Hay-laden pickup trucks headed to the fair, kids and parents eating their lunch on the bench, cyclists stopping for a cool drink of water. It was a regular August afternoon on the porch of Alley’s General Store in West Tisbury yesterday, all save for the fact that this crowd was waiting for President Obama’s motorcade to go whizzing past.

“The President’s coming! The President’s coming!” said one little boy with shouts of excitement. He announced this several times before the President actually drove by the crowd, and as a result became known as somewhat of the village crier. Unfazed, he joked that the President must be on Island time. But when the flashing lights of the car leading the President’s motorcade finally turned the curve onto State Road, the crowd that had been gathering for over an hour burst into cheers and waves, welcoming the President back to the Island.

Mr. Obama and his family arrived yesterday for a 10-day vacation stay at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, and Obama supporter Ed Stuckel offered a few tips of where the First Family should visit.

“I implore him to go to Flatbread and for family dance night that would be a hoot,” Mr. Stuckel said from a folding chair that he and his family had brought out to the side of the road to wait for Mr. Obama’s arrival. “He should go fishing on Chappy, take Bo to Lambert’s Cove to play with other dogs. Maybe for a night out just the two of them, dinner at the Beach Plum Inn. Long Point is great for the kids, too.

“I voted for him, and he’s the best President we’ve had in a long time, but I would tell him to relax and enjoy yourself,” he added, holding an American flag.

One person waiting for the President’s arrival had a T-shirt on that echoed Mr. Stuckel’s wish: it had a portrait of Mr. Obama, with a caption that read, “Relax, it’s all about the Vineyard.”

“I’m just hoping to catch a glimpse,” Kathleen Carney said on the porch of the store. “We’re just over here on vacation for the day and decided to come over and see.”

Many onlookers had also just happened upon what turned into a greeting point, stopping for a snack on their way back down-Island or taking a breather from an arduous day at the beach.

“I’ve never seen a motorcade before, I’d really like to wait,” Sally Cohen said after leaving the Field Gallery down the street where a sculpture of the First Family and dog is on display. Mrs. Cohen decided to stay when she thought it would be only 15 more minutes until the President’s arrival, but an hour later, she was still waiting, camera in hand.

“We love him and he’s amazing,” she said. “We have faith in him, and he’s off to a great start. I’d love to see him.”

Not everyone had the same patience as the Cohen family, with a few people saying they wanted to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible.

“We came last year and it’s fun, we just want to see the motorcade,” said one crowd member.

“We were working our way back from Gay Head and saw everyone gathered, hopped off the bus and decided to stop and take a look,” said another.

Richie and Claire Hughes took up residency on the porch’s hammock after taking a break from bike riding. With ice cream sandwiches in hand, they decided to wait. “It’s a great spot. As long as he’s coming by” Mr. Hughes said.

“We timed everything right and I’d love to see him,” Mrs. Hughes said. “At least they brought the good weather.”

Mr. and Mrs. Hughes were then interviewed by several cable news networks that had gathered in the area. The media was part of the spectacle of playing the waiting game — kids vying to be on camera, reporters from Boston trying to work their way through the crowd. One cameraman even made friends with someone who had parked their pickup truck outside of Alley’s and had positioned himself and his camera in the bed of the truck.

Cars drove by waving at the waiting crowd, honking their horns and cheering, and as more people gathered, they began to spill into the street, trying to get the best view possible. Earlier, Mrs. Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia snuck by Alley’s so quickly that they were gone before anyone knew they were there. But that was okay for this group patiently waiting for their President.

And then within the blink of an eye, the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping as the presidential motorcade passed by. It only lasted for a few seconds, but for many there, it was something they would never forget.

“It was fantastic,” onlooker Joseph Costa said. He and his wife, Meredith, had come to Alley’s just to see the profile of the President in the back of an SUV. Mr. Obama kept his window closed, but his profile could be seen waving to the crowd.

“Did you see the guns?” Jessica Balboni said to her son Alexander, referencing the gun-clad Secret Service agents who were visible through their open windows.

“It is amazing,” he replied. “I thought I saw him.”

“We love him,” Ms. Balboni said. The Gazette asked her, if she could ask the President anything, what would it be? Her response: “When are the locusts coming? You deserve a vacation.”