The Island economy experienced a booming August this year, but high prices, staffing shortages and shifting schedules are all factoring into some business owners’ concerns about a shrinking summer season.

Entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, rental brokers and hoteliers from across the Island had mixed feelings about the summer of 2026. Some reported a significantly busier season when compared to last, specifically in August, while others said they noticed little change.

Erica Ashton, executive director at the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce referred to this season as “balanced,” with consumers making travel decisions later but in a more deliberate, cost-conscious way.

“Overall, it was a strong and evolving season,” Ms. Ashton said. “People are still choosing Martha’s Vineyard.”

Will Pate, who has worked at Martha’s Vineyard Bike Rentals for 38 years, had two words to describe this summer: “Very busy.”

“It never really slowed down in July like it usually does for us,” he said.

But many are seeing tourism becoming increasingly concentrated in August, which boasts several major events, including the Agricultural Fair, Illumination Night and the African American Film Festival. 

“The season has condensed dramatically…” said Josh Goldstein of Mansion House hotel in Vineyard Haven. “I think it adds a layer of stress for everyone … and for both employees and vacationers. They’re working so hard to relax, and we’re working so hard to make sure they relax.”

Larkin Stallings, owner of the Ritz in Oak Bluffs and president of the Oak Bluffs Association, said August was big for Oak Bluffs businesses and at the Ritz, while early summer was more of a mix.

“Generally speaking, everyone says August was busier than anticipated...” he said. “May, June [were] up and down for some folks. July was good, but ... perhaps August was particularly good.”

One change this year was that the Agricultural Fair took place earlier in August, meaning that, for the first time in years, it wasn’t on the same week as Illumination, and the Oak Bluffs fireworks, which ended up being canceled due to weather concerns.

Most business owners told the Gazette they didn’t feel the earlier fair date affected things too much, and Ms. Ashton said the Chamber has seen “no evidence” to support it.

Still, Patrick Lyons, owner of El Barco in Vineyard Haven and Back Door Donuts in Oak Bluffs, referred to the first two weeks of August and the last week of July as “the focal point” of the season, and said that the early Agricultural Fair and late Labor Day deflated things sooner than usual.

“The air came out of the balloon earlier because of that,” he said.

Next year’s fair will be similarly early in August, which Jared Salvatore, manager of Rosewater Market in Edgartown, said is sure to have an impact down the road.

“A lot of people count on that as one of their tentpole events of the summer,” he said. “That [event] moving will change things, definitely.”

Travel data from the two major forms of transportation to the Island shows ridership almost on par with 2025. Vehicle and passenger ridership on the Vineyard Steamship route for July and August decreased slightly from last year. May and June saw moderate increases in commercial passengers at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport, while July and August had small dips.

Ms. Ashton said that in general, though international travel to the United States is down overall, people are taking more regional, car-accessible trips, making the Vineyard a more desirable location for east coasters.

If demand for rental homes this summer and next is any indication, August fever shows no signs of slowing down, according to Joanna Fairchild, an agent at Martha’s Vineyard Vacation Homes. 

“We pretty much book fully up in August, and we’re already booked up for next year for August because of the activities,” Ms. Fairchild said. “July was a little slower, but overall, in our agency, we booked more rentals than ever.”

Matt Moore, general manager at the Winnetu Hotel in Edgartown and head of the Martha’s Vineyard Lodging Association, said the Winnetu had a strong summer and that association members tended to do well in August overall.

This summer, though, front line staff at hotels and other businesses have been increasingly fielding questions about the rising number of ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Patrons often ask if the Island is a safe place to visit and what they should be doing to protect themselves. 

“We certainly got a few more calls about ticks and about alpha-gal than we had last year,” he said. “In certain cases, people... canceled and lost their deposits. In other cases they... decided to still come.”

He said calls tended to spike in the days after high-profile national publications posted articles about ticks on the Vineyard. While hoteliers regularly advise guests on the precautions that can be taken to protect oneself from ticks, needing to absorb and respond to those concerns takes a toll on staff.

“You’re answering questions you don’t really have answers to,” Mr. Moore said.

Mr. Goldstein agreed that national media coverage of the Island’s ticks has stoked fears among clients.

“We proactively started putting permethrin wipes for people in the rooms,” he said.

Besides making mainland news about ticks, the Vineyard also was a star on TikTok and Instagram this summer. Ms. Ashton at the Chamber of Commerce said more visitors took to social media to share the details of their Vineyard vacations.

The influencer phenomenon also bloomed this summer on Nantucket, where one shop’s controversial “No Influencers” sign made national headlines.

“We got so many more people who were creating content,” Ms. Ashton said.

Kahina Van Dyke, owner of Inkwell Beach House, Narragansett House, Dunmere by the Sea and Jubilee in Oak Bluffs, said while she heard a lot of talk about content creators taking over the Island, that wasn’t her experience.

“A lot of people were talking about the fact there were a lot of influencers,” she said. “What I just saw coming in the store and in the hotels were people who had always wanted to make it to Martha’s Vineyard and finally had.”

One source of traffic for some Island businesses this summer was the World Cup. The weeks-long event was a serious boon for bars, especially El Barco, which became the de facto Island gathering places for fans, said Mr. Lyons.

“Overall, our businesses were strong, particularly at El Barco, [which] got a strong bounce from the World Cup,” he said.

While business remains brisk, the perennial issue of housing still looms large over the summer economy. Several business owners said securing enough places to live for employees is one of the biggest challenges. 

“I think it’s bordering on an existential issue,” Mr. Lyons said. “It’s getting increasingly difficult to provide [service].”

Mr. Stallings said staffing at the Ritz was more of a challenge this year than it’s ever been and that the problem showed up across Oak Bluffs.

“Staffing has been really hard this year. As hard as any of us have ever had [it],” he said. “I think that’s directly correlated with the availability of housing.”

With the rising cost and the emphasis of August, some business owners are wondering if July will soon be more en vogue. Ms. Van Dyke said August is increasingly occupied with large-scale events, and some customers see earlier months as a chance to experience a more laid back vacation. 

“A lot of people talked about being priced out of August, and also that August felt a little bit more full of corporate events, that there were a lot of activations for brands,” she said.

Up in Aquinnah, Berta Welch, who runs Stony Creek Gifts at the cliffs with her sister, saw the summer get off to a sluggish start, something she tied to the rising cost of gas. But the crowds grew month over month, and she has been extending her season longer into September and October.

“I think people just got used to the idea that it was going to cost what it was going to cost to get here,” she said.

Time will tell if demand for the Island experience will continue to grow despite soaring prices.

“It’s making things more challenging. People have to really want to be here. Fortunately, people still do,” Mr. Goldstein said. “The Island is still beautiful, but... the margins are getting tighter.”

Ethan Genter contributed to this report.