The Tisbury Street Fair: One to remember

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Tisbury’s Main Street hummed this past weekend as hundreds congregated to commemorate the town’s 152nd birthday. A tableau of local businesses, musicians, vendors, and organizations greeted the festivalgoers. Children swept past, trailing multicolored strands of Silly String while music and laughter moved through the crowd. Blue-snowcone-tinted smiles dotted the line for the Tisbury Firefighter’s Association grill — clearly a crowd-pleaser. I walked through the fair, stopping at each booth along the way. In the spirit of West Tisbury’s street fair, I bought gifts from the Seven Sisters, the Green Room, and Black Dog; all had a 20 percent off sale in honor of the day.

Along with the shops I was familiar with, smaller vendors Janet Singer and Nancy Eileen Clute offered a unique assortment of handmade flower crowns, hand-stitched towels, and original art created from Scrabble letters that spelled out witty phrases such as “Queen Bee” or “Get your sparkle on.” My first purchase was for my mom — a “grow your own” herb garden kit from the Seven Sisters. They also offered a farm vegetable kit, a butterfly garden, and other DIY opportunities. My second present was for my dad, an avid drummer and reluctant shopper. Black Dog had a medley of shirts, sweatshirts, and products touting their well-known logo. I found a Black Dog playing a drum set for $20, and decided Dad would love it (he did!). 

Parched, I spotted Waterside and Fish’s conjoined snow cone and taco station. I hadn’t had a snow cone since primary school, and had to indulge — a green apple and blue raspberry combo thoroughly replenished me.

As I walked, I was drawn toward Nancy Eileen Clute’s handcrafted flower crowns. Clute professionally guided my decision between blue and pink (we settled on pink). I took a quick break to enjoy the live music provided by the Jaywalkers, then continued down Main Street. A table from Green Room was replete with soft Island Alpaca–sourced plushy animals that caught my attention. I made my way over and bumped into my friend Hayleigh, who works for the Green Room. I asked if it was OK to touch them, and to my delight, the answer was yes. After that sensory experience, I ventured to the Attic, a Tisbury favorite for dinner, and put my name on the waitlist. 

With 20 minutes to spare, I decided to take one more lap of the fair. I stopped by local cannabis dispensary Island Time’s booth, and procured packets of their complimentary sunscreen (I was only a little disappointed that there were no product samples). I moseyed over to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum’s booth to learn more about their Discovery Days, and joined their newsletter via a quick scan of my phone. Although tempted to stop by one of the two face-painting booths on my way back to the Attic, I resisted the urge and maintained my course, steering myself back toward the restaurant. My night ended on a high note as I pampered myself with one of the freshest tuna tartares I’ve ever enjoyed, perfectly paired with a serving of mac and cheese. 

Tisbury’s birthday party was an unforgettable celebration, marked not just by the passing of another year but by the cherished moments and connections that make Tisbury a community.