November 27, 2024 • 23 mins
I think it’s fascinating how many beautiful and exciting places there are right in our own backyards that many of us have never seen. This podcast has opened my eyes up to so many things around where I live in Baltimore Maryland. I’ve lived in Maryland for the last 17 years and I’ve had conversations through this podcast about places in this state that I’ve never even seen. I can’t help but think about all of the wonderful things I’ve been missing.
That’s also a feeling I had during this week’s conversation. I grew up in southern New Hampshire. I like to think that I hit up a lot of cool spots while I lived there. I used to snowboard all over New England, I spent a lot of time camping in the mountains, and always loved a trip to the beach. But there is on particular famous New England spot that I never made it to. That was Martha’s Vineyard.
It’s legendary, right? Martha’s Vineyard. It’s been in movies and TV shows and so many famous stars have homes there. It’s one of those places that almost doesn’t seem real. But it very much is. The Vineyard has a beautiful community of people that live there year round and provide such a wonderful experience to visitors.
I’m joined today by two guests who know Martha’s Vineyard inside and out. Erica Ashton is the executive director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and Alessandra Hagerty is the Deputy Director. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
That’s also a feeling I had during this week’s conversation. I grew up in southern New Hampshire. I like to think that I hit up a lot of cool spots while I lived there. I used to snowboard all over New England, I spent a lot of time camping in the mountains, and always loved a trip to the beach. But there is on particular famous New England spot that I never made it to. That was Martha’s Vineyard.
It’s legendary, right? Martha’s Vineyard. It’s been in movies and TV shows and so many famous stars have homes there. It’s one of those places that almost doesn’t seem real. But it very much is. The Vineyard has a beautiful community of people that live there year round and provide such a wonderful experience to visitors.
I’m joined today by two guests who know Martha’s Vineyard inside and out. Erica Ashton is the executive director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and Alessandra Hagerty is the Deputy Director. I hope you enjoy our conversation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Erica Ashton, the executive director from Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce,
and Alessandra Haggerty, the Deputy director for the Martha's Vineyard Chamber
of Commerce. Great to meet you both.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Great to meet E Jeff. Thank you so much for
having us.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yeah, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I have a very sad confession to make, and it's
that I grew up in southern New Hampshire and I've
never been to the Vineyard before.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well you have an official invitation now, well here to.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Change your mind.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
It's one of those places that, like growing up, you
hear about it all the time, but it just wasn't
like on our radar. For whatever reason. I think it
was just far enough out of our driving reach for
my parents with three kids that they were just like,
all right, it didn't happen. So I'm so embarrassed now
as an adult that I still have not made my
way there.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
There's so many opportunities to come visit us, especially at
the holidays, and then next year we have a huge
event coming on. You might have heard of a little
movie called Jaws. It's the fiftieth anniversary of the release
date on June twentieth.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Oh my gosh, fifty years. Well, I think it's funny.
I was just talking to a friend of mine because
that movie still comes up as one of the top
ten scariest movies ever. And look, I was terrified of
it when I was a kid, but you watch it
now and it's funny, like how technology has changed so
much over fifty years. Like I'm like, boy, that shark
couldn't look any less real, could it. Yeah, but I'm
(01:18):
sure you're gonna have some cool stuff to talk about
with that. We'll dive into that, but first, like, let's
get the let's get the elevator pitch, Like, tell me
about Martha's Vineyard.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
So, Martha's Vineyard is a beautiful coastal New England Island.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's right off Cape Cod.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
You can visit here year round, so it's known for
its beautiful beaches. There are six island towns that all
really have different aspects to them, but it's again year
round that you can come here and it's a beautiful
place for people to visit.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
What's your favorite thing, is Alessandra stalking talking right now?
What's your favorite thing about Martha's Vineyard?
Speaker 5 (01:49):
I think for me absolutely the beaches, I'm a beach
girl at heart, so being able to drive out to
the beach and you know, spend the day there with
my family. We do bring our dog out with us.
It's really a nice, a good perk for living here.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Are you a native? I find when I talk to
people in these roles that a lot of people are
from the areas where they're now working and promoting. So
I'm kind of curious about you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, I am not a native.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
I actually grew up in North Jersey, so I would
come to Martha's Vineyard in the summers. My family had
a home here, I'd come in the summer. I worked
as a waitress at different restaurants throughout college. And then
my husband is from here, so he's born and raised
and we actually lived down in you were neck of
the Woods.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
We were in Washington, d C.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
For a bit and then ended up just moving back
here about ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So I've been year round for ten years, Erica.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
How about you? What brought you to this position?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, I grew up coming here.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I grew up in Connecticut, and as a small child,
I think starting at six years old, I would come
up and visit family, friends and stay on the Island,
and I knew that my heart really lived on Martha's
Vineyard because when I would take the ferry home, I
would cry, I would get my last chowder, I would
look around and I would absolutely be in tears, and
I just knew that maybe I'm part mermaid.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But I just had to come back.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
So I spent some time about twenty years actually in
Chicago working in media, and then in twenty nineteen moved
to the island full time.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
And you're just you're You're not looking back now.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
You're like, I'm here, I'm here, I'm working here, I'm
living here. I'm really, you know, enjoying being part of
this really fantastic business community. People will come to Martha's
Vineyard and a common story will, oh, I came for
a vacation, I never left. And I think that that's
really cool, because there's something that's this indescribable pixie dust
(03:32):
about the island that people.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Don't want to leave and then they end up staying
forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I think that pixie dust comment is interesting because I
do think for people outside of New England, there's a
loure to Martha's Vineyard, Like I do think that like
for people that grow up there. It's a great place
to vacation. You pop in, you check it out. But
like outside of it, in other parts of the US,
there's this this folklore of Martha's Vineyard, Like what this
place really means. You hear about it in movies, you
read about it, and you know in bios of people
(03:59):
that have you know, the rich and famous over time,
Like there is something special about this place.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I also think that you know, people really like coming
here because you're not going to see the typical McDonald's
and pfc's. Everything is really, you know, all about you know,
local businesses, and that's what we're here to do, is
to support those local businesses and bring people and talk
about our love of the island to bring people here
because that just helps support the local economy.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Yeah. I think that's also something cool because it is
a place, like I said, that everybody's probably heard about
at one point, But you're right, that doesn't have all
of the things that you would imagine a tourist place
would have, like it still has that small town feel
absolutely Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
And I think also too, you have to take a
boat or a plane to get here. You can't just
you know, drive over a bridge and get to those
you know, CBS target whatever it is. So it does
make it feel very magical when you're here because you
can really unplug and enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Absolutely, hearing you talk about it is making even more
embarrassed that I have not been there yet. But you're
coming out of the summer season. You're getting into a
whole new season. And look, Martha's Vineyard doesn't close down
because summer is over. Beaches maybe one of the big draws,
but you guys have a lot of things going on
throughout the year. So what are we got coming up
here in November and into the Christmas season.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
That's exactly right. I mean, we are known for the beaches.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Is beautiful here in the summer, but both of us
live year round and for a reason. Right now we're
heading into a beautiful time, which is the holiday season
that will kick off on November thirtieth. Is our first
true holiday event, which is with the Oak Bluffs Association.
They do something called light Up oak Bluffs and it's
I mean, again quaint New England, small town feel. People
(05:40):
gather at Oak Bluffs at Healey Square and they do
a Christmas tree lighting there. It's beautiful, there's hot chocolate,
it's really everybody you know get gathers and it's fantastic.
After Oak Bluffs, then Vineyard Haven comes in for the
next weekend, which is great. They've kind of staggered because
again there's multiple towns here staggered the event. So no
(06:01):
matter what weekend you decide to come, there's really something
magical going on. So Vineyard Haven will have a whole
weekend of activities. We're actually doing at the Black Dog Tavern.
They have a campus. We're doing a Christmas tree lighting
there called the Giving Tree, where people can actually have
their own seashells and decorate them, put them on the tree,
and a portion of those proceeds are going to the
(06:22):
Red Stocking Fund, which is a local.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Charity here, and the Island Food Pantry.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Also in Vinyard Haven they have horse drawn carriage rides,
hot chocolate.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
So the whole thing will be going on. And then
the third weekend do you want to talk about Christmas
and anywhere? Now?
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Christmas Edgartown is really a cherished holiday tradition. It's been
going on for over forty years. I think this is
the forty third anniversary, and so it's chock full of
a parade where Santa comes. People will gather at the
Eggertown Lighthouse where they do a lighting.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
There's carollers.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
All of the hotels and the bed and Breakfast open
their doors and welcome people in. There are a ton
of artists and craft fairs, there's an outside market.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
The Eggertown Border Trade really does a great.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Job and organizing these events, and we're excited to be
part of the.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Parade this year.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
We're going to bring our dogs, we're going to decorate
our jeep, and we're going to be throwing out candy
to all the kids to gather.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Oh I love that. I also was reading something about
Featherstone's twenty second annual Holiday Gift Show.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
Yeah, so that's exactly what you said. It's a holiday
gift show. It's a gathering of local artisans. So if
you're looking for a unique gift, something that's truly unique
to Martha's Vineyard, that is the place to go. The
artists here are unbelievable and so talented, so you can
find a wide variety of gifts there.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
It's a great way to bring sort of that island
spirit back home with you.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yeah, I do love that. I love a good I know,
and maybe it's because I'm getting older. When I was
a kid, you couldn't have paid me to go to
like craft shows. But now I'm like, well there is
something kind of cool about craft shows.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Things definitely change.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Absolutely, And you both mentioned that you live there, and
you you know the kind of the idea of like
you came to visit, but you stayed. And I know
that again, beaches are what a lot of people know
it for, they know summer vacations. But you're getting into
this whole new season. I feel like even the beaches
here in Maryland, every season has its own different charm
to it. So do you guys get excited for the change.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Absolutely. I think it's just, you know, it's so much fun.
I'm also a beach girl, but you know, just I'll
say it's sweater weather. It's just so fun to have
that change. Even my dog who's here today, eleanor Rigby,
is in her own sweater. There's something nice about how
beautifully clean and crispy air is at this time of year.
There's tons of biking trails and hiking trails across the island.
(08:40):
So it's just a different change of pace as well
at this time of year, and I think we're really excited.
I think I'm feeling the most festive I have in
many years, just because we're part of the community and
we're leading the charge on a lot of new new
programs and initiatives, and so I'm really feeling that sort
of nostalgia of being a kid and waking up in
Christmas and I'm really excited to be a part of
(09:02):
it and decorate the chamber this year and be a
part of the community.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And I have to say one of my favorite things
is seeing snow on the beach.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
I think that is just the most amazing thing, you know,
you see it coming down, the way it hits the sand,
It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, my grandfather lived in Hampton, New Hampshire, so we
spent a lot of time at the beach. And while
you know, in New England, I'm not going to lie
the winters on the beach can be rough at times,
there is still something beautiful about a cold day walking
along the beach, seeing like the little ice forming along
the coastline or the shoreline. I mean, it's just there
really is something beautiful about that.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, it's really great too, because you can, you know,
take your the tires down and just go, you know,
and go out onto the beach, even on a you know,
on a cold winter day, and it's absolutely breathtaking. The
whole island really transforms into a winter wonderland. It's it's
very Dickens meets Hallmark Channel in terms of how unique
(09:55):
our island is.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
As I mentioned before, I haven't been there personally, but
everything that I've heard about it seems that the people
that live there also really own it, but also respect
and understand how important tourism is to the community. Because
I know there's a lot of communities that you know,
kind of turn their nose up at tourists, you know,
like this is our town. But it feels like Martha's
Vineyard respects it, understands it, and they still own that
(10:16):
relationship with the tourists.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, I think people you know who live here are
genuinely kind.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
They welcome the tourists.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
I mean I think you know, at the height of
it in July and August, it gets a little hairy
with traffic, so there might be some grumbling, but in general,
I mean the tourists that come here that they really
you know, provide economic vitality for the local businesses. So
tourists are important, and you know, we just we just
have a symbiotic relationship, you know, as we move forward
(10:45):
with the tourists that come, and you know that part
of our job is to make sure that the tourists
keep coming and that people understand the beauty that's here
on the island. And we welcome all people from all
over the US but also internationally to come visit.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
We also have a lot of seasonal residence, so while
we're here year round, we do have people that come
you know through you know, May through the end of
the holidays. So we always welcome our seasonal residence and
they're part of the community as well.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, and it also feels like that it doesn't matter,
you know, what wealth status you might be on, the
people that do live there seem to be all a
part of the community. You don't have people that are
you know, on one status is being like, no, I'm
not going to be a part of this. Everybody still
kind of comes together.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
It feels, you know, it's.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Really interesting if someone's had any kind of you know,
tragedy in their family or a house burns down.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Really it's it's this really unique place where everyone kind
of knows each other and.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Everyone pitches in. They'll they'll do a GoFundMe or.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
They'll be you know, a spaghetti dinner at the local pa,
where people come in and really rally for the people.
It's all about, you know, lifting each other up, you know,
and the businesses support the businesses here, and you know,
the people are are pretty special.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It's it's almost like going back in time.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
You actually know your neighbor. You can go next door
and ask for a cup of sugar. You know, it's
this really same beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
What a novel idea, right, I had an experienced yesterday
at the time that we're recording this. I made a post.
This is a story that will take us off topic
for one second, but I posted on social media video
of my daughter playing the drum. She's three and a
half years old, at like a festival we were at.
She was just sitting at a drum kit for whatever reason,
and our neighbors saw it was like, we have a
(12:22):
drum kit in our basement We're never gonna use do
you want it? So now it's like sitting in our
living room because we have no place to put it.
But now she's got it, and there's just something like
it just got me thinking about that neighborly thing that
I don't I don't think we respect enough, like I
think it's so many of us live just our own
lives because life is busy, life is hard, it's crazy,
but it is nice to have that community around you
(12:42):
that can be there for you and step up when
you need it.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
Absolutely, Yeah, for sure, And that's the feel we get
here every day.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Tell me where people can go to find out more
information about Martha's Vineyard, where they can start playing their trip, like,
tell me more about that.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yeah, we'd encourage everyone who's listening to check out mvy
dot com, which is the Chambers web site. It really
houses all the information of where to stay, where to dine,
calendar of events, you know, questions about you know, how
to take the ferry, you know how to get.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Here in general.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
We're also going to be posting a lot more video
on the site that's very welcoming and giving opportunities to
kind of explore the local businesses and the events to come.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
How many people live on Martha's Vineyard, Like if you
had an estimate. Do you have like a population?
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Sure, I think it's around don't quote me, quote me,
but it's about eighteen thousand to.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Twenty thousand year round.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
And you know, we don't know the exact numbers, but
it can balloon up to close to two hundred thousand
in the summer.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So a real, a real difference.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That is wild to think about it. Again, these numbers
might not be perfectly exact, but like to think that
like full time residents at twenty thousand, but there are
times where it's two. I mean, that is a gigantic
difference of population. I think it's amazing you can even operate. Yeah,
all right, So we talked about something else that I
wanted to bring up, the black Dog because everybody has
(14:05):
those shirts and those hats and everything, and I was
hesitant to even bring it up earlier because I was like, wait,
I want to make sure is that Martha's Vineider is
at the Cape. I always confuse where the black Dog is,
but you mentioned it. That has become like a wild institution,
Like I see those shirts and hats everywhere here in Maryland.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Yeah, oh yeah, black Dog is total iconic. Martha's Vineyard brand.
We work very closely with them. They're absolutely fantastic. As
we mentioned, we're doing our tree lighting with them down
at their campus. So they have multiple locations here. Their
campus in Nyard Haven is right off the boat, so
it's a little bit bigger of an area where you
can have, you know, a tree in a whole event.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
But it's wild.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
I mean you see them everywhere in the airport internationally.
People come here and they know that that's the shirt
they want to get as that iconic Martha's Vineyard piece
to bring home. I actually that's my go to gift.
If a friend has a new baby, I will send
them a black dog onesie.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
In the mail.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
That's so fine and the black dog and then vineyard vines.
My wife always says she wants her entire wardrobe to
be vineyard vines because she wants people to think that
she lives on Martha's Vineyard.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
The founding store is in Eggertown and the owners I
believe are Ian and shep Ye and it's really a
flagship store and a destination. There are multiple locations throughout
the island. But that's another business that has really flourished
and has moved off Island, and I think it's pretty
iconic as well with that whale.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Before we talk about what's coming up, maybe in twenty
twenty five here you mentioned Jaws earlier, I do have
to ask have there been any Taylor Swift sidings. I mean,
we all heard those stories about Taylor and Martha's vineyard.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
She her best friend Abigail, which you may know from
one of her song lyrics, actually married a Islander. So
somebody from Martha's Vineyard and the wedding was here. So
I had an encounter. I first I tried to walk
by the church and theater did happen? It'stalker, you know,
it's Taylor Swift. So and then at one point she
did drive by in the car and my daughter, I
think was like three at the time. I was like,
(16:01):
Taylor's Swift is druebias. She had no idea, But now
she's this huge swifty and tells everyone that story.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So funny. My daughter just learned how to use our
Alexa in our house, so she's just all the all
the time Alexa play Taylor's Swift's every day in our house.
And she's almost four. So yeah, I'm in for it
for that too. All right, So twenty twenty five you mentioned.
One thing you mentioned is the fiftieth anniversary of Jaws,
and there's some stuff being planned for that. Do you
want to tell anything about that.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Yeah, we're very excited obviously, that is another iconic, you
know movie and the association with Martha's Vineyard. Fun fact
that my husband's grandfather was actually the doctor in Jaws.
Oh really, the one that says it was just a
boating accident.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
That's that's him.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So very exciting in our family. But we are really
happy to have people come here.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
The Jaws fans are coming. They're very excited. So the
actual fiftieth anniversary of the filming is June twentieth, so
that's anniversary Day. But what we're doing here on the
island is extend so you know, like the museum will
have exhibits that run from May to the end of
the summer, just to really make sure people that come
at any point during the season will be able to
experience what they have.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And then we have a planning committee started.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
With all of our local boards of trade just to
pin down the different events. We're probably gonna have things
like screenings of the movie. Places that fans can gather
to celebrate and you know, drive around and see all
the sites for the movie.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
That's so cool. And I know in the past there's
been Jaws screenings in Martha's Vineyard where it's like they
put it on the beach and people sit in the water,
Like is that. I just feel like that's a fascinating
thing but also terrifying thing at the savid time.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, there there is one that has happened down in
Vineyard Haven where there are in our tubes where people
watch the movie in the water. But I think the
most terrifying part is that there are people that are
on staff that are screening the movie that swim around
and shake the tubes when the music is really at
(17:56):
full crescendo, which is probably existing and terrifying all at
the same time. But the fans love it, and I
think there'll be more events like that during that weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
That sounds so cool. I mean, I can't even imagine
being on the way. I wouldn't even go to aquariums
for a long time after seeing that, because think it
was like Jaws two or three happened, like the shark
attacked in an aquarium. It's like that can happen, they
can attack the aquarium.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, I think that's what's really cool about the movie.
Everyone has their own experience with it, and there's so
much nostalgia around it, and there's you know a lot
of new fans, you know, people who watch those movies
with their parents or their grandparents, and you know, they
screen that movie pretty much year round here because it's
such an iconic movie, and you know, people love to
(18:41):
come here and find where the different houses were, where
the police chief was, and and go into you know Amity,
which is you know, Edgartown. So it's it's it's a
very cool experience, and I know that it's you know,
it's going to be a big event. You know, we're
trying to get some maybe potentially you know, able to
come over and do the musical score, and there's just
(19:03):
going to be some really cool things and we'll be
putting that on our website too. We'll have a Jaws
fiftieth splash page that we're just starting, so if people
are interested to learn more about what's happening about Jaws,
they can come along to our website and between now
in June, we'll have a full list of all the events.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love that. And the website again is mvy dot com.
All right, so we got Jaws on the agenda for
twenty twenty five. Anything else big coming up here in
the next few months.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Yeah, So right around Jaws, we celebrate Juneteenth on Martha's Vineyard.
It's an amazing celebration. If you haven't been to Martha's Vineyard,
this is an amazing time to come here. There are
festivals and celebrations, talks. The Vineyard Gazette does a fantastic
job doing a gospel brunch, so bringing in singers and
joining people together. So we're proud sponsors of that weekend
(19:49):
and it's a fabulous time to be here.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
If people were traveling up there, besides driving, if you're
going to fly in, would it be Boston. Would that
be the closest airport.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Yeah, so you can fly directly into the Vineyard. So
MVY is the airport here, so you can fly directly.
But also you could go to Boston, and then there's
opportunity once you're in Boston to either rent a vehicle
to travel down to one of the ferries, or you
could also hop on there's two buses that come down
to the Woodshole Terminal as well.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Oh that's awesome. Well, listen, you guys have been fantastic.
I love this conversation and I'm more embarrassed now twenty
minutes later that I haven't been there before, and we
might just have to try to make a trip up
there next summer and check things out.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We'll take you out for some lobster when we come
visit you. You cannot offer up some crafts, Erica.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
You have to say it right. You can't take me
out for lobster. You have to say it stuff. Thank you, lost,
Thank you very much, Thank you all right. Eric Ashton,
the executive director for Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and
Alessandra Hagerty, the deputy director, thank you both so much
for your time, and thank you for all the work
that you do up there.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate the time
Erica Ashton, the executive director from Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce,
and Alessandra Haggerty, the Deputy director for the Martha's Vineyard Chamber
of Commerce. Great to meet you both.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Great to meet E Jeff. Thank you so much for
having us.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Yeah, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
I have a very sad confession to make, and it's
that I grew up in southern New Hampshire and I've
never been to the Vineyard before.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well you have an official invitation now, well here to.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Change your mind.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
It's one of those places that, like growing up, you
hear about it all the time, but it just wasn't
like on our radar. For whatever reason. I think it
was just far enough out of our driving reach for
my parents with three kids that they were just like,
all right, it didn't happen. So I'm so embarrassed now
as an adult that I still have not made my
way there.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
There's so many opportunities to come visit us, especially at
the holidays, and then next year we have a huge
event coming on. You might have heard of a little
movie called Jaws. It's the fiftieth anniversary of the release
date on June twentieth.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Oh my gosh, fifty years. Well, I think it's funny.
I was just talking to a friend of mine because
that movie still comes up as one of the top
ten scariest movies ever. And look, I was terrified of
it when I was a kid, but you watch it
now and it's funny, like how technology has changed so
much over fifty years. Like I'm like, boy, that shark
couldn't look any less real, could it. Yeah, but I'm
(01:18):
sure you're gonna have some cool stuff to talk about
with that. We'll dive into that, but first, like, let's
get the let's get the elevator pitch, Like, tell me
about Martha's Vineyard.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
So, Martha's Vineyard is a beautiful coastal New England Island.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
It's right off Cape Cod.
Speaker 5 (01:30):
You can visit here year round, so it's known for
its beautiful beaches. There are six island towns that all
really have different aspects to them, but it's again year
round that you can come here and it's a beautiful
place for people to visit.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
What's your favorite thing, is Alessandra stalking talking right now?
What's your favorite thing about Martha's Vineyard?
Speaker 5 (01:49):
I think for me absolutely the beaches, I'm a beach
girl at heart, so being able to drive out to
the beach and you know, spend the day there with
my family. We do bring our dog out with us.
It's really a nice, a good perk for living here.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Are you a native? I find when I talk to
people in these roles that a lot of people are
from the areas where they're now working and promoting. So
I'm kind of curious about you.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Yeah, I am not a native.
Speaker 5 (02:10):
I actually grew up in North Jersey, so I would
come to Martha's Vineyard in the summers. My family had
a home here, I'd come in the summer. I worked
as a waitress at different restaurants throughout college. And then
my husband is from here, so he's born and raised
and we actually lived down in you were neck of
the Woods.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
We were in Washington, d C.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
For a bit and then ended up just moving back
here about ten years ago.
Speaker 3 (02:31):
So I've been year round for ten years, Erica.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
How about you? What brought you to this position?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Well, I grew up coming here.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
I grew up in Connecticut, and as a small child,
I think starting at six years old, I would come
up and visit family, friends and stay on the Island,
and I knew that my heart really lived on Martha's
Vineyard because when I would take the ferry home, I
would cry, I would get my last chowder, I would
look around and I would absolutely be in tears, and
I just knew that maybe I'm part mermaid.
Speaker 2 (02:58):
But I just had to come back.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
So I spent some time about twenty years actually in
Chicago working in media, and then in twenty nineteen moved
to the island full time.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
And you're just you're You're not looking back now.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
You're like, I'm here, I'm here, I'm working here, I'm
living here. I'm really, you know, enjoying being part of
this really fantastic business community. People will come to Martha's
Vineyard and a common story will, oh, I came for
a vacation, I never left. And I think that that's
really cool, because there's something that's this indescribable pixie dust
(03:32):
about the island that people.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Don't want to leave and then they end up staying
forever and ever.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
I think that pixie dust comment is interesting because I
do think for people outside of New England, there's a
loure to Martha's Vineyard, Like I do think that like
for people that grow up there. It's a great place
to vacation. You pop in, you check it out. But
like outside of it, in other parts of the US,
there's this this folklore of Martha's Vineyard, Like what this
place really means. You hear about it in movies, you
read about it, and you know in bios of people
(03:59):
that have you know, the rich and famous over time,
Like there is something special about this place.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
I also think that you know, people really like coming
here because you're not going to see the typical McDonald's
and pfc's. Everything is really, you know, all about you know,
local businesses, and that's what we're here to do, is
to support those local businesses and bring people and talk
about our love of the island to bring people here
because that just helps support the local economy.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Yeah. I think that's also something cool because it is
a place, like I said, that everybody's probably heard about
at one point, But you're right, that doesn't have all
of the things that you would imagine a tourist place
would have, like it still has that small town feel
absolutely Yeah.
Speaker 5 (04:40):
And I think also too, you have to take a
boat or a plane to get here. You can't just
you know, drive over a bridge and get to those
you know, CBS target whatever it is. So it does
make it feel very magical when you're here because you
can really unplug and enjoy the natural beauty of the island.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
Absolutely, hearing you talk about it is making even more
embarrassed that I have not been there yet. But you're
coming out of the summer season. You're getting into a
whole new season. And look, Martha's Vineyard doesn't close down
because summer is over. Beaches maybe one of the big draws,
but you guys have a lot of things going on
throughout the year. So what are we got coming up
here in November and into the Christmas season.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
That's exactly right. I mean, we are known for the beaches.
Speaker 5 (05:18):
Is beautiful here in the summer, but both of us
live year round and for a reason. Right now we're
heading into a beautiful time, which is the holiday season
that will kick off on November thirtieth. Is our first
true holiday event, which is with the Oak Bluffs Association.
They do something called light Up oak Bluffs and it's
I mean, again quaint New England, small town feel. People
(05:40):
gather at Oak Bluffs at Healey Square and they do
a Christmas tree lighting there. It's beautiful, there's hot chocolate,
it's really everybody you know get gathers and it's fantastic.
After Oak Bluffs, then Vineyard Haven comes in for the
next weekend, which is great. They've kind of staggered because
again there's multiple towns here staggered the event. So no
(06:01):
matter what weekend you decide to come, there's really something
magical going on. So Vineyard Haven will have a whole
weekend of activities. We're actually doing at the Black Dog Tavern.
They have a campus. We're doing a Christmas tree lighting
there called the Giving Tree, where people can actually have
their own seashells and decorate them, put them on the tree,
and a portion of those proceeds are going to the
(06:22):
Red Stocking Fund, which is a local.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Charity here, and the Island Food Pantry.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Also in Vinyard Haven they have horse drawn carriage rides,
hot chocolate.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
So the whole thing will be going on. And then
the third weekend do you want to talk about Christmas
and anywhere? Now?
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Christmas Edgartown is really a cherished holiday tradition. It's been
going on for over forty years. I think this is
the forty third anniversary, and so it's chock full of
a parade where Santa comes. People will gather at the
Eggertown Lighthouse where they do a lighting.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
There's carollers.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
All of the hotels and the bed and Breakfast open
their doors and welcome people in. There are a ton
of artists and craft fairs, there's an outside market.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
The Eggertown Border Trade really does a great.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
Job and organizing these events, and we're excited to be
part of the.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Parade this year.
Speaker 4 (07:13):
We're going to bring our dogs, we're going to decorate
our jeep, and we're going to be throwing out candy
to all the kids to gather.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Oh I love that. I also was reading something about
Featherstone's twenty second annual Holiday Gift Show.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
Yeah, so that's exactly what you said. It's a holiday
gift show. It's a gathering of local artisans. So if
you're looking for a unique gift, something that's truly unique
to Martha's Vineyard, that is the place to go. The
artists here are unbelievable and so talented, so you can
find a wide variety of gifts there.
Speaker 4 (07:41):
It's a great way to bring sort of that island
spirit back home with you.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yeah, I do love that. I love a good I know,
and maybe it's because I'm getting older. When I was
a kid, you couldn't have paid me to go to
like craft shows. But now I'm like, well there is
something kind of cool about craft shows.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Things definitely change.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Absolutely, And you both mentioned that you live there, and
you you know the kind of the idea of like
you came to visit, but you stayed. And I know
that again, beaches are what a lot of people know
it for, they know summer vacations. But you're getting into
this whole new season. I feel like even the beaches
here in Maryland, every season has its own different charm
to it. So do you guys get excited for the change.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Absolutely. I think it's just, you know, it's so much fun.
I'm also a beach girl, but you know, just I'll
say it's sweater weather. It's just so fun to have
that change. Even my dog who's here today, eleanor Rigby,
is in her own sweater. There's something nice about how
beautifully clean and crispy air is at this time of year.
There's tons of biking trails and hiking trails across the island.
(08:40):
So it's just a different change of pace as well
at this time of year, and I think we're really excited.
I think I'm feeling the most festive I have in
many years, just because we're part of the community and
we're leading the charge on a lot of new new
programs and initiatives, and so I'm really feeling that sort
of nostalgia of being a kid and waking up in
Christmas and I'm really excited to be a part of
(09:02):
it and decorate the chamber this year and be a
part of the community.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
And I have to say one of my favorite things
is seeing snow on the beach.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
I think that is just the most amazing thing, you know,
you see it coming down, the way it hits the sand,
It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, my grandfather lived in Hampton, New Hampshire, so we
spent a lot of time at the beach. And while
you know, in New England, I'm not going to lie
the winters on the beach can be rough at times,
there is still something beautiful about a cold day walking
along the beach, seeing like the little ice forming along
the coastline or the shoreline. I mean, it's just there
really is something beautiful about that.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Yeah, it's really great too, because you can, you know,
take your the tires down and just go, you know,
and go out onto the beach, even on a you know,
on a cold winter day, and it's absolutely breathtaking. The
whole island really transforms into a winter wonderland. It's it's
very Dickens meets Hallmark Channel in terms of how unique
(09:55):
our island is.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
As I mentioned before, I haven't been there personally, but
everything that I've heard about it seems that the people
that live there also really own it, but also respect
and understand how important tourism is to the community. Because
I know there's a lot of communities that you know,
kind of turn their nose up at tourists, you know,
like this is our town. But it feels like Martha's
Vineyard respects it, understands it, and they still own that
(10:16):
relationship with the tourists.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Yeah, I think people you know who live here are
genuinely kind.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
They welcome the tourists.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
I mean I think you know, at the height of
it in July and August, it gets a little hairy
with traffic, so there might be some grumbling, but in general,
I mean the tourists that come here that they really
you know, provide economic vitality for the local businesses. So
tourists are important, and you know, we just we just
have a symbiotic relationship, you know, as we move forward
(10:45):
with the tourists that come, and you know that part
of our job is to make sure that the tourists
keep coming and that people understand the beauty that's here
on the island. And we welcome all people from all
over the US but also internationally to come visit.
Speaker 5 (10:58):
We also have a lot of seasonal residence, so while
we're here year round, we do have people that come
you know through you know, May through the end of
the holidays. So we always welcome our seasonal residence and
they're part of the community as well.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Yeah, and it also feels like that it doesn't matter,
you know, what wealth status you might be on, the
people that do live there seem to be all a
part of the community. You don't have people that are
you know, on one status is being like, no, I'm
not going to be a part of this. Everybody still
kind of comes together.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
It feels, you know, it's.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Really interesting if someone's had any kind of you know,
tragedy in their family or a house burns down.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
You know.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Really it's it's this really unique place where everyone kind
of knows each other and.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Everyone pitches in. They'll they'll do a GoFundMe or.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
They'll be you know, a spaghetti dinner at the local pa,
where people come in and really rally for the people.
It's all about, you know, lifting each other up, you know,
and the businesses support the businesses here, and you know,
the people are are pretty special.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It's it's almost like going back in time.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
You actually know your neighbor. You can go next door
and ask for a cup of sugar. You know, it's
this really same beautiful place.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
What a novel idea, right, I had an experienced yesterday
at the time that we're recording this. I made a post.
This is a story that will take us off topic
for one second, but I posted on social media video
of my daughter playing the drum. She's three and a
half years old, at like a festival we were at.
She was just sitting at a drum kit for whatever reason,
and our neighbors saw it was like, we have a
(12:22):
drum kit in our basement We're never gonna use do
you want it? So now it's like sitting in our
living room because we have no place to put it.
But now she's got it, and there's just something like
it just got me thinking about that neighborly thing that
I don't I don't think we respect enough, like I
think it's so many of us live just our own
lives because life is busy, life is hard, it's crazy,
but it is nice to have that community around you
(12:42):
that can be there for you and step up when
you need it.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
Absolutely, Yeah, for sure, And that's the feel we get
here every day.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Tell me where people can go to find out more
information about Martha's Vineyard, where they can start playing their trip, like,
tell me more about that.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yeah, we'd encourage everyone who's listening to check out mvy
dot com, which is the Chambers web site. It really
houses all the information of where to stay, where to dine,
calendar of events, you know, questions about you know, how
to take the ferry, you know how to get.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Here in general.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
We're also going to be posting a lot more video
on the site that's very welcoming and giving opportunities to
kind of explore the local businesses and the events to come.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
How many people live on Martha's Vineyard, Like if you
had an estimate. Do you have like a population?
Speaker 4 (13:27):
Sure, I think it's around don't quote me, quote me,
but it's about eighteen thousand to.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Twenty thousand year round.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
And you know, we don't know the exact numbers, but
it can balloon up to close to two hundred thousand
in the summer.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So a real, a real difference.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
That is wild to think about it. Again, these numbers
might not be perfectly exact, but like to think that
like full time residents at twenty thousand, but there are
times where it's two. I mean, that is a gigantic
difference of population. I think it's amazing you can even operate. Yeah,
all right, So we talked about something else that I
wanted to bring up, the black Dog because everybody has
(14:05):
those shirts and those hats and everything, and I was
hesitant to even bring it up earlier because I was like, wait,
I want to make sure is that Martha's Vineider is
at the Cape. I always confuse where the black Dog is,
but you mentioned it. That has become like a wild institution,
Like I see those shirts and hats everywhere here in Maryland.
Speaker 5 (14:21):
Yeah, oh yeah, black Dog is total iconic. Martha's Vineyard brand.
We work very closely with them. They're absolutely fantastic. As
we mentioned, we're doing our tree lighting with them down
at their campus. So they have multiple locations here. Their
campus in Nyard Haven is right off the boat, so
it's a little bit bigger of an area where you
can have, you know, a tree in a whole event.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
But it's wild.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
I mean you see them everywhere in the airport internationally.
People come here and they know that that's the shirt
they want to get as that iconic Martha's Vineyard piece
to bring home. I actually that's my go to gift.
If a friend has a new baby, I will send
them a black dog onesie.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
In the mail.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
That's so fine and the black dog and then vineyard vines.
My wife always says she wants her entire wardrobe to
be vineyard vines because she wants people to think that
she lives on Martha's Vineyard.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
The founding store is in Eggertown and the owners I
believe are Ian and shep Ye and it's really a
flagship store and a destination. There are multiple locations throughout
the island. But that's another business that has really flourished
and has moved off Island, and I think it's pretty
iconic as well with that whale.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Before we talk about what's coming up, maybe in twenty
twenty five here you mentioned Jaws earlier, I do have
to ask have there been any Taylor Swift sidings. I mean,
we all heard those stories about Taylor and Martha's vineyard.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
She her best friend Abigail, which you may know from
one of her song lyrics, actually married a Islander. So
somebody from Martha's Vineyard and the wedding was here. So
I had an encounter. I first I tried to walk
by the church and theater did happen? It'stalker, you know,
it's Taylor Swift. So and then at one point she
did drive by in the car and my daughter, I
think was like three at the time. I was like,
(16:01):
Taylor's Swift is druebias. She had no idea, But now
she's this huge swifty and tells everyone that story.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
So funny. My daughter just learned how to use our
Alexa in our house, so she's just all the all
the time Alexa play Taylor's Swift's every day in our house.
And she's almost four. So yeah, I'm in for it
for that too. All right, So twenty twenty five you mentioned.
One thing you mentioned is the fiftieth anniversary of Jaws,
and there's some stuff being planned for that. Do you
want to tell anything about that.
Speaker 5 (16:28):
Yeah, we're very excited obviously, that is another iconic, you
know movie and the association with Martha's Vineyard. Fun fact
that my husband's grandfather was actually the doctor in Jaws.
Oh really, the one that says it was just a
boating accident.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
That's that's him.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So very exciting in our family. But we are really
happy to have people come here.
Speaker 5 (16:49):
The Jaws fans are coming. They're very excited. So the
actual fiftieth anniversary of the filming is June twentieth, so
that's anniversary Day. But what we're doing here on the
island is extend so you know, like the museum will
have exhibits that run from May to the end of
the summer, just to really make sure people that come
at any point during the season will be able to
experience what they have.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
And then we have a planning committee started.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
With all of our local boards of trade just to
pin down the different events. We're probably gonna have things
like screenings of the movie. Places that fans can gather
to celebrate and you know, drive around and see all
the sites for the movie.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
That's so cool. And I know in the past there's
been Jaws screenings in Martha's Vineyard where it's like they
put it on the beach and people sit in the water,
Like is that. I just feel like that's a fascinating
thing but also terrifying thing at the savid time.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Yeah, there there is one that has happened down in
Vineyard Haven where there are in our tubes where people
watch the movie in the water. But I think the
most terrifying part is that there are people that are
on staff that are screening the movie that swim around
and shake the tubes when the music is really at
(17:56):
full crescendo, which is probably existing and terrifying all at
the same time. But the fans love it, and I
think there'll be more events like that during that weekend.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
That sounds so cool. I mean, I can't even imagine
being on the way. I wouldn't even go to aquariums
for a long time after seeing that, because think it
was like Jaws two or three happened, like the shark
attacked in an aquarium. It's like that can happen, they
can attack the aquarium.
Speaker 4 (18:20):
Yeah, I think that's what's really cool about the movie.
Everyone has their own experience with it, and there's so
much nostalgia around it, and there's you know a lot
of new fans, you know, people who watch those movies
with their parents or their grandparents, and you know, they
screen that movie pretty much year round here because it's
such an iconic movie, and you know, people love to
(18:41):
come here and find where the different houses were, where
the police chief was, and and go into you know Amity,
which is you know, Edgartown. So it's it's it's a
very cool experience, and I know that it's you know,
it's going to be a big event. You know, we're
trying to get some maybe potentially you know, able to
come over and do the musical score, and there's just
(19:03):
going to be some really cool things and we'll be
putting that on our website too. We'll have a Jaws
fiftieth splash page that we're just starting, so if people
are interested to learn more about what's happening about Jaws,
they can come along to our website and between now
in June, we'll have a full list of all the events.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love that. And the website again is mvy dot com.
All right, so we got Jaws on the agenda for
twenty twenty five. Anything else big coming up here in
the next few months.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Yeah, So right around Jaws, we celebrate Juneteenth on Martha's Vineyard.
It's an amazing celebration. If you haven't been to Martha's Vineyard,
this is an amazing time to come here. There are
festivals and celebrations, talks. The Vineyard Gazette does a fantastic
job doing a gospel brunch, so bringing in singers and
joining people together. So we're proud sponsors of that weekend
(19:49):
and it's a fabulous time to be here.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
If people were traveling up there, besides driving, if you're
going to fly in, would it be Boston. Would that
be the closest airport.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
Yeah, so you can fly directly into the Vineyard. So
MVY is the airport here, so you can fly directly.
But also you could go to Boston, and then there's
opportunity once you're in Boston to either rent a vehicle
to travel down to one of the ferries, or you
could also hop on there's two buses that come down
to the Woodshole Terminal as well.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
Oh that's awesome. Well, listen, you guys have been fantastic.
I love this conversation and I'm more embarrassed now twenty
minutes later that I haven't been there before, and we
might just have to try to make a trip up
there next summer and check things out.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
We'll take you out for some lobster when we come
visit you. You cannot offer up some crafts, Erica.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
You have to say it right. You can't take me
out for lobster. You have to say it stuff. Thank you, lost,
Thank you very much, Thank you all right. Eric Ashton,
the executive director for Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, and
Alessandra Hagerty, the deputy director, thank you both so much
for your time, and thank you for all the work
that you do up there.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate the time
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On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!