Martha's Vineyard After Labor Day (2026): The Ferry Switch, What Stays Open and What It Costs

A September or October trip is the one most islanders would pick for you: the water is still warm, the restaurants have tables, and rooms cost a good deal less than in July. The island doesn't shut down after Labor Day, but it does rearrange itself a little, and a couple of those changes are worth knowing before you book.

Dates come from the operators' published 2026 schedules and are updated as towns and businesses post their fall dates.

✓ Facts verified August 2026 Dates, hours and prices checked against official sources when published. Things change on island time. Always confirm with the operator before you travel.

The ferry switch

The Steamship Authority's summer schedule, with boats landing at both Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs, runs through Thursday, September 10, 2026. From Friday, September 11, the fall schedule takes over: most ferries land at Vineyard Haven, while Oak Bluffs keeps four round trips a day (arrivals 10:15 AM, 12:45 PM, 3:15 PM and 5:45 PM) right through October 22. Oak Bluffs is a seasonal terminal; its SSA season ends after October 22.

It's a smaller deal than it sounds. Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs are fifteen minutes apart, and the bus and taxis connect them all day. If your hotel is in Oak Bluffs and you're arriving after September 10, the timetable tells you whether your boat is one of the four that still land there or one that puts you in Vineyard Haven, one harbor over. Oak Bluffs itself is still very much open in mid-September.

Boats stay plentiful in the fall. Through October 22 the Steamship Authority keeps its fall schedule, with Oak Bluffs still in the mix. From October 23 the winter schedule takes over, and it runs more often than most people expect: a boat roughly every 75 minutes between Woods Hole and Vineyard Haven, first one out at 6:00 in the morning, every day of the week. The last boat leaves Woods Hole at 9:45 PM, and the last one back to the mainland leaves Vineyard Haven at 9:30 PM. Full route details, fares and booking advice are in our complete ferry guide.

The other boats and their last days

The Steamship Authority runs all year and is the only ferry that carries cars. The rest of the fleet is seasonal, each boat stops on its own date, and some run deep into October:

The Island Queen shifts to a reduced fall timetable on September 8 (three departures each way on weekdays, more on Fridays and weekends) and keeps sailing right through Columbus Day, so it's the other boat that still lands you in Oak Bluffs, through October 12. The little Falmouth–Edgartown ferry to Memorial Wharf runs daily only through Labor Day weekend and is done by mid-September. A ferry day trip to Nantucket still works into early October: Hy-Line's inter-island boat from Oak Bluffs ran three round trips a day through October 12 in 2026, then a single midday round trip until its last day on October 18.

Coming from Boston without a car? All of the above is folded into our Boston-to-Vineyard route guide.

Getting around once you're here

The VTA bus is still free to ride, and in early fall it still goes everywhere. The full in-season schedule runs through October 3, so for most of the shoulder season you can hop between towns the way summer people do. From October 4 the fall schedule trims frequencies, so if you're visiting later in the month it's worth a quick glance at the timetable, especially for the #13 along State Beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, which runs all year, every 30 minutes for most of the day in the off-season. Our VTA schedule page stays current with routes and the real-time tracker, and if you're tempted to skip the rental car entirely, our guide to Martha's Vineyard without a car explains how.

Parking gets easy again in September. The lots and street spots that filled by 10 a.m. in August have room now. If you do bring a car, our parking guide covers every lot and free spot by town.

Chappaquiddick this fall

One thing specific to 2026: the breach that opened at Norton Point on New Year's Day cut the over-sand route between South Beach and Chappaquiddick's Wasque, and town officials expect it to stay open for at least a year. So this fall the Chappy ferry, the On Time, is the way onto Chappaquiddick, and it runs year-round. Its summer schedule ran through the end of the Derby on October 17; since October 18 it runs 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., plus a last crossing between 11:00 and 11:15 p.m. The Trustees keep Wasque and Cape Poge open year-round for fishing and over-sand permits, their Chappaquiddick gatehouse (which serves Mytoi and the Cape Poge tours) is staffed through Indigenous Peoples' Day on October 12, and Mytoi in fall color is a good reason to cross on its own. Our Chappaquiddick day trip guide has the full picture.

What closes and what stays open

Almost everything stays open through Columbus Day weekend, October 12, since fall visitors have become a real part of the year. After that the seasonal places close over a couple of weeks, and by early November the island is in its winter shape.

In Oak Bluffs the famous stops are seasonal, so it helps to get to them while they're open. Back Door Donuts Temporarily closed Closed for the 2026 season; back in 2027, per its own site keeps its after-dark window open into the fall and announces its last night on Instagram; for 2026 it has already closed for the season, so the 10 p.m. apple fritter waits for next year. Nancy's Temporarily closed Closed for the season; reopening May 2027, per its own site on the harbor and Giordano's, an institution since 1930, both close for the season and reopen in spring. The Flying Horses Carousel, which entered its 150th year this summer as the nation's oldest platform carousel, goes to weekend hours after Labor Day and this fall the Vineyard Trust lists it open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM; on Halloween it runs until 4:30, with a costume contest at 2 PM. And once the seasonal spots close, year-round anchors like Offshore Ale keep the lights on in Oak Bluffs all winter.

Up-island, the Gay Head Lighthouse in Aquinnah was open daily through Labor Day weekend, 10 to 4, admission $6; its site lists no fall days for 2026, so check gayheadlight.org before you plan a climb. The fall light up there is lovely either way. Polly Hill Arboretum in West Tisbury is the fall walk most visitors miss: the grounds are open sunrise to sunset all year, and the visitor center runs daily through October 12. The West Tisbury Farmers Market keeps its Saturday market going into October. Felix Neck is busy with birds in migration season; if you can't be there in person, our live webcams page carries its osprey and owl cams.

On the beaches, the lifeguards generally pack up around Labor Day (at South Beach in Katama the guarded season runs from late June through the holiday), so fall swimming is at your own risk, and the calm Sound beaches are the easier choice. Dogs aren't allowed at South Beach in any season, but several towns relax their summer dog rules from mid-September, which means an empty beach and a tennis ball. Beach-by-beach rules are in our beach guide.

What a room costs in the fall

Sample rates we pulled in early August for the same rooms across the season show the drop: seasonal hotels come down from their August peaks once September arrives, and further by October. An Oak Bluffs hotel room that lists around $450 a night for an August weekend shows up in the $250 to $350 range in mid-September, and under $200 by early October. Rates move daily, so those figures show the shape of the curve rather than a promise, but the shape holds every year. Hotels go after fall guests openly: the Winnetu has run 35 percent off Sunday-through-Thursday suite stays from mid-September to mid-October in past years, so it's worth asking about this year's version.

Minimum stays relax too: after Labor Day the three-night minimums of high summer typically ease to two-night weekends, and often a single midweek night, so a spur-of-the-moment overnight becomes possible. If you are looking further ahead, the seasonal hotels close in late October, so a November-or-later trip means one of the year-round properties; Edgartown's Harbor View is the flagship, open all winter apart from a brief January pause. For anything past October, our winter guide is the place to start.

Fall events and timing

The island slows down in the fall rather than closing. The water holds its summer warmth deep into September. The MV Jazz and Blues Summerfest played over Labor Day weekend (September 4–6). The Derby ran September 13 through October 17, and the free twice-daily weigh-ins on Dock Street were a fun thing to watch; our Derby visitor's guide explains how to enjoy it without ever picking up a rod. Tivoli Day took over Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs on September 19, the end-of-summer street fair the town throws for itself. October brought the Vineyard Artisans Fall Festival over Columbus Day weekend, and on October 17 Morning Glory Farm's Pumpkin Festival. Still ahead are the Harvest Festival at the Ag Hall on October 24 (10 AM to 2 PM, free) and Halloween in Oak Bluffs on October 31. The full month-by-month list lives in our events calendar.

For next fall, the sweet spot is Tuesday to Thursday before Columbus Day weekend: open restaurants, the Derby in full swing, fall room rates and empty roads. In 2026 four boats a day sailed straight into Oak Bluffs through October 22, so the summer arrival lasted well into leaf season. For the fuller picture of each month, our September guide and October guide go month by month.

For the whole season, our complete fall guide maps the deadlines, the Derby, scalloping and what stays open, September through November.

Frequently Asked Questions

What changes on the ferry after Labor Day?

The Steamship Authority drops its frequent summer service into Oak Bluffs on September 10, 2026; from the 11th, Oak Bluffs keeps four round trips a day through October 22, and everything else lands at Vineyard Haven. From October 23 every boat goes to Vineyard Haven. The summer weekend car premium ends September 15, when the standard car fare drops to a flat $127 each way.

When do the other ferries stop for the season?

The Island Queen and SeaStreak passenger boats made their last regular runs on Columbus Day, October 12, 2026, and SeaStreak comes back from New Bedford for Thanksgiving weekend, November 25–29, landing at Vineyard Haven. The Chappy ferry runs all year and shifts to its winter schedule on October 18.

Which beaches open up after the summer?

Lucy Vincent and Lambert’s Cove open to everyone on September 16, no town sticker needed. Lifeguards leave the island beaches after Labor Day, so the Sound side is the calmer choice, and swimming with a friend is nicer anyway.

Is anything still open in late September?

Most proper restaurants, every year-round shop and the main ferries. The Steamship Authority runs all year (with four round trips a day into Oak Bluffs through October 22), the Island Queen keeps sailing to Oak Bluffs through October 12 and the Hy-Line from Hyannis through October 25, and SeaStreak from New Bedford runs through October 12, landing at Vineyard Haven since September 20. The Falmouth–Edgartown ferry and SeaStreak from New York and New Jersey are done for the year. The first closures after Labor Day are beach concessions and pure summer operations; the second wave comes after Columbus Day. Our year-round guide has the list.

What does a room cost in the fall?

Shoulder rates drop 30–50% from August. The same Oak Bluffs harbor hotel that ran $400–660 a night in August falls toward $150–200 in early October, and in September the water is still warm.