Commercial fishermen in Menemsha will come off the water next Thursday for the third annual Meet the Fleet event, sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust.

The popular event will take place at the Dutcher Dock in Menemsha from 4 to 7 p.m. on August 3.

The Roann, a classic wooden dragger that once fished out of Menemsha and is now based at Mystic Seaport, will be in the harbor, along with plenty of active fishing boats and the fishermen who operate them.

State Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton and representatives from the environmental police and the Coast Guard are expected to be on hand.

There will be crab races for children along a special track, and the artistically inclined can make fish prints to take home. There will also be a fish fileting demonstration, a net mending contest and a sea scallop shucking demonstration and competition. A raffle and silent auction will help benefit the trust, whose mission is to promote a sustainable and active commercial fishing industry on the Island. Trust president John Keene said the event is a chance for the public to learn about the fishing industry and help support the cause.

“Ask as many questions as you want, engage the fishermen,” he said. “A lot of the guys would love to explain their craft.”

There will be parking at the Capt. Flanders House on North Road; a shuttle bus will run between the lot and Menemsha village throughout the event.