If you’ve never been to a First Friday celebration, you’re in for a treat. And if you have participated in those in Vineyard Haven, you can rest assured this summer will be hopping once again.
Vineyard Haven’s First Friday, a free celebration of art, music, food, and fun activities, is all about community. “We want to eliminate any barriers to art,” says one of the organizers, artist Taylor Stone. “We highlight visual art, music, culinary arts, and the nonprofit community.” You’ll find year-round residents, seasonal visitors, and day-trippers mingling and enjoying themselves.
The tradition originated in 2017, when Vineyard-born artist Althea Freeman-Miller attended a Tisbury Business Association meeting, and the discussion turned to what sorts of events the town might host. Having attended First Fridays while living in Vermont, Freeman-Miller proposed doing them here: “I was thinking of an event where artists could do a pop-up, and it would be on Friday, when visitors would be arriving off the Steamship.”
That first year, Freeman-Miller asked stores on Main Street if they’d host an artist pop-up. “There were about 20 artists inside and outside businesses,” she recalls. Today, the daytime art market is held on Beach Street Extension, which is closed to traffic. Local artists from across the Island share and sell their work and offer demos from 10 am to 2 pm.
Throughout the day, participants can also stroll through the galleries and artist studios that dot the town. From 2 to 5 pm, enjoy a stroll down Main Street, where businesses offer specials, live music, and other performances.
From 5 to 11 pm, the focus shifts to Owen Park, where live music comes to life at the beach. Musician Andy Herr has organized it since the beginning: “My responsibility is booking all the music and providing sound equipment and being a stage manager on the day.” Herr enjoys his job, and the chance to perform with a few of the groups throughout the evening. Freeman-Miller notes, “It’s pretty amazing to have a band right on the water. Having people be able to enjoy the Vineyard Haven waterfront, which is walkable from the Steamship, feels important to me.”
You’ll also find vendors on the Owen Park hill, along with local nonprofits such as Clothes to Go and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, which highlight their various branches, and the Vineyard Haven library, offering kid-friendly activities, such as drawing and making sticker books. At 9 pm, you can dance the night away at the silent disco party on the sand hosted by Pathways Arts, which includes headsets and live DJs.
Freeman-Miller recalls how the inventive spirit of First Friday flourished during COVID. “We had to figure out how to create distance from the people for the band, so we thought, ‘Oh, let’s put the musicians on a boat,’ and we said, ‘OK, let’s try it!’”
At Owen Park, you’ll also find a variety of dinner options and sweets. Stone says, “From dine-in to takeout, Vineyard Haven has many choices for food every day. During our event, we raise the bar by bringing local food pop-ups to town once a month. From food trucks to food carts, we have a great selection to choose from, so always come to town hungry and plan to leave full.”
First Friday runs from June through October, with a theme each month. Pride will be the focus on June 5, with the Pride Flag raised at 4:45 pm, QueerHub MV in residence, and a rainbow T shirt tie-dyeing activity. The theme for July 3 is Art Big and Small, with plans for mural artists to create large-scale, interactive works. On August 7, Miss Molly Dazzle, a fire dancer, will return, walking down Main Street in the afternoon and performing at Owen Park in the evening, with a brand-new original set with epic choreography in which she twirls Hula-Hoops ablaze and sends flames whirling through the sky, all set to powerful music.
Themes for Sept. 4 and Oct. 2 aren’t set yet. As in the past, Vineyard Haven First Friday will collaborate with a town organization during Tisbury’s “’Tis the Season” celebration, which starts on Dec. 4. Last year, they organized an art market in the lobby of the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, which had previously been hosted by the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Asked what has kept him involved over the past nine years, Herr says, “I love the town and people having a good time and a sense of community. The community part of it is really important.” He continues, “We’ve been able to keep it free so that you can enjoy it with your family all day. It’s a multigenerational mixer, with representatives from throughout the community. First Friday is a way to enjoy the place in new ways.”
For more information, visit firstfridayvh.com.