Every July, thousands of visitors pour onto Vashon Island to experience the magic of the Strawberry Festival. There’s the music, the parade, the food—sure—but there’s also something quieter that people carry home: the little treasures that can only be found here, during this weekend, on these streets. Whether it’s your first time or your fifteenth, part of the fun is the hunt for the perfect souvenir that captures the spirit of the island.
The booths lining the festival streets are packed with hyper-local finds: hand-thrown pottery, tie-dyed shirts made right here on Vashon, watercolor art featuring island landmarks, soaps and salves from island farms, and honey so fresh you can taste which flowers were blooming. You’ll also find vintage Vashon tees, handmade jewelry, and the kind of kitschy-cool tote bags that only make sense here, and that’s exactly why we love them.
One shopper this year, Sarah from Tacoma, told us she comes every summer just to restock her fridge magnets. “I collect one every year that reminds me of what I loved most that trip. Last year it was a little goat from a farm stand booth. This year? The Bike in the Tree magnet from Vashon-Maury.com. It’s iconic.”
And speaking of icons, yes, we have the stickers. You’ll find them at the Vashon-Maury.com booth, where we’re giving out free pens, chatting with community members, and selling a limited batch of island-themed swag:
- Oval VSH stickers perfect for your bumper, water bottle, or laptop
- Purple V windshield stickers—finally, a solution to those sliding cardboard ferry passes
- Our signature Bike in the Tree magnets and die-cut stickers
- Our new Vashon-Maury.com logo decals (for true local cred)
What makes these souvenirs special isn’t just the design—it’s that they were created for and by the community. You can’t buy them on Amazon. They’re made in small batches, with island pride, and when they’re gone, they’re gone until next year’s batch rolls out.
Plus, while you’re grabbing your sticker, you can meet the women behind the site:
- Anna Schomsky, who turns Facebook group chaos into comedy with the Weekly Rundown
- Heather Love, who helps local businesses get found and featured
- Jennifer Mathews, the founder, a fourth-generation islander and equestrian who runs Big Rock Horse Ranch when she’s not leading SEO strategy at Adobe
So as you stroll through the booths with your strawberry lemonade in one hand and a gyro in the other, keep an eye out for the things you’ll take home—and the memories they’ll carry with them. Whether it’s a magnet, a sticker, or just a conversation at our booth, we hope it makes you feel a little more connected to the island we love.
Author: Vashon Island
Vashon is an Island located between Tacoma and West Seattle. This account manages the vashon-maury.com website full on useful information for residents and visitors of the Island.
