Children and families on the Holy Ghost Society Float waiting for the parade to begin. —Tessa Schulz 
The Oak Bluffs Fire Department driving up Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
Members of the The Oak Bluffs Fire Department driving up Circuit Ave in an antique fire engine as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
Members of the The Oak Bluffs Fire Department driving up Circuit Ave in an antique fire engine as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
Children and families riding the Holy Ghost Society Float up Circuit Ave. —Tessa Schulz 
Children and families riding the Holy Ghost Society Float up Circuit Ave. —Tessa Schulz 
Upisland Band plays as they walk up Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
The Oak Bluffs Fire Department driving up Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
People make their way up Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
Horse drawn cart making its way through Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
The Holy Ghost Society marching their way up Circuit Ave. —Tessa Schulz 
Color Guards walking up Circuit Ave, flags in hand, with a crowd following as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
The Oak Bluffs Fire Department driving up Circuit Ave as a part of the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
An Ox drawn Cart waiting to make its way up Circuit Ave for the parade. —Tessa Schulz 
Workers posing for a photo at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Workers handing out fried dough at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Band playing inside at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Children playing games outside at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Workers at the Feast of the Holy Ghost conversing. —Tessa Schulz 
Workers handing out fried dough at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Workers posing for a photo at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
Band playing inside at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz 
People getting and selling oysters at the Feast of the Holy Ghost. —Tessa Schulz
The Feast of the Holy Ghost is a major annual Portuguese-American festival hosted at the Portuguese-American Club (P.A. Club) in Oak Bluffs. This Island tradition celebrates Queen Isabel of Portugal and her charity during a historic famine. Hundreds of spectators gathered on downtown sidewalks to watch the procession of fire trucks, ox-drawn floats, and a group of girls donning white dresses and clutching the three components of Queen Isabel’s crown — a shining scepter, plate, and crown.
The feast was particularly poignant this year, remembering the late Patricia Bergeron, lifelong member of the P.A. Club and former president, who passed away on Jan. 1 along with her partner Roy Scheffer, when the two were scalloping in a skiff that capsized. In 2001, after Bergeron’s son passed away, it became tradition to place a wreath on his grave following the parade in addition to one at the base of the statue at the Catholic Cemetery to honor Queen Isabel. This year, a wreath was placed on Bergeron’s grave as well.
The Portuguese presence on Martha’s Vineyard began in the early 19th century when whale ships from Martha’s Vineyard stopped at the Azorean and Cape Verde islands for supplies and crew. By 1905, more than a quarter of the residents of Oak Bluffs were foreign-born — mostly Portuguese-speaking immigrants. Over time, as these skilled sailors immigrated and became successful in their new home, they sent for their families. By 1920, almost one-third of the Island’s population were first- or second-generation immigrants. The Portuguese language spoken here paved the way for Brazilian immigrants to find a welcoming home here, and has contributed to the diverse fabric of the Island.
