Aquinnah: Summer takeout options

0

We have been blessed with some glorious summer weather of late. While our gardens need rain, nearly every day has been a beach day if you are lucky enough to be able to go. The waves were intense at Philbin over the weekend, with many surfers coming out to ride and anxious parents gathering at the shore watching their children play in the waves. Clyde Smith made good use of the wind on the pond on Sunday, practicing his windsurfing skills. Juli Vanderhoop took a break from working to hang out with her daughter, Ella, who is here for about a week. Billie Diamond has been spotted around town with her mother, who is incredibly happy to have her here for a bit.

Usually this time of year there are many events to write about, and many options for food and drink, but this year is far from usual. If events are happening at all, they are happening online or at an extreme physical distance. The lighthouse is closed, the Aquinnah Shop is doing takeout with limited seating, while Cliffhanger’s is not open yet and the Orange Peel Bakery Café is closed for the season. Some places in town are open, including most of the shops at the Cliffs, the Orange Peel Bakery, the Outermost Inn, and the aforementioned Aquinnah Shop. The Orange Peel Bakery is not hosting pizza night, but you can get pizza on Tuesday and Saturday from noon to 3 pm. Chilmark Tavern is doing great takeout dinner Thursday through Monday night, so even though there are not many things to go out to, you can still be well-fed.

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival is partnering with the YMCA and hosting a drive-in behind the ice arena. I went this past weekend, and it was a lot of fun to sit in the bed of a truck and watch a movie outside. Since every second spot in the lot was empty due to physical distancing, there isn’t a bad seat in the lot in terms of viewing. It’s a long drive for us up-Islanders, but worth it to be part of a live audience again. Go to tmvff.org for the schedule and ticket information.

Pathways Arts meets every Tuesday night online for its Writers’ Evening. The next one is July 21 at 7 pm; if you would like to participate but aren’t sure what material to share, there is an optional prompt: How Are You Feeling? You are encouraged to write about your feelings during this time of pandemic, political/social unrest, election year, etc. Go to pathwaysmv.org for the Zoom link, and for information on posting art, and seeing past projects. You can also call, at 508-645-9098.

The Martha’s Vineyard Author Series will host four virtual events this summer. The first one will be “A Conversation with Author Sarah Broom,” with Thelma Golden, on Thursday, July 30, at 7:30 pm. Sarah Broom is the author of “The Yellow House,” which won a National Book Award for nonfiction in 2019, and just came out in paperback. Thelma Golden is the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem. To register for all events, go to crowdcast.io/mvauthorseries. Each event will be held on Crowdcast and live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube. People can ask questions through Crowdcast. Full program details and instructions on using Crowdcast are at mvbookfestival.com.

Happy birthday to Juli Vanderhoop, who celebrates on Sunday, and to Susan Shea, who celebrates on Monday.

If you have any Aquinnah Town Column suggestions, email Molly Purves, mlpurves@yahoo.com.