Festival Weekend In Oak Bluffs

We love OB and we are quite comfortable spending 4-5 weekends a season over there.

This year, we canceled an early May trip and Memorial Day Weekend was a total washout.

But beginning with our trip to Newport on June 4, we’ve enjoyed great summer weather throughout New England.

With the Coop de Ville Band On The Boat on Sunday, we were going to make it to OB this time no matter what. Mrs. Horne’s sister Paula joined us for the second festival weekend in a row.

We left Onset early Friday for blue skies and calm seas inside the canal.

But once we entered Buzzards Bay we hit 15 knot winds and 3’ chop.

The ride was fine, but that did mean an hour of cleaning in offshore winds in front of the lunch diners on the boardwalk.

We wrapped it up around 12:30 and headed to the Lookout for lunch.

It was crowded, but we got three seats at the bar.

We went straight to our favorites for our first visit of the season.

**GRILLED JUMBO HOT DOG – $18.95**
Dietz & Watson mild all beef hot dog served on a buttered & arilled brioche hot doa roll w/ fries

**CHEESEBURGER – $21.95**
w/American, Bacon, fresh, Lean Angus Beef on a Potato Roll w/ Lettuce, Tomato, Onion & Pickle, w/ Sweet Potatoes Fries

Our lunch was perfectly executed beach cuisine, not fancy, just good! After years in exile, I have returned The Lookout to the top of my list of lunch venues in Oak Bluffs.

It offers a huge menu with literally every dish one could imagine – including sushi and an oceanfront vibe and scenery that really doesn’t exist anywhere else in the village.

Happy Juneteenth!

Before Friday, I always thought that Juneteenth was just another excuse for government workers to get a paid vacation day.

But as I walked the streets of OB, I learned better.

Did you know that Oak Bluffs has been considered the Black Summer Mecca of Martha’s Vineyard for over a century?

“In 1912, Charles Shearer—the son of an enslaved woman and an enslaver—opened the first Black inn in the Oak Bluffs neighborhood. This was a time when discrimination and racial segregation ran rampant across the United States, and Black travelers had limited options on safe places they could stay overnight during vacation. Shearer Inn became the go-to summer haven for middle and upper class Black families, as the Harlem Renaissance and other Black economic booms took place. Year after year, the area would be filled with the Black elite, business owners and more as they traveled to Inkwell Beach, aka “The Inkwell,” for their own version of fun in the sun—a true display of Black joy personified.” – Ebony Magazine

On Friday, Circuit Ave was full of proud black visitors displaying Juneteenth garb and celebrating their new holiday!

I finally got it!

Dockside “Room Service”

The girls decided they just wanted to hang out on the boat for dinner. Lobsterville is gone and it’s been replaced by a new restaurant called Jetty Beach House.

Whereas Lobsterville was rather similar to the other restaurants on Dickside, the Jetty is more of an upscale venue.

Mrs. Horne was watching the food being served on the patio and they both decided they wanted a bowl of chowder for dinner.

I went out on the back deck and waved to the hostess. She came over and I asked if I could order “room service.”

She said: “Sure, what do you want?”

I ordered two bowls of chowder and they were promptly delivered directly to the boat…

The girls loved it and based on my meager taste, I’d say it was on par with the MV Chowder Company (which appears to have closed).

I then ordered my room service dish from the Coop de Ville…

We decided to head over to Edgartown for the first time this season and visit Jaryl at The Atlantic.

Mrs. Horne loves the bus, especially since it’s now free. Personally, I liked it better when it was $2. On this late June Saturday, the line was twenty minutes long and everyone on the bus was packed in like sardines.

Jaryl had a rare day off, but in his place was a new guy…

Cisco fits right in with Jaryl and Vlad. A great bartender, attentive server, and a smooth wise guy!

Of course, I began with the most flavor-packed sandwich on earth!

The girls split the Lobster Croissant and Fries…

**The Atlantic Lobster Croissant – $34**

The massive bowl of fries is a must-order dish. They are perfectly hot and crispy. I love the size – bigger than shoestring, but still rather thin.

But be advised, this is a huge bowl of fries!

Given the morning bus crowds and delays, we took Uber back and spent the afternoon lounging on the Skydeck.

We were quite comfortable, but the 15 knot winds on Friday were now approaching gale force…

Paula and Mrs. Horne love starting conversations with people passing by – as the sign at Mattapoisett Boat Yard has long said…

Although this is generally true everywhere, it seems especially true for us in OB.

A year ago, we were having lunch at the Atlantic and we made friends with a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary – Lori and Mike. We invited them back at to the boat several times and finally met up for dinner at Sweet Life Saturday night.

We were very impressed when Lori showed us the earings she’d bought recently in Carmel. My daughter Natalie has a shop their that sells some of designer jewelry.

We first discovered Sweet Life last fall. Each dish is a work of art with strong, yet distinctive flavors.

**DUCK LIVER MOUSSE – $26**
apricot mostarda, endive, parmesan, focaccia

**FLUKE CRUDO – $26**
pear-pinenut puree, ginger oil, urfa chili, fennel, mint

**LOCAL GREEN SALAD – $22**
pear, celery, candied nuts, tahini-ramp vinaigrette

**ROASTED BEETS – $26**
endive, hazelnuts, dill, black garlic

**SUNCHOKES – $24**
fennel, hedgehog mushrooms, coffee, charred cabbage

**PAPPARDELLE DUCK CONFIT – $25**
rabbit confit, cranberries, maitakes, almonds

**MONKFISH – $48**
fava beans, bok choy, coconut curried cauliflower, black rice

**GNOCCHI – $25**
pancetta, cremini mushrooms, smoked
creme fraiche, lardo, crispy shallots

After dinner we all enjoyed a leisurely stroll through town…

Fathers Day 2026

We have traditionally been on Nantucket every Father’s Day going back to 2018, so celebrating my big day on Martha’s Vineyard would be different.

With the port tie-up at Dockside, it would be virtually impossible to get our eBikes on and off, but I wanted to start with some exercise, so I decided to walk to the Farm Neck Cafe for lunch.

It’s a little over 2 miles, but by cutting through the cottages behind Summer Camp, it’s quite pleasant.

Farm Neck Cafe

This was our second visit to Farm Neck for lunch and it’s a very nice change of pace on MV.

It has a substantial golf house menu and everything is perfectly prepared.

**Black Pepper Brisket Pastrami (half) – $21**
Swiss Cheese, Spicy Brown Mustard, Griddled Jewish Rye

**Farm Neck Burger – $25**
House Blend Dry-Aged Beef, LTOP, Cheese, Griddled Potato Bun

Band On The Boat

I cannot thank Petey, Mike Benjamin, Jody, Brad, and the rest of the band enough for creating this incredible afternoon event on the Oak Bluffs waterfront.

I have managed to land the docking spot directly in front of the boat for the last few shows.