The three-day music festival in Vineyard Haven known as Beach Road Weekend is moving to July.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, selectmen unanimously approved moving the festival to July 24, 25, and 26. The board took no action on a request to reserve Veterans Memorial Park for July 22 for an outdoor showing of “Jaws,” the menacing shark movie that features Martha’s Vineyard prominently as the fictional Amity Island.
Adam Epstein, the festival promoter and a seasonal Vineyard resident, was not at the meeting.
“We will be going live with early-bird special packages early tomorrow morning,” Epstein told The Times by phone Wednesday night. “We have a whole range of hotels that have come on board, and we’re very excited to be doing this in July.”
On Friday, Island hotels started reaching out to customers with those packages. A dozen hotels are listed, including Mansion House and Nobnocket Inn, Harbor View Hotel, and Summercamp, among others. The deals include room and three-day packages for the festival.
The Beach Road weekend website lists three-day packages for tickets only from $295 for general admission to $1,000 for a VIP package. There is an early-bird special for general admission of $225, according to the site.
Customers and Island businesses asked to have the festival in July, Epstein said. “After factoring in all other festivals and traffic in the Northeast, this one was the best for us to be successful,” he said. The date keeps it away from high-profile festivals in Newport, the Falmouth Road Race, and the Island’s Ag Fair.
“This is about being part of the community,” he said. “We’re relishing the opportunity of doing it at a time to drive traffic to the Island to help businesses and rental units.”
Epstein understands the sports programs that use the park will be disappointed.
“The park is meant for public use, and we brought a lot of public to the park, and they enjoyed it,” he said. “We reinvested back into the park, and delivered a field that looks as good or better than it did before the festival.”
OK eyeores……GO (I think it is fabulous) Anything “world class” whether it is music, artists, beaches, food, complaining (no, not that) etc…is such a plus…cant wait!
but the field was left a mess last year plus mr epstein argued and belittled islanders non-stop on social media. his attitude was far from social or professional. I understand it was a good event but why not somewhere else? why disturb the surrounding area with traffic, trash, loud noise etc.?
Why, why, why? NIMBY NIMBY NIMBY
I disagree that the field was left a mess after the festival and I have been somewhat critical of it. There were few traffic, noise or mess complaints during the festival. I just wish the festival wasn’t going to interrupt both softball and soccer leagues again this year. We’re those groups who pay to use the park considered?
I do agree that both Mr Epstein and Mr Blau were kind of nasty and condescending on social media. I would just ask them to refrain from that this year.
I hope some of these comments are tongue and cheek but those that express an attitude in earnest about Mr Epstein or JB being nasty or the field was left in a condition unworthy of Epsteins return are not based in reality. This festival was what this island needed and what Tisbury is capable of.
Rescheduling this event for July shows consideration for the community and good faith. I’m too old for such things (but I did enjoy Woodstock ’69), but I wish you all the best.
Have provisions been made for the softball and soccer leagues who pay to play in the park every summer? Their schedules are tight as it is. There are other fields on island but most are already being used and most do not have lights.
I did not like the 3 tier seating. It separates islanders by income levels. Maybe have a smaller vip section upfront but let’s mix the rest up.
Hi Public Trust. We learned a lot from Beach Road 2019, and baked those lessons into the plan for 2020. No one is separated by income levels. The new site plan allows everyone to access great viewing areas within only a short distance from both stages. For 2020, the GA+ and Beach Club sections provide access to added benefits like air conditioned restrooms but everyone can get a view from within 20 feet from the stage regardless of ticket price paid.
it is nice to be concerned about the softball and soccer leagues. How much do they pay the town to use the field? Is it anywhere near the 20+thousand that the town makes for 10-12 days of use for the concert?
I didn’t think so. Adam spent an additional sum of money to repair the small amount of damage the event did to the field. Have the leagues paid anything into the upkeep of the fields? I didn’t think so.
Now that the dates are known, I would think the powers that be for the leagues can make alternate arrangements for the short time the event is taking place.
Since the event went on so smoothly last year most of the complainers have nothing to say.
But I guess for every good thing that happens on the island there will always be someone to complain
The event is only three days but they need time to set up and break down. I think my point is more that it will be taking place in a heavily used public park during the heart of summer softball and soccer leagues. The people who play in those leagues are largely yearround islanders who live and work here. There are no other fields they can use with lights and few other spots that can be used at all. I’m sorry you see it as a “complaint”. Not everything is about packing people in and making money. You are correct that the park was left in good shape other than some dangerous ridges inevitably left in the grass.
I sold tickets to Beach Road Weekend last year at my Vineyard Arts Gallery in Vineyard Haven. Adam Epstein was great to work with from start to finish. Like most people, I was wondering how the weekend would go. It turned out that the entire event was exceptionally well-organized by Adam and it was top notch from start to finish. I found it incredible that this is what he was able to accomplish as a first effort. The weekend did, in fact, negatively affect many businesses on Main Street in Vineyard Haven. The fear of traffic kept many people away from Vineyard Haven; however, the traffic flow was not a problem, after all. I’m planning on working with Adam this year to enhance the connection of the Beach Road Weekend and the Vineyard Haven businesses on Main Street. I’ve found him receptive to suggestions and I was always able to reach him quickly. One of the things I like about this is that this is not the effort of a corporation, but the vision of one man, who is deeply involved with every aspect of the event. Based on what was experienced last summer with the first Beach Road Weekend, I can’t wait for this one. Let’s hope the weather cooperates as much as it did in 2019.
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