Tradition held on the first Friday night of September, with streets in town filling up for a locally famous annual event called Stupid Bike Night — this year celebrating its 10th-anniversary edition.

The event has no official sponsor, no affiliated merchandise, and little advance publicity. But even so, at dusk on Friday, Sept. 1, Vashon’s town center was filled with spectators, waiting to welcome the stupid bikes along their loop winding through town and up and down Vashon Highway.

The crowd that assembled seemed to have doubled in size since last year — perhaps because islanders have gotten used to strolling down the street in the town center during Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce’s “Summer Nights” series, which has turned the business district into a pedestrian mall every First Friday since June.

So many people came out for the event that the stupid bike riders had to weave through a narrow lane on Vashon Hwy., surrounded on all sides by cheering islanders.

The number of parade participants seemed to have also increased — riding contraptions that were more outrageous than ever. These included a flame-throwing rig equipped with a working bar and grill, flower and foliage-festooned bikes and trikes, bikes hauling tiki torches and pole dancing platforms and too many other outlandish adornments and modifications to mention.

And then there were the wild, colorful costumes of the riders: superhero capes and masks, disco attire, space suits, butterfly wings, neon wigs, rainbow unicorn suits, and plenty of glow lights and glitter.

Stupid Bike Night seemed more of a family affair than ever this year, with dozens of kids zipping down the highway along with their parents.

Some of the bikes hauled musicians, creating cacophonous ensembles that were more “Mad Max Fury Road” meets Dr. Seuss than actual bands.

But when joined by the sound of a church bell that suddenly began tolling as the bike parade passed the Vashon Presbyterian Church, it all made for a joyful noise, filled with great gladness.

This year, as in years past, the event was organized by the members of a club that includes some of Vashon’s most clever contraption-makers, performers and party people. We hear they’ll all be back again, next September.