On Friday, grammar school students from around the Island gathered at their respective harbors to honor the fallen during Memorial Day weekend by distributing flowers as part of annual March to the Sea tradition.

Ferries are full, the airport is bustling and businesses are looking to go from gray skies to blue. Memorial Day weekend has arrived and the outlook is one of measured optimism.

Memorial Day began on the Island as per tradition in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Vineyard Haven, where volunteers gathered in the early morning to set up the Avenue of Flags to honor those who have been killed in wars. he Memorial Day parade steps off at 10:30 a.m. today.

Lacquered wooden steeds shone in the sun Saturday as the Vineyard Preservation Trust showed off the newly restored Flying Horses Carousel.

Each year at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend, the Island’s school children participate in March to the Sea tributes that culminate in students tossing flowers into the sea in honor of military service people everywhere.

In the face of increasing worker shortages and uncertainty, the Island retail and restaurant scene continues to adapt and, in many cases, expand.

Martha’s Vineyard celebrates Memorial Day today with flag raisings, a parade and a town picnic in Vineyard Haven, capping the holiday weekend that is also the unofficial start of summer. The veterans of Martha’s Vineyard will hold a Memorial Day parade beginning at 10:30 a.m.

As the Vineyard readies itself for Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to the summer season, Island businesses say excitement outweighs uncertainty.

At Grey Barn farm in Chilmark a turkey has made her nest in a patch of chamomile.