Thanksgiving 2018 on Martha’s Vineyard

Photo: Peter Simon

Thanksgiving this year is November 22nd, and the best place to celebrate this holiday is definitely on Martha’s Vineyard. Gather the family on this holiday and come together to celebrate the island, its food, and the community. Our list of suggestions takes you from start to finish: where to stay, what to do, and where to eat, whether you’re planning on eating out at a restaurants or ordering some key items for takeout and cooking the rest yourself, so we hope you find this a helpful guide to Thanksgiving 201 on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. ​

Photo of the Charlotte Inn

Where To Stay
Deciding where to stay on island depends on how many people are in your party. For smaller friends and family groups, we recommend booking a few rooms at a local inn or hotel, so you can all stay together in one location, while at the same time having a bit more privacy. For larger groups and families, we suggest contacting any of the local island real estate companies and renting a house for the weekend - it’s the ideal situation if you’re planning on cooking Thanksgiving dinner together or having a private chef come in and cook for you. We’ve listed both inns and real estate companies to get you started on your search!
 
Hob Knob, Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa
The Charlotte Inn
Dockside Inn
Nobnocket Boutique Inn
Mansion House Inn
Real Estate Companies on Martha's Vineyard that can help you find a house rental for Thanksgiving are listed here.

Photo: Peter Simon

What To Do
The weekend of Thanksgiving is packed with tons of activities on Martha’s Vineyard, but we wanted to showcase just a few that are going to be fun for the entire family! Check out the Vineyard Gazette Calendar for more updates on happenings.
 
Vineyard Artisans Annual Thanksgiving Weekend Festival: This holiday art show by Islanders, features many holiday gifts such as one of a kind winter handmade sweaters, soaps, Island lavender, and fine crafts including leather and vintage material bags, wood butcher block cutting boards, and so much more. A parking fee is for the Vineyard Artisans Scholarship Fund, which awards several scholarships to graduating MV High School students for studies in the Arts each year.Felix Neck Fall Festival: Join us for our 37th Annual Fall Festival. This celebration of fall is a Vineyard tradition held the day after Thanksgiving. With hayrides, face-painting, live music, food, crafts for kids, live animals and trail walks there is something for everyone and fun to be had by the whole family.
 
West Tisbury Farmers’ Market: Indoor farmers market features locally grown produce and meat and locally made products. The market is dedicated to bringing local agricultural products to the people both living on and visiting the Island. The market was started in 1974 by a group of Island growers. That first year they had about a dozen farmers selling their produce.
 
Where To Eat Dinner on Thanksgiving Night
Treating yourself and your family and friends to dinner out on the town is a great way to connect with them and relax all through the night! There’s no pressure to cook or clean up, so it’s a win-win situation for everyone. Below are just a few of the restaurants offering Thanksgiving dinner this year:
 
L’etoile (dinner served 1-6:30pm)
Lucky Hank’s (dinner served 11am-5pm)
Garde East
Sharky’s Cantina (regular menu with holiday specials)
The Black Dog Tavern (buffet seatings at 12 noon, 2pm, and 4pm)
The Cardboard Box
 
Where to Order Takeout Dinner, Sides, and Desserts
Want the restaurant relaxed feeling but don’t want to leave your rental home? Just put in orders for the food, pick up and bring home! You don’t even have to change into fancy holiday clothes if you don’t want to!
 
The Black Shop Bakery Cafe (deadline November 17th by 2pm)
Black Sheep Mercantile (deadline by November 16th at 4pm)
7a Foods
The Black Dog Bakery Cafe
Cakes by Liz
The Chappy Kitchen
Kitchen Porch
Morning Glory Farm (deadline November 19th by 4:30pm)
Orange Peel Bakery
Pie Chicks
The Scottish Bakehouse
Soigne
 
Where to Order Turkeys
This is a short list of spots on island that offer turkeys (cooked and/or uncooked) to bring home and have dinner at home.
The Larder Market
Morning Glory Farm
Edgartown Meat and Fish Market
Reliable Market