Island traditions light up the Fourth

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Vashon marked Independence Day from dawn to dark this year, beginning with its annual hydroplane race at Jensen Point and ending with bursts of color over Quartermaster Harbor.

The professional fireworks show, put on by Pyro Spectaculars, lit up the sky above the harbor just after dusk July 4, with bright bursts spreading over the water and reflecting off boats gathered below.

This year’s show launched from a barge in the center of Quartermaster Harbor and could be seen from gathering spots around the shoreline, including Dockton Park and Jensen Point.

The display appeared over a line of dark treetops and moored boats, with streaks of light mirrored in the still water beneath.

The show, a longtime Vashon tradition funded for years by anonymous donors, has become one of the island’s signature summer events. In the days before the Fourth, Pyro Spectaculars show producer Brad Omon said Vashon’s show remains one of the largest in the state.

“It rivals up there with Seattle’s Lake Union show, it’s about the only one that compares to it,” Omon said.

Omon said Pyro Spectaculars planned more than 60 shows across Washington this Fourth of July weekend, but said Vashon’s show stands out for its size and setting.

“They love their firework show out there, and they’ve just kept it on that grand scale,” he said.

Hydro Race

Earlier that morning, hundreds of islanders gathered at Jensen Point to watch another beloved island tradition: Vashon’s annual hydroplane race.

The race, which has linked generations of islanders for more than seven decades, began in the early morning hours. Spectators lined the beach and boat launch area, gathering near the water as crews prepared the small, fast boats for their trip around the island.

Some islanders arrived with coffee in hand. Others gathered around a griddle, where pancakes were flipped beside a camper before the day’s racing began.

Along the shore, people watched as hydros were readied for the water, with one boat bearing a red star on its nose pushed toward the launch as other vessels dotted the harbor behind it.

This year’s crowd was especially large, said local hydroplane historian Brian Brenno, with dozens of parked cars lining the road leading to Jensen Point.

Leading up to the race, eight hydroplanes were expected to take part, Brenno said. But, as in past years, several of the decades-old boats ran into mechanical trouble before race day, leaving only three ready to run on July 4.

The three boats in attendance were piloted by islanders Jake Middling, Shane Rushford and Elijah Nichelson.

Both Nichelson and Rushford broke down on the east side of the island. Middling made it back to Jensen Point with a time of 41:04, winning the race for the second year in a row.

The race traces its roots to 1955, when islander Roger Stanley made his first trip around Vashon in a hydroplane — an event many consider the start of the island’s annual tradition. By the late 1950s, Stanley and neighbor Warren Bibbins had begun racing each other around the island, Brenno previously told The Beachcomber.

Since then, the event has grown into a distinct piece of island history.

“There’s been a cast of probably 60 or 70 islanders that have raced around the island, and been part of the tradition,” Brenno said before the race. “It’s part of their heritage.”

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue crews also staffed the weekend, but no fireworks-related calls were reported on Vashon. The King County Sheriff’s Office also did not receive any fireworks-related calls on the island, according to spokesperson Brandyn Hull.

For pets, however, the holiday still brought stress. Amy Carey, a founder of Haven, an island animal rescue organization, said in an email Monday that the organization responded to six dogs on the run over the course of three days before and after the official holiday.

“Gratefully, all reunited with owners,” Carey said.

Carey said it was also “pretty fantastic” to see community members step in to help contain dogs when they saw them running.

Separately, Vashon Island Fire & Rescue said two members of its Wildland Team deployed July 4 to assist crews battling the Chelan Hills Fire in Douglas County, near Orondo and east of Lake Chelan.

As of Monday morning, the fire had been mapped at about 9,400 acres and remained 0% contained, with Level 3 evacuation orders still in place. Damage assessments were ongoing after homes and other structures burned, though no deaths or major injuries had been reported.

By nightfall, the focus returned to the harbor, where islanders gathered along the shoreline for the fireworks show — the final burst of a day that began with the buzz of hydroplanes and ended with pops of color over the water.