Edgartown's Main Street came alive for the annual Fourth of July parade that winds through downtown streets.

Edgartown’s annual Fourth of July Parade welcomed the entire Martha's Vineyard community Monday.

Fourth of July festivities kicked off with a patriotic start this morning with two children's parades — one in the Camp Ground and another in Aquinnah.

Parades, cookouts and fireworks are all on the agenda for the national holiday. The Edgartown Fourth of July Parade steps off promptly at 5 p.m.

Friends of the Edgartown Library sponsors a special reading of Frederick Douglass’ speech, The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend proved a busy time for Island first responders, who responded to several calls, including a fire in a downtown Edgartown restaurant Saturday morning.

On no other summer afternoon would there be so many empty parking spaces in downtown Edgartown, But the Fourth of July parade was about to begin and crowds gathered on porches and lined sidewalks to celebrate.

Barbecues, road races, and lobster rolls are on the agenda and parades are planned at both ends of the Island as the Vineyard welcomes one of the busiest days of the year. All eyes will turn to Edgartown tonight for the annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks.

It happened while we weren’t looking. Sometime after Memorial Day beautiful, sexy Summer sneaked up on gnarly old Winter and tackled him. Enough! Summer said. It’s my turn now.

On Saturday, for the tenth year in a row, a group of readers took turns reciting Frederick Douglass' speech The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro. “It’s important for people to remember the impact of slavery because it’s not only a part of our history, but it’s a part of our present,” said Makani Themba, the organizer of the reading.