January has arrived on Martha’s Vineyard, and we’re easing into the quiet rhythms of island winter. Between peaceful hikes along the Vineyard’s winding trails and evenings curled up by the fire with a good book, we’re also making time for these community-centered gatherings. From an owl prowl to a seed swap, here are our favorite picks for the month:

• NYE at The Ritz - Wednesday, December 31st to January 1st from 8:00pm to 1:00am - Ring in the new year at The Ritz! Live music kicks off with Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish at 8 p.m. followed by Dock Street Fight Club at 10:30 p.m. Open til' 1 a.m.!
• New Year’s Eve bash - December 31st to January 1st - PA Club - 9:00pm to 1:00am- cash prizes. Get your best Mardi Gras outfit together, win $500. Champagne toast, hors'd oeuvres, live music.
• Escape Room Room Vineyard Mystery Retirement Special - Saturdays in January from 9:30am to 4:00pm We will be retiring our Vineyard Pirate Mystery room in 2026 to bring you our latest experience! To celebrate we are offering a discounted price of $19.99 per person (normally $28). Pirate Captain Drew Whitney has stolen the famous brass ring from the Flying Horses Carousel. Immerse yourself in fantasy as you track the pirate captain through replicas of famous Martha's Vineyard landmarks like the gingerbread cottages, Aquinnah cliffs and Edgartown mansions. Find buried treasure on South Beach. Follow the clues, arrest the captain and return the brass ring before time runs out and you win a prize.
• Concert by Irish Harpist/Singer Áine Minogue - Saturday, January 3rd from 1:00pm to 2:00pm - First Congregational Church of West Tisbury presents a concert by Irish harpist and singer Áine Minogue on January 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Áine will perform unusual and haunting selections from Irish and Celtic winter traditions. Proceeds support the church's work in the community. Sliding scale tickets available. Visit our website for ticketing details.
• Full Moon Owl Prowl - Saturday, January 3rd from 4:15pm to 5:15pm - Hoo's out there? Owls silently fly through our Island woods and fields. Join us at Felix Neck for a full moon walk about to look for, listen to, and learn about these nocturnal birds.
• Offerings of Music and Light - Sunday, January 4th from 5:00pm to 6:00pm - An evening of music and light featuring musical and other offerings by some of our favorite local performers. The program concludes with candle lighting and is followed by a reception with refreshments.
• Mending Night - Tuesday, January 6th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ag Hall - Are your Carhartt's looking a little worse for wear? Are your sweaters full of holes? Bring all your old and worn-down clothes to the Ag Hall and we’ll mend them together! COST: FREE and open to all, registration appreciated but not required. Sign up on our website!
• Chef's Table Dinner Series - Wednesday, January 7th from 6:00pm to 8:30pm - Chef’s Table: Awakened by Berbere. Guided by Ethiopian Tradition - Dinner begins at 6 PM sharp! Reserve your table for this limited-seating experience by clicking the “Reserve Now” tab at BlackJoyKitchen.com A continuation of Black Joy Kitchen’s Chef’s Table Series — this gathering carries us to Ethiopia, tracing a breathtaking journey from the highlands to the hearth. Here, ancient grains meet bold spice, coffee becomes ceremony, and stories are passed hand to hand, generation to generation. Each dish holds the rhythm of the land it comes from — rich, intentional, alive. A feast where heritage, joy, and reverence meet, inviting us to slow down, gather close, and come home to the table.
• Naptime with David Stanwood - Thursday, January 8th & 22nd from 3:30pm to 4:30pm - Experience the calming effect of harmonic vibration, with pianist and acclaimed piano technician David Stanwood. Naptime is a meditation hour. David’s piano improvisations expand and slow down time—allowing space for unwinding, resting, dreaming, writing, drawing, and meditating. The session features David’s continuous tonal bowing of the open strings on the piano, in concert with the gentle sounds of the forest surrounding Stillpoint. You might find yourself magically floating upstream… Yoga mats and cushions are provided. Admission: Sliding scale, $10–$30.
• Local Food Community Potluck - Tuesday, January 13th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Ag Hall - Our first of three community dinners this winter: enjoy a warm meal and spend time with friends old and new at the Ag Hall! Please bring a dish highlighting local food to share, as well as your own dishware, utensils, and drinks. Cost: FREE and open to all, no registration required.
• MV Community Seed Library’s Annual Seed Swap - Saturday, January 17th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm - Bring your saved open-pollinated/heirloom seeds to share, swap, and help restock the Seed Library Cabinet! Join our seed circle to chat about the seeds you brought or the plants you’re excited to grow. Drop in anytime for seed sorting & germination testing, and learn about the benefits of creating and using leaf mold. This event is presented by Island Grown Initiative, West Tisbury Library, Whippoorwill Farm, and local home gardeners. No sign up needed to attend. Free and open to the public!
• Trust (Me) - Saturday, January 17th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm - Since 2023, these projects at Pathways have been an annual event for and by female and nonbinary professional and fledgling artists working in various media. An evening-length work is created in a one-day collaborative intensive in which the makers and performers respond to a prompt. The material generated in that day is then stitched together by Bender into a cohesive evening-length piece, rehearsed briefly and performed the following Saturday. January’s prompt and the and the show’s title is Trust (Me). Dancers, writers, actors, musicians and poets Abby Bender, Hannah Burbidge, Tarra Corcoran, Sarah Shaw Dawson, Lucy Grinnan, Shelagh Hackett, Scarlet Johnson, Corinne Kurtz, Darby Patterson, Katie Federowicz Perez, Molly Purves, Katherine Reid, Jasmine Robinson, Jodie Treloar Sampson, and Libby Stackhouse co-create and perform. Doors at 6:30pm.
• Local Off-Season Dancing - Sunday, January 18th at 4:00pm - The MV Ballroom Dancers invite you to an afternoon of off-season music and dancing, with live music by Delanie and Johnny! Organized and sponsored by the MV Ballroom Dancers and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library, in collaboration with Pathways Arts and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha's Vineyard. Winter music and dance events begin at 4 p.m. on the first and third Sunday of the month at the Unitarian Universalist Society’s Stevens Chapel at 238 Main Street. Come to dance, or just to listen. Everyone is welcome!
• Martin Luther King Jr. Membership Luncheon - Monday, January 19th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm - The Martha's Vineyard NAACP Branch's annual MLK Jr. Membership luncheon will feature African-American cuisine, live music, guest speaker Kyle R. Williams, and more. The ticket price includes a year's membership in the NAACP. All are welcome! Tickets are available online and at the door.
• Seed Starting and Spring Garden Prep with Rosemary Confalone - Tuesday, January 20th from 5:30pm to 7:00pm - In this workshop, Rosemary Confalone will talk through the art and science of starting your own seeds and the basics of early season vegetable garden prep. Learn what equipment is necessary for seed starting success (and how to use what you already have to your advantage). We’ll talk about different seed sources, the elements required for growing healthy seedlings, and how to set your seedlings up for success when transplanting to the garden. The workshop will also cover spring soil prep and run through a typical spring veggie garden calendar. This class is designed for intermediate gardeners, but all levels of experience are welcome! COST: FREE and open to all, registration helpful. Sign up on our website!
• The Jeremy Berlin-Eric Johnson Duo - Tuesday, January 20th at 6:00pm at the Katharine Cornell Theater - Join the Vineyard Haven Library and local piano-guitar duo Jeremy Berlin and Eric Johnson for a mix of original songs, music from the Great American Songbook, and jazz treatments of some more modern fare. In the 25 years that Berlin and Johnson have been playing jazz together, the duo has figured out the advantages and challenges of a piano/guitar duo, learning how to both accompany and complement one another, to create a full sound with dynamic interplay. Free and open to the public. No registration required.
• Cheese 101: Guided Tasting with Morgen Schroeder of MV Cheesery - Thursday, January 22nd from 5:00pm to 6:30pm - Have you ever wondered why some cheeses are funky? Or what makes blue cheese... blue? Or questioned if you should eat the rind? Attendees will enjoy a selection of cheeses, learn about the history and science of cheesemaking, and get to ask all their cheesy questions! Registration Required! Please email: oakb_mail@clamsnet.org or call 508-693-9433      
• Trio Eris Free Concert - Sunday, January 25th from 2:30pm to 4:00pm - ?Trio Eris, New England Conservatory’s Professional Trio-in-Residence, is united by a genuine love of collaboration, and a deeply personal approach to music-making. The trio is a top prize winner of competitions including the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Chamber Music Yellow Springs. The trio’s season highlights include appearances at Boston’s Symphony Hall, Rockport Music, Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, and Jordan Hall, as well as educational initiatives in Panama, Virginia, and Massachusetts. ?RSVP appreciated but not required. Seating is first come first served, and all library patrons may enter freely.