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Martha's Vineyard

Martha’s Vineyard Lingo: To Help You Get Around the Island

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Some handy terms and quick explanations you should know so that you can find your way around the island and sound like an islander…

  1. You are going for a vacation ‘on’ the Vineyard, not ‘in’ or ‘at’ the Vineyard.
  2. ‘Chappy’ is short for Chappaquiddick, not what happens to your lips when you’ve been out in the sun for too long. Chappaquiddick is a small island that lies off the eastern tip of Martha’s Vineyard and is part of Edgartown. You can get to Chappy via a small ferry that holds a couple of cars and a bunch of people and bikes. It’s a great day trip from the Vineyard. Don’t forget to pack a lunch!
  3. 5 Corners is an adventuresome intersection in downtown Vineyard Haven. It is called 5 Corners because there are 5 streets that form the intersection. Move with caution as only 3 of the approaching roads have stop signs and the other 2 have the right of way. Drive slowly, be nice, enjoy this quirky attraction, and you’ll be just fine.
  4. ‘Squibby’ is short for one of the island’s beach treasures, Squibnocket, located in Chilmark as you head towards Aquinnah.
  5. The ‘Flying Horses’ make up the country’s oldest horse carousel. They are beautiful and an island highlight right in downtown Oak Bluffs.
  6. ‘Gay Head’ is now called ‘Aquinnah’ and it is the town at the farthest end from the ferries. It is the home of the Wampanoag Native American tribe and the stunning Aquinnah cliffs.
  7. ‘Quahog’s’ are clams….so Martha’s Vineyard’s quahog chowdah is clam chowdah – only better.
Events, Families, Food, Kids, Martha's Vineyard, West Tisbury

Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair: Reason 423 to Visit MV in August

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One of the highlights of the summer on Martha’s Vineyard is the West Tisbury Agricultural Country Fair with Mid-Way sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society. Every August for four days (Thursday – Sunday), the fairgrounds host the classics at this real old-fashioned fair.

Kids and adults alike enjoy rides, games, shucking and fiddle contests, the skillet throw, horse pull, woodsmen competition, the fiber-arts tent and dog & livestock shows. There is no resisting the live music, puppet and dance shows…and, of course, the tournament of all tournaments – Cow Chip Bingo.

NOTE: Come to the fair hungry. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find: local restaurants have booths showcasing their best recipes, the MV Fire Departments grill hotdogs and burgers, local schools provide ice cream and there’s kettle corn, fresh lemonade and cotton candy galore.

The Ag Fair is just one of the many summer traditions on the island, making August a fantastic and event-filled time to visit Martha’s Vineyard.

Prices and dates for the annual Ag Fair can be found here.

Martha's Vineyard

Weddings on Martha’s Vineyard: Expertly Planned by Patrie Grace

Patrie Grace is one of those Martha’s Vineyard treasures who marches to the beat of her own drum, is truly gifted in her work and is a character so full of surprises that no author could come up with her heart, hilarity and no-nonsense style of action. For the last 25 years, Patrie has coordinated and planned weddings and other events such as fundraisers, dinner parties, anniversaries and milestone celebrations. I wanted to hear all about wedding on the Vineyard and here’s what she shared:

Anne Mayhew: Why do people want to get married on the Vineyard?
Patrie Grace: After 25 years of being in the wedding and event business here, I still wholeheartedly feel that Martha’s Vineyard is one of the top ten places in the world to have a wedding.

  • Destination wedding. Your guests are truly leaving their life and their world on the main land and traveling to an island. It creates an intimacy within the party because everyone seems to be so present – much more than if they left home for a few hours to attend your wedding and then went back to their lives. Whether you have 6 people or 350, the island brings people tightly together
  • The island is beautiful. It serves and supports romance and taking your breath away visually. The fragrance of the island, the local produce, the local goods that one can access here; the community feel, the real user-friendliness of the island – they all contribute to this holistic beauty.
  • Weddings are an industry here that have been consistently supported by the economy and by the islanders with priceless pieces of land, vacation house rentals, lighthouses, farms (available so that ceremonies can overlook 360 degrees of ocean or wonderfully manicured gardens). Again and again, clients send letters that family and friends continue to remark on the memorable quality of their event on the island.
  • No rules. When you have an island wedding, in my opinion, you can do it anyway you want. Once you get on that ferry boat and cross the water, you can throw the traditional rules overboard or go strictly by the book. You can really create your wedding in whatever your vision is. It’s that crossing over the water that gives you the freedom. We can make it happen here.
  • Finally and personally, my love of the island, sharing it with people and experiencing it as a place that creates lasting unions, memories…my love is sincere, and I represent it wholeheartedly in my work.

I really listen to people – what is your dream wedding or event? I put the pieces together and wave the red flag when ideas will create stress…I’m all about the pleasure of creating something good and not about buying into the idea that it has to be stressful!

Anne: What do you have to know about getting married on the Vineyard that you wouldn’t have to know about elsewhere?
Patrie: The ‘destination’ part, for sure. Because of the travel involved, people need information, rental houses, inns, the ferry – they all book up to 6, 9, 12 months ahead of time. Then you have to ask other questions, because of the travel details, do you invite everyone to the rehearsal dinner or after brunch?
Also, it is expensive here (I don’t believe in sugar-coating this fact!) and everything has to physically get on this island. But there are many ways to keep it simple…one of my specialties!

Anne: Talk to us about timing – because time moves at a different pace on the island! If I were getting married in September of 2009, what would I do and when would I need to do it?
Patrie: May – October is THE wedding season. I say this because it doesn’t matter if you are getting married at the beginning or the end of this season, you have to book ahead of the season because providers are booking for the season one year ahead, one season ahead. This applies to anything that only one wedding per day can have, such as the wedding site, the band, the photographer, the caterer, etc. I have clients who start two years ahead of their wedding date to get everything they want.
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