Walk with us around the Gingerbread Cottages in Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The “Gingerbread Cottages” of Oak Bluffs are located at the Martha’s Vineyard Camp Meeting Association, within walking distance of Circuit Avenue, the harbor and the ferry terminals. This enclave of brightly colored homes has been a draw for visitors of all ages for generations and was once the namesake of the town, “Cottage City.” Starting in the early 1800’s a group of Methodists started holding regular meetings on this site. It grew into a seasonal community of fancifully ornate summer cottages centered around a tabernacle that still operates as a meeting place and holds church services. The Cottages are home to an annual “Illumination Night” every August, an event dating back to the late 1800’s in which all of the homes are covered with japanese lanterns, and every home lights them simultaneously. The lighting is preceded by a performance from a big band in the tabernacle and is a piece of Americana straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Location: Gingerbread Houses Oak Bluffs , Martha’s Vineyard