Edgartown

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It was a dark and stormy weekend… All around the village, scarecrows scared and Jack O’ Lanterns lanterned, and wizards and witches, Mario Brothers and Angry Birds, took to the streets in search of laughter and merriment and, of course, candy.

The annual M.V. to Chicago pilgrimage for the Notre Dame game kicks off this weekend. This year, the Mundt boys will be joined be Derek and Alex Avakian, Alex Rossi, Geoffrey Phillips, and a few others. The boys have hilarious costume plans, and I cannot wait to see the pictures.

Nearly 180 guests celebrated fall with Edgartown School students Jake and Marji Pendergraft last Saturday at their home. Parents Scott and Danielle invited the entire third and fifth grades, families, and teachers to carve pumpkins and enjoy caramel apples, popcorn balls, cider, and gumbo (which was flown in from Texas for the occasion). Amidst hay bales, corn stalks, and lots of pumpkins, guests tapped their feet to the sounds of the Flying Elbows Fiddle Band throughout the night, and at one point joined in singing Happy Birthday to Jake, whose special day was on Tuesday, October 25.

The Edgartown School’s annual Halloween party will be held on Monday, October 31, from 4 to 6 pm in the school gym. Offerings will include pizza, games, contests, prizes, and tricks and treats galore.

The Edgartown Fire Department will host a Spooky Funhouse Monday, October 31, from 5 to 7 pm in the Fire Museum, featuring games, candy, and hot apple cider, so be sure and stop by.

The kids in Edgartown are working hard on their school play, “Bluebeard: A Spooky Musical Tale,” which will take the stage Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5, at 7 pm. Brian Weiland, the music teacher at Oak Bluffs School, wrote the music and Donna Swift and writing partner Ross Mihalko wrote the book and lyrics. Donna was excited to collaborate with new music teacher Kelly Sullivan for the first time. For more information, contact Donna Swift at 508-939-9368.

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum, in conjunction with Featherstone, has an exciting project coming up. They will be hosting a portrait contest entitled “Island Faces,” which will open as an exhibition next summer.

After a visit to the National Portrait Gallery during its Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, members of the MVM staff got together to see how the Museum could do something similar. “We thought it would be fun to try this out here, to encourage people to be more participatory,” says assistant curator Anna Carringer. “And there’s nothing like a little competition to get people engaged.”

A panel of four judges will jury the competition. The winning portraits will debut at the Museum’s summer opening reception on June 15, 2012, and remain on display through the summer. Entry forms and additional details are available on the Museum’s website. Visit www.mvmuseum.org/portraitcontest.php.

Also upcoming, the Museum is kicking off its Shipwrecks lecture series in honor of the newest exhibition, “Out of the Depths: Martha’s Vineyard Shipwrecks.” On November 3, at 5:30 pm, Mark C. Wilkins will be in the Museum Library discussing his book, “Cape Cod’s Oldest Shipwreck: The Desperate Crossing of the Sparrow-Hawk.” For more info, contact the Museum at 508-627-4441.

The Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society will hold their annual Thanksgiving concert November 26 at 7:30 pm at the Old Whaling Church. Join world-renowned musicians Stephanie Chase, Scott Woolweaver, Scott Kluksdahl, and Delores Stevens as they perform Mozart, Corelli, Vieuxtemps, Lasser, and Dvořák. For more information, call 508-696-8055 or visit www.mvcms.org.

Well, someone forgot something important last week. And by “someone,” I mean me, and that “something,” would be BIRTHDAYS! So sorry. Happy albeit belated balloons go out to Raeanne Smith, who celebrated October 24, and to Paula Dello Russo, October 25. Heather Smith celebrates October 27, so give her a big shout when you see her.