1. It’s dine-to-donate night at MV Chowder Company and both locations of Sharky’s Cantina. A portion of all food sales throughout the day will benefit Friends of Family Planning. 2. The Edgartown Public Library will screen the Coal Miner's Daughter, at 7 p.m. The film is being shown as part of the library’s Music-Makers Film Series for adults. Desserts will be served. 3. The Vineyard Haven Public Library will present Alexandra Richardson: An Evening in Sicily from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Richardson is the author of “Passionate Patron: The Life of Alexander Hardcastle and the Greek Temples of Agrigento…

1. The Yard has teamed up with the YMCA of Martha’s Vineyard to present Dance with the Yard, a four-month program that teaches students the fundamentals of modern, ballet, and creative dance skills. The program begins today. 2. The Oak Bluffs Parks & Recreation Association will hold its annual meting at 5 p.m. at the Oak Bluffs Council on Aging. The public is invited to attend.  3. The Edgartown Board of Selectmen will hold their weekly selectmen’s meeting at 4 p.m. at Edgartown Town Hall, one day before the town will gather for a special town meeting. On the agenda today: a liquor …

1. The Daytrippers, a Beatles cover band, willl perform a benefit concert for Island Grown Initiative's Island Grown Schools at 7 p.m. at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School's Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15, $7 for students and $12 for seniors 62 and older. Admission for up to five family members is $40. 2. The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library monthly meeting will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. at the library.  All members, volunteers and those interested in learning more about the Friends are welcome to attend. 3. The Island Theatre Workshop will present a staged reading of “…

1. Goodbye Summer Farmers’ Market; Hello, Winter! The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is headed indoors and out of the cold. Vendors will be at the Agricultural Hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. peddling their late-season wares. 2. Slow Food MV and the Wampanoag Tribal Council are hosting a potluck Wampanoag Harvest Dinner at 6 p.m. at the Chilmark Community Center. Bring a dish to share and place settings for yourself. There will be a talk on Wampanoag foods and customs. 3. Want to learn more about what goes bump in the night? Join Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary for Nighttime at Felix Neck, a guided …

1. More great weather is headed our way! The National Weather Service says to expect temperatures in the 60s, with moderate wind and plenty of sun—in other words, a perfect, cool fall day. 2. Still in need of a Halloween costume for your kid? Don’t fret. The Oak Bluffs Public Library will host the first-ever Island-Wide Halloween Costume Swap on Saturday. Drop off any unwanted costumes at the library before 6 p.m. today. For every costume you give, you will receive a ticket to gain entry to the swap, where you’ll have your pick of new-to-you options. 3. The Island Theatre Workshop will …

1. Author Deborah Valenze will discuss her new book, "Milk: A Local and Global History" at a Sustainable Book Club meeting at the Chilmark Public Library. The book club will meet at 5:30 p.m. Sample local dairy products, meet Island dairy farmers and share what milk means to you. 2. More milk options! The Grey Barn & Farm will host a cow-milking demonstration from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.  A tour will shed light on the operations of this new organic farm, which boasts the largest renewable energy installation on Martha’s Vineyard. 3. Patch’s own Vineyard Confidential columnist Holly Nadler will …

1. The Visiting Nurse Association will offer a free blood pressure clinic with Town Nurse Lara Murphy from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Chilmark Free Public Library.  No appointment is required; just drop in! 2. The Vineyard Haven Public Library will offer an Indian cooking class with Uma Datta from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Datta will be demonstrating the use of Indian spices in her recipes. This class fills up fast, so please register early! 3. Featherstone Center for the Arts is hosting a Uke Jam from 7 to 9 p.m.  Learn some ukulele basics and play along with the group!  Just bring your ukulele and have…

1. The Permanent Endowment for Martha’s Vineyard will present West Tisbury poet and artist Daniel Waters with the 2011 Creative Living Award. The awards ceremony will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the Grange Hall. 2. It’s Dine to Donate night at Flatbread Company. A portion of all pizza sales will support Earth Birth, a birthing/community center in Northern Uganda where two Islanders will volunteer this winter. Willy Mason and friends will provide music. Pumpkin prizes will also be awarded. 3. The West Tisbury Free Public Library will host an Artist Reception for Woody Schulman at 4 p.m. …

1. The annual Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass & Bluefish Derby has come to an end! Congratulations to the victors, Steve Morris, who won a 22-foot Eastern boat, and Rick Pinney, who won a new Chevrolet Silverado Pickup Truck! 2. It’s Monday Night at the Movies at the West Tisbury Free Public Library. The Charlie Chaplin silent film classic “The Kid” will screen for free at 7 p.m. 3. The Edgartown Public Library will hold a trustees meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend. 4. The Newes From America Pub will be closed today; it will re-open on Tuesday, October 18 at 5 p.m. 5. …

1. The 19th Annual Vineyard Crop Walk 10K kicks off at 2 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Church. Participants will circle the Martha’s Vineyard Campmeeting Association and return to the church, raising money for the hungry. Sign-up begins at 1:30 p.m. For information on how to collect donations, go to www.cropwalk.org. The 10K is sponsored by the Island Clergy Association, the Vineyard Committee on Hunger and the Vineyard Food Pantry. 2. Island Grown Initiative presents a beekeeping "Winter Wrap Up" workshop at the Island Cohousing Common House from 1 to 4 p.m. The cost is $25. To sign up, …

1.  Morning Glory Farm is hosting a pumpkin festival, featuring hayrides, face painting, games, a hay maze, food and a pumpkin carving contest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 2. The Martha's Vineyard Public Charter School is putting on poodle skirts and leather jackets and taking over Nectar’s for a silent auction, “zany live auction” and a ‘50s style sock hop with DJ Jason Araujo from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is $25, which includes pizza and salad bar. All proceeds benefit the Charter School. 3.  The 5th Annual Martha’s Vineyard Food & Wine Festival kicks into high gear today with a series of …

  1. The long, cold winter is coming—what better time than now to search for companionship? Sharky’s Cantina in Edgartown will host a speed dating event at 7 p.m. for men and women ages 30 to 45. The cost is $25 and you can pre-register at www.speeddatingmv.com. Individual dates will last five minutes; at the end of the evening you’ll be asked to identify your top choices. If you and a fewllow dater select each other, event organizers will send you your date’s email address. 2. The Polly Hill Arboretum will host a Compost Workshop with Ann McGovern from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The workshop will teach …

1. Today is National Fossil Day. The Oak Bluffs Public Library is celebrating the event with Fred Hotchkiss, director of the Marine & Paleobiological Research Institute. Children are invited to bring in their own fossils and discover what others have collected from 4 to 7:30 p.m. 2. Dine to donate tonight at Flatbread Company from 5 to 9 p.m. A portion of all pizza proceeds will benefit the Rising Tide Therapeutic Equestrian Center. 3. Martha’s Vineyard has a cornucopia of wild foods. Today is your opportunity to learn about them all. Join Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary Director Suzan …

1. The Tisbury Senior Center will host a theatrical performance about John Barrymore entitled “Barrymore: The Life and Times of the Bad Boy Actor.” The free event begins at 1:30 p.m. and stars actor Richard Clark. 2. The Chilmark Free Public Library will screen the third of a four part BBC series that chronicles attempts to restore a working farm and gardens at the famous English castle Sissinghurst. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. 3. Nancy Blank and Carl Mueller will lead a free teen after-school pottery class at Featherstone Center for the Arts from 2:30 to 5 p.m. 4. Later in the day, from…

1. October is Mental Health Month. The Vineyard Haven Public Library is observing the month with a display case featuring information about organizations helping individuals and families dealing with mental illness, as well as a list of suggested reading materials. As part of its month-long programming, the library will screen “Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness,” tonight at 7 p.m. 2. In order to make way for tonight’s mental health program, the Vineyard Haven Public Library has rescheduled its screening of “Reading Me Differently.” A new date has not yet been announced. 3. Adult and …

1. The Tisbury School is hosting a Harvest Festival from 3 to 5 p.m., featuring pumpkin decorating, hay rides, face painting, apple bobbing, sack races, door prizes and more. 2. Watch out for runners on East Chop, or join in the fun if you’re so inclined. The annual Columbus Day Road Race starts  at 10:30 a.m. with a fun run; a 5K Road Race begins at 11 a.m.. Registration takes place at the Wesley Hotel and costs $20. 3. Don’t miss out on the final day of Featherstone Center for the Arts’ Art of Chocolate Festival. Between noon and four p.m., you can sample some of the Island’s tastiest …

1. Want to be come a bone marrow donor? Stop by the Oak Bluffs Public Library between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., when the library is hosting a donor drive. A simple cheek swap is all that is needed to have your name added to the list. 2. Martha’s Vineyard Community Services’ CONNECT To End Violence is sponsoring hosting its annual Domestic Violence Awareness Walk at 10:30 a.m. The walk will begin at the Triangle in Edgartown. Be sure to bring a friend! 3. The Tisbury Business Association is celebrating Columbus Day weekend with a sidewalk sale and great deals on Main Street in Vineyard Haven from…

1. Today, pizza is good for the heart. From 5 to 9 p.m., stop by Flatbread Company for live music, pizza and raffle prizes; a portion of all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross. 2. Got milk? The Grey Barn does. The Chilmark dairy will lead a cow-milking demonstration from 10 to 11 a.m., and guide you through the operations of an organic farm that boasts the largest renewable energy installation on Martha’s Vineyard. 3. The West Tisbury Library is holding a fall reading series, showcasing members of the Martha’s Vineyard Writers’ Residency, at 5:30 p.m. 4. ACE MV will hold an …

1. The Chilmark Free Public Library will screen the second of a four part BBC series that chronicles attempts to restore a working farm and gardens at the famous English castle Sissinghurst. 2. The Vineyard Haven Public Library will host Dan Waters and Michael West as they present Two Poets, Their Poems and their Guitars, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. A reception will follow the performance. 3. The Princes Poo-Poo-Ly Band will lead a sing-along with harmonica and ukulele at the Tisbury Senior Center at 1:30 p.m. Pineapple refreshments will be served afterward. 4. Sandra Whitehouse, senior advisor with …

1. Walk-in registration for ACE MV fall classes will take place at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School from 4 to 6 p.m. 2. Flatbread Company is hosting a dine-to-donate fundraiser for the First Congregational Church in West Tisbury. A portion of proceeds will support a capital campaign to restore the historic church building. 3. Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School principal Steve Nixon will host Principal Coffee, an informal conversation with parents and members of the community, from 8 to 9:15 a.m. in the high school library conference room. 4. The Vineyard Haven Public Library will …