By MV VacationUpdated 24 Sep, 20263 mins read 1,453 views
Edgartown · the Fourth of JulyPhoto by MV Vacation
Edgartown’s Fourth of July parade fills Main Street with flags and floats, the island’s biggest small-town parade.
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 a New England fixture, a tradition dating back to 1844 during the height of the whaling era. The 2026 parade, held on the nation's 250th birthday, was the 182nd; the next one steps off Sunday, July 4, 2027.
Filmed July 2024The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
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. (See our post on the camp.)
Edgartown · the paradePhoto by MV Vacation
The pipe band coming down the street in kilts, flags along the curb and the crowd three deep.
Fireworks
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.
Edgartown · the harborPhoto by MV Vacation
Fireworks over Edgartown harbor, the crowd along the shore as silhouettes.
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All-Day Schedule
Early AM: Polar Bear swim at Inkwell Beach (Oak Bluffs)
9 AM: Mike's Run the Chop Challenge in Vineyard Haven (5.25-mile loop around West Chop, 3.5-mile option at 9:15, starts at the Tisbury School)
10 AM: National Anthem by Vineyard Sound a cappella group at Memorial Wharf
12 PM: Frederick Douglass speech reading at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs
4–8 PM: Vineyard Preservation Trust BBQ at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House lawn
5 PM: Parade
~9 PM: Fireworks over Edgartown Harbor
Edgartown · the routePhoto by MV Vacation
A house-sized flag hung on a porch along the parade route, the evening light on it.
Crowds and Getting There
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.
Island tip of the dayParkingNo. 14 of 86New tip at midnight, island time
South Beach parking is free but fills by 10 AM on summer weekends. Arrive early or take VTA Route 8 from Edgartown Church Street.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is provided for general guidance only and was accurate at the time of writing. Beach conditions, hours, prices, lifeguard schedules, ferry fares, and business operations change frequently and without notice. Ocean swimming carries inherent risks including rip currents, undertow, and cold water shock. Always verify current conditions with official local sources before your visit. MV Vacation assumes no responsibility for any loss, injury, or inconvenience resulting from the use of this information. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, supervise children at all times near water, and follow all posted safety signs.
Your insider guide to Martha's Vineyard: beaches, dining, events, and island living. We write down what we know about the island so your trip goes the way you hoped.
Halloween on Martha's Vineyard, town by town: Edgartown's Happy Haunting on the Sunday before (October 25, 2026), Vineyard Haven's puppet parade at 4 PM and William Street trick-or-treating with the roads closed, Oak Bluffs on Circuit Avenue and in the Campground, the museum's Halloween on the Hill, the fire-department parties up-island, the haunted house, and how to come for it off-island.
New Year's Eve on Martha's Vineyard: the $150 dinner over the lit harbor, the two-seating table in Edgartown, live music at the Ritz, the family First Night at the Playhouse, where the lights are, what runs on the holiday (the ferry does, the reservation office does not), what is open on New Year's Day, and the empty January that begins the week you leave. 2026–2027 dates.
Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day) weekend on Martha's Vineyard: the last weekend of the seasonal island. The Artisans Fall Festival at the Grange Hall, the Derby weigh-ins, the last Ocean Park concert, what closes on the Monday (Island Queen, Seastreak, the Chappy gatehouses, the carousel), what stays open, the half-price rooms, and a Friday-to-Tuesday plan.
Labor Day weekend on Martha's Vineyard, hour by hour: the Artisans Festival at the Ag Hall, the jazz weekend in Oak Bluffs, First Friday, the last guarded swim in the year's warmest water, which ferries make their last sailings, how to survive the Monday exodus, and why staying to Tuesday is the best trick. 2026 and 2027 dates.
Memorial Day weekend on Martha's Vineyard, explained: the Friday March to the Sea at Owen Park, the Monday parade in Vineyard Haven, the Artisans Festival at the Grange Hall, the first Island Queen and Gay Head Light climbs, what is still closed, the prices, and a three-day plan for May 29 to 31, 2027.
Martha's Vineyard has two fireworks nights: Edgartown over the harbor at dusk on the Fourth of July and Oak Bluffs off Ocean Park on the third Friday of August (canceled in 2026, back in 2027). Where to stand for each, the street closures and blanket rules, the free bus, the ferry diversion and how to get home.
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