Blue skies, brisk winds, the sound of organ music in downtown Oak Bluffs--it must be spring on the Vineyard. The Flying Horses carousel opened Saturday afternoon for its 140th season, drawing kids and families from across the Island and across the Sound for a ride on one of the 20 antique horses inside the beloved red building.

Round and round. — Ivy Ashe

A banner across the concession stand read Happy Easter in bright marker, and the smell of buttery popcorn greeted riders as they lined up at the low white picket fences inside. Some took just one spin on the horses — unless, of course, they snagged a coveted brass ring — while others, like Anna Arnott in her tiara and tutu, returned again and again for a turn.

The Flying Horses was built in 1876 and is the nation’s oldest continually operating platform carousel. It was moved to Oak Bluffs from Coney Island in 1884.

The carousel is now owned by the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust and has been designated a national landmark.

Flying Horses will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Memorial Day, when it returns to a full schedule for the summer season.

View more photos from opening day at Flying Horses.