A happy Fourth of July on Wednesday and welcome to the summer season and all the excitement it brings along with it. If you went downtown for any reason last weekend the traffic was brutal everywhere as just about every building in town is now occupied. Many backyard cookouts will be held all around town Friday and Saturday evening assuming the weather allows. This is the start of a long holiday weekend for many people.

The annual Fourth of July parade in downtown Edgartown steps off promptly at 5 p.m. Do yourself, and your family, a big favor and make getting to the parade and fireworks a whole lot easier by taking the bus to Edgartown and avoid traffic gridlock. Call 508-693-9440 for more information.

The Davis House Gallery opens for the season on Sunday and there will be a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The gallery will be open Thursday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.

One of the largest crowds ever attended the Strawberry Festival last Saturday afternoon. The weather was fair and the strawberries were good. Marian Irving, reports that it was a very successful day. The church is very grateful to the community for their support.

Alan and Fran Kauffman of Teaneck, N.J. are at their summer home on Plum Bush Point for the season. Fran reports that she is busy preparing for house guests that will be arriving soon.

Don and Marcia Klepper-Smith, formerly of Old County Road, are enjoying their life as adopted Vineyarders. Don is the chief economist and director of research of Data Core Partners. His wife, Marcia, is keeping Don straight. Both of them are looking forward to the Fourth of July celebration.

Mary Pat Hough-Greene of Philadelphia, Pa. arrived a few days ago to spend the month of July at the Book House with her grandsons Patrick and Declan Harmer. Her son, Neil Greene and his wife, Amy, and their children Harper and Georgia, will join them for the first week of July. Their friends Dr. Kim and Dr. Nick Lumsden will join them with their children Ruby and Summer.

Jean and Tim O’Reilly and daughters Molly and Nancy of Dublin, Ohio are winding up a two-week stay with her sister Eleanor Neubert and her family at Flat Point farm. Jean reports they enjoyed talking with old friends, beach time and an occasional adult beverage. They were surprised by a visit from son Andrew on Sunday night.

Phyllis Meras, of Music street, returns home from a business trip to Germany on Monday. She also found time to visit with a few friends.

Bob Luskin will be joining his wife Charlotte Fallon and her daughter Nathalie for the Fourth. Charlotte says Bob will be using his old family china many times this summer.

Arsen and Nicole and grandchildren Robert, Henry, Edward and Mark, from East Taunton, will be arriving on Monday to visit their grandparents. Robbie and Henry have requested to ride in the parade with their grandpa as they did last year.

Olivia Larsen, over at the library, reports on some of next week’s activates: Saturday at 4 p.m., author Nelson Sigelman will present his new book, Martha’s Vineyard Outdoors: Fishing, Hunting and Avoiding Divorce on a Small Island. Join them on Tuesday at the Grange Hall for the first Tuesdays at Twilight event of the season. On Thursday, July 5 at 4 p.m., Donald Nitchie and Spencer Thurlow will lead a poetry drop-in workshop.

Happy birthday to: Harriet Bernstein, Myles Thurlow and Ruby Hoy Friday, Clifton Athearn, Rebecca Conroy and Margaret Gallagher Saturday; John Miller, Brian Jolley, and Max Bradshaw on Sunday; Ava Plakins, Diane Abbot, Sioux Eagle, Elliott Tolen, Debbie Farber, Marsha Winsryg and Joseph Thompson on Monday; Allison McKinley, Dan Howard and Bradley Permar on Tuesday; David Bouck, Sandra Clark, Samantha Eng, Pat Goodell and Jane Hawkes on Wednesday; Dan Whiting, Cherrilla Brown, Abigail Bailey and Shawn Barber on Thursday. Happy anniversary to the famous Webster socialites, Ed and Jane Konicki on Monday. Belated anniversary wishes to Ed Levine and Vicki Bijur and to the Field Gallery that opened to the public 48 years ago today.