Martha's Vineyard: Introduction: Why Go Now

Where else can you find an island on which you can shop for Sigerson Morrison shoes at a hip boutique like Midnight Farm in the morning, and in the afternoon, visit an authentic, agricultural fair, complete with squash-growing and lumberjack competitions? Other than the occasional departure of chefs from the island’s top restaurants, like the recent handover at beloved Sweet LIfe Café, nothing much changes on Martha’s Vineyard, and that’s just how both locals and visitors like it. If there is big news, it’s often nature-related: in May 2007, everyone was talking about the breach between the Vineyard and Chappaquiddick during the spring’s damaging nor’easter. Chappy is now a bona fide island, and the ferry struggles against three-knot currents, making transfers somewhat adventurous in windy weather.