Fall Highlights on the Islands
This year’s autumnal equinox occurs on September 22. Summer isn’t officially over until then, and fall can be one of the most beautiful times to spend on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. They don’t power down just after Labor Day. This year, there are plenty of reasons to gather and celebrate, from the Martha’s Vineyard Craft Beer Festival (more than 50 breweries!) in Oak Bluffs on September 24 to the 12th annual Art of Chocolate Festival at Featherstone Center for the Arts on October 10 and 11. On Nantucket, enjoy Fall Restaurant Week, which runs from September 26 to October 2, or the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s 13th annual Cranberry Festival on October 8. Celebrate island life at the Nantucket Maritime Festival on October 1 or take part in one of the Vineyard’s most beloved events, the annual Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, which runs through October 15, with the final awards ceremony the following day. Cast away.
Martha’s Vineyard International
Film Festival
Israel, Iceland, Korea, Mexico – they’re all represented on the Vineyard. This year’s Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival, the 11th, presents a lineup of acclaimed features from across the globe. Many of the films have screened at Cannes, Berlin, Sundance and other premiere festivals. Official kickoff party, a tented gala, is set for Thursday and actress Sharon Stone receives a humanitarian award on Friday. Check the Film Society website for complete calendar and details.
Various times and venues beginning Tuesday. http://mvfilmsociety.com
“November’’
In David Mamet’s “November,’’ a president struggles with reelection, a war with Iran and his attempt to pardon two turkeys for Thanksgiving. The play, which opened on Broadway in 2008, comes to the island just in time for our own real-life campaign season farce. Are the turkeys some kind of prescient metaphor? Cast your own vote. (Pictured: David Mamet.)
7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday through September 24. $33-47. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, Bennett Hall, 62 Centre St. http://theatreworkshop.com/
Martha’s Vineyard Wind
and Kite Festival
Put some color in your day and your head in the clouds. After Labor Day, the breeze typically picks up on the islands, but the weather (not to mention the relaxed foot traffic) can be idyllic. The first Vineyard Wind Festivals began in the late 1960s, and the idea was happily revived in 2011. Family-friendly events include kite making, model sailboat racing and Frisbee games. Rain date Sunday.
10:30 a.m.-dusk. Free. Ocean Park, Oak Bluffs. http://www.mvwindfestival.com/
“Mister Rogers & Me’’
Won’t you be my neighbor? For journalist Benjamin Wagner, that familiar line from television’s gentle mentor, Fred Rogers, became a reality when his mother bought a Nantucket cottage next to the modest island home where Mr. Rogers spent time each summer. Proceeds from this special screening of Wagner’s award-winning 2012 documentary (which premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival) will benefit the Dreamland Theater and the Fred Rogers Library.
6 p.m. $10-13. 17 South Water St. http://www.nantucketdreamland.org
32nd Annual Fall Golf Tournament
Supporting the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, the Edgartown Golf Club once again hosts its annual scramble. It’s all in good fun: the tournament is handicap-adjusted with on-course contests. For an extra $25, you can purchase 20 raffle tickets plus one mulligan. An awards ceremony follows afternoon play.
Start times 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. $100 per player, tax deductible. 71 Curtis Lane. http://www.mvbgclub.org/fallgolf.htm
