West Tisbury

This article was originally meant for post July 24.

My favorite summer meal is baby red potatoes and string beans fresh from the garden. For many years, that meal was regularly purchased from Glenn and Linda Hearn’s stand at the Farmers Market. A bouquet of their sunflowers or cosmos was often on our dinner table. The market was still at the Grange then, and despite the traffic and crowds, was an iconic part of summer in town.

Now at the Ag Hall, the market remains the iconic summer event it always was, just with more breathing space for vendors and patrons. Most of the vendors are new, young farmers, continuing the Island’s agricultural history. It is still a biweekly visual and gastronomic treat.

Now West Tisbury is preparing for our two biggest events of the summer, the Agricultural Fair, and the Friends of the Library’s annual Book Sale.

The Book Sale comes first. It will open at the West Tisbury School next Thursday, July 31, 9 am to 3 pm, through Monday, August 4. If you are interested in volunteering to help out at the sale, or for more information, email westtisburylibraryfriends@gmail.com.

The 163rd Ag Fair will open on August 21, running through the 24th. More than 400 workers and volunteers are needed to make the fair function, every job from manning the ticket booths, helping monitor and set up the hall exhibits to emptying trash cans, and staffing displays and the animal barn. You will get a free pass and parking for your shift, a fair staff T shirt, and optional pay if you are over 18. Sign up at the Ag Society website, marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org/the-fair. 

When I ran into Bill Haynes at Cronig’s, he mentioned two other volunteer opportunities. One is working at the knot-tying booth, which was a big success last year. The other is driving one of the six-passenger golf carts for people needing help getting around the fairground.

The Up-Island Council on Aging, UICOA, is hosting monthly luncheons at Aquinnah Town Hall. Lunches are free, provided by the Friends of the UICOA, on the last Wednesday of every month. All are welcome. Everything is home-cooked, including vegetarian dishes, and offerings for anyone with alpha-gal dietary restrictions.

Special events at the library include: One Minute Madness Games for tweens and teens on Friday, July 25, at 3 pm; Climate Book Club will meet on the back porch on Sunday afternoon at 4 pm; LGBTQ Book Club on Monday at 5:30pm (sign up and get book at wt_library@clamsnet.org); Aerobic Laughter class Wednesday at 2 pm and Saturday at 1 pm; Morning Pages on the back porch Thursdays at 8 am.

Checking in with Ebba Hierta, newly retired director of the Chilmark library, and formerly a West Tisbury librarian, I learned that she has adapted easily to retirement, and is busy enjoying herself. Her next adventure will begin soon, when she will bring home her new puppy. Updates to follow.

I went to the free concert at the Grange last Wednesday evening, and recommend this weekly event to everyone. Brad Tucker’s and Phil DaRosa’s bands performed to a toe-tapping, singing-along audience happy to be out on a nice night, listening to good music. Brad commented that it felt like old West Tisbury, and it did. The concerts are a gift from the Preservation Trust, in celebration of its 50th anniversary. Food and drinks can be purchased, or you can bring your own, along with your chair.