New Orleans has Mardi Gras and Martha’s Vineyard has Best Fest. This Saturday, Sept. 9, marks the eighth year of the Island’s post-Labor Day festival of live music and dancing in the streets, complete with giant puppets and a light-up marching band parade on Circuit avenue. In all, 11 diverse musical groups will perform at three locations in Oak Bluffs.
Best Fest begins at 4 p.m. at the Ocean Park bandstand with a free, all-ages concert featuring Island performers Jellybone Rivers and the Maniacs of the Heart — a rock band playing children’s music — the Dock Dance Band and Willy Mason, along with New York city-based group Fort Vine.
At 8 p.m. the celebration takes to the streets. As in past years, the sprawling and theatrical Extraordinary Rendition Band (ERB), a 20-person-plus street band from Providence, will lead the march from the bandstand to Circuit avenue.
With its outlandishly-clad musicians decorated in bright lights, accompanied by towering puppets and costumed creatures, ERB has come to characterize the freewheeling Best Fest spirit, which encourages spectators to dance along.
The parade doesn’t always stick to the street: a 2015 YouTube video follows the horn and drum-heavy ERB horde as it invades Ryan Family Amusements.
The Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band from Somerville, and the all-original Vineyard band Electric Pie will also perform in the parade.
Starting at 9 p.m., Best Fest moves to the Ritz with performances by Dukes County Love Affair, Nina Violet, the Kahoots and the Chris Brokaw Rock Band from Cambridge.
The event benefits WVVY, the Island’s low-power community radio station at 96.7 LPFM.
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