The full 4th of July parade in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard. Firefighter vehicles, marching bands, and patriotic celebrations through this historic town.
The Edgartown Fourth of July parade is one of New England's most beloved Independence Day celebrations, a tradition dating back to 1844 during the height of the whaling era. In 2026, it will be the 182nd annual parade.
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Edgartown’s Fourth of July parade fills Main Street with flags and floats, the island’s biggest small-town parade.
Start time: 5:00 PM, an unusual late-afternoon start. Listen for the chimes on the Old Whaling Church clock: "When it hits the fifth one, off we go!" The parade starts at the Edgartown School parking lot, heads down Main Street, past the Edgartown Lighthouse, continues along Fuller Street and North Water Street, and loops back: a circumnavigation of downtown.
Approximately 1,500 participants march: community floats draped in red/white/blue, marching bands (Sutherland Pipe Band, Colonial Navy Band, Vineyard Haven Band), decorated fire trucks including the 1855 Lysander Button Company fire engine, classic cars, American Legion Post 186 veterans, Camp Jabberwocky with their decorated red bus (a perennial crowd favorite), children on decorated bikes, Island Alpaca, and oxen. Candy throwing is a major tradition. Children scramble to collect candy and beaded necklaces thrown from floats.
Begin at dusk, approximately 9:00 PM. Staged on a barge just outside Edgartown Harbor, visible overlooking the lighthouse. Best viewing: Memorial Wharf, Lighthouse Beach, from a boat (charter fireworks cruises available), or East Chop Bluff.
Approximately 25,000 spectators line the route. Downtown parking is extremely limited. Use the Park and Ride lot near "the Triangle" with shuttle buses, or take the free VTA bus. Chairs and towels line Main Street hours before the parade, so arrive early.
For the complete town experience, see our Edgartown Town Guide (2026) and the Old Whaling Church next to the Fisher House.
Island Tip of the Day · Timing
Back Door Donuts opens at 7 PM sharp. Arrive at exactly 7 PM for hot apple fritters with zero wait. By 8 PM the line is 20 min, by 9 PM it's 45 min.
On August 19, 1991, Hurricane Bob hit Martha's Vineyard at the height of the season: 98 mph winds, 84 boats wrecked in Edgartown Harbor alone, a sloop in the Harborside Inn pool, and a false autumn by Labor Day. The story of the storm, told through an original Vineyard Gazette storm edition we found in an island thrift shop.
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The 81st Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby runs September 13 – October 17, 2026, and you don't need a rod to enjoy it. Free twice-daily weigh-ins on Dock Street, what it costs to enter, where to watch from shore, and the key-and-lock drawing where somebody wins a boat.
Inside Edgartown's 4th of July: the Main Street parade with fifes, floats, classic cars and Camp Jabberwocky, then fireworks over the harbor, with photos, video and tips for doing the day right.
Take a guided Jaws tour of Martha's Vineyard with local guide Mike Currid. Walk the real Amity Island in Edgartown and book the "Amity" Walking Tour.
A first-hand look at the Edgartown Historic Walking Tour and "Amity" Jaws Tour with Mike Currid of the Edgartown Tour Company: what to expect, what you'll learn, and how to book.
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