As July Fourth celebrations took place around the Island over the weekend, so did a Vineyard tradition that lifts up the words and legacy of Frederick Douglass, the famed orator, abolitionist and former slave.

Music and cheers were heard across Edgartown on Friday afternoon as the 181st annual Fourth of July parade wound its way through town.

The Vineyard Preservation Trust celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. Its half-century milestone will include celebrations and reflections on how the Trust came to be and where it’s going.

New, as well as returning local artists, makers and farmers, are back at their stations at the Edgartown Village Market this summer.

Festivities begin at Inkwell Beach for the Polar Bear swim, a gathering of community and baptism in the waters of Vineyard Sound.