Events

Aug. 17

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

The Whole Table: A Dialogue on Food, Care and Community

This isn’t a conversation about the “right” way to eat—it’s about understanding the choices we make around food and the values that shape them. In today’s fast-paced world, this conversation offers a chance to slow down and think practically and meaningfully about what we eat, how it’s sourced, and why it matters. From fishing and foraging to cooking and spiritual practice, join us on Sunday, August 17 as our panel brings real-world insight into how food connects us to place, culture, and each other.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 18

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Tales of Edgartown: The Way We Wore: Island Textiles & Fashion, 1642–1850 

Spend your Monday evenings in the Legacy Gardens at the historic Cooke House, where local historians and storytellers bring Edgartown’s expansive past to life. Each week features a new speaker sharing a distinct chapter of Island history and culture. Enjoy light refreshments, meaningful conversation, and the experience of an outdoor summer lecture series.

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51 School Street 
Edgartown, MA 02539

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Aug. 19

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Farmer and The Shark

On Tuesday, August 19th, don’t miss this exclusive special screening of The Farmer & the Shark, the gripping documentary that unveils the hidden story behind Martha’s Vineyard legend Craig Kingsbury and his extraordinary influence on Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Stay for a rare and fascinating discussion with award-winning filmmaker John Campopiano, veteran producer Rick DiGregorio, Jaws historian Jim Beller, and Craig Kingsbury’s daughter, Kristen Kingsbury Henshaw, as they share never-before-heard stories and behind-the-scenes details about this iconic film’s local heartbeat.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

Aug. 20

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Global Rhythms: Peter Halperin and the Group Therapy Band

Celebrate the vibrant cultures that shape our Island community through music and storytelling. Each week, world-class musicians take the stage to share not only their sound, but the personal and cultural stories behind it. Join us Wednesday evenings this summer for a series that moves to the beat of connection, tradition, and discovery. THIS EVENING'S PERFORMANCE: Peter Halperin and the Group Therapy Band

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 22

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Jaws@50 Screening & Celebration with Wendy Benchley

Join us for a screening and conversation with Wendy Benchley on Friday, August 22 at 5:00pm. The Museum invites you to dive into a thrilling evening celebrating the legacy of the film that changed cinema- and our relationship with the ocean- forever. Experience Jaws@50: The Definitive Inside Story, the acclaimed new feature documentary released this summer, explores the making of Jaws and its profound cultural and ocean conservation impact. The screening will be followed by an intimate conversation with Wendy Benchley, Executive Producer of the film and renowned ocean advocate, whose late husband, Peter Benchley, wrote the iconic novel Jaws and co-wrote its legendary screenplay.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 25

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Tales of Edgartown: Whaling Port to Summer Resort

Spend your Monday evenings in the Legacy Gardens at the historic Cooke House, where local historians and storytellers bring Edgartown’s expansive past to life. Each week features a new speaker sharing a distinct chapter of Island history and culture. Enjoy light refreshments, meaningful conversation, and the experience of an outdoor summer lecture series.

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51 School Street 
Edgartown, MA 02539

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Aug. 27

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Global Rhythms: Jim Thomas Spirituals Choir

Celebrate the vibrant cultures that shape our Island community through music and storytelling. Each week, world-class musicians take the stage to share not only their sound, but the personal and cultural stories behind it. Join us Wednesday evenings this summer for a series that moves to the beat of connection, tradition, and discovery. THIS EVENING'S PERFORMANCE: Jim Thomas Spirituals Choir

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 28

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

MY FATHER’S NAME: A father’s secret. A daughter’s reckoning. A nation’s dark legacy.

Join us on Thursday, August 28 for a screening of the award-winning documentary short, MY FATHER’S NAME, followed by a conversation with director Susanna Styron and Executive Producer Connie Royster. MY FATHER’S NAME tells the intimate story of Jan Frazier's attempt to uncover the truth about her father's participation in a lynching, find a way to hold her family accountable, and face the dawning awareness of her own unconscious racism. What begins as a search for answers becomes a reckoning with conflicted love, buried histories, and the uncomfortable truths many white Americans still struggle to face.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 29

9:00 pm - 10:00 pm

New Moon Naked-Eye Stargazing: An Indigenous Night Under the Stars

Join us in the Bodman Courtyard at Museum on Friday, August 29 for New Moon Naked-Eye Stargazing—an evening of Indigenous storytelling, celestial connection, and awe-inspiring skywatching. Set during the darkest skies of the month, this special event invites families and sky-curious souls to gather under the stars and witness the cosmos in its most vivid, moonless brilliance.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Aug. 30

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Indigenous Knowledge Meets Shark Science with Steve Crawford

This isn’t your typical shark talk. Researcher Steve Crawford takes a different approach, centering the voices and knowledge of Indigenous peoples and coastal communities—wisdom passed down for generations yet often absent from mainstream science. Join us on Saturday, August 30th for an eye-opening conversation that connects science with centuries of human connection to these remarkable animals.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Sep. 4

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Alice S. Wentworth: Last of the Vineyard Schooners 

On September 4, author and model shipwright Tom Lauria brings the story of the Alice S. Wentworth—the last great coasting schooner to call Martha’s Vineyard home—back to life.Drawing from his new book, Alice S. Wentworth: The Schooner, Her People, and The Model, Tom shares his research into the vessel and the people who sailed her, alongside the meticulous process of creating a museum-quality model in her honor.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Sep. 7

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

A Late-Summer Picnic on the Hill

Celebrate the magic of late summer with an unforgettable evening picnic at MV Museum on Sunday, September 7. Settle in on the hill overlooking the Lagoon as the sky shifts from golden hour to twilight, casting its glow over one of the Island’s most scenic spots. Savor the live jazz rhythms of The Jeremy Berlin Trio, enjoy local bites and drinks for purchase from First Light Café, or bring your own picnic, bottle, and blanket, play lawn games and more.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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Oct. 23

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

The Sound of Jaws: John Williams and the Score That Changed Everything

Everyone knows the two terrifying notes that launched the Jaws theme—and with it, an entire era of cinematic sound. But what followed those notes transformed film music forever. Join us on Thursday, October 23 as acclaimed journalist and author Tim Greiving for a riveting dive into John Williams: A Composer’s Life, the first major biography of the man behind the music that shaped generations.

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151 Lagoon Pond Road 
Vineyard Haven, MA 02568

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