If you ventured out of the house this past weekend, you are keenly aware of the huge number of visitors to Whidbey Island.

A plethora of fun community events meant there was something for just about everyone to enjoy.

Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival celebrated its 50th year. The festival has raised funds for community-based projects and scholarships, and continues to make the historic town a wonderful place to live and work.

Organized and operated completely by a small but dedicated volunteer army, the festival is a shining example of what great things can be accomplished by a town and its residents.

Saturday’s annual North Whidbey Lions Car Show and Sunday’s Oak Harbor Pigfest — formerly known as the Fidalgo Avenue Block Party — blew away attendance records as people poured into the downtown area specifically for those annual events.

Again, it was legions of volunteers who made both events happen.

The Lions Club returns all proceeds from the car show back into the community through its many projects.

No Lion is paid for their hard work and dedication. Their reward is in giving back.

Same goes for Pigfest. Event founder Scott Fraser estimates that at least 8,000 people attended this year’s event, which was relocated to Pioneer Way. Fraser said that’s approximately double last year’s turnout.

The Whidbey News-Times is a proud co-sponsor of this year’s Pigest, which donates all proceeds to local charities, among them North Whidbey Help House.

Not that there was ever any doubt that Whidbey Island is a wonderful place to live, but the fact that so many outstanding events are pulled together shows that great things can be accomplished through dedication and love of community.

We salute each of these events’ organizers and volunteer forces for creating events that are truly special and representative of the best that Whidbey Island has to offer residents and visitors alike.