111R Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-560-2134, driveinmv.com
FARMS
Allen Farm Sheep & Wool
42 South Rd., Chilmark, 508-645-9064, allenfarm.com
Bayes Norton Farm
223 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-696-5989
Beetlebung Farm
410 Middle Rd., Chilmark, beetlebungfarm.org
Blackwater Farm
40 Cottle Ln., West Tisbury, 508-693-9785, facebook.com/BlackwaterFarmMV
Breezy Pines Farm
164 Tiahs Cove Rd., West Tisbury
Flat Point Farm
164 Great Neck Rd., West Tisbury, 508-693-2057, flatpointfarm.com
Ghost Island Farm
27 Davis Look Rd., West Tisbury, 508-693-5161, ghostislandfarm.square.site
The Good Farm
1056 State Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-687-9641, thegood.farm
Grey Barn
22 South Rd., Chilmark, 508-645-4854, thegreybarnandfarm.com
Island Alpaca Company
1 Head of the Pond Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-5554, islandalpaca.com
Island Grown Farm Hub
80 Stoney Hill Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-687-9062, igimv.org
Mermaid Farm
9 Middle Rd., Chilmark, 508-939-0140
Morning Glory Farm
120 Meshacket Rd., Edgartown, 508-627-9003, morninggloryfarm.com
Native Earth Teaching Farm
94 North Rd., Chilmark, 508-645-3304, nativeearthteachingfarm.org
North Tabor Farm
4 North Tabor Rd., Chilmark, 508-645-3311, northtaborfarm.com
North Tisbury Farm
632 State Rd., West Tisbury, 508-696-4664, northtisburyfarm.com
Slip Away Farm
199 Chappaquiddick Rd., Edgartown, 508-627-7465, slipawayfarm.com
Slough Farm
15 Butler’s Cove Rd., Edgartown, sloughfarm.org
Tea Lane Farm
161 Middle Rd., Chilmark, 774-563-8274, tealanefarm.com
Trustees’ FARM Institute
14 Aero Ave., Edgartown, 508-627-7007, farminstitute.org
Whippoorwill Farm
Old County Rd., West Tisbury, 774-563-8197, whippoorwillfarm.com
FIGURE SKATING & HOCKEY
Martha’s Vineyard Ice Arena at YMCA of M.V.
91 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-5329, ymcamv.org/mv-ice-arena
GOLF
Edgartown Golf Club
71 Curtis Ln., Edgartown, 508-627-5343, edgartowngolfclub.com
Farm Neck Golf Club
1 Farm Neck Way, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2504, farmneck.net
Island Cove Mini Golf & Grill
386 State Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2611, covemv.com
Mink Meadows
320 Golf Club Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-0600, minkmeadowsgc.com
Riverhead Disc Golf Course
Barnes Road, Edgartown, bit.ly/riverheadgolf
Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links
36 North Neck Rd., Chappaquiddick, 508-627-2729, royalchappy.com
Vineyard Golf Club
100 Clubhouse Ln., Edgartown, 508-627-8930, vineyardgolf.com
GYMS & HEALTH CLUBS
Airport Fitness
22 Airport Rd., West Tisbury, 508-696-8000, airportfitnessmv.com
B-Strong
29 Kennebec Ave., Oak Bluffs, b-strong.com
Mansion House Health Club
9 Main St., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-2200, mvmansionhouse.com
Strong Martha
505 State Rd., West Tisbury, 216-570-7853, strongmartha.com
YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard
111R Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-696-7171, ymcamv.org
HIKING & BIKING
Manuel F. Correllus State Forest
Trails and paved paths in a 5,300-acre forest in the middle of the Island. 508-693-2540 bit.ly/mvforest
Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank
Over 70 properties with hiking or biking trails, ponds for kayaking, and beaches. 508-627-7141, mvlandbank.com
Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
100 Felix Neck Dr., Edgartown, 508-627-4850, massaudubon.org/felixneck
The Nature Conservancy
Hoft Farm Preserve in West Tisbury and David H. Smith Preserve in Edgartown, nature.org
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation
Over 20 properties for hiking or biking, plus beaches or water views. 508-693-5207, sheriffsmeadow.org
The Trustees of Reservations
Menemsha Hills, Long Point Wildlife Refuge, FARM Institute, Norton Point Beach, Wasque, Mytoi Garden, and Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge. 508-693-7662, thetrustees.org
HORSEBACK RIDING
Arrowhead Farm
174 Indian Hill Rd., West Tisbury, 508-693-8831, arrowheadfarm.net
Misty Meadows Equine Learning Center
55 Misty Meadows Ln., West Tisbury, 508-338-7198, mistymeadowsmv.org
Pond View Farm
New Lane, West Tisbury, 508-693-2949, facebook.com/pondviewfarmmv
White Stone Equestrian
85 Red Pony Farm Rd., West Tisbury. 774-563-0220, whitestonemv.com
LIVE THEATER
iMP (Improv for Kids)
Alex’s Place at the YMCA, 111R Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, imp4kids.com
Island Theatre Workshop
Music St., West Tisbury, itwmvy.org
Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse
24 Church St., Vineyard Haven, 508-696-6300, mvplayhouse.org
PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Aquinnah Public Library
1 Church St., Aquinnah, 508-645-2314, aquinnahlibrary.org
Chilmark Public Library
522 South Rd. Chilmark, 508-645-3360, chilmarkma.gov/chilmark-library
Edgartown Public Library
26 West Tisbury Rd., Edgartown, 508-627-4221, edgartownlibrary.org
Oak Bluffs Public Library 56 School St., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9433, oakbluffslibrary.org
Vineyard Haven Public Library
200 Main St., Vineyard Haven, 508-696-4211, vhlibrary.org
West Tisbury Public Library 1042 State Rd., West Tisbury, 508-693-3366, westtisburylibrary.org
TENNIS
Airport Fitness
22 Airport Rd., West Tisbury, 508-696-8000, airportfitnessmv.com/tennis
Edgartown Public Tennis Court
44 Robinson Rd., Edgartown, 508-627-3303, edgartown-ma.us/departments/parks
Farm Neck Golf Club – Tennis
1 Farm Neck Way, Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2504, farmneck.net/tennis
Island Inn – Tennis Club
30 Island Inn Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-2002
Oak Bluffs Public Tennis Courts
Niantic Park Courts, Wamsutta Ave., M.V. Regional High School, 100 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-0072, oakbluffsma.gov/157/Parks-Recreation
Vineyard Family Tennis
618 Barnes Rd., Oak Bluffs, 508-693-7762, vineyardfamilytennis.org
Vineyard Haven Public Tennis Court
Boxberry Avenue off Franklin St. Vineyard Haven, 508-684-8778, tisburyma.gov/recreation-parks
West Tisbury Public Tennis Court
401 Old County Rd., 508-693-1718, westtisbury-ma.gov/parks-and-recreation
TOURS
Martha’s Vineyard Tours and Excursions
Vineyard Haven, Edgartown, and Oak Bluffs, 508-654-0381, marthasvineyardexcursions.com
M.V. Sightseeing
23 Lake Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-627-8687, mvtour.com
Road + Dirt Bicycle Tours
Edgartown Bicycles / Vineyard Velo
212 Upper Main St., Edgartown, 508-627-9008, edgartownbicycles.com
Self-Guided Tours by historian Tom Dresser tomdresser.com and app.builtstory.com/agent/187
Vineyard Trust – Historic Walking Tours
Carnegie Heritage Center, Edgartown, 508-627-4440, vineyardtrust.org/tours-events
WATER RECREATION
Island Spirit Kayak
At the Little Bridge on Beach Road in Oak Bluffs, 508-693-9727, islandspiritkayak.com
Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank
Fifteen properties have launch points for small boats, and four are for all boats. 508-627-7141, mvlandbank.com
Martha’s Vineyard Oceansports
Oak Bluffs Harbor, 508-693-8476, mvoceansports.com
The Trustees of Reservations
Boat launch points are at Long Point Wildlife Refuge in West Tisbury and Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge on Chappaquiddick. 508-693-7662, thetrustees.org
Wind’s Up
199 Beach Rd., Vineyard Haven, 508-693-4252, windsupmv.com
How Islander are you?
Quiz yourself on these Island logos and see how you measure up!
There’s a lot of history packed into this little island, going all the way back to before it was even an island. Martha’s Vineyard and its sister island, Nantucket (which is really mostly a sandbar), were formed from glacial moraine –– i.e., the rubble left behind by a melting glacier. Or so say geologists. The Wampanoag, who were here much earlier, say that it was formed by the legendary Moshup walking across what became the Vineyard Sound –– water filled the depression of his moccasins, rendering an island, called Noepe, which is translatable to “the island amidst the water.”
Things were relatively quiet for thousands of years, and then, during the most momentous field trip since the Roman Empire, Europeans discovered America. In 1602, a fellow named Bartholomew Gosnold (possibly a friend of William Shakespeare’s) landed on the Island. Legend says he found wild grapes growing here, and back in England he had a baby daughter and mother-inlaw named Martha, so he named it after one of them. (Since the elder Martha helped to bankroll the expedition, my money’s on her.) He claimed the Island for England and went home again.
A generation later, white colonizers had followed his path and were here to stay. Possibly first among these was Thomas Mayhew, from Tisbury, England, by way of Watertown, Mass. Some time around 1671, he got himself appointed “Governor for Life”
by the governor of New York, who also named the Vineyard and some small surrounding islands “the County of Dukes County” to get in good with the Duke of York (and the Redundancy Department of Redundancy).
Mayhew’s son Thomas purportedly converted some Wampanoags to Christianity, largely by doing “good works.” Thomas Jr. died young, his ship lost at sea, but Thomas Jr.’s son, grandson, and great-grandson continued his quest to convert the Wampanoag. Perhaps (in part) as a result of this, Martha’s Vineyard has a reputation as the only place in colonial America that suffered no actual physical violence between Indigenous and settler populations, even during King Philip’s War. This does not imply a utopian coexistence, however. The distinction between the threat of force and the use of force is small consolation to the person being robbed, and the Wampanoag ended up dispossessed of their land.
While there were a few shenanigans in the early years (particularly involving the spirited Athearn family), things proceeded calmly enough all the way to the American Revolution. The Vineyard resented being plundered mercilessly by British warships, and boasted multiple examples of overt resistance early on. Most celebrated: Three young girls famously blew up a local flagpole that the British were planning to use as a sailing mast; their deed was commemorated in a huge white “Liberty Pole” on Main Street, Vineyard Haven, in front of what is now the Sail
M.V. building. (Sadly, Eversource decapitated the pole a couple of years ago, claiming it was endangering the power lines.)
Otherwise, however, the Vineyard continued generally unscathed by the war, although the white people continued their inexorable pushing-the-Wampanoag-off-their-land until, by 1720, the only major pieces of the Island still in Native hands were Aquinnah and Chappaquidick. Most racially European Islanders were either farmers or fishermen, but the whaling industry was evolving, and soon Edgartown would be bursting with wealth and attitude. The stately white Federalist-style whaling captains’ houses were built starting in the early 1820s. Among the Vineyard’s famous whalers was Tashtego, a character in Melville’s classic “Moby Dick.” Most of our other fa-
mous whalers are nonfictional.
The 19th century was also notable for many other things, of which four will get a nod here: First was the economic boom in the first half of the century. Holmes Hole (now Vineyard Haven), which rivaled whaling-centric Edgartown as a deep, safe harbor, became an important stopover point for coastal and transatlantic ship traffic. Ships from all over the world called at both harbors to rest, resupply, make repairs, and (if they were making their first American landfall) clear customs. Whaling, fishing, and merchant vessels often picked crew members from the Azores and Cape Verde islands, and so gradually, the “white” stock of the settlers developed a little variation, along with still-common Island names like Silva and Medeiros. West Tisbury and Chilmark prospered agriculturally, and developed small-scale
A brief history of Martha’s Vineyard
From Noepe to ‘the Vineyard’: A brief history of the Island. BY
NICOLE GALLAND
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS BAER
factories that processed Vineyard wool into cloth and Vineyard clay into bricks and paint pigments.
The second development of note was the doubling of Island townships from three to six in a period of just over 20 years. In 1870, Aquinnah –– then known as Gay Head –– went from being a Wampanoag reservation to an incorporated township of the commonwealth (meaning residents gained voting rights but lost tribal sovereignty in the last place on the Island they’d still enjoyed it); in 1880, the residents of Oak Bluffs, fed up with providing much of Edgartown’s tax revenue while getting almost no services, convinced the state legislature to let them separate; and in 1892, West Tisbury and Tisbury, having been functionally estranged for a hundred years but living together for the sake of the kids, finally made it official and became two separate towns.
The third notable was a high rate of hereditary deafness among the English settlers. Up-Island, particularly in Chilmark, the deaf community was fully integrated into the hearing community because everyone knew sign language, whether or not there were deaf members in their households.
The fourth notable of the Victorian era was the robustness of the Methodist revival meetings.
While there are precious few Methodists left on the Vineyard, relatively speaking, their summer revival meetings, starting in the 1830s, created the most colorful (literally and figuratively) town on the Island: Cottage City, now Oak Bluffs. They would come in the summer from off-Island by steamer and stay in tents, which were erected seasonally on permanent platforms. Over time, the Methodists grew well-heeled enough to indulge in building little cottages on these platforms, of a color and style one hardly associates with the word “Methodist.”
Then somebody –– and we’re not pointing fingers –– invented the concept of summer vacations, and then somebody else noticed what a great place the Vineyard would be for just that kind of excursion. Actually, we have to blame the Methodists for this one. Their enthusiasm for the
grew a sense of pride and ownership. The Polar Bears were (and still are!) a group that gathers at the Inkwell each morning all summer for various recreational activities including socializing, swimming, and yoga.
For much of the 20th century, the Vineyard was content to fish, farm, and poke fun at the summer people behind their backs. Then a couple of big things changed the vibe. First, Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge. We’re really tired of talking about that, though, so let’s just move on to the next big event: “Jaws.” We never get tired of talking about “Jaws.” (Actually, after a summer dominated by the movie’s endless 50th-anniversary celebrations, we’re tired of talking about that, too.)
“Jaws” gave Vineyarders a sense of our place on the map. Literally. That may be why, in 1977, when Massachusetts an-
Then somebody — and we’re not pointing fingers — invented the concept of summer vacations, and then somebody else noticed what a great place the Vineyard would be for just that kind of excursion.
Vineyard got post–Civil War developers thinking that non-Methodists might enjoy summer on the Vineyard, too. They were right! As a result, Oak Bluffs developed a reputation, which it holds to this day, as the town in which it is easiest to obtain liquor and other secular entertainments.
Those post–Civil War visitors were the ones photographed frolicking in the waves along the shore. White frolickers favored the area called “Pay Beach,” with its bathhouses and other amenities; by the early 1900s, affluent African Americans began buying summer homes in Oak Bluffs, and formed the beginning of a summer colony that persists to this day. They gathered at the beach farther to the south, which became known as “the Inkwell.” From that segregated beginning
wanted a piece of Martha’s Vineyard, and suddenly the price of real estate skyrocketed. Wealthy people began to buy summerhouses all over the Island; investors began to build hotels and businesses. Painters and writers had taken a fancy to the Vineyard’s scenic quietude decades earlier, and it was already a well-established mecca for creative types, so it was unsurprising when Hollywood’s elite discovered it. Clinton’s deciding to vacation here definitely did not hurt the real estate market, and Obama’s continuing that practice kept us in the news.
Different towns were affected in different ways by the real estate boom. Chilmark, for example, already had three-acre zoning, so the possibility of overdevelopment was pretty much nonexistent. On the other hand, in West Tisbury –– a town inhabited by white people for 300 years –– the number of extant dwellings doubled between 1980 and 2000.
nounced a “redistricting plan” that would change the political map to the detriment of Island interests, there was born a lively movement to secede from (a) the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and/or (b) the U.S. A flag was created, an anthem composed, and proposed passport designs were available in shops. Walter Cronkite (a beloved summer resident) even mentioned it on the evening news. It was very exciting. Then we got distracted by “Jaws 2,” and sort of forgot about seceding.
In 1987, the Wampanoag were federally recognized as a sovereign tribe, and 10 years later, Gay Head was renamed –– or rather, was restored to its original name –– Aquinnah.
Within a decade of “Jaws” coming out, the rest of the world
Here’s a fun fact that will win you points at cocktail parties: Dukes County (i.e., Martha’s Vineyard) was the poorest county in Massachusetts in 1980, and today remains among the poorer counties. The summer folk with their sumptuous homes bring a lot of money to the Island while their homes are being built, and the vibrant tourist industry keeps money coming in for a good four or five months of the year, but the rest of the time, this is a largely blue-collar community. What makes it special and endearing is that so many of the “regular Joes and Jills” who struggle to make ends meet through the winter are here by choice, because they are drawn to the same things that the celebrities are drawn to, that the writers and painters of the past hundred years have been drawn to. They are willing to do whatever they need to do to remain here, taking whatever work they can, including writing up summary histories of their beloved homeland for a local newspaper’s “Vineyard Visitor” magazine.
The Oakwood, later the site of Phillips Hardware.
The Vineyard has become a popular destination for novelists. In fact, I’d go so far as to call it a hot spot. New books are published every year that are either entirely set on the Island or that stop by for a visit, often for a sultry and unexpected romance.
The challenge in creating a fabulous Vineyard-centric summer reading list about books that are set on the Island, both novels and nonfiction, is that this list would be far too long for even the most avid readers.
Given this, the primary focus of this list will be on recent releases.
This year’s biggest breakout is Belle Burden’s memoir “Strangers,” much of which takes place on the Island. It was here, during the early days of the pandemic, that she got a call from the husband of the woman that her husband was having an affair with. (Burden will be speaking about writing her memoir at this summer’s Islanders Write.)
a coming-of-age romance story about a young woman who comes to the Vineyard for a few weeks during the summer before her freshman year of college, falls for a boy from her past, and discovers her grandmother’s long-ago secret romance.
Laura Briel Sullivan’s new book, “Sailing with Angels,” is an illustrated poetic fable about grief and enduring love. This love letter to Edgartown has an illustration of a sailboat with the numbers 627 — the traditional
And if you want to spend the summer sinking into — perhaps a bad choice of words, let’s change that to surfing on — a Vin-lit sea, you can find mysteries by Cynthia Riggs, Philip R. Craig, and Richard North Patterson. T. Elizabeth Bell and Jean Stonen have both written a series of what might be described as chick-lit set on the Vineyard.
Edgartown Books and Bunch of Grapes both have shelves dedicated specifically to books for readers of all ages that are set on the Vineyard and that are written by Vineyarders.
Make it a Vin-lit summer
Summer reading recommendations.
BY KATE FEIFFER
Two other authors whose new books stop by the Vineyard, and who will also be speaking at this summer’s Islanders Write, are Cazzie David, whose new collection of humorous essays is titled “Delusions,” and Annabelle Gurwitch, whose recently released memoir is “The End of My Life Is Killing Me.”
As for the recently published novels set on the Island, there is “Morning Glory Girl,” by Maria Anne Lenihan, about a woman who comes to the Vineyard for a summer to escape the pressures of her corporate job in New York and starts writing, gets a gig babysitting, and finds romance.
“The Little Bookshop by the Harbor” by Jean Stone is the second in a series about family, friends, and the entanglements of a middle-aged woman trying to settle into her life on the Island as she learns more secrets about the past.
“The Brass Ring,” by Nancy Wood — published posthumously by Wood’s daughter Jennifer Bates — follows the complicated friendships of three Vineyard women over the course of eight decades.
There’s also a new Young Adult novel, “The Summer of Second Chances” by best-selling author K.L. Walther, whose first Vineyard-set novel was “The Summer of Broken Rules.” “Second Chances” is
exchange for Edgartown phone numbers — on the sail. And the newest book by Tom Dresser, who has published many books about Vineyard history, is “Historic Storms of Martha’s Vineyard.”
For an authentic taste of the Vineyard, “The Sea Table” is a must-have cookbook that is also a great read and was published by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.
As for Vineyard books published prior to this year, the list is long and has an impressive wake. A few of the books I have read, loved, and continue to think about are: “The Wedding” by Dorothy West, “The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club” by Martha Hall Kelly, “Caleb’s Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks, “On the Same Page” by Nicole Galland, “The Emperor of Ocean Park” by Stephen L. Carter, “We Were Liars” by E. Lockhart, “The Latecomer” by Jean Hanff Korelitz, “Washed Ashore” by Bill Eville, and “Summer Sisters” by Judy Blume. (I know I’m forgetting some!)
And that brings me to an entirely different list of books to recommend: books written by Vineyard-connected authors that aren’t set on the Vineyard. Again, there are simply too many great options in this category, so I will reserve this space for the most recent books published by speakers at this summer’s Islanders Write writers’ festival, which is an MV Times initiative: Memoir: “The Rough Side of the Mountain” by Keisha Lance Bottoms, “Strangers” by Belle Burden, “Delusions” by Cazzie David, “The End of My Life Is Killing Me” by Annabelle Gurwitch, “A Smoke and a Song” by Sherry Sidoti. Nonfiction: “Good Bones: Glorious Relics from the Age of Reading” by Brooke Allen, “Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Con Man Who Caused a War” by Bob Drogin, “The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World’s Oldest Writing” by Joshua Hammer, “Trump on Trial: The Investigation, Impeachment, Acquittal and Aftermath” by Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, and three volumes of “Vineyard Voices” by Linsey Lee.
Fiction: “Boy” by Nicole Galland, “A Pair of Wings” by Carole Hopson, “Jane Was Here” by Sarah Kernochan, “Triage” by Elisa M. Speranza, and “Rules for Moving” by Nancy Star.
Make this a Vin-lit summer.
Kate Feiffer is the author of the novel “Morning Pages” and the director of Islanders Write.
Edgartown Books and Bunch of Grapes both have shelves dedicated specifically to books for readers of all ages that are set on the Vineyard and that are written by Vineyarders.
The new kid in town
Highlands General café and marketplace. BY
ALLISON ROBERTS
The beloved Linda Jean’s diner-style restaurant, on Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs, closed down in early 2025. Though folks miss Linda Jean’s, they won’t be disappointed by the new kid in town, Highlands General. Highlands General opened in its space at the end of March, and could be best described as a café marketplace. It is open year-round for breakfast and lunch, with a handpicked mix of goods and graband-go. The feel is rustic but sophisticated, with plants, warm-colored wood beams and floors, and dark green wainscoting. The sunlight coming in through the big front windows creates a light and cheery atmosphere.
“Rustic minimalist art nouveau,” my lunch date and MV Times coworker Nicole Galland
said about the place as we took it all in.
The planning was well-thought-out, with the market on one side of the restaurant but not separate from it. The premade items in the grab-and-go section include sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, snacks, biscuits, and carbonated beverages from Coke to probiotic sodas. Customers will also find a variety of fun merchandise: Highlands General T shirts and sweatshirts, chocolates, coffee, and candies. On the other side, there are several tables, tall barstools, and counters at both windows, where customers can sit and watch the action on Circuit Avenue as they eat.
Patrons place their order at the counter, and are handed a pager that vibrates when it’s ready. Galland and I were immediately drawn to the scones, muffins, cookies, and
cinnamon buns hanging out in the glass case waiting to be chosen. Once we remembered that we were there for brunch, not just treats, we checked out the menu.
The coffee and drinks options included good old coffee straight up, lattes, cappuccinos, lemonade, ice tea, hot chocolate, and more. The breakfast menu has some of the more common choices, like breakfast sandwiches, but there are also options like French toast sticks and grilled banana bread. Galland ordered the Breakfast Plate, which consisted of scrambled or fried eggs; choice of bacon, avocado, or homemade maple sausage; crispy hash browns, and biscuit and jam.
“I like that even though it’s not the diner it once was, they’re not afraid to use salt, which makes the hash browns the best I’ve
Highlands General is located on Circuit Avenue.
NICOLE JACKSON
“I like that even though it’s not the diner it once was, they’re not afraid to use salt, which makes the hash browns the best I’ve ever eaten.” –Nicole Galland
ever eaten,” Galland laughed. “Even though I’m a grownup, when I finished it, I was like a little kid — ‘No, no, more!’ The biscuit was generous and tasty, and the eggs — which I deliberately chose scrambled, because they are hard to make interesting — were seasoned well and very tasty.”
I decided to order something off the lunch menu, which starts at 11 am. There were several options, from salmon or chicken bowls to grilled cheese, crispy fish, and cauliflower melt sandwiches, to specials like Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese. They also roast rotisserie chicken, which folks can buy whole, halved, quartered, or as part of a rice bowl. I chose the Rotisserie Cauliflower Bowl filled with brown rice, chickpeas, roasted vegetables, green herb sauce, and
greens. My Lord, it was good. The veggies were warm and tender but not mushy. Beets and cauliflower lay on a bed of greens and rice. The herb dressing on the greens was outstanding. It was a generous serving size, and I was thrilled to have leftovers for later.
Galland and I believe it is sacrilegious to write a dine story without including a dessert. And because we felt bad for the baked goods that were waiting to be chosen, we ordered a chocolate-chip cookie to bring back to the office for an afternoon pick-me-up. One problem, though: We devoured it immediately.
Highlands General is open daily, 7 am to 4 pm. 25 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-338-7141, info@highlandsgeneral.com. Check it out at highlandsgeneral.com.
Cauliflower Bowl, Breakfast Plate, and ice teas ready to be devoured.
PHOTOS BY ALLISON ROBERTS
Enticing baked goods.
Highlands General offers grab-and-go sandwiches and more.
dining
From an on-the-go meal to a topnotch fine dining experience, we’ve got you covered. The Island must-haves — a lobster roll, bowl of chowder, local oysters, and fresh fish sandwich are all available not only seasonally but year-round as well. And
Y = Year-round
S = Seasonal
AQUINNAH
S Aquila Coffee House 17 Aquinnah Circle., aquilamvy.com.
S Cliffhangers Aquinnah Circle, 508-955-9163.
S The Gay Head Store 33 Aquinnah Circle, 508-955-9142.
Y Orange Peel Bakery & Pizza 22 State Rd., 508-645-2025; orangepeelbakery.net.
S The Outermost Inn 81 Lighthouse Rd., 508-645-3511; outermostinn.com.
CHILMARK
S The Beach Plum Inn & Restaurant 50 Beach Plum Ln., 508-645-9454; beachpluminn.com.
S Chilmark General Store 7 State Rd., 508-645-3739; chilmarkgeneralstore.com.
S Chilmark Tavern 1435 State Rd., 508-645-9400; chilmarktavern.com.
S Homeport 512 North Rd., 508-645-2679; homeportmv.com.
S Larsen’s Fish Market 56 Basin Rd., 508-645-2680; larsensfishmarket.com.
S Menemsha Fish Market 54 Basin Rd., 508-645-2282; menemshafishmarket.net.
S Menemsha Galley 515 North Rd., 508-645-9819; menemshagalley.com.
if you’re in the mood for a good bucket of fried chicken, we have that, too. Visit listed websites for menus, hours, reservations, and takeout options. Let us know if we don’t have your favorite restaurant here, and we will do our best to add it to the next issue of Vineyard Visitor.
EDGARTOWN
S 19 Prime Cast Iron Steakhouse 19 Church St., 774-224-0550; 19primesteak.com.
S 19 Raw Oyster Bar 19 Church St., 774-224-0550; 19rawoysterbar.com.
Y Alchemy 71 Main St., 508-627-9999; alchemyedgartown.com.
Y Al’s Package Store
258 Upper Main St., 508-627-4347.
S Among the Flowers Café 17 Mayhew Ln., 508-627-3233.
S Atlantic Fish and Chop House 2 Main St., 508-627-7001; atlanticmv.com.
S Atria
137 Main St., 508-627-5850; atriamv.com.
S Bad Martha’s Brewery
270 Upper Main St., 508-939-4415; badmarthabeer.com
S Behind the Bookstore 46 Main St., 774-549-9123; btbmv.com.
Y Behind the View
131 North Water St., Harbor View Hotel, 508-627-3761; harbor-view.com.
S Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium 22 Dock St., 508-939-4069; benandbillsmv.com.
Y Bettini Restaurant
131 North Water St., Harbor View Hotel, 508-627-3761; harbor-view.com.
S Blackbird Café 19 North Water St., 978-263-7722; myblackbirdcafe.com.
Y Black Sheep 17 Airport Rd., 508-338-7770; blacksheeponmv.com.
S Chesca’s 38 North Water Street, 508-627-1234; chescasmv.com.
Y China House Restaurant
234 Upper Main St., 508-627-7272.
S The Covington 52 Main St., 508-627-7678; thecovingtonrestaurant.com.
Y Cozy Corner Cafe
38 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-939-3988; cozycornermv.com.
S Dairy Queen
242 Main St., 508-627-5001.
S Détente
3 Nevin Sq., Winter St., 508-627-8810; détentemv.com.
Y Dip 02539
241 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Rd. (at the triangle), 508-627-7725.
Y Dock Street Coffee Shop
2 Dock St., 508-627-5232.
S The Dunes
31 Dunes Rd., Winnetu Oceanside Resort, 508-627-3663; winnetu.com.
Y Edgartown Diner 65 Main St., 508-627-9337; edgartowndinermv.com.
Y Edgartown Meat & Fish Market
240 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-627-6200; edgartownmeatandfish.com.
Y Edgartown Pizza
224 Edgartown Rd., 508-627-7770; edgartownpizzamenu.com.
Y Edgartown Seafood Market 138 Cooke St., 508-627-3791; edgartownseafood.com
S Espresso Love 17 Church St., 508-627-9211; espressolove.com.
S The Fish House 17 Airport Rd., 508-693-0055; thefishhousemv.com.
Y Great Harbor Market 199 Upper Main St., 508-694-6888, greatharbormarket.com.
S Ice Cream & Candy Bazaar 5 Dock St., 508-627-8735.
Y Indigo 266 Upper Main St., 508-969-4030; indigomarthas.com.
S Iggy’s Bread 11 South Summer St., iggysbread.com.
S Katama General Store 170 Katama Rd., 508-627-5071; katamageneral.com.
S Katama Kitchen 12 Mattakesett Way, 508-939-4064; katamakitchen.com.
S L’étoile 22 North Water St., 508-627-5187; letoile.net.
S Lucky Hank’s 218 Upper Main St., 508-939-4082; luckyhanksmv.com.
S MacPhail’s Corner Cafe 18 Dock St., 508-939-3090.
S Mad Martha’s Ice Cream
7 North Water St., madmarthas.com.
Y Morning Glory Farm & MOGLO Food Wagon 120 Meshacket Rd., 508-627-9674; morninggloryfarm.com.
S Murdick’s Café 19 N. Water St., 508-627-7605; originalmurdicksfudge.com
S Murdick’s Fudge 21 N. Water St., 508-627-8047; originalmurdicksfudge.com.
Y M.V. Wine & Spirits 17A Airport Rd., 508-627-7557.
Y The Newes from America 23 Kelly St., 508-627-4397; farawaymarthasvineyard.com/the-newes-from-america.
S The Pelican Club 6 Kelly St., 508-627-6336; farawaymarthasvineyard.com/pelican-club.
S The Port Hunter 55 Main St.; 508-627-7747; theporthunter.com.
S Quarterdeck Restaurant 9 Dock St., 508-627-5346.
Y Rockfish 11 North Water St., 508-627-9967; rockfishedgartown.com.
Y Rosewater Market 20 South Summer St., 508-627-1270; rosewatermv.com.
Y Rosewater Wine & Spirits 65 Main St., 508-939-4459; rosewatermv.com.
S Roxy Pool Bar
131 North Water St., Harbor View Hotel; harbor-view.com.
S The Scoop Shack 22 Dock St., 508- 627-7829.
S The Seafood Shanty 31 Dock St., 508-627-8622; theseafoodshanty.com.
S Slice of Edgartown 22 Dock St., 508-627-7641.
Y Soigne
190 Upper Main St., 508-627-8489; soignemv.com.
S The Square Rigger Restaurant
225 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-627-9968; squareriggerrestaurant.com.
Y Stop & Shop
225 Upper Main St., 508-627-9522; stopandshop.com.
Y Taco MV
32 Winter St., 774-549-6944.
S The Terrace
27 South Summer St., 508-627-6227; theterracemv.com.
S Toccopuro Coffee
3 South Water St., 774-549-9381.
Y Town Bar & Grill MV 227 Upper Main St., 774-310-8696; townbarmv.com.
S Vineyard Scoops 56 Main St., 508-627-4736.
S Vintage Wine and Spirits 29 Winter St., 774-549-9287; vintagemvwine-spirits.com.
Y Wharf Pub and Restaurant
3 Main St., 508-627-9966; wharfpubmv.com.
S Wharf Wine & Spirits 8 Mayhew Ln., 508-627-9966.
Y Wicked Burger 258 Upper Main St., 774-549-9700, wickedburgermv.com.
Y Wolf’s Den Pizza 249 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-687-9994; wolfsdenmv.com.
Y Your Market 249 Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-627-4000.
OAK BLUFFS
S Aalia’s Coffee 16 Kennebec Ave., 508-687-9649; aaliascoffee.com.
Y Aquila at the Y (located at the YMCA) 111R Edgartown Vineyard Haven Rd., aquilamvy.com.
S The Alley 24 Kennebec Ave., thealleymv.com.
S Back Door Donuts & Bakery 5 Post Office Sq., 508-693-3688; backdoordonuts.com.
Y Bangkok Cuisine 67 Circuit Ave., 508-696-6322.
Y Barn Bowl & Bistro 13 Uncas Ave., 508-696-9800; thebarnmv.com.
S Ben & Bill’s Chocolate Emporium 20A Circuit Ave., 508-696-0008; benandbillsmv.com.
S Big Dipper Ice Cream & Deli 23 Lake St., 508-693-4845.
S Biscuits 26 Lake Ave., 508-693-2033; mvbiscuits.com.
S The Black Dog Dockside Café 12 Circuit Ave. ext., 508-338-2037; theblackdog.com.
Y Black Joy Kitchen 7 Oakland Ave., 508.338.7750; blackjoykitchen.com.
S Carousel Ice Cream Factory 15 Circuit Ave., 508-696-8614.
S Coop de Ville & Shuck Shack Dockside Market Place, 508-693-3420; coopdevillemv.com.
S The Corner Kitchen 24 Circuit Ave., 508-693-1470.
S Eleven Circuit 11 Circuit Ave., 508-687-9283.
Y Enchanted Chocolates 4 Chapman Ave., 508-693-8331; enchantedchocolates.net.
Y ESH Restaurant
50 Circuit Ave., 508-687-9271.
S Farm Neck Café
1 Farm Neck Way, 508-693-3560; farmneck.net/cafe.
S Fat Ronnie’s Burger Bar
7 Circuit Ave., fatronniesburgerbar.com.
S Fishbones Grille & Waterfront Café Dockside Marina, 508-696-8227; fishbonesmv.com.
Y The Food Truck (at the ice rink at the YMCA) 91 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Rd., 508-560-5883.
S Giordano’s Restaurant, Clam Bar & Pizza
18 Lake Ave., 508-693-0184; giosmv.com.
S The Goode Shoppe
10 Oak Bluffs Ave., 508-338-7893; thegoodshoppe.com/home
S Highlands General
25 Circuit Ave., 508-338-7141; highlandsgeneral.com.
Y Honorary Tavern 14 Towanticut Ave., 508-338-7209; honorarytavern.com.
S Jetty Beach House
8 Circuit Ave. Ext., 508-356 4486; jettybeachhousemv.com.
S Jimmy Seas Pan Pasta
32 Kennebec Ave., jimmyseaspanpastas.com.
Y Jim’s Package Store
27 Lake Ave., 508-693-0236; jimspackagestore.com
S Lookout Tavern
8 Seaview Ave., 508-696-9844; lookoutmv.com.
S Mad Martha’s Ice Cream
12 Circuit Ave., madmarthas.com.
S Midnight Mediterranean
6 Circuit Ave., Ext., 508-338-7366.
S Midnight Taco
7 Circuit Ave., Ext., 508-560-3222.
S Mocha Mott’s
10 Circuit Ave., 508-696-1922, mochamotts.com.
Y Mo’s Lunch at the P.A. Club
137 Vineyard Ave., moslunch.com; 508-687-9744.
S Murdick’s Fudge
5 Circuit Ave., 508-693-2335; originalmurdicksfudge.com.
Y M.V. Chowder Co.
14 Kennebec Ave., 508-696-3000; chowdermv.com.
S MV Salads
55 Circuit Ave., 508-338-7754; mvsalads.com.
S Nancy’s Restaurant & Snack Bar
29 Lake Ave., 508-693-0006; nancysrestaurant.com.
S Nauti Cow
28 Lake Ave.
S Nomans
15 Island Inn Rd., 508-338-2474; nomansmv.com.
Y Offshore Ale Co.
30 Kennebec Ave., 508-693-2626; offshoreale.com.
Y Our Market
1 East Chop Dr., 508-693-3000, ourmarketmv.com.
S Pawnee House 20 Kennebec Ave., 508-338-2770; thepawneehousemv.com.
S Red Cat Kitchen 6 Circuit Ave., 508-696-6040; redcatkitchen.com.
Y Reliable Market
36 Circuit Ave., 508-693-1102; thereliablemarket.com.
S Rosie’s Frozen Yogurt 19 Circuit Ave., 508-687-0031, rosiesofmv.com.
S Sand Bar & Grill
6 Circuit Avenue Ext., 508-693-7111; mvsandbar.com.
Y Sharky’s Cantina 31 Circuit Ave., 508-693-7501; sharkyscantina.com.
S Stella Salumeria 6 Circuit Ave., 508-338-7457.
Y The Ritz Kitchen 4 Circuit Ave., 508-693-9851; .theritzmv.com/kitchen.
Y The Sweet Life Café 63 Circuit Ave., 508-696-0200; sweetlifemv.com.
S TigerHawk Sandwich Co. 12B Circuit Ave., 508-338-7306; tigerhawkmv.com
S Toccopuro Coffee 45 Circuit Ave., 508- 338-2463.
Y Tony’s Market 119 Dukes County Ave., 508-693-4799; tonysmarketmv.com.
S Vineyard Caribbean Cuisine 7 Circuit Avenue Ext., 508-338-7077.
S Vineyard’s Best Ice Cream and Coffee
12 Kennebec Ave., 617-775-7601.
S Vineyard Wine Shop 38 Circuit Ave., 508-693-0943.
Y Winston’s Kitchen 1 East Chop Drive, 508-687-9572, winstonskitchenmv.com.
VINEYARD HAVEN
S 9 Craft Kitchen & Bar 9 Main St., 9craftkitchen.com.
Y Ackee Tree Carribean 25 Beach Rd., 954-865-8972
S The Attic at Waterside 82 Main St., 508-693-8899; watersidemarket.com.
Y Beach Road Restaurant 79 Beach Rd., 508-693-8582; beachroadmv.com.
Y The Black Dog Café 509 State Rd., 508-696-8190; theblackdog.com.
Y The Black Dog Tavern Beach Street Ext., 508-693-9223; theblackdog.com.
Y Bobby B’s Seafood & Pizza 22 Main St., 508-693-8266; bobbybsmv.com.
Y Catboat Coffee Co. 79 Beach Rd., catboatcoffee.com.
S The Cove Golf and Grill 386 State Rd., 508-693-2611; covemv.com.
Y Cronig’s Market 357 Lower State Rd., 508-693-4457; cronigsmarket.com.
Y Delicious MV Bakery 22 Main St., 508-693-2223; deliciousmv.com.
S El Barco 16 Union St., 508-684-5001; elbarcomv.com.
S Fish MV 80 Main St., 508-693-6399; fishmv.com.
Y Island Fresh Pizza and Subs 395 State Rd., 508-338-2764; islandfreshpizza.com.
S John’s Fish Market & Sandy’s Fish & Chips 5 Martin Rd., 508-693-1220; johnsfishmarket.com.
Y La Choza 4 Main St., 508-693-9050. Y La Strada 65 Main St., 508-338-7397.
S Mad Martha’s Ice Cream 24 Union St., madmarthas.com.
Y The Maker Pasta Shop & Cafe 339 State Rd., 508-687-9794; themakerpastashop.com.
Y Mikado Asian Bistro 76 Main St., 508-338-7096, mikadomv.com.
S Murdick’s Fudge 79 Main St., 508-693-7344; originalmurdicksfudge.com.
Y Nat’s Nook 38 Main St., 508-338-2340; natsnookmv.com.
Continuedonpage36
dining index
Continued from page 35
Y The Net Result
79 Beach Rd., 508-693-6071; mvseafood.com.
Y Nina’s on Beach Road 61 Beach Rd., 212-470-1115, ninasmv.com.
Y The Ocean Club 75 Main St., oceanclubmv.com.
Y Porto Pizza 36 Water St., 508-693-6200; portopizza-mv.com.
Y Quitsa Kitchen 455 State Rd. Unit #9, 508-338-7787; quitsacuisine.com.
S REVEL Galley & Provisions 342 State Rd., 508-645-6556; revelgalley.com.
Y Rocco’s Pizzeria 14 Beach Rd., Tisbury Marketplace, marthasvineyardpizza.com.
Y Salvatore’s Ristorante Italiano 20 Union St., 508-687-9457; salvatoresristorante.com.
S Scottish Bakehouse 977 State Rd., 508-693-6633; scottishbakehousemv.com.
Y S & S Kitchenette 48 Main St., 508-338-2392; sskitchenette.com.
Y Stop & Shop
50 Water St., 508-693-8339; stopandshop.com.
Y Sweet Bites
32 Beach St., 508-684-8585; sweetbitesmv.com.
S Tisberry Frozen Yogurt 29 Main St., 508-687-9314; tisberrymv.com.
S Toccopuro Coffee 15 Main St.
Y Vineyard Caribbean Cuisine 13 Beach St., 508-338-4094.
Y Vineyard Grill & Bakery 13 Beach Road Ext., 508-338-7103; vineyardgrillmv.com.
Y Vineyard Grocer 294 State Rd., 508-693-2000; vineyardgrocer.com.
Y Waterside Market 82 Main St., 508-693-8899; watersidemarket.com.
S The Wave Restaurant & Bar 52 Beach Rd., thewavemv.com.
Y Wolf’s Den Pizza 45 Beach Rd., 508-687-9112; wolfsdenmv.com.
Y Woodland Variety & Grill
455 State Rd., Woodland Marketplace, 508-693-6795; woodlandvarietyand grill.com.
WEST TISBURY
S 7a Foods 1045 State Rd., 508-693-4636; 7afoods.com.
Y Alley’s General Store 1045 State Rd., 508-693-0088.
Y Cronig’s Market 469 Upper State Rd., 508-693-2234; cronigsmarket.com.
S Lambert’s Cove Inn 92 Manaquayak Rd., 508-422-8051; lambertscoveinn.com.
Y Plane View Restaurant 71 Airport Rd., 508-693-1886; mvyairport.com.
Y State Road Restaurant 688 State Rd., 508-693-8582; stateroadrestaurant.com.
Y Vineyard Take Out 479 State Rd., 508-500-8634; vineyardtakeoutmenu.com.
Let us know if we don't have your favorite Vineyard restaurant listed here, and we'll do our best to add it to the next Vineyard Visitor. Email nicole@mvtimes.com.
ELLA MUNNELLY
Lagoon Waterfront, Oak Bluffs
This Oak Bluffs waterfront estate offers panoramic views of the Lagoon and Vineyard Sound, a mooring, and 143 feet of private sandy beach. On nearly 2 acres, you’re ensured natural beauty and privacy. The updated main and guest houses feature water views from nearly every room, perfect for entertaining and enjoying spectacular sunsets. Exclusively offered at $5,695,000.
Black Point Beach House, Chilmark
This unique 5.5-acre up-island beach house features four bedrooms, updated spaces, a new versatile barn, and Black Point Beach access. Exclusively offered at $4,650,000.
Beach & Views Moshup Trail, Aquinnah
This private 5-bedroom beach house offers stunning Atlantic views and deeded access to a pristine South Shore beach just a short stroll away. Exclusively offered at $4,000,000.
Modern Farmhouse South Road, Chilmark
This beautifully designed, six-bedroom home is sited on three acres with a pool and two-car barn. It features open-concept living, soaring ceilings, custom finishes, a double-sided gas fireplace, a screened porch, and an expansive finished lower level. The seamless indoor-outdoor flow makes this property absolutely ideal for entertaining. Exclusively offered at $5,850,000.
Hines Point Waterfront, Vineyard Haven
This multi-generational waterfront home offers private beach access, expansive Lagoon views, and a mooring, ideal for summer recreation. Exclusively offered at $4,695,000.
Indian Hill Neighborhood, West Tisbury
Abutting Cedar Tree Neck, this 5.45-acre property features a 3-bedroom home, guest cabin, Vineyard Sound views, and a pond. Exclusively offered at $2,475,000.
