The Calm Before the Storm

I think it's bizarre that so many Rhode Islanders pass on the opportunity to escape from reality in fifty minutes or less. And, more bizarre, so many others choose to visit Block Island exclusively on the Fourth of July.

I will say that Independence Day on Block Island offers up some of the best people-watching of the year, whether you do your gawking at the parade or on Crescent Beach beneath the newly revamped Surf Hotel.

In the midst of all the fun, there’s still a terrific island to explore. But the frat bros block out the view, and so do the groups of four bicycling side-by-side up Spring Street to visit the Southeast Lighthouse or the Mohegan Bluffs.

That's more than a month away. Phew, there's still time.

This weekend, the Block Island Chamber of Commerce is hosting the third-annual Taste of Block Island weekend, an opportunity to witness the beauty and bounty of the island before the crowds of revelers roll in. (FYI, revelers: A new tough container law, set to go to public hearing on June 4, seeks to ban all alcoholic beverages — open or closed — at public beaches on Block Island, and violators will be slapped with a $150 fine. See the Block Island Times article here.)

The three-day Taste weekend offers island guests access to a chowder contest and oyster festival, sandcastle contests, shopping discounts, an art festival, hotel packages and restaurant specials, all with the purchase of a $5 button.

Buttons will be available at the Block Island Chamber of Commerce or on the traditional and high-speed ferries. Call 800-383-BIRI for more information, or visit blockislandchamber.com.