“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” Oscar Wilde. The Vineyard in Autumn is spectacular. Days are filled with radiant sunshine, perfect for sea-glass hunts on vacant beaches. Crisp nights are ideal for strolling in town for dinner and music before lounging fireside. The island has so much to offer this fall. Here’s our roundup of the must-do events island this October.
- Vineyard Haven’s First Fridays - Friday, October 1 from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm - Join First Friday's evening of art, music, shopping, food and inspiration as Vineyard Haven opens its doors to celebrate Vineyard Haven on Main Street and Owen Park. Fun for all ages.
- MV Brunch Run/Walk - Saturday, October 2 at 8:00 am - Join us for a race unlike any other: the third annual Martha’s Vineyard Brunch Run/Walk presented by the Edgartown Board of Trade. Pick your distance. This race offers both 5K and 10K USATF certified courses which are flat and fast, and the 10K course runs along scenic Atlantic Drive right by the ocean. Immediately following the race, this unique and exciting event includes a post-race "Brunch" party with "over the top" brunch nibbles and refreshing beverages presented by our sponsors. All participants will receive custom finisher medals, as well as a T-shirt and custom commemorative brunch glass for the first 500 registrants. Medals will be awarded to the top finisher in each running race category. Proceeds from this event support the continuing economic recovery of the Edgartown Board of Trade business members.
- LadyFest - Saturday, October 2 at 5:00 pm - Celebrating female-fueled music on Martha's Vineyard, LadyFest is an annual music festival held on Circuit Avenue. It was co-founded by Rose Guerin and Kelly Feirtag in 2017, with special assistance by The Ritz Cafe owner, Larkin Stallings. The event features artists from many genres including rock, soul, electronic and pop. Several stages provide ample amounts of entertainment performed simultaneously, with the main stage anchored at the top of Circuit Avenue, a secondary stage in Healy Square and a third stage inside of The Ritz. Artisans and vendors line the street selling food, jewelry, clothing, artwork and more.
- Brickyard Open House and Hike - Sunday, October 3 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm - Discover The Trustees Martha’s Vineyard’s newest reservation - The Brickyard. In the 1860s, brick workers mined the north shore’s rocky landscape for clay. Using Island-harvested trees and the waters of Roaring Brook to power their operation, over 800,000 bricks a year were shipped off-Island to be used in construction projects from Boston to Newport to New York. Spend your Sunday afternoon exploring the historic remnants of the brickworks, including its iconic 45-foot chimney and 10-foot high cut-stone walls during this special open-house. Martha’s Vineyard Stewardship Manager Paul Morrison and Up-Island Steward Eliot Ptaszynski will be on-site to answer questions and take a look back in time. Registration required for special trail map; trailhead and parking located at Menemsha Hills Reservation.
- Kayak & Stand Up Paddle Board Quests at Felix Neck - Monday-Fridays in October from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm - Enjoy Sengekontacket Pond on this guided tour. Rhyming quest clues (think: treasure hunt) will help you uncover the story of the pond's people, places and wildlife. Single- and double-kayaks and two SUPs available.
- Cape Pogue Lighthouse Tour - Throughout October from 10-11:30, 12-1:30 or 2-3:30 - Enjoy an over-sand vehicle adventure to the remote Cape Pogue Lighthouse. Climb the spiral staircase of the century-old wooden lighthouse and discover intriguing stories of the keepers of the light who watched over these ocean waters. This tour is great for explorers of all ages. Pre-registration strongly recommended as space is limited. Make it a day. Explore Mytoi, walk the salt marsh trail or enjoy a picnic on the beach. Walk on beach fees are waived ($5: non-members; Free: child) for tour participants. Tours start from Mytoi Garden parking lot (Approx 2.5-mile drive/bike from Chappy Ferry). Parking and bike racks are free at Mytoi Garden.
- Visit Edgartown Lighthouse - October 2, 3, 9 & 10 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Major renovations completed in 2007, including installation of a staircase to the lantern room, allow the interior of the Edgartown Light to be open to visitors. A lighthouse keeper will be available and the doors will be open during designated hours. Please note, although masks are not required to climb to the top, we strongly advise anyone who isn’t vaccinated to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Lighthouse guides may ask families/pods to wait outside if there are already a few groups up on the Lighthouse deck. Please be patient as we try to make it the safest, most enjoyable experience possible for everyone.
- Sundays in the Park - October 3 & 10 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Ocean Park! October 3, Rose Guerin & the Family Band. October 10, Black Eyed Susans.
- Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival - Thursday, October 7 through Sunday, October 10 - Weekend filled with community, art, music, special guests, workshops and fabulous films. Watch winning films from Sundance and Cannes and dive into conversations with filmmakers and film subjects that spark debate and action. Enjoy farm-to-table meals, live music, and free educational programs for kids. It's more than movies.
- Met Opera Live: Boris Godunov - Saturday, October 9 & 23 at 12:55 pm - October 9, Bass René Pape, the world’s reigning Boris, reprises his overwhelming portrayal of the tortured tsar caught between grasping ambition and crippling paranoia, kicking off the Live in HD season on October 9, 2021. Conductor Sebastian Weigle leads Mussorgsky’s masterwork, a pillar of the Russian repertoire, in its original 1869 version. Stephen Wadsworth’s affecting production poignantly captures the hope and suffering of the Russian people as well as the tsar himself. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe. October 23, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Grammy Award–winning jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s moving memoir, which The New York Times praised after its 2019 world premiere at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as “bold and affecting” and “subtly powerful.” The first opera by a Black composer presented on the Met stage and featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells a poignant and profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown—two of the creators of the Met’s sensational recent production of Porgy and Bess—co-direct this new staging, which appears in cinemas on October 23. Baritone Will Liverman, one of opera’s most exciting young artists, stars as Charles, alongside sopranos Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta and Latonia Moore as Billie. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.
- Vineyard Artisans Columbus Day Weekend Festival - October 9 & 10 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - One day only to catch all your favorite Island artisans. Weaving, fine furniture, pottery, leather goods, oil paintings, pastels, mixed media, sculpture, wampum jewelry, hand knit items, clothing, photography, handmade books and much more. Indoors and outdoors, rain or shine.
- Women in Film Festival - Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 17 - The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society is proud to present our third annual Women In Film Festival (WIFF). WIFF is a celebration of women as filmmakers: in front of and behind the camera. This festival will feature stories that have not been told from a woman’s perspective.
- Cuisine Around the World - Saturday, October 23 at 6:30 pm - Executive chef Alex Pineda of The Landing Restaurant in Marblehead, Massachusetts, and recent finalist on Bravo’s Food Network TV Show, Chopped, will join us again with chef Hart Lowry and the culinary team for our annual food and wine dinner event. Executive chef Pineda got an early start in the kitchen as the son of legendary Boston chef Lydia Shire. For the third year in a row, chef Pineda and chef Lowry will delight us with their culinary talents and will create a delectable ten-course tasting dinner with savory flavors inspired by different countries accompanied by incredible wine pairings. Reservations are required to reserve a seat.