All right, so the frenzy of the holidays has passed, and in the first month of the year, we’re just catching our breath. But then, winter stretches out ahead of us. Fortunately, there’s a surprising range of things to keep the winter blues at bay during February, March, and April.
Music, for instance, abounds to lift our spirits. The Island boasts several hopping spots during the off-season. The Ritz’s publike venue in Oak Bluffs has a bar and pool tables, and hosts musicians Wednesday through Saturday, as well as a live DJ on weekends, during the off-season (except when they are closed, starting mid-February, for a month). The lively atmosphere has a strong local flavor.
Also in Oak Bluffs, the rustic and warm Offshore Ale Co. offers live music at dinnertime on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Pathways in Chilmark has musicians several times a month during the winter who play a wide range of music. It also has monthly dance parties, which include a dance class before the boogying begins with a DJ.
The Portuguese-American Club in Oak Bluffs offers plenty of live music, along with a roster of interesting fundraisers and parties. The Chilmark Potluck Jams feature a curated lineup of musicians and a luscious selection of patron-made dishes, with two more scheduled for this winter and spring on Feb. 28 and April 4.
The Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven has live music Fridays from 6 to 8 pm, and the Black Dog Café on State Road features live music at the same time on Saturdays. Island Music’s Open Mic Night has moved to the Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven –– 6 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 3, March 3, and March 17.
Circuit Arts at the Grange in West Tisbury keeps its stage active with cinema, music, theater, and the renowned Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival in March. In Vineyard Haven, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center screens feature films and documentaries every week of the year. It will also host the “Met Opera Live HD” series, with eight live Met performances broadcast to the theater, as well as “Great Art on Screen” documentaries, which this year will spotlight Turner, Constable, and Frida Kahlo. The “National Theater Live” screenings, filmed in England during live performances, will include “The Fifth Step,” a new play by David Ireland, and Olivier award winner Hiran Abeysekara (“Life of Pi”) as Hamlet in a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum, perched high up on the bluff in Vineyard Haven, always has an array of temporary and permanent exhibitions, a wide variety of programs, and a children’s “please touch” gallery. For contemporary fine art year-round, there are the Eisenhauer Gallery in Edgartown and the Louisa Gould Gallery in Vineyard Haven. Featherstone Center for the Arts has its well-loved themed community art shows in the winter, as well as its impressive array of art classes.
Slough Farm in Edgartown and Stillpoint in Chilmark offer a fascinating range of classes, including various sorts of yoga and other movement and meditative programs, and are both well worth a visit just to wander the gorgeous grounds.
There’s nothing like cold weather to whet the appetite for snuggling up with a good book, and the Island boasts two excellent bookstores, Edgartown Books in Edgartown and Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven, both of which stock tomes by local writers. How lucky we are as well that every town has its own library, all offering daily programs for children and adults, serving as fabulous community hubs year-round.
If the great outdoors calls to you, download the Trails MV app, which will help you enjoy the Island’s natural beauty through its extensive selection of walking paths and trails across the Vineyard, including quite a few on Chappy. Notable spots include Waskosim’s Rock, Abel’s Hill, Fulling Mill, and Cedar Tree Neck. Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown offers numerous trails as well as programs, including Full Moon Owl Prowls and children’s programs.
You can also get up close and personal with some animals at various locations, including the Island Alpaca Farm in Oak Bluffs, which is open year-round, even on holidays. It also holds daily Alpaca Walk and Talks, which can be scheduled at your convenience during the off-season. Allen Sheep Farm is the Island’s oldest historic farm, covering about 100 acres of pastureland with views of both the south shore’s barrier beach and Chilmark Pond. Whether you are browsing or buying, its shop offers carefully curated items, including the farm’s own meat, natural-color yarn, woolens, local soaps, candles, gift items, and more. The Native Earth Teaching Farm in Chilmark is a small working farm, open on Sundays from 1 to 4 pm during the winter season, to come play with the goats and learn about the farm.
If you’re looking to refuel after an outing, visit any of the year-round farmstands. There is Beetlebung Farm’s new barn in Chilmark, and North Tabor Farm, which will be serving soups and salads and harvesting from its greenhouse this winter. Another Chilmark favorite is Mermaid Farm and Dairy, open 24/7. In West Tisbury, you can visit Ghost Island Farm. Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown operates seven days a week. It also runs a community soup program. This is a donation-matching initiative in which, for every pint of soup a customer purchases, the farm matches it with a quart and sends it to Island Grown Initiative, which distributes it to the community via the Food Pantry.
So although it might get dark early, there’s plenty of cheer to be had during our Island winters.
