Oak Bluffs: Harbor Fest

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Get ready for the next major event in Oak Bluffs, the annual Oak Bluffs Harbor Festival, where everyone celebrates the beginning of summer with live music, food, and arts and crafts along the harborfront. The fest takes place on Saturday, June 17, from 10 am to 8 pm. Admission is free, and the entertainment and celebration are first-rate.

The First Congregational Church of West Tisbury’s 29th annual Strawberry Festival will be on Saturday, June 24, from 12 noon to 4 pm. This family and community event kicks off the summer deliciously, and volunteers from age 3 to 93 gather at dawn to prepare the berries for all the many treats. The church welcomes all to enjoy the many strawberry treats at tables and chairs on the front lawn: strawberries and whipped cream, strawberries with ice cream, strawberry shortcake, and strawberry smoothies. Lemonade will also be served. If any berries remain, the thrifty parishioners make jam, to be sold the following week. Proceeds of this fundraiser help offset operating expenses of the church. For more information, call 508-693-2842. The Strawberry Fest will be hosted indoors in the event of inclement weather.

Bert Combra of Pennsylvania Avenue was happily surprised last Sunday by a large group of family and friends who came by to help him celebrate his 80th birthday. The group was thoughtful enough to give him a few hours’ warning that they were going to celebrate his birthday at his house, and everyone enjoyed a happy evening. Bert’s wife Hilde also joined in, and the good news is she is recovering well from a serious fall a few weeks ago. Hope to see you both enjoying some sunny days in your yard soon.

The Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse is starting up a Monday Night Special series of play readings. On Monday, June 12, a new farce by Gwyn McAllister, “The Green Rose,” tells a story taking place at the turn of the 20th century in England, where love blooms in many varieties, but beware the prick of the Green Rose. On June 19, the reading will be ”Gene Play,” a new play by Jonah Lipsky and Case Ann Hayward. The play is based on real-life events in Cambridge in 1976 and 2017, and is a new drama about the controversy over the ethics and politics of gene editing.

Alex’s Place and the Island Wide Youth Collaborative invite those ages 18 to 26 to participate in a Game Day tournament at the YMCA. The tournament will be held on Saturday, June 10, from 1 to 4 pm, and includes a fun afternoon of gaming for free. To sign up or for more information, please email ryan@ymcamv.org.

On Tuesday, June 13, 5 to 6:30 pm, the Island Counseling Center, in collaboration with the Island Wide Youth Collaborative, will once again be hosting a Transgender Support Group at the Island Wide Youth Collaborative building, for adults and youth of all ages who are in any stage of the process of transitioning from their assigned gender to their affirmed gender. The aim of the group is to provide a safe space where members have opportunities to discuss their experiences and concerns in confidence. For questions and to schedule an initial meeting, call Christine Isherwood at 508-693-7900, ext. 205.

Peter Boak and Phil Dietterich will be leading the Sunday morning worship service at the Federated Church on June 11. Using the church’s hymnal, “Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs,” they will lead a guided hymn sing, revealing often undiscovered or unknown facts found in the pages of the hymnal. The service will begin at 10:30 am at the Federated Church, 45 South Summer St., in Edgartown. For more information, call 508-627-4421, email admin@federatedchurchmv.org, or check out the website at federatedchurchmv.org.

Our Oak Bluffs library staff is prepared, during this last month of school, for the great majority of Oak Bluffs students who will visit to learn about summer reading. On the weekends, several popular programs will be offered. Stuffed Animal Sleepover, Friday and Saturday, June 9-10, in the Oak Bluffs Public Library Program Room. Drop off your stuffy anytime after 3 pm on Friday for a sleepover. Reunite with your stuffy on Saturday morning. Enjoy a light breakfast and watch a slideshow of your stuffy’s fun library night.

Flag Day is Wednesday, June 14, and on Saturday, June 10, the library is sponsoring a Flag Day Craft from 10 to 11:30 am at the library Children’s Room. Decorate a flag so you can parade and wave it for Flag Day.

“Examining the Evidence: A Climate Change Walk and Talk” will take place at Felix Neck Sanctuary on Saturdays, July 1, August 5, and Sept. 21, from 10 to 11 am. Fees are $6 for members and $9 for nonmembers. The guided hikes will take participants across the sanctuary to see areas that have been impacted by climate and weather events.

The Friends of the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging are sponsoring a tasty fundraiser on Friday, June 23, from 5 to 7 pm. Come to the Council on Aging Building and enjoy a Ham and Bean Supper, which will also include salad, rolls, coleslaw, and a bake table. You can also participate in the Chinese Auction and 50/50 raffle. The cost is $15 each, and for ages 12 and under, $7.50.

We send birthday smiles to Ernestine Kinnecom and Katherine Colon on June 9; Suzanne Walker and Lisa Williston on June 10, the same date that Will and Susan deBettencourt will be celebrating their wedding anniversary; Hilde Combra on June 11; Gerry Moriarity on June 14; and Glenn Field on June 15.

Enjoy your week. Peace.