In the mid 1970s, shortly after the all-volunteer crew had begun work on the exterior walls encircling the patch of ice that would become the Martha’s Vineyard Arena, a gale swept through the Island and knocked down nearly all the cement blocks, destroying the steady progress.

A call went out. More volunteers rallied to the cause. The walls were restored and work continued.

Red and green lights flash around the stage and disco balls twirl overhead. Music thumps from the speakers. Neon necklaces glow from amidst the dancing crowd.

Most of the time the Aquinnah Public Library lies dormant. Activity in the center of Aquinnah takes place at the town hall, not at the little red schoolhouse building across the street.

At 5:30 in the morning, most of the tires on the road are bicycle wheels. Cyclists hit the pavement early, avoiding the hassles of traffic and marveling at the dawn glow that bathes the Island. Some cyclists are commuting to work, some are out for a quick pedal, some are preparing for future competitions.

On Wednesday morning, the Portuguese-American (P.A.) Club in Oak Bluffs is nearly unrecognizable: It’s quiet both inside and out, a far cry from the exuberant bustle that will surround the modest building on Vineyard avenue this weekend during the annual Holy Ghost Feast. The only sign that the Feast will take place soon are two small tents standing in the parking lot.

They came from as near as Oak Bluffs and as far as Denver to compete in the annual Vineyard Cup Regatta, held last weekend on Vineyard and Nantucket Sound and in Menemsha Pond.

Ninety-five boats and 485 sailors participated in three days of racing and three nights of revelry, all in the name of Sail Martha’s Vineyard, the Island’s youth sailing organization.