41.39N 70.62W

What’s Free this Summer on Martha’s Vineyard

One of the biggest misconceptions about Martha’s Vineyard is that it takes a bundle to enjoy the Island.  Not so, we say! Don’t let a light pocket keep you from coming over to the Vineyard for a visit. Besides the easily accessible sandy beaches lapped by crystalline clear water, the summer offers a serious selection of free events every day of the week. We’ve collected a few of these weekly options just to get you started, but the Vineyard Gazette calendar of events suggests even more choices, available only on a given day or week.  Read on to see what’s free on Martha’s Vineyard.

On Sundays, check out the  Artisans Festivals up at the West Tisbury Grange Hall from 10 am – 2pm.  This will also give you the opportunity to visit the town of West Tisbury, the heart of the Vineyard farming community. Built in 1859 and now owned by the MV Preservation Trust, the old Hall holds many memories for generations of Islanders. Nearby, Alley’s General Store (‘If we don’t have it you don’t need it’) is worth a browse. Its porch is well known (some would say infamous) as the Island’s enduring gossip ground zero.

As the day begins to wind down on Monday, head up Island with the kids for Cinema Circus!  An annual treat presented by The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, the fun starts at 5:30 with offerings of filmmaking activities, face painting and costumes and short films for the little ones. Last week for this event is August 15th.

On Tuesday there is music in the air at the Harbor View Hotel, where mvyradio’s Porch Concert Series is held from 6 pm -7 pm. Come early or stay after and explore the beach directly across from this historic hotel property where the Edgartown Lighthouse stands sentinel at the mouth of the harbor.

Wednesday takes usup Island to the Chilmark Flea Market in the pasture at 142 North Road. Open from 9 am- 2 pm, this, the granddaddy of Island flea markets, is a wonderful adventure through Island history, hand-me-downs, crafts and more.  Along the way, note the still-intact stone walls that enclosed sheep and farmland in days gone by. If you are traveling on Middle Road in the direction of Beetlebung Corner, Fulling Mill Preserve is on the left 0.5 miles after the road’s intersection with the Tabor House Road. One of the Island’s earliest industries (1694) the fulling mill was used to ‘full’  – clean and thicken – the locally spun woolen cloth.

On Thursday, it’s back to Edgartown, this time to Eisenhauer Gallery’s Music in the Square featuring a different Island musical talent each week from 6 pm to 8 pm.  Take this opportunity to view the Gallery and then take a stroll and enjoy the view from the nearby Memorial Wharf.

There’s more free music on Friday. This time its Live Music in the Beer Garden at Bad Martha’s Brewery  on upper Main Street from 3 pm to 6 pm. Or, if you prefer, head to Oak Bluffs for the Sunset Concert Series at the Tabernacle from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. to hear some of the Island’s most popular musicians (series suspended on August 17 for the Fireworks). Before or after the concert, wander the winding paths lined by historic gingerbread cottages.  Constructed by families in the 1800s to replace the tents that provided shelter for those attending the summer Campmeetings, these have, in many cases, been passed down through generations and remain beloved vacation spots for their current occupants.

The day starts early on Saturday when the Friends of Sengekontacket invite you to take part in its free one-hour program, Saturdays on Sengekontacket. Explore a different aspect of Sengekontacket Pond each week from 9:30 am – 10:30 am (last chance, August 18!). When it’s over, there’s still time to enjoy the pond itself. Influenced by tides, the pond is ideal for wading, bird watching and, in windy weather, watching windsurfers skim its surface.  Then there’s still time to catch the weekly Farmer’s Market in West Tisbury, where local farmers offer farm fresh produce and home made pantry items

 

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