They are welded, varnished and stitched together, reinforcing their defenses and trying to prepare for the surge of shoppers who will soon be overrunning their precious stalls.

Island artists are readying for the 10th annual Memorial Day Artisans Festival to be held at the Grange Hall May 24 and 25 from 10 to 4 p.m.

Andrea Rogers of Oak Bluffs launched the festival and continues to act as its supervisor and manager.

Warm temperatures may have shaken some Vineyarders out of their winter slump last week, but for Islanders who came across the kids enjoying Safe Haven camp, the surest sign of vitality was the joy on their faces.

Christmas lights illuminate the yellow upstairs room filled with squashy armchairs, each of which contains at least one sprawling teenager. Up front, two boys fool around with a microphone, testing their amplified voices, revelling in the leisurely atmosphere — that is, until the real show begins.