West Seattle Saturday: The shops; the lights; the music; more

| Holidays | West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

The brant are back! So reports Danny McMillin, with that photo shared via the WSB Flickr group. Meantime, two groups of highlights again for today/tonight, first, starting with a few from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:

‘SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY’: We of course highly recommend “Small Business Every Day,” but if you’re making an extra effort today, note that the West Seattle Junction Association has a list of deals (including one at longtime WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits). Also check out the fab shops in The Admiral District, on Alki, in Delridge, Morgan Junction, White Center, South Park … good things are everywhere.

DUWAMISH LONGHOUSE HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR, DAY 2: The Duwamish Tribe invites you to its Longhouse in West Seattle again today for the Native Holiday Gift Fair, continuing today and Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm: “Unique gifts in every price range. Fine art, native crafts, regalia, cards, jewelry, T-shirts, smoked salmon and more. Lots of snacks – frybread, baked goods, hot chocolate and more. Free admission and parking for shoppers.” 4705 W. Marginal Way SW; Friday coverage here.

CHRISTMAS TEAS BEGIN AT LA ROMANZA BISTRO: Christmas Teas on Saturday and Sundays at La Romanza Bistro (WSB sponsor) through January 6th. (More info and reservations, here.)

LIGHTING CEREMONY AND CONCERT @ WEST SEATTLE LIGHTS: Tonight’s the “block party” for the Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular/West Seattle Lights display at 3908 SW Charlestown – the street will be blocked off, tonight only, between 39th and 40th, for the 7 pm gala opening-weekend lighting ceremony and a free concert by Judy Pancoast, who, as you can read here, is launching a coast-to-coast tour of homes that feature her music in their animated lighting displays. The light show is always free too – but donations to the West Seattle Food Bank and Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation are appreciated, through the WSL website (or bring WS Food Bank donations to the show).

‘WINTER WONDERETTES’: ArtsWest‘s holiday production continues at 7:30 tonight – full details here.

SANTA PHOTOS, CHRISTMAS TREES, MORE … find EVERYTHING holiday, here.

Now, from the regular WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

BLOOD DRIVE: Miss the one on Friday? Another chance today, at Westwood Village, 9:30 am-3:30 pm (closed 11:30 am-12:30 pm). More info here.

HELP RESTORE SANISLO’S WETLAND: 10 am-2 pm work party today, planting trees – spend an hour, or two, or three, or four. 1812 SW Myrtle; details here on what to wear/bring.

VIETNAMESE CULTURAL CENTER: Every Saturday, it’s scheduled to be open 12-3 pm to the public. (This is the same place that has coordinated volunteers the past two Saturdays to go to Nickelsville – as reported here.) 2236 SW Orchard.

WAYNE LOVEGROVE AT C&P: 6-8 pm, acoustic guitar, free performance at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California.

CASEY MCGILL AND ORVILLE JOHNSON: Performing at 7:30 pm tonight at Kenyon Hall (7904 35th SW).

WEST SIDE GLORY: Billed as a “queer variety show,” this production will hit the stage at Skylark Café and Club tonight at 8 pm, 3803 Delridge Way SW. Details here.

M November 24, 2012 (8:22 am)

The list of stores participating in Small Business Saturday on the Junction website includes only about 5 shops, all starting with letter ‘C’. Is this a coincidence or did the rest of the list not appear on the websits for some reason? Thanks!

Dimples November 24, 2012 (8:25 am)

Do we know what time the Helmstetler gala begins?

WSB November 24, 2012 (10:27 am)

D – 7 pm. Have fixed the item to include that.
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M – that’s not necessarily the list of “participating” stores (I don’t know if there is any such official list – American Express does not provide its official information to small news organizations – Sam at Fleurt in The Junction http://www.fleurtseattle.com did send this URL since we published this; http://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/shop-small ), it’s simply what the WSJA has compiled in terms of Junction stores with specials today. Our exhortation today and EVERY day is to do as MUCH small-and-independent-business shopping as you can. There are some INCREDIBLE stores all around our peninsula, from Alki to South Delridge. We hope they are mobbed today and EVERY day of the year. – TR

PK November 24, 2012 (8:03 pm)

Big let down at the Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular – I think only 1/10 of the lights were on. Still got in the spirit, but not the usual dosplay at all. Was there a technical issue?

WSB November 24, 2012 (8:14 pm)

Hi – how long were you there? I am uploading video from the concert right now and I think that was a digression from the standard light show – which I thought was to continue as usual after the live performance, according to what Jim told one member of our crew (the show is coordinated to prerecorded music) … TR

PK November 24, 2012 (8:19 pm)

I was there for 45 minutes. Long enough with two young kids.

A November 24, 2012 (8:24 pm)

It was horrible there. Next year please don’t ask that lady to come back! We waited and waited and finally she ended and the light show started but it certainly wasn’t as good as years past (for what we saw – we didn’t stay for the entire thing). And that lady sure was full of herself. Hey, if you want her to autograph a photo run over, I’m sure there are plenty left! haha Seriously lady?!

WSB November 24, 2012 (8:55 pm)

PK – if there is a special show next year, we will remember to ask for clarification that the lights start afterward, if that is again the case.
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A – I’m sorry to hear it was “horrible.” Everyone involved in this is a volunteer – giving their time and money to make it happen, free of charge, to anyone who wants to go, and hoping to collect donations for charities (this year, the West Seattle Food Bank and Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation) – and busts their butt for weeks/months ahead of time to put it together. I’m also sorry that anyone would think it’s OK to gripe about a free show put on by volunteers but I’m publishing this on the offhand chance that maybe you mistakenly think somebody involved with this was getting paid for it.

miws November 24, 2012 (9:38 pm)

A, you have obviously mistaken WSB for one of those feedback sites where constructive criticism is as rare as a 75 degree day in late November in Seattle.

Mike

WSB November 24, 2012 (9:45 pm)

I believe strongly in commenting and in preserving the right to anonymous commenting – you can show up at a public meeting and not identify yourself when you make a comment or voice an opinion to the prevailing council/whomever, you shouldn’t have to ID yourself online (though people are welcome to use their full real names if they want to!) – but there is the aspect brought up by The Oatmeal toward the end of this long, long musing: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/making_things
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A has also previously commented that we suck. And yeah, sometimes we do. We generally are WELL aware when we do and do an awesome job beating ourselves up about it, completely obliterating memories of the times when we don’t. But I digress. Gotta go out and check out on a report of unusual police activity … TR

Ajax November 24, 2012 (11:50 pm)

Oh, come on people – this is West Seattle where the sense of entitlement is so thick you would wreck your car if you ran into it head on. My favorite (up until A and PK tonight) was the person who complained that the FREE Halloween parade in the Junction was at the same time as their kids’ nap time. I think in a way it’s a good thing as it indicates that a significant number of people in this community are obviously doing so well that they don’t have any real problems to complain about.

Sorry, comment time is over.