By Judy Hucka, co-president, LWV of Whidbey Island

The Whidbey Island League has co-sponsored all of the past year’s pro-democracy rallies on the island:  Hands Off, Make Good Trouble and No Kings.  

But rallies aren’t eveyone’s cup of tea, and we wanted to do something that offered more tangible ways to advocate for our democracy. 

Thus was born the April 18 Democracy Fest, a nonpartisan and “big-tent” event emphasizing education, celebration and fun for all that took place at Greenbank Farm. Response exceeded our hopes, with more than 350 attendees, including about 50 young future voters and quite a few “dogs for democracy” walking their humans.  

The vibe resembled that of a county fair, with music, games and food trucks. 

A few highlights: 

• The arrival, on horseback, of Paul Revere and under-recognized 16-year-old Sybil Ludington, who performed a rousing skit about their courageous rides to warn “the British are coming” during the Revolutionary War. Coincidently, the fest was held on the 251st anniversary of Revere’s famous 1775 ride. 

• A democracy trivia contest with questions from the new U.S. citizenship test 

• A kids’ voting booth, where future voters weighed in on how to solve problems facing Whidbey’s animals. Dog-friendly fireworks was the winner, edging out reducing marine plastic pollution to save the orcas and improving deer-crossing safety. 

• Workshops by the Island County elections supervisor on election security 

• A democracy sing-along and tribal stories from America’s oldest democracy 

• Tables with information on voter registration, voting rights legislation and voting threats  

The event was organized by the Whidbey Island Pro-Democracy Coalition, which includes the League, Indivisible Whidbey, and several other local democracy advocates. 

 All in all, it was a community-building day, reminding us all that “democracy is not a spectator sport!”