Through West Tisbury you transition from down to up Island. This town’s pride is its agricultural past and present. The citizens are agriculture, horticulture, and land conservation activists. They set a high hurdle for other commercial activity, yet unlike Chilmark, West Tisbury does host sizeable commercial centers; and the town is accessible, a healthy bike from the ferry.
The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair, or Ag Fair, is the town’s major entertainment, farm culture, and arts event. Held in August at the new Ag Hall, it's a highlight of every year.
The Ag Society goes back to 1859. Throughout the summer, the 19th century Grange Hall at the village center hosts artisan festivals, a farmer’s market, and other events weekly. Around these parts, "buy local" isn't a political slogan, it's a way of life.
Nearby, the Field Gallery and 150-year-old Alley’s General Store are integral to the town’s rural past and present culture. The Polly Hill Arboretum is an Island horticultural and botanical landmark. Traveling like Jack Kerouac? The Hostel toward the airport is authentically Vineyard, a great resource, and spacious homestead gifted years ago by Islanders.
Sure, a few years back, the Island's farmers and artisans may have been labeled "hippies." But Vineyarders aren't big on labels, and neither are we. West Tisbury is a quintessential New England town that also embodies the Island's unique DIY aesthetic.