Ben Flood, age eight, and his sister Nora, age six, were enjoying a snack recently with their grandmother on a sunny afternoon in Oak Bluffs. 

When asked what the Fourth of July meant to him, Ben didn’t hesitate.

“It means loudness,” he said. “Fireworks and staying up late.”

It was a sentiment shared by many as the Gazette fanned out across the Island this week and talked to residents and visitors about what the Fourth of July means to them in 2025.

Swimmers take a leap off Big Bridge.

Jeanna Shepard

Swimmers take a leap off Big Bridge.

Jeanna Shepard

But amidst the excitement of family cookouts, watching fireworks and cheering the floats in the annual parade through the streets of Edgartown, there were also feelings of despair and confusion as Islanders critiqued the current direction of the country, and pointed to the recent wave of ICE roundups as an example of a democracy that had turned its back on what they felt the holiday stood for.

In Menemsha, artist Colin Ruel was sweeping the floor of his gallery, which had recently celebrated its seasonal opening. The annual party was a joyous and crowded occasion, but standing beside his artwork a few days later, Mr. Ruel expressed a more somber outlook. 

“I’m not feeling very patriotic,” he said. “I don’t think we have much to celebrate this year for the Fourth of July.”

Although sentiments about this year’s holiday may vary considerably, the traditional events will be on full display. In Edgartown, the annual Fourth of July parade begins at 5 p.m. on Friday. Floats representing all facets of Island life will travel through the streets of Edgartown, cheered on by huge crowds, standing 10 deep or more along Main street, or assembled on porches and at backyard barbecues.

Later that night, a fireworks show will light up the sky around the Edgartown harbor, with similar displays often visible from the mainland. 

But the day of parades begins much earlier in Aquinnah and the Oak Bluffs Camp Ground, with smaller but just as mighty celebrations. Instead of large floats, kids on bicycles or homemade go-karts take center stage.

Jay Lagemann statue in Oak Bluffs shows gets some patriotic flair.

Hailey McLaughlin

Jay Lagemann statue in Oak Bluffs shows gets some patriotic flair.

Hailey McLaughlin

The annual reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?, which takes place at the Tabernacle in Oak Bluffs and the Federated Church in Edgartown, has also become an Island tradition, a reminder that the independence and freedom enjoyed by some citizens of the country have not been universal.

Ruby Suman, who grew up in Aquinnah, expressed this sentiment through the lens of her mother.

“My mother is from Turkey and has experienced xenophobia since coming to the Island,” she said. “The Fourth of July was more for us kids to have fun than for her,” she said.

“It’s hard to be proud of our country right now, but it is still a good time to show the America we want it to be,” Ms. Suman continued. “Through the parades, it is also a way to protest.”

At the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market on Saturday, vendors shared a range of views, from the political to the joy of another bustling summer season.

Casey Mazar-Kelly held court at the Fire Cat Farm stand and welcomed the start of the busy summer season.

“I think when all the tourists come in, it’s always an exciting moment because everyone’s so excited to share this place that we all love and cherish, and it feels like the kickoff of the season in a lot of ways,” she said.

The Phillips family from Philly enjoys some time at the harbor.

Jeanna Shepard

The Phillips family from Philly enjoys some time at the harbor.

Jeanna Shepard

But for Stephanie Devine, an Aquinnah resident seated behind a table filled with orchids, the crowded holiday is a mixed blessing. 

“It means to stay home, hide out and run as an Islander,” she said. “But other than that, it’s a great thing, the Fourth of July is really cool.” 

Nearby at the register table for the Martha’s Vineyard Seafood Collaborative, Alison Custer, a Vineyard Haven resident, took a hopeful stance with regard to politics. 

“[Zohran] Mamdani’s win recently in New York was very meaningful to me because I’ve been feeling hopeful about that,” she said, referring to the recent New York City mayoral primary race. “And I’ve been missing that feeling recently in our political state, so that’s been a source of joy for me.”

Emma Tobin, owner of Tea Lane Apothecary, was feeling more despondent.

“I think right now, honestly, it’s a little hard to celebrate the Fourth of July with our current president and the way things are going and how so much of what America stands for is being destroyed,” she said. “And all of our families came over as immigrants, unless you’re a Native American, and so it’s hard to see light in all that with everything going on with ICE. It’s terrifying, and also Iran, it’s just so crazy.”  

Arthur Moreira.

Jeanna Shepard

Arthur Moreira.

Jeanna Shepard

In Oak Bluffs, photographer Michael Johnson took note of how much the Island has changed with respect to the culture of vacation.

“People used to come out here and go to the beach and have barbecues, enjoy themselves and escape,” Mr. Johnson said. “Now, this has become a center for [politics] with that ground into people every day, throughout their so-called vacation.”

Mr. Johnson said he will celebrate the holiday with hamburgers and hot dogs, and spend time reflecting on the things in life he’s blessed with.

“Counting your blessings is always a good thing instead of bemoaning [what] you don’t believe you have, but in many cases you actually do,” Mr. Johnson said.

Some noted that the holiday is not a day off for Islanders who have to work extra hours to make the most of the summer economic engine.

Jonathan Boyd, a local fishing charter captain, was washing some fish near Squid Row in Menemsha when asked what the Fourth of July meant to him in 2025.

“I work during the holiday,” he said. “I don’t really celebrate it.”

The Fourth of July is also a working holiday for local politicians, heading out into the crowds to share the moment with constituents. For state Sen. Julian Cyr, the Island’s senator who grew up on Cape Cod, this is nothing new. He said that as a kid, he always spent the holiday working.

“As a Cape Codder, first and foremost, I think of the Fourth of July as a working holiday and I think that’s true for a lot of Islanders and Cape Codders,” he said.

For some, the Fourth of July means beach time.

Ray Ewing

For some, the Fourth of July means beach time.

Ray Ewing

Mr. Cyr also reflected on the current political climate.

“Certainly, in this really trying moment in our national politics, where we have such division and I see our federal government pursuing what I feel is very deeply un-American policies and rhetoric where we are attacking vulnerable people and we are closing off from each other and from the world, it’s very trying and troublesome,” he said. “But I don’t want to surrender patriotism to the MAGA side. I think there is so much in Cape Cod and Island values and New England values that are really at the core of the American experience.”

State Rep.Thomas Moakley, a Falmouth resident, expressed a similar thankfulness for the district he represents.

“I’m thinking about how lucky we are to live on the Cape and Islands and that what unites us is greater than what divides us,” Mr. Moakley said.

The road from July 4, 1776 to July 4, 2025 has never been without controversy and protest. It is, in a way, what the meaning of democracy is: a messy state that may shine brightly or whither in darkness, depending on one’s point of view. And each year the country stands both together and divided, whether it be waving flags, flipping burgers, marching in a parade or enjoying a swim. The Vineyard is no different in this regard.

For Raya Bajdek, a seasonal resident from New Hampshire who lives in a bipartisan household, the Fourth of July is a chance to put aside those differences.

“We are all Americans no matter what we look like and who we are,” she said. “It’s a day to celebrate.”

Gwyn Skiles, Addison Antonoff, Katrina Liu, Ellie Stevenson and Eloise Christy contributed reporting.