SHARKS GO BIG BIG GUYS, BIG HEARTS TO MARKET, TO MARKET FISH, FLOWERS, AND FINDS

Defending their New England Collegiate Baseball League championship title, the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks will meet the North Shore Navigators at the Vineyard Baseball Park — a.k.a. the Shark Tank — to open the season on June 7. With a roster of “big guys with big bats and big arms,” according to sportswriter Aaron Wilson, the team hopes to reinforce its potent offense.

New this summer: The team will host a series of charity nights, including a veterans’ night, a Pride night, and a night to benefit The Island Autism Center. Last summer’s addition of a beer garden will be back, so fans can look forward to the perfect summer trifecta of burgers, beer and baseball. For more information, visit mvsharks.com.

Returning this summer for its 49th season, the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market will be welcoming five new and former vendors. Selling veggies, Island Autism Group will make its debut appearance, and Whippoorwill Farm will return after a year-long hiatus. In the flower department, bouquets from Vineyard Landscape Design will be for sale, and Morning Glory Farm will spin off a second stand just for their flowers. Seafood caught by local fishermen will be for sale at the Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative booth.

The Saturday market opens on June 10 at 9 a.m., followed by the first Wednesday market on June 14 at 9 a.m. The Saturday market runs through October 28; the Wednesday market through August 30.

Looking for a beautiful spot to launch your kayak this summer? Good news: The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank has completely rebuilt the recreational dock on northern Duarte’s Pond at the Blackwater Pond Reservation in West Tisbury. Park at the trailhead off 100 Lambert’s Cove Road.

Juneteenth Jubilee Weekend

June 16 – 19, 2023

This year’s Vineyard celebration of Juneteenth – the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Americans – will be a packed, three-day holiday weekend of speakers and events with the theme of Free as the Wind, celebrating escapes on the high seas. In addition to the highlights at right, visit vineyardgazette.com/Juneteenth for a full calendar of events and the latest updates.

The schooner Amistad, a replica of the ship that became famous after a group of enslaved Africans led a successful revolt and won their freedom in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1841, will drop anchor on the Island on Friday, June 16. It will be open to the public on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A Word of Advice

Sunny June days are perfect for cycling, and Jon Malone of Edgartown Bikes has some tips to keep your bike — and yourself — in working order:

“Make sure your brakes work well, keep a lubed-up chain and move off to the side to check for directions. Also, put your eyes where you want to go. That’s a good one for life too.”