Doug Snyder named festival parade Grand Marshal

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Each year, Vashon Chamber of Commerce bestows an islander or island organization with a very special honor: serving as Grand Marshal of the Strawberry Festival parade.

This year, the Chamber has named Doug Snyder, who islanders know well as a helpful presence at Ace Hardware, to ride in style at the front of the parade.

The selection, said board member Cheryl Lubbert, was “rooted in every principle that guides this tradition: years of service, deep community impact, and a spirit of generosity that asks for nothing in return.”

Snyder, Lubbert said, has been a quiet force behind the scenes for decades, providing critical infrastructure for Chamber events — tents, tables, chairs, forklifts, and the labor to make it all happen.

“He doesn’t wait to be asked, doesn’t hesitate when there’s a last-minute need, and never once has asked for recognition or compensation,” Lubbert said. “His answer is always the same: “Yes, I can help.”

Being in the bright spotlight of the Grand Parade — waving to the crowd as Grand Marshall while riding in style in a friend’s 2010 teal blue Corvette — is something new for Snyder.

As he now edges closer toward his eventual retirement, he said he’s greatly enjoyed his many years of quietly helping the Chamber and its volunteers.

In conversation at Ace Service Center, Synder said one of his favorite duties was to work with Bettie Edwards to come up with a different theme for Santa’s arrival on Vashon every year, until recently.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve screwed the doors back on Santa’s Cottage,” he said.

The only task he won’t miss, he said, is helping to wrangle the hanging of Vashon’s vintage candy cane Christmas decorations every year — a job that has grown increasingly more difficult as the beloved but deteriorating decorations require constant repair after so many seasons of use.

Over decades, he’s helped raise those candy canes year after year, and seen many Strawberry Festivals, WinterFests, Halloweens and other community celebrations come and go.

A third-generation islander, Synder left Vashon after his high school graduation to live in West Seattle for many years, but returned to the island in 2000 to take over his family’s business.

In 2001, he joined the Ace Hardware group on Vashon — which was established in 1977 by Snyder’s parents, Al and Laura. The store and its service center, which first operated under the umbrella of True Value, became affiliated with Ace Hardware in 2014.

Grand Marshal selections typically honor individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the community, demonstrated leadership, and embodied the values of unity and service, said Lubbert.

“Doug exemplifies all of these — and more,” she added. “His long-standing commitment to supporting community gatherings, without fanfare or expectation, makes him not just eligible but ideal.”