Community Corner

Kicking off the Season in Oak Bluffs

The Oak Bluffs Association presents double-header events, Harbor Fest and a Summer Solstice celebration, to welcome summer 2011.

The Oak Bluffs Association (OBA) will celebrate the arrival of the summer season with double-header events this Saturday, June 18 that culminate in fireworks over .

From noon to 5 p.m. the OBA will present Harbor Fest, an eclectic annual day of live music, food, local vendors and even a Faerie Festival. Immediately afterward, it will segue into a Summer Solstice celebration, featuring a parade, outdoor dining and a rare opportunity to see fireworks on the Island in the month of June.

"It's going to be a full day of events," said Terry McCarthy, board member of the OBA. 

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"It's the 20th [Harbor Fest]. It's always been successful, and this one looks like it's going to be the best one yet,” McCarthy said.

Approximately 55 vendors from near and far, including artists, craftsmen, food and beverage purveyors and non-profits, will be in attendance at Harbor Fest, said McCarthy. “[It’s] "probably the biggest number of vendors we've had.”

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Vendors will be joined by a rotating line-up of musicians, who will perform at . The Beetlebung Steel Band will kick things off from noon to 2 p.m., followed by Phil “PhillyD” daRosa from 2 to 3 p.m. and Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish from 3 to 5 p.m. The Rick Bausman Trio will perform at an open house at Conroy’s Apothecary from 4 to 6 p.m.

At 5 p.m. the OBA will switch gears and commence its celebration of the summer solstice. The event, now in its sixth year, also welcomes the summer season, and will do so in a most unusual way—with a parade of faeries and antique roadsters down Circuit Ave.

The busy road be closed from 4 to 11 p.m. to accommodate outdoor dining and live music, including a performance by Entrain at 9:45 p.m.

For the first time in two years, the OBA will present a fireworks display at 9:15 p.m. Weather permitting, the fireworks will be set off from a barge next to the Steamship Authority dock.

In the event of rain, both Harbor Fest and the Summer Solstice celebration will be rescheduled for Sunday, June 19.


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