Savor Block Island

Tourism folks on Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island are hoping to give visitors a true taste of their place, which has been compared to Nantucket, only much, much smaller and way, way cheaper. A Taste of Block Island, the first such event on the island and one organized by local businesses, is on tap for June 12-14 with more than 60 island businesses participating.

For the cost of a $5 button, available on the Block Island Ferry from Point Judith, R.I., participants get discounts and specials at island businesses, including two-for-one moped rentals (besides bicycles, the best way to get around the 11-square-mile island), lobster lunch and dinner specials, and kayaking tours of Great Salt Pond.

With the button, participants get a listing of all discounts and specials. Buttons may also be purchased at the Point Judith ferry ticket office, the Block Island Chamber of Commerce just off the ferry landing on the island, and the National Hotel and Harborside Inn, both on the island.

The Nature Conservancy has designated Block Island “One of the last 12 great places in the Western Hemisphere,” and the taste tourists can get that weekend in June aims to point out why, said Susan Linda, president of the Block Island Ferry.

For more information, visit blockislandinfo.com or call 800-383-2474.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe correspondent

Photo of National Hotel with shops below by Paul E. Kandarian for The Boston Globe