This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review.” Click here for the print version.
This past year saw the closure of a startling number of established Island businesses. Longevity is a perennial challenge for restaurants and boutiques in resort communities, but the recent slate of Vineyard closures is notable because it includes downtown anchor businesses, such as Leslie’s Drugstore in Vineyard Haven (in late 2024) and Phillips Hardware and Benito’s Hair Styling in Oak Bluffs.
The closing of Island Music (Main Street, Vineyard Haven) creates particular hardships because of the store’s unique, multigenerational contribution to the quality of life for year-round students as well as musicians and others. Aside from being the Island’s only local source for instruments and gear, the store offers music lessons and repairs and hosts open-mic nights. Beyond this, however, Island Music facilitates the rental to Island school children of orchestral, wind, and percussion instruments through Music and Arts, a national rental agency affiliated with the Guitar Center.
Andy Herr, who hosts open mic nights there in winter, says, “One of the most important services that the music store provides is not just renting the instruments to the kids, but being able to have one on hand for them to have continuity in their music education, their music programs in the schools. To me, that is an invaluable thing that can make the difference between a kid continuing or not continuing to do something that can be their life’s passion. Enabling that makes it very valuable to a whole generation, to multiple generations of people.”
The Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District is leading the charge to find ways to save the iconic and much-needed shop.
Other headlines:
Grey Barn to hit ‘pause’ after summer
The Yard to hit pause for a year
At nearly 100, Phillips Hardware prepares for emotional closing