The annual Edgartown Fourth of July parade brought crowds from all over the Island — and the country — showcasing everything from star-spangled banners to Paul Revere re-enactors and farm animals.
The parade kicked off at 5 p.m., but many in the crowd arrived early to secure a good spot along the route.
James Dixon and family set out chairs at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Dixon said this was at least his 30th time attending the festivities.
“I just love the feeling of this small town parade, which I think is going away in most parts of America,” Mr. Dixon said. “It’s truly unique and I love the spirit of it more than anything. The community comes together and it’s just a happy day. Even when it rains or even when it’s 100 degrees.”
In the early afternoon at the parking lot of the Edgartown School, floats lined up, awaiting the start. Island Spirit Kayak participants were definitely feeling the spirit, as a few young men draped American flags around their shoulders, while another wore a bright yellow chicken outfit and another was dressed as a blue shark.
The Martha’s Vineyard Sharks baseball team took time away from the Shark Tank, and the Scottish Society announced their presence via a bagpipe brigade.
At exactly 5 p.m. Kristy Rose, holding her signature parasol, signaled it was time to start and the floats began heading into town. Despite the sweltering heat, crowds lined both sides of the streets and sidewalks, hosting cookouts and porch parties, and decked out in red, white and blue.
In their open air Jeep, The Turner and Eisenberg families added some last minute touches to their float. The families spent the last week inventing a Hamilton-inspired theme, with a portrait of Jonathan Groff’s King George III on the back and the lyric “history has its eyes on you” on the front.
Richard Eisenberg felt it was a fitting message for the time.
“It says something without being too political,” he said. “It’s still very patriotic.”
Emma Eisenberg recalled spending 15 July Fourth festivities on the Vineyard, but said this was only the second time for the two families to have a float in the parade.
“It’s really fun being able to create something like this and then getting to show it off to enough people,” she said, while sitting atop the float. “We always went to the parade and last year we thought, why not be in it?”
Camp Jabberwocky director Gabi Cortez said the camp had spent the past few weeks preparing for the parade. Before the summer starts, they do a Zoom meeting with the campers, counselors and community members to decide the theme. This year they chose Greetings From Martha’s Vineyard.
The organization is one of the oldest sleep away camps for people with disabilities, founded on the Island in the early 1950s.
Jabberwocky camper Lizzie showed off her outfit, a decorated poster of a greeting postcard sent from Martha’s Vineyard.
“I’m excited to see everybody’s smiling faces, and they should make sure they drink plenty of liquids,” Lizzie said.
Ms. Cortez said the whole camp loves getting to participate in the parade.
“To see people celebrate our people, we’re really excited to be here,” she said. “We put a lot of work into it. To see the community engage and to see our people shine is really beautiful,” she said. “We’re just happy to be here and spread the Jabberwocky love on a really celebratory day.”
Rev. Edwin Johnson said Jabberwocky brought great energy as always. At the end of the parade, his two sons, 7 and 12, assessed their candy collection with satisfaction.
For Mr. Johnson, it’s the quintessentially Martha’s Vineyard touches that make Fourth of July on the Island so special.
“It kind of gives us the best of both worlds,” he said. “It’s big enough to be a big deal but small enough to feel intimate.”
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