The 31st annual Harbor Festival, better known as HarborFest, will take place at the Oak Bluffs Harbor on Saturday, June 17, from 10 am to 6 pm. A rain date is set for Sunday, June 18. Each year, the Oak Bluffs Association kicks off summer on the harbor, where thousands of visitors and residents gather to celebrate a major family event where they can sample fabulous food, hear great music, and experience the work of unique artisans while enjoying the sites and sounds at the Oak Bluffs waterfront.
Vendors from near and far, including many Island favorites, plan to return for the popular event. Local artists, craftspeople, and businesses, as well as nonprofit organizations, will be on hand. The Coast Guard vessel will be docked by Dockside with a table. The Oak Bluffs library will have some Juneteenth and Black History books on hand you can check out at their tent.
A full agenda of live musical entertainment is planned from 11 am to 6 pm, featuring many of the popular bands. Noon to 2 pm offers the Phil daRosa Project, with Darby Patterson singing, the Dock Dance Band plays at 2 pm, and from 4 to 6 pm, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish will play. Musicians performing near the bathhouse are Brian Weilland at 11 am, Merrily Fenner & Pat Law at noon, Phil Spillane at 1 pm, DJ Pretty Ninja at 2 pm, Dave Willis at 3 pm, and at 4 pm catch Faul Durand. At the other end of the harbor, closest to Our Market, Paul Durand, Mermaid Hula Hoop Flow with the Real Becky Smith, and solo performer Dave Willis will also perform.
New this year, there will be a Sandcastle Contest from 11 am to 2 pm at the North Bluff Beach, with ribbons to be awarded in categories including adult, family, and youth participants. Another activity to keep kids and creatives alike busy is “Chalk It Up,” which will be located near Lobsterville and Sandbar restaurants, and run by Hannah Burbidge from the Oak Bluffs library.
Admission for the event is free, and the public is invited to come and spend the day.
