While we’ve all been coming out of hibernation – getting haircuts and investing in truly fashionable face masks – our three down-Island towns have been brainstorming about how to get us back. And how to get businesses running again. So it’s up to us now to patronize our friends and neighbors in whatever way we feel comfortable. 

Shopping is a start. From staging pop-ups to creating better traffic flow, from offering private shopping to providing curbside pickup, retail stores are getting creative with ways to make shopping experiences stress-free.

Outdoor dining is taking off in a big way. Edgartown has permitted many restaurants to expand into outdoor spaces near their businesses, and Oak Bluffs is closing Circuit avenue and part of Kennebec avenue on Sundays for outdoor dining and shopping. Vineyard Haven has a variety of restaurants on Beach Road and in town that have natural outdoor eating areas.

If you’re still a bit shy about shopping or eating at a restaurant, you can take advantage of online ordering and takeout at a huge range of restaurants. Perhaps you’ll decide to turn takeout into a picnic in the park – maybe one of the 55 named parks in Oak Bluffs.

Take a closer look at what's new in Oak Bluffs, what's going on in Edgartown, and outdoor dining and shopping options in Vineyard Haven. And for regularly updated information on restaurants and other businesses, be sure to check out “What’s Open, What’s Closed.”