Martha's Vineyard Blog

Martha's Vineyard in February 2027: 14 Steamship sailings each way on the days we checked, highs near 42°F, sunset moving from 4:58 to 5:31 PM, the fare-free bus, Presidents' Day and school vacation dates, and the restaurants that take their winter break.

Martha's Vineyard in January 2027: 14 Steamship sailings each way between Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven on the days we checked, highs near 40°F, sunset at 4:23 PM on New Year's Day, the fare-free bus, beaches open to everyone, and the restaurants that take the month off.

Thanksgiving 2026 on Martha's Vineyard, taken from each organizer's own page: three restaurants serving dinner, four take-home menus with order deadlines from November 17, the Oak Bluffs Turkey Trot, the weekend's festivals and the Chowder Cup, plus ferries and buses.

Edgartown hotels and inns street by street, from North Water Street to Upper Main and Katama: rooms, breakfast, parking, pets, minimum stays and season as each property states them, with rates by band and how to book for 2027.

Oak Bluffs hotels and inns one by one, from the ferry pier to the Campground and the Inkwell: rooms, breakfast, parking, pets and season as each property states them, with rates by band and how to book for 2027.

Every boat off the island from late October to May leaves Vineyard Haven for Woods Hole. The full winter timetable, walk-on and car fares, what you see from the rail, and what to do on the Woods Hole side.

Stargazing on Martha's Vineyard: how dark the island really is (the town lighting bylaws, no official rating), the best moonless nights and Milky Way windows, meteor shower dates 2026–2027 with moon phases, the Chilmark library telescope loan, Felix Neck's moonrise paddle, and what works for night photography with a phone or camera.

Where to go birdwatching on Martha's Vineyard: the top eBird hotspots (Aquinnah Cliffs, Felix Neck, Wasque, Long Point), the seasons from ospreys to sea ducks, the free Martha's Vineyard Bird Club walks with 2026 dates, the Christmas Bird Count and where this week's sightings get posted.

The island's farmers markets, checked October 2026: the West Tisbury Farmers Market at the Agricultural Hall (Saturdays to October 31, 9 AM to noon), the Harvest Festival on October 24, the indoor winter market, Edgartown's summer Tuesday market, and the farm stands that stay open all year.

Where Martha's Vineyard is, with our own maps: an island in Dukes County, Massachusetts, under four miles across Vineyard Sound from Woods Hole on Cape Cod, 75 miles from Boston and 70 from Providence by road. How big it is, the six towns, up-island and down-island, every way to get there and where the name comes from.

Where to learn to sail on Martha's Vineyard, checked October 2026: Sail Martha's Vineyard's summer classes on Lagoon Pond, private lessons for adults, Sunfish rentals in Vineyard Haven and Menemsha, schooner and catboat sails, summer races you can watch or crew, and what the wind and currents are like.

Martha's Vineyard in December 2026: First Friday on December 4, Light Up Oak Bluffs on December 5, Christmas in Edgartown December 10 to 13, 4:15 sunsets, one ferry into Vineyard Haven, and what stays open through Christmas.