The Tisbury Street Fair is tonight and is an annual summer celebration, crowded and casual, that brings all manner of folks together in leisurely bliss. But it marks a moment in history as well, for it was on July 8 in 1671 that Tisbury was allowed to incorporate. The street fair is a birthday party, and all the more enjoyable for that.

Over the centuries Tisbury has evolved into our most bustling year-round town, Holmes Hole has become Vineyard Haven, our principal year-round port of entry, and the active commercial and recreational harbor there is the first and last thing most visitors to the Island see. It's a town that's as varied as the seasons, as lively as a summer breeze, and beloved by us all.

Happy 347th birthday.