Vashon, we’re festivaled out.

We mean that in the best possible way — after all, this weekend was chock-full of music, events, food, and best of all, a joyous expression of our community’s collective spirit.

Beachcomber staff probably captured close to 500 photos throughout the Strawberry Festival weekend, putting those together with contributions from many talented island photographers to amass our festival coverage this week.

The mood all weekend was frantic fun — but at one point in the early afternoon on Sunday, we collectively remembered the wider world as electrifying national news broke that President Joe Biden had stepped down from his presidential run, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place in the race.

Beachcomber staff found out about Biden’s decision when an islander shouted out the breaking news to us in the street, handing their phone to us to read the news. And for the next three minutes or so, we became town criers, informing other festival-goers about the historic decision in the middle of the street and seeing their shock and amazement at the news.

Then, a minute later, everybody seemed to know. That’s the way news works sometimes.

So what comes next?

Vashon will most likely turn out to vote in record numbers for Harris’s historic candidacy if she is confirmed as the Democratic nominee, which seems all but assured at this point. Islanders have heavily supported Democratic and progressive candidates in past presidential elections, after all.

We suspect this will also be the case in the upcoming Aug. 6 election — filled with crucial state races.

Certainly, at The Beachcomber, we hope that primary results reflect the current precarious moment in our nation’s trajectory, and hold to progressive candidates known for championing reproductive health care, human rights, LGBTQ+ freedom, global peace, labor rights, affordable housing and climate action — keeping Washington a place where innovation, diversity, compassion and human dignity thrive.

Voter guides and ballots have now arrived in islanders’ mailboxes. Please take time to thoughtfully consider your choices. Seek out information and talk to trusted sources in your decision-making process.

Everything is on the line.