There is a saying that August is like the Sunday of summer. And I’m starting to panic a little that I’m not taking advantage of the season.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Greg Pattison and Tom Sullivan on August 6, and Elizabeth Ward and Molly Baldino on August 7.
Mark your calendars for the August Beach BeFrienders’ Edgartown beach clean up on August 24 from 8 to 10 am. Meet volunteers at Lighthouse Beach, Wilson’s Landing, or Fuller Street Beach for gloves and trash bags.
The League of Women Voters is hosting a Meet the Candidates for State Representative forum on Wednesday, August 21, at 4:30 pm at the Edgartown library. Arielle Faria of West Tisbury and Thomas Moakley of Falmouth are the two Democrats running for our House of Representative seat. The public is invited to attend and listen to the candidates as they present their positions and answer your questions.
You can pick your own sunflowers at the Trustees’ Farm Institute Monday through Saturday through at least August 16. The cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members for 12 stems. Additional sunflowers are available for purchase at $2 per stem. Pre-registrationis encouraged as buckets and clippers are limited. Their website is thetrustees.org.
The Gossip, Ghosts and Downright Scandal Walking Tour happens on Friday evenings from 7 to 8:15 pm and is a lighthearted tour through Edgartown village’s history. It includes visits to haunted houses, colonial homes, Greek Revival churches, African American tour sites, and much more. It also includes the reason why the Island is called Martha’s Vineyard and the village is called Edgartown. Contact Elizabeth Villard at 508-626-2529 or evillardmv@gmail.com for more details. The price is $20.
The Built on Stilts Community Dance and Performance Festival is happening at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs from 7:30 to 9 pm on August 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, and 19. This is always a fun event with different performances every night.
Meet pioneering Black astronauts Bernard Harris Jr., Leland Melvin, Joan Higginbotham, Charlie Bolden, Robert Curbeam, and Victor Glover at the Oak Bluffs Public Library on Saturday, August 10, from 12 to 2 pm for an out-of-this-world event. They will be there to inspire and share their incredible journeys. Get signed photos and books, and learn how you can participate in the exciting new space economy. This event is family-friendly and free to the public. Don’t miss this stellar opportunity.
Of course, next week has all the things: Illumination Night, the Ag Fair, and the Oak Bluffs Fireworks. I am not at all sure how we got to the busiest week of the year so quickly, but here we are. Whether you choose to partake in some of the events, all of the events, or none of the events, I hope you have a relatively calm and peaceful week out there. It is bound to be crazy so let’s all keep our wits about us and remember: kindness and patience.
If you have any Edgartown Town Column suggestions, email Gail Gardner, ggardnermv@gmail.com.
