Even things that first dazzle the imagination with their shine and sparkle need substance to endure - like 135 years of tradition, fellowship and c

Maybe it's the sound: giggling, try-and-catch-me children, laughing adults, backyard party chatter.

Amy Bannon is determined to get it right this Illumination Night.

The spirit and the first candle of the Grand Illumination was carried by a 32-year-old sufferer of Huntington's Disease. With her father, Walter, and her niece, Kyla McCartney, nearby, Tammy Frye lit the first candle Wednesday night on the stage of the Tabernacle; within seconds lanterns throughout the Camp Ground were aglow.

It was the 133rd annual Grand Illumination, and thousands of well-wishers cheered the power and reach of a glowing candle.

For Robert C.

The rain will stop. The clouds will clear. And the historic circle of gingerbread cottages in Oak Bluffs will become a fairyland of lights.