Former President Barack Obama will turn the big 6-0 tomorrow, August 4th—and he’s reportedly planning to host a big birthday bash this weekend at his family’s home in Martha’s Vineyard.
Located in Edgartown, Massachusetts, the waterfront dwelling was built in 2001, and it boasts seven bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms, spread across 6,892 square feet. The Obamas purchased the home for $11.75 million, in late 2019, after renting it that summer.
Erik Gunther, a Celebrity Real Estate Expert at Realtor.com, tells House Beautifulwhy this property makes for such an ideal location for the Obama family: “On the waterfront and at the end of a road, the 30-acre parcel is set in a gorgeous location—and also satisfies all sorts of security requirements for the Secret Service.”
Some amenities of the abode include 29 acres of lush landscaping, views of the Edgartown Great Pond, a chef’s kitchen, vaulted ceilings, a boathouse, stone fireplaces, and an outdoor pool and hot tub. The home was built by Wycliffe Grousbeck, who owns the Boston Celtics, and his ex-wife, Corinne Grousbeck.
Notable figures who are invited to this fête include Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney. According to the New York Post, President Joe Biden also scored an invite, but he will not be able to attend. Can we take his place?!
Why it matters: The recent breakthrough cases in nearby Provincetown, Massachusetts, after the July Fourth holiday showed the continued risk of spread even between vaccinated people — prompting new masking guidelines from the CDC.
- “If you’re talking about a small party like I might have at my house for six or eight people who are all fully vaccinated, I do not believe, at this point, we need to put masks on to be next to each other,” Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
- While discussing generic masking protocols, not the Obama party itself, he added: “But if there were 100 people, and, of course, how are you really going to be sure about people’s vaccination status?”
- A person with knowledge of the Obama party protocols said all guests will have to be COVID-tested, although they didn’t say when, where or what proof they would have to offer.
Among the safety measures said to be put in place: The party will be held outdoors, all guests are asked to be vaccinated and invitees have been told there will be a COVID-coordinator to ensure all proper protocols are followed.
- Martha’s Vineyard does not qualify as an area of “substantially-high” risk, which was the target of the CDC recommendations.
- Obama officials did not say whether guests will be required to wear masks.
- Axios AM also reported Sunday about the extremely low rate of infection for people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.