When the days turn cooler and get a little shorter, and the summer crowds have thinned out, the local spring to life for a most beloved autumn tradition. The 64th Annual Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby has begun, running from September 13th to October 17th. Friends gather in their favorite places, spending long days on the water – sometimes squeezing in time before or after work and oftentimes taking a vacation time after a long and hard-worked summer. Stories are made, tales are spun, but most importantly, fish are caught!

You can register online or stop by Coop’s Bait & Tackle, Dick’s Bait & Tackle, or Larry’s Tackle to pick up your credentials.  For more information, visit the Derby’s website where you can also keep tabs on the front runners and daily news concerning the derby and the Vineyard.

The derby was started just after World War II and today it brings in fishermen from all over the world with participation reaching 2,000 in recent years. According to 1987′s derby president Ed Jerome, “From the informal committee-type approach, we’ve gone towards the formal non-profit structure. This is a tournament run for and by fishermen. It now takes the derby a full year to organize. From the organizational standpoint the new derby begins just as the old one draws to a close.”

And, there’s a new mission that is very Vineyard, in light of its dedication to giving back. Since 1987, the derby has given $64,000 in scholarships to Island high school graduates.

Some derby rules to remember:
Ice Your Catch: Donations to our fillet program MUST be iced.
Respect The Island: Pack out trash and obey private property signs.
Respect The Fish: Carefully and quickly release all fish you do not weigh in.
Know The Rules: Be aware of MA fishing regs and Derby Rules/Boundaries.

This year, I’m proud to say, is the first year that I’ve entered a fish in the derby! Total thrill!

The front porch is covered and the back deck is perfect for lazing around in the sun. And the colors, art and furniture of the house compliments the Victorian stylings with a classic Vineyard look. The property also includes an historic barn and a two bedroom guest house which is also available for rent, but not included. The surrounding land is perfect for evening strolls or a pick-up Frisbee game before dinner – a wonderful place for children to run around and enjoy the glorious Vineyard sea air!

The inside of the house is just as glorious as the outside with open, bright colors, clean lines and all the nooks and crannies that Victorian’s offer. The circular turret and the bump outs allow for cozy spots within and gorgeous architecture from without.

Important to note: The entire first floor is wheelchair accessible and includes a first floor king/double-twin bedroom and a fully wheelchair accessible bathroom.

I look forward to booking this house for you! Contact me for details on this or any of our properties here.

Okay, so it’s not quite warm enough to hit the beach, but the fun on Martha’s Vineyard really doesn’t stop when the cool breezes start to blow. This Saturday, September 19, is Oak Bluff’s annual Tivoli Day Festival. Marking the end of the summer, this party is one big neighborhood celebration meets huge street fair.

Live music, awesome food from local restaurants and arts and crafts for the island’s artisans fill the streets. Not to be missed, many of the Circuit Avenue merchants will be offering bargains left over from their summer stock. Tivoli Day is a always a family event and super kid friendly, with the children’s parade taking the top spot as one of the best parts of the day! The island’s youngest decorate bikes, wagons and, sometimes even their pets – before taking to the streets to show off their finery.

Oak Bluffs is known for the picturesque and charming Cottage City, a wonderful neighborhood of gingerbread cottages just beyond Circuit Ave. where Tivoli Day takes place. Whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit to OB, make sure you take time to take a stroll through to see the colors as they hold the warmth of summer just a little longer than the rest of the island!

Admission is free and the festivities run from 12-5 pm. FYI, the rain date is September 20. For more information contact Dennis daRosa at 508-693-0110 or dendarosa@yahoo.com.

If you’re looking for an Oak Bluffs vacation rental, please contact me!

On Thursday, September 10 through Sunday, September 13, the 2009 Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival takes over Vineyard Haven! All four days will be filled with the best feature and short films from the biggie film festivals like Sundance, Berlin and Cannes – and new films that have yet to be discovered.

This year’s festival films come from every corner of the globe: Palestine, Russia, China, India, Norway, France, Israel, Germany, Spain, Japan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, and more. Some highlights:

• Rudo Y Cursi – one of the top-grossing Mexican films of all time.
• Waltz with Bashir – an innovative animated drama from Israel that was nominated for a 2009 Oscar for Best Documentary.
• Munyurangabo – awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the American Film Institute festival, it explores the Hutu-Tutsi genocide from the point of view of an orphaned teen and is the first film ever in the Kinyarwanda language.
• Local Martha’s Vineyard filmmaking – lead by islanders Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth of Film-Truth Productions.

Of course, there is more to this Vineyard film festival than movies. An opening night cocktail party on the roof of the Mansion House kicks things off, and there will be nightly parties, art gallery and meet-the-filmmaker gatherings for the festival’s duration. Live music, DJ’s food from top island chefs and open bars round out the weekend.

Visit the website for a full schedule and tickets to films and exciting events.

So here we are on Martha’s Vineyard, surrounded by water and aquatic life…but it’s kind of hard to see! I mean crabs and clams and starfish abound, but what about all of the other life that hangs out in the depths below? Thankfully, the new aquarium in Oak Bluffs (right downtown!) lets us see everything.

Waters of the World features sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, invertebrates, alligators, anaconda, eels, barracuda stingrays and many other exotic fish. They also have special exhibits that showcase the aquatic life and ecosystems from areas around the globe like: the  Caribbean, the Nile River, the Amazon, the Everglades and the Great Barrier Reef.

Visit the touching pools, watch the sharks being fed and make sure you check out the retail store where you can start your own home aquarium.  Visit www.watersoftheworld.org for details, hours and directions.

The first time I saw this house, I was struck by three things: the way the house blends in to the land around it, the windows and the deck! The colors of the exterior effortlessly to blend in with the sand, the stone wall and the surrounding trees. The windows reflect and become part of the sky overhead.

And the windows that are so captivating from the outside, are better from the inside with views of Vineyard Sound, sunsets and star-filled Vineyard night skies. The house sits atop a hill, making the views even more breathtaking. The floor to ceiling windows also provide an extraordinary amount of light to the interior, so you’ll never be far from the Island sun.

The deck is quite luxurious and paired with the swimming pool set behind the house and this huge kitchen, this vacation rental is a great spot to entertain. The house itself sleeps eight with four bedrooms and three full baths. And, if you need more than a pool, Philbin and Lobsterville Beaches are within 1.5 miles of the house which is located on Sandcastle Lane – how much more dreamy does it get?

Contact me for more information or to book this Martha’s Vineyard waterfront vacation rental!

The first family arrived on Martha's Vineyard Sunday, August 23, 2009.

Whether you like him or not, it’s pretty darn exciting to have the President of the United States staying just down the road this week. The ‘summer White House’ for 2009 is a private estate in Chilmark, Blue Heron Farm. Yesterday afternoon around 3:00 several helicopters, including Marine One, flew over the island and landed at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. From there, they drove up South Road and into Chilmark in the motorcade – the streets lined with people, young and old, hoping to catch a glimpse of the first family, including Bo, the first dog.

The Secret Service and news trucks (even though Obama specifically told the journalists to just have fun this week) cover the long dirt road that leads to Blue Heron Farm, and islanders and summer visitors alike are curious about where the Obamas will go and what they’ll do. Rumors abound and are debunked just as quickly. The girls didn’t go to the Ag Fair on Saturday and Obama says he won’t be playing golf with Tiger Woods on our shores. But, will they go to the Farmer’s Market or Artisan’s Fair in West Tisbury? Will they venture down to the Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs? Will their staff run out for Mad Martha’s or will Barack, Michelle, Sasha and Malia stroll the streets of Vineyard Haven?

The plan seems to be ‘no plan’ – so, I think we’re going to all just have to keep our eyes peeled for any sightings! In the meantime, Plum TV’s Alex Friedman put together a great video that shows Blue Heron Farm and the beauty that is up-island Martha’s Vineyard. Enjoy and let me know if you see anything in the video that you can’t resist! I know we’ll be able to find you a vacation rental close by, you know, one that will let you live the dream you envision!

This extraordinary and contemporary home is situated on five private wooded acres on North Abel’s Hill adjoining Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation conservation land. Abel’s Hill was named for a member of the Wampanoag Tribe in the early 1700′s and I can only guess that the landscape is just as beautiful, lush and quiet as it was back then.

Besides the privacy that this house affords with the surrounding woods, it also features a spacious master bedroom suite with its own private deck and fireplace for those cool Vineyard nights. The gourmet kitchen boasts marble countertops and premium appliances. But my favorite part of the house is the beautiful screened-in porch. I would actually just live out on the porch if I rented this house, isn’t it just gorgeous?

You know I don’t usually show bathrooms when I show rental house pics, but I just love these. They’re so pristine and the colors are so Vineyard. All four bedrooms (the house sleeps 10) have their own private bathroom plus a half-bath in the general living space.

The woods and Abel Hill surely invite hiking, but this house, of course, comes complete with access to Abel’s Hill Association Beach – nice and private, only 1.5 miles away…oh, and stunningly beautiful.

Contact me for more information about this Chilmark vacation rental home!

If you’re looking for a quiet vacation rental…but you still want to take advantage of the Vineyard and all it has to offer, look no further. This gorgeous Chilmark rental is all about water, up-island and good living. And it’s being offered for a few select weeks in August at a discounted price! Contact me for details.

Water. Located right on the water (about 200 yards!), you get to enjoy your own private beach on Quitsa Pond and Clam Point Cove – perfect for clamming, kayaking, sailing and swimming. Ideal for young children and families because you also get a private dock and mooring. Your views take in both Quitsa and Menemsha Ponds and look out to the Elizabeth Islands.

Up-Island. It’s quiet, it’s easy. You don’t have to wear shoes if you don’t want to. And even the most posh dinner is fine eaten in khakis or jeans. The pace is just slower up here, everyone’s on beach time. This part of the island also features some of the best beaches, and this Chilmark rental comes with stickers (access) to the prized Squibnocket and Lucy Vincent beaches – spots so special that you practically need a map and a secret password to find them!

Good-living. Open spaces, bright sunlight, a fireplace for those cool and cozy Chilmark nights! This house sleeps eight and the dining room table seats ten. Honestly, the house is just beautiful and the land around it is plentiful – and so very green during the Vineyard summer.