Jaws was introduced to the world 50 years ago, on June 20, 1975, but for Vineyarders the movie was already part of local legend.

The Island’s Jaws 50th anniversary celebrations start with a splash at the Shark Tank with a special themed game between the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks and the North Shore Navigators on Thursday, June 19.

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum opened its largest exhibit yet on Saturday which dives deeply into the history of the movie Jaws to commemorate its 50th anniversary.

The Vineyard Gazette Media Group in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Museum will host a day-long celebration of Jaws this summer, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the movie. 

Production designer Joe Alves had planned to scout Nantucket for the movie Jaws when his ferry was turned around. He ended up on Martha's Vineyard instead, forever changing the Island.

Forty years after its release, Jaws remains a treasured part of Island history. A look back on the summer Hollywood filmmakers descended on the Island and struggled against all odds to make a realistic-looking movie about a giant shark with a taste for human flesh.