Chilmark knows how to throw a party. The large crowd that attended the Meet the Fleet festivities last Thursday will agree. There was music, visits, tours, food and T-shirts. What more could we want? One highlight of the day was the presence in our harbor of the fishing boat Roann, now property of Mystic Seaport but once a familiar fishing boat in Vineyard waters. We were able to tour the boat and appreciate the efforts that Mystic has made to restore this classic boat.

Chilmark is looking forward to a fun week with the Meet the Fleet day on Thursday, August 6. The Fishermen’s Preservation Trust is sponsoring and planning this event. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and go on until 7 p.m. There will be a tent on the bulkhead and fishermen will be there to show the public their fishing boats and their skills with shellfish, opening and cleaning and preparing fish.

Chilmark is alive and well and having a good time! We had a huge weekend with summer pleasures being experienced all around us. I hope the beach folk took advantage of the beach bus shuttle. I heard a boat brought in a large haul of yellowfin tuna to Menemsha on the weekend.

Chilmark is ready to celebrate! Happy holiday to all and may the sand be in your shoes and not on your hot dogs! The crowds have been gathering all week and the students who were only recently released from school are enjoying their freedom. The activities are mostly outdoors and even the showers that seem always in our future aren’t discouraging the good times from being planned. Cheers to us all!