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The complete guide to West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard's agricultural heart. The famous farmers market, Alley's General Store, and Lambert's Cove Beach.
West Tisbury is the island's farm town: rolling pastures, stone walls, three-acre minimum lot sizes, and the island's oldest general store. More than 40% of the Vineyard's total land is conserved from development, and West Tisbury carries a disproportionate share. There is no commercial strip, no nightlife and no harbor; there are farms, woods, galleries and the fair.
Three-acre zoning keeps it looking like this: pasture, tree line, and the sea somewhere past it.
7A Food cafe in West Tisbury, Martha's Vineyard.
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West Tisbury Farmers Market at Agricultural Hall, 35 Panhandle Rd. 2026 schedule: Saturdays June 6–October 31, Wednesdays June 10–August 26, 9 AM–noon. Rain or shine. Free parking and admission. Dogs not allowed. SNAP/EBT accepted. Every farm stand on the island, with hours and honor-system rules, is in our farm stand guide.
Revived in 1974 "by a ragtag group of hippies, Yankees, and retired English teachers."
Look for: Khen's Eggrolls (started 1986 by Vietnamese immigrant Thi Khen Tran, now run by grandson Anh Phan Ho), Goldie's Rotisserie (French rotisserie chicken), Salt Rock Chocolate Co. (returning 2026, carrying on where Chilmark Chocolates left off), and Good Pierogi. Farms: Morning Glory, North Tabor, Beetlebung, Whippoorwill, Cottage City Oysters.
Over 40 vendors with a strict 2:1 farm-to-non-farm ratio. Regulars include Morning Glory Farm (produce, meat, flowers), North Tabor Farm, Cottage City Oysters, Island Bee Company (honey), Little Rock Farm (baked goods, since 1982), Khen's Little Kitchen (famous egg rolls; sell out fast), and Good Pierogi (new 2025). Live music plays every market day. Founded 1934, revived 1974: 52nd year of continuous operation. Arrive at 9 AM sharp for best selection.
Owned by the Vineyard Preservation Trust since 1993, now leased by Michael and April Levandowski (LeRoux chain owners) since April 2021. The motto "Dealers in Almost Everything" still holds: groceries, penny candy, beach supplies, postcards, clam rakes, and peacock feathers. A branch post office operates inside.
The famous front porch is West Tisbury's unofficial living room: regulars gather with coffee and game boards, Presidents Clinton and Obama have shopped here (Obama photographed with daughters in 2009), and Larry David is a summer regular. Hours: Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–5:30 PM, Sat 8 AM–5:30 PM, Sun 8 AM–5 PM. Year-round. (508) 693-0088.
Behind Alley's at 1045 State Road. Launched 2010 by Dan Sauer and Wenonah Madison. Scratch-made egg sandwiches on housemade biscuits, "The Liz Lemon" pastrami sandwich, cult-favorite compost cookie. Counter window only, no indoor seating. Open daily 7 AM–3 PM in season. (508) 693-4636.
The chalkboard tells you everything: egg sandwiches up front, soups on the right, and a line that moves.
Alley's itself, at 1045 State Road, is Martha's Vineyard's oldest retail business, founded by Nathan Mayhew, a blind man returning from a failed California gold rush. The Vineyard Trust purchased it in 1993 for $300,000 after a community "Save Alley's" campaign. President Obama took daughters Malia and Sasha shopping here on August 30, 2009. Coffee, groceries, penny candy, hardware, beach supplies, local honey.
Bronze 1858 plaque on Alley's General Store in West Tisbury.
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7a Foods restaurant in West Tisbury.
State Road Restaurant (688 State Rd): 2026 James Beard Outstanding Hospitality semifinalist. Owners Mary and Jackson Kenworth since 2009, Chef Jonathan Warnock. Farm-to-table with on-site gardens. $$$$. Phone reservations only: (508) 693-8582.
Woods at Lambert's Cove Inn (90 Manaquayak Rd): Chef Galen Sampson's farm-to-table kitchen on an 8-acre property with gardens and alpacas. Reservations via OpenTable. Seasonal May–October. $$$.
Cronig's Up-Island (469 State Rd): One-third size of VH flagship. Deli, produce, organic/local specialties. New owner Andrea Donnelly (since Jan 2023). 20% islander discount. Mon–Sat 7 AM–6 PM, Sun 8 AM–5 PM.
Inside Cronig’s Up-Island: smaller than the Vineyard Haven flagship, but the aisles still cover a full pantry, from the meat case to the candy wall.
Conroy Apothecary (459 State Rd, next to Cronig's): the only pharmacy up-island, and the kind of country drugstore that also does film developing, faxes, lottery, cards, copies and cigars, with rocking chairs on the porch and the New York Times in a box outside. Front of store daily from 7 am; the pharmacy counter runs weekdays 9 to 6, Saturday 9 to 3, closed Sunday, per their website.
Conroy Apothecary in December, wreaths on the doors and the community board by the ramp.
2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist (Outstanding Hospitality). Owners Mary and Jackson Kenworth, Chef Jonathan Warnock. Contemporary American farm-to-table with on-site gardens harvested daily. Beer and wine with meals (no hard liquor, no BYOB). Entrées ~$20–40+. Reservations essential: book weeks ahead. (508) 693-8582.
Farm-to-takeout since 2010. Chef Daniel Sauer grows produce on his own Aquinnah farm. The Liz Lemon sandwich ($16.95) (housemade pastrami, turkey, Swiss, coleslaw, Russian dressing on rye) is the bestseller. Daily 7 AM–3 PM.
Open to non-guests. Chef Galen Sampson serves contemporary American in an English garden setting. Seasonal.
Lambert's Cove Beach in West Tisbury.
The softest sand and clearest water on the North Shore. Resident/renter only mid-June through mid-September: car sticker $75/season, walk-on $15. Non-residents: rent in West Tisbury (most rentals include beach access), stay at Lambert's Cove Inn, or visit after sticker hours. Lifeguards in summer. Full beach guide.
632 acres managed by The Trustees. Atlantic beach + freshwater Long Cove Pond. Advance passes required mid-June through mid-September (tickets.thetrustees.org; not sold onsite). Parking $25/vehicle non-members. Walkers and cyclists enter free (new 2025). Two-mile trail through oak forest. No dogs year-round. No lifeguards.
Money-saving tip: MV libraries offer free Trustees Beach Parking Passes: present a library card at the West Tisbury Free Public Library (1042 State Rd).
about 400 acres managed by Sheriff's Meadow Foundation. Off Indian Hill Road. Free, daily 8:30 AM–5:30 PM, year-round. Dogs on leash. The 1.4-mile loop through oak, beech, and cedar forests ends at dramatic coastal bluffs with views of Cape Cod and the Elizabeth Islands. Swimming prohibited. One of the island's best free hikes.
Filmed March 2022The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked September 2026.
Founded 1971 by sculptor Tom Maley (1911–2000). His white "dancing figures" in the field are among Martha's Vineyard's most photographed landmarks. Town purchased the 1.4-acre property in 2011 for $625,000: permanently public. 2026: The MV Museum opened "Tom Maley: Dancing in the Field" exhibition on March 6, showcasing 22 works. Five gallery shows scheduled June–September with named artists. Free admission to the outdoor sculpture garden.
Field Gallery lawn and sign with sculptures in West Tisbury.
The white dancing figures on the lawn are by Tom Maley (1911–2000), a self-taught sculptor who moved from NYC in 1946. His joyful Bacchanalian nudes "represent the human spirit." In March 2026, the Martha's Vineyard Museum opened "Tom Maley: Dancing in the Field" retrospective. Gallery opened August 8, 1971; now run by Chris and Sheila Morse. Summer Premiere receptions on the sculpture lawn every two weeks (June 27–Aug 29, 2026). Free admission. Daily 10 AM–5 PM summer. (508) 693-5595.
~70 acres, 1,600+ plant varieties within 18th-century stone walls. National Register of Historic Places. Founded by Polly Hill (1907–2007), who became a groundbreaking horticulturist at age 51. Her motto: "Fifty is a great age to try something new." Highlights: North Tisbury azaleas, kousa dogwood allée, stewartia collection, monkey puzzle tree. Grounds open daily sunrise–sunset, year-round. Admission: $10 (May–Oct), $5 (Nov–Apr), under 12 free. Docent tours Tue/Thu at 9:30 AM, June through September.
A mile up State Road from the arboretum, where North Road forks off toward Menemsha, stands the island’s most famous single tree: a great white oak whose lowest limbs sweep out and rest on the ground, which is why islanders call it the sitting tree. It was already a landmark when Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed it in 1969, and the Polly Hill Arboretum’s director calls it the king of the Vineyard’s white oaks; the last measurements on record put the crown at about 71 feet across. The tree is on private land beside the road and it is old and fragile, so look from the verge, do not climb, and do not park in the lane.
A harvest platter from the 2026 fair: heirloom tomatoes, peppers, squash, and a crown of zinnias.
Grange Hall in West Tisbury.
The 164th fair, held August 13–16, 2026, brought livestock shows, 4-H exhibits, horse pulls, the famous Skillet Toss, oyster shucking, rubber chicken toss (new 2025), and 1,400+ judged entries. Carnival rides by Fiesta Shows (new 5-year contract). New wampum jewelry category for Indigenous artists. 2026 prices: Adults $15, children/seniors/veterans $10, parking $10; unlimited-ride megapass $70, Friday-night wristband $50. Thu–Sat 10 AM–11 PM, Sun 10 AM–6 PM. The first man to sail alone around the world, Joshua Slocum, farmed on the Edgartown-West Tisbury Road from 1901 until he vanished at sea in 1909; his Vineyard years are their own post.
The 164th fair, with a permanent schedule change to the second weekend of August (was traditionally the third). Livestock shows, carnival rides, shucking contests, horse pull, dog shows, food vendors, live entertainment. 30,000+ people across four days. Adults $15, children 5–12 $10, parking $10.
The island's geographic center: 5,300 acres with the highest density of rare species in Massachusetts. Originally the 1908 Heath Hen Reserve: the state set aside 600 acres for the last heath hens on earth, the reserve grew to nearly 5,000 acres, and the flock climbed from about 50 birds to about 2,000 by early 1916 before a May 1916 fire, then disease and inbreeding, took it back down to three by 1928. The last bird, a male the wardens called Booming Ben, lived alone here from 1929 until he was seen for the final time on March 11, 1932; the subspecies was declared extinct the next year. A bronze plaque and a sculpture of him stand near the spot, off the bike path. 14 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, plus a 10-mile paved bike path and disc golf course. Free parking, sunrise to sunset. Globally rare sandplain grasslands support northern harriers, grasshopper sparrows, and 20+ rare moth species. 2024–2026: DCR removing 52 acres of non-native white pines to restore native habitat.
Off Indian Hill Road. A Wampanoag praying town established 1659. The Mayhew Chapel (1829) still stands with original pews. Ancient burial grounds with fieldstone markers across the road. Surrounding Christiantown Woods Preserve (27.6 acres, MV Land Bank) is free and open for hiking.
Alcohol: West Tisbury is NOT a dry town since 2012: beer and wine at restaurants with meals. No hard liquor, no liquor stores, no BYOB. VTA bus: Currently fare-free. Routes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 serve West Tisbury. Chilmark and Aquinnah are nearby. Best time: Late June or September for weather + fewer crowds. Peak July–August for full market + fair experience.
The bulletin board at Cronig’s Up-Island reads like a town newspaper: babysitters, estate sales, boat charters and half the island’s events in one glance.
VTA buses are currently fare-free. Paved bike paths end in West Tisbury; up-island roads are winding, hilly, and shoulderless. E-bikes recommended.
The Route 2 bus swings past West Tisbury Town Hall: this is what up-island public transit looks like.
Cell service is notoriously poor: dropped calls and dead zones are common. Download offline maps before heading up-island. The West Tisbury Library offers reliable public WiFi.
There are no chain stores, no traffic lights and no commercial sprawl: a library, a general store, a gas station and a few galleries where State Road meets the church. A 3-acre minimum lot size keeps development sparse. Stone walls line winding roads. The town still governs by open town meeting. Notable residents include Carly Simon (Squash Meadow Farm) and filmmaker Wes Craven (buried at Lambert's Cove Cemetery).
For the rest of the island, see our One Day Itinerary, Restaurant Guide, and Every Beach Ranked.
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Island tip of the day Ferry No. 4 of 86 New tip at midnight, island time
The Island Queen from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs is $20 one-way, $30 round-trip (35 min). Passengers and bikes only: no cars, and no dogs. Buy tickets at islandqueen.com; summer boats do fill.
Joshua Slocum, first to sail alone around the world, spent his last years farming in West Tisbury and vanished from Vineyard Haven harbor in November 1909. The voyage, the farm called Fag End, the last departure, and what a visitor can actually see: the harbor, a marker stone by a country road, the museum's Slocum papers, and the book itself.
Flying to Martha's Vineyard in 2026: which airlines serve MVY and from where (Cape Air year-round; JetBlue, Delta and American in season; Tradewind from private terminals), what parking costs, and how to get from the terminal to any town by free bus, taxi or rental car.
New Woods Hole terminal, fare-free buses, new restaurants in Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven, a reopened lighthouse and more: everything that changed on the island in 2026.
MV costs 25–35% more but delivers a genuine island escape. Cape Cod offers whale watching, Provincetown, and the National Seashore.
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Martha's Vineyard vs. Nantucket: cost, beaches, food, culture, and logistics compared. Neither is better; one is the right fit for your 2026 trip.
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