People, dogs, pirates, pink sharks — Edgartown Fourth of July parade was a time for everyone and everything to come together.

Sixteen years ago, five Aquinnah families decided they didn’t want to make the trek into Edgartown on July 4. So they started their own tradition.

In the cooling shade of the Oak Bluffs Camp Ground, about 150 kids and their families walked, biked or got a ride in a stroller Wednesday morning during the 21st annual Fourth of July children’s parade.

From the Chilmark Store to Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs, Vineyarders of every stripe gathered to celebrate Independence Day. The day dawned hot and sunny.

The words of Frederick Douglass rang out from the Federated Church in Edgartown Tuesday, as readers recited the abolitionist orator’s famous speech.

Bunting adorns picket fences, flags are flying, and crowds have arrived as the Vineyard prepares for annual Fourth of July festivities. Here is a look at the lineup, from road races to fireworks.

Incoming ferries are all but sold out, hotels and harbors are full, the parade is planned— the Fourth of July is almost here.

The Federated Church will host a reading of Frederick Douglass’s powerful speech The Meaning of Fourth of July to the Negro.

Edgartown is gearing up for Fourth of July festivities with extended bar hours and parade plans in place for the upcoming holiday.

Crowds lined downtown streets Tuesday as floats made their way through Edgartown using a mix of bike power, horsepower and horse power for the annual Fourth of July parade.