Between the Waters
October 5, 2023
Noepe, the name the Wampanoag people gave to Martha’s Vineyard, means “the land between the waters.” Over the next week, people across the Island will honor Noepe, perhaps as part of an Indigenous Peoples Daycommemoration, at harvest festivals, exploring a barrier beach, when fishing the derby or walking in the woods and noticing the changing colors of leaves and stalks of goldenrod. Whether you’re on the Vineyard or reading from a different part of the world, it’s a good time to close your eyes, breathe deep and think of the places you treasure on the land between the waters.
Read on to discover more ideas for the week ahead, and find much more to do on The Complete Martha’s Vineyard Calendar.
Downtown Vineyard Haven will be the place to be for the next two nights! The Main Street Stroll tonight — Thursday, Oct. 5 — will offer music and food to enjoy as you meander in and out of shops on the main drag.
On Friday, Oct. 6, walk a few blocks up the hill to Owen Park where First Fridaygets underway starting at 4 p.m. This month’s edition brings together artisan vendors, food trucks and musicians. Since days are shorter now, the PathwaysArts Silent Disco on the Beach begins at 8 p.m. this month.
Painter Andrew Moore has documented wooden boatbuilding on Martha’s Vineyard for decades. On Friday, Oct. 6, he will talk about his processes during a Lunch Lecture at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven at 12 p.m. Tickets include a light lunch from Little House and a tour of the museum’s exhibit The Perfect Craft: The Art of Wooden Boat Building. Pre-registration closes today at noon.
A Musical Tale of Love and Gold
Starting on Friday, Oct. 6, actors and musicians at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse in Vineyard Haven will be telling the tale of Billy Ballo. This new musical has a colorful history of its own: artist Michael Mason began writing it 50 years ago, based on a song by Jemima James, and continued to evolve the story until his death this past February. Playhouse artistic director MJ Bruder Munafo is teaming with Mr. Mason’s family — including Ms. James, singer-songwriter Willy Mason and projection designer Sam Mason — to bring the Gold Rush-era epic to the stage for the first time. Performances continue through Oct. 20.
Aquila MV invites everyone to explore Aquinnah at the first-ever Harvest Happenings on Sunday, Oct. 8. On tap to be enjoyed from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. are a story walk, nature crafts, a MV Corn Hole tournament, tours of the Aquinnah Cultural Center and, of course, music and food. Head to the Cliff Shops and Aquinnah Circle for this autumnal celebration.
On Monday, Oct. 9, Sassafras Earth Education will hold its third annual Indigenous Peoples Day gathering at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown. The commemoration includes Wampanoag drummers and speakers celebrating the first peoples of Martha’s Vineyard and honoring the land called Noepe. The event takes place outdoors from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
The Complete Martha’s Vineyard Calendar
What’s Open on Martha’s Vineyard
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