PHOTOS: Vashon celebrates a dark and stormy Halloween

Check out our photo gallery from Halloween 2024 on Vashon.

By Beachcomber Staff • November 6, 2024 9:45 am

Pouring rain and cloudy skies set the mood for a frightful night up and down Vashon Highway, but the dismal weather did little to dissuade the crowds of superheroes, ghouls and sea creatures who frolicked for the island’s annual Halloween celebration last Thursday.

On display included costumer extraordinaire Matt Beursken’s black octopus of the Mariana Trench — a bioluminescent-eyed cephalopod that emitted clouds of ink (via a smoke machine at Beursken’s side) at awe-struck viewers. Outside of Subway, Gandalf the Gray was seen pondering his dining selections during his brief departure from Bilbo and the company of Thorin’s dwarves.

And in the middle of Vashon Highway, two small jellyfish stayed nice and dry as they traversed the street under clear plastic umbrellas, festooned with streamers and colorful lights — a weatherproof costume choice that possibly sprung from the brilliant mind of some crafty, protective parent.

Spooky noises of the night included the haunting sounds of a digeridoo made from Home Depot PVC piping. A group of bees buzzed down the street, passing out advice to protect pollinators, with “Bit-O-Honey” bars taped to their handouts. And one group of historically costumed women held signs honoring the struggle for women’s rights in the United States, with the flip side of those signs reading “We’re not going back.”

Alex Bruell photo

Fire Commissioner and EMT Brigitte Schran Brown passed out sweets and smiles at Vashon Island Fire & Rescue’s haunted helpers display. (Elizabeth Shepherd photo)