Noteworthy Events on Martha’s Vineyard

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Crossfit challenge

From 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, Oct. 5, Island Children’s School and Crossfit Martha’s Vineyard will sponsor a benefit Crossfit “Run for the Kids.” The course will be a four-mile run/walk beginning at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School track and continuing through the State Forest. Ten fitness challenge stations along the way will push contestants through non-weighted exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Each two-person team also must carry a weighted sandbag through the course. This event is designed to be a community event and will be scaled to meet all fitness levels. The cost is $50 per team or $25 per individual. For more information and to register, see cfmvrunforthekids.wordpress.com.

Pulled pork dinner

You don’t have to cook to enjoy a homemade meal this weekend. A pulled pork dinner at the First Baptist Church Parish House, on William Street in Vineyard Haven, will do it for you on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. In addition to barbequed pulled pork, guests will dine on a plate of cole slaw, baked beans, corn bread, dessert, and a beverage. A take-out option is also available for families and individuals on the go. Prices for a meal are $12 per person for adults; $7 for children under 12. For more information, call 508-693-1539.

Tony Bonito Poker Run

The 20th Annual Tony Bonito Scholarship Poker Run starts at 9 am on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs. There will be food and live music. All entrants, either on a motorcycle or in a car, travel in a pack to each different location, where they are given a playing card. The person with the best poker hand at the end wins a portion of the entry fees, while the rest benefits the Tony Bonito Scholarship Fund for Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students. There is a $20 donation per hand. Mr. Bonito was an Oak Bluffs police officer who died from a heart attack. For more information, contact 508-221-0390.

Sassafras youth nature event

Sassafras Earth Education in Aquinnah has begun its fall season. On Sunday, Oct. 6, from 11 am to 4 pm, the outdoor education group holds the first of a series of weekly classes for “squirrels” (children aged 6 to 10 years old) and “coyotes” (children and teens ages 11 to 14 years old).

The day camp consists of activities and games that encourage a connection to nature and hone outdoor skills such as shelter and firemaking, animal tracking, and storytelling. Participants should bring lunch, water, and wear long pants with close toed shoes. The cost is $150 for 5; $300 for 10 sessions; $40 for a walk-in. For more information on this and other fall classes, visit sassafrasmvy.org.

Island meeting houses talk

On Saturday, Oct. 5, at 6 pm is a presentation and discussion of early Island Meeting Houses at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury, located on State Road.

Jonathan Scott, a seasonal Chilmark resident and a professor at Castleton State College in Vermont, is an architectural historian who has written on Vineyard locations in articles such as “The House that Gave Tea Lane Its Name,” “Barn House: The 300 Year Evolution of a Chilmark Homestead,” and “Early Vineyard Houses Had Thatched Roofs.” Mr. Scott will present research, history, and slides of early Island Meeting Houses in Saturday’s discussion. For more information, call 508-693-2842.

Happy Birthday Giuseppe film

In honor of the bicentennial of Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901), the Edgartown Library hosts a showing of the film “Quartet” on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 7 pm.

The award-winning 2012 film was the directorial debut of Dustin Hoffman, and stars Maggie Smith, Tom Courtney, and Pauline Collins. It takes place inside a home for retired musicians during their annual Verdi birthday gala while an opera is being staged. Admission is free, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call 508-627-4221 or visit edgartownlibrary.org.

Food and Wine Festival tickets on sale

Tickets for the Martha’s Vineyard Food and Wine Festival, which will run from October 17 through October 20, are on sale. Tastings, talks, brunches, and parties will punctuate the festival, and the main dinner events will take place on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Dinner options include a Sakonnet Vineyards Dinner at Detente, a Joseph Carr Winery Dinner at Saltwater, and an Opera Dinner at the Lure Grill at Winnetu. The latter, “If Opera Be the Food of Love, Eat On!” stars chef Matthew Passaclacqua and Wendy Taucher Dance Opera Theater. Entertainment will take place between the five courses. Tickets for the Opera Dinner start at $185.

For more information on tickets and Food and Wine Festival events, visit mvfoodandwine.com.

Reserve tickets now for film on the rebirth of childbirth

In the 1970s, a group of women living on a hippie commune taught themselves how to deliver children. “Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives,” a film to be screened at Edgartown Cinemas on Thursday, Oct. 17, tells their story. But in order for the film to air, at least 80 tickets must be reserved by Monday, Oct. 7.

According to a press release, “One third of all U.S. babies are born via C-section” today. “Birth Story” questions this trend with its take on the benefits of modern midwifery. Birth Story was shown at the DOC NYC Film Festival, and the 2012 LA Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. If sufficient tickets are reserved, the film will begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10, and can be purchased through tugg.com/events/5406.

Walk and talk

Land Bank of Martha’s Vineyard staff will lead a guided walk of Three Ponds Preservation this Sunday, Oct. 6, starting at 1 pm. The approximately one-hour long walk starts at the Brines Pond Trailhead at the Chappaquiddick Community Center, off Chappaquiddick Road. The walk is rain or shine, and the Land Bank suggests wearing sturdy shoes or boots. Because parking is limited, carpooling is urged. For more information, call 508-627-7141.