Scene & Heard: Solstice luminaries light up the night

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, December 29, 2021

On the shortest and darkest day of the year, a Vashon Solstice tradition returned, with a path of more than 600 luminaries lit behind the Vashon Community Care (VCC) building.

Behind the Tuesday, Dec. 21 Solstice celebration was Karen Biondo, a well-known farmer and chef who currently cooks lunch for the Vashon Senior Center. She is also a member of VIGA’s Food Access Partnership. The most recent luminary walk was in 2018 — when Biondo and fellow islander Erika Carleton floated candles in Fisher Pond.

For the return of this year’s celebrations, Biondo partnered with Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust Executive Director Kate Riley, Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator Keller Cyra and Operations Manager Sarah Sigmund to bring a short, wide, flat-packed gravel trail behind VCC. Biondo estimates about 15 to 20 volunteer “elves” also assisted in placing candles throughout the trail.

“Seeing a couple of folks in their wheelchairs on the trail made my heart burst,” said Biondo. “Seeing children of many ages dancing along the trail made me smile. This truly is an all-ages trail.”

Biondo has been lighting luminaries for the Solstice since 1990, and the first luminary walk she created was along a forested driveway to her home in Port Orford, Oregon.

Her very first Solstice on Vashon was in 1999, when Biondo asked James Greig, owner of the property now called Judd Creek Preserve, if she could light up the pond behind his house down toward the creek.

According to Biondo, the Solstice luminaries bring her joy as they “create magic in community with simple elements.”

“It is here today and gone tomorrow, but the afterglow lingers,” said Biondo.