There was plenty to see, do, hear, and taste at this year’s Strawberry Festival, presented by the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce.

This year, the Chamber named Vashon’s United State Postal Service rural mail carriers and clerks as the Festival Parade’s Grand Marshals, and joyously honored them for their diligence under difficult circumstances in recent months, in a ceremony on the Festival’s main stage on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Chamber announced the winner of its hotly-contested Unofficial Mayor Race — with Jolene, a baby longhorn steer, and Moose, Jolene’s goofy guardian dog, receiving the most votes by islanders, at $1 per vote. The new mayoral duo represents Old Goat’s Home, an island rescue organization.

The Chamber’s two official music stages, at Vashon Village and in the parking lot of U.S. Bank, boasted a three-day presentation of music that gave islanders plenty of chances for fancy footwork in front of the bandstands. Other venues in town also drew packed music crowds; these stages included ones at Snapdragon Bakery & Cafe and Sugar Shack.

A street dance, celebrating the beloved Portage Fill Harmonic’s 50th anniversary, also drew a huge crowd of all ages on Saturday night in the middle of town.

Vendor booths were spread out throughout town, allowing more room for eateries to create expanded outdoor dining areas on Vashon Highway, which became a sprawling pedestrian mall from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.

Many booths benefited local nonprofits or charities, including Vashon Rotary’s booth selling strawberry sundaes and strawberry shortcakes.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue pulled out all the stops with a demonstration by firefighters of a car extrication, cutting through a Ford Taurus that had been donated to the district. Inside, a dummy in distress needed rescuing, and firefighters got him out, using a hydraulic rescue tool known as the “jaws of life,” and other tools including cutters, spreaders and rams.

VIFR’s booth also included multiple sessions of training for islanders of all ages in CPR, conducted to the strains of the Bee Gee’s monster hit, “Stayin’ Alive.” Firefighters also demonstrated the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), used to shock a heart back to life.

Islanders also flocked to the booth of the Seattle Indian Health Board, filled with representatives of the organization distributing the best swag of the festival in recent memory, or possibly, ever — large and sturdy canvas bags emblazoned with a strawberry and the organization’s logo, along with packets of specially blended strawberry tea.

Tierra Taylor, public affairs director for the organization, said that many islanders had stopped by, both to welcome the Health Board to Vashon and ask questions about the organization’s plans to bring a treatment center to Vashon. A sign announcing, “We’re Hiring,” also drew interested islanders, some of whom had the opportunity to talk with the Health Board’s first hire of an islander — Brian Springfield, who is the environmental services director of the new facility on Vashon.

There was plenty for kids to see and do, from sidewalk chalking in the center of town, to bouncy inflatables set up inside Vashon Theatre’s new Backlot, to attending an old-fashioned ice-cream social at Vashon Heritage Museum. The Reptile Lady drew hundreds to her demonstration and talk in Ober Park.

Other festival traditions were back in full force this year, including the Bill Burby Fun Run, which drew 211 runners and walkers. Local coach Scott Healy won the men’s race with a time of 18:23 minutes, followed closely by second and third-place winners Porter McMichael and Ursa Medeiros.

For the women, it was Kristi Williams, coming in first with a time of 20:23 minutes, followed closely by second and third-place winners. Madeline Yarkin and Alana Bass.

A spectacular car parade and show, produced and sponsored by Island Insurance on Sunday, had 73 registered cars on view in the parking lot behind the Vashon Chamber of Commerce. Top prizes, awarded by popular vote and by judges Randy and Carl, from Metlock & Sons, went to Barry Briskman (Best in Show) for his 1947 green MG TC; Greg Vornbrok (People’s Choice) for his 1936 black Auburn 852 Cabriolet, and Jeff Russell (Driver’s Raffle Prize) for his 1955 blue Ford F100.