NW Trolls: Way of the Bird King presented by Scan Design Foundation partnered w/ Paul Allen Family Foundation & local partners Vashon Parks District, Land Trust, Chamber of Commerce & Vashon Center for the Arts The very first Strawberry Festival was held in 1909 at a time when Vashon Island was referred to as "The Island Gem of the Puget Sound", "Staten Island of the Pacific Coast", and "The Home
of the Big Red Strawberry". The Strawberry Festival has changed names a few times since the very first one. The celebration has been called the Peach Festival, the Harvest Festival, and the Vashon Island Festival. In 1980, the event again became the Strawberry Festival, a moniker that continues to this day. We may not have the strawberry farms from our past, but Vashon has become home to many growers whose produce is available in our local markets, a thriving farmers market and U-pick farms scattered throughout our wonderful island. Although our fresh strawberries are picked in June, you can still enjoy strawberry sundaes, strawberry lemonade, strawberry funnel cakes, strawberry topped pancakes, strawberry smoothies, strawberry ice cream, and chocolate-dipped strawberries from our many food vendors. Approximately 200 vendors will be selling crafts, clothing, jewelry, art and of course, delicious “Fair Food”. There are information booths on home improvements and Island issues, as well as a plethora of opportunities for you to support your favorite non-profit cause. Be sure to look for our "Homegrown Vashon Vendor" signs displayed at booths offering Island made products and information. THE FESTIVAL IS LOCATED ON VASHON HIGHWAY SW IN THE CENTER OF VASHON TOWN. IT IS APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES *SOUTH* FROM THE NORTH END FERRY TERMINAL AND 10 MILES *NORTH* FROM THE TAHLEQUAH SOUTH END FERRY TERMINAL. FOR MUSIC PERFORMERS:
Thank you for your interest in performing at the 111th annual Vashon Island Strawberry Festival. The dates for the 2020 festival will be July 17th, 18th, and 19th. Entertainment is an essential part of Strawberry Festival. With over 50 acts in all, there is always something for everyone's listening pleasure. There are several outdoor entertainment stages featuring all genres of music with local and national entertainment located all over the Strawberry Festival grounds. How Does Your Band Play Strawberry Festival? Musicians/bands should submit their Performer Applications (found on this web site at:
https://www.vashonchamber.com/strawberryfestival/
Or via snail-mail by sending hard copy submissions to:
Strawberry Festival Musician Application
c/o Vashon Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 1035
Vashon, WA 98070
All applicants will be notified of their status directly by someone on the Strawberry Festival staff by the end of May. Please do not call or email the Vashon Island Chamber of Commerce office to check on the status of your applications — please wait for us to contact you. Q: Do bands get paid for playing the Strawberry Festival? Staffed completely by volunteers, Strawberry Festival has no admission fee. Therefore most of the acts that perform each year do so without compensation, as a contribution to the Vashon community. There are rare exceptions when we pay a top headliner their benefit fee. Otherwise, we operate on a shoestring budget. We are working hard to bring in more revenue so we can pay our world-class acts that make us so proud, but we're not there yet. Music is a huge part of any culture, and ours is no exception. We really want to thank all of the great artists who have supported our community by playing from our stages last year. We enjoy a diverse selection of world-class music, and that makes us proud. We are looking forward to more of the same this year! Sincerely, the Strawberry Festival Music Committee
