Like most Island cocktail parties, the Tisbury Street Fair was slow
to start. An hour into the annual town celebration though, and it was
standing room only.

Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish rocked through the evening. Youngsters
danced in the middle of the street in front of the band. Many of the
Island's nonprofit organizations sold T-shirts, raffle tickets
and plenty of food on the sidewalks.

Tisbury Street Fair Draws Thousands

Festivities Celebrate All Things Vineyard in July Highlight

By JOSHUA SABATINI

A stroller entering the 31st annual Tisbury Street Fair was
overwhelmed from every direction by the sounds of music, the wafting
scents of foods - from raw oysters to crispy fried chicken -
and the sights of wares pushed by shop owners, educational displays,
glow sticks, balloons and painted faces.

By 4:30 p.m. Sunday, the cars that usually line Main street
and Union street in Vineyard Haven were gone. One hundred and
twenty-five booths lined the two streets instead, and by 6:30 p.m.,
with the official start of the Tisbury Street Fair, waves of people
filled downtown.

Entering the street fair from any direction revealed a scene
of excitement and smiles.