West Seattle Sunday: Zucchini racing, fashion show, festival, history, dogs, more…

The heat wave’s over (for now) but the summer events continue. From the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

ZUCCHINI RACING: The annual squash-on-wheels event at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is today! Kids get to create a “vegetable vehicle” and race it, 10 am-1 pm. (California SW between Oregon and Alaska)

POP-UP SHOP: LuLaRoe clothing pop-up shop 10 am-2 pm at Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) – info here. (4410 California SW)

SAINT MARY SUNDAY: Special service, 10:30 am at First Lutheran Church of West Seattle. (4105 California SW)

ARTS IN NATURE FESTIVAL, DAY 2: Music, dance, visual art, kids’ activities, all around Camp Long, 11 am-6 pm. Just west of the meadow, find the shelter where you can create and display poetry:

Nature Consortium presents the festival; the performance schedule is on the festival website, as is ticket information. See WSB coverage from Saturday here. (5200 35th SW)

DELRIDGE WADING POOL FINALE: Last scheduled day of the season for Delridge Wading Pool, noon-6:30 pm. (4501 Delridge Way SW)

DOG DAYS OF AUGUST BEERFEST/ADOPTION EVENT: It’s all about dogs this afternoon at West Seattle Nursery, 1-4 pm, with adoptions and information as well as beer – benefiting Furry Faces Foundation – and music. More info in our calendar listing. (5275 California SW)

CONVERSATION WITH CHIEF SEATTLE’S GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDSON: 2 pm at Delridge Library, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s “SouthWest Stories” series brings you Ken Workman:

(5423 Delridge Way SW)

‘HAIRSPRAY’ CLOSING PERFORMANCE: 3 pm at West Seattle High School Theater, Twelfth Night Productions‘ musical has its final performance – ticket info’s in our calendar listing. (3000 California SW)

‘MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG’ CLOSING PERFORMANCE: 3 pm at ArtsWest, this summer’s musical-theater-student performance is onstage one last time – ticket info here. (4711 California SW)

FASHION SHOW: You’re invited to this summer’s Unified Outreach Fashion & Runway Program show, the result of a summer of hard work for youth who’ll be on the runway and behind the scenes. Mingling at 5 and the show at 6, free, at the West Seattle Christian Church Activity Center – details in our calendar listing. (4400 42nd SW)

CANCER-FIGHTING FUNDRAISER: Starting at 6 pm at The Skylark, you’re invited to Kevin‘s birthday bash – a public event with food, drinks, and music, raising money for the American Cancer Society, working toward a world with “less cancer and more birthdays.” (3803 Delridge Way SW)

PREVIEW THE WEEK AHEAD, AND BEYOND … as well as even more listings for today … by checking out our full calendar.

NW August 21, 2016 (11:00 am)

Kids doing Zuchini racing? We really are losing our culture and traditions in this city. Whatever happened to summertime and kids racing homemade hydroplanes behind their bicycles or is it still going on out there?

WSB August 21, 2016 (11:36 am)

This IS a tradition, actually. Checking our archives, annual zucchini racing at the Farmers’ Market goes back to at least 2007. – TR
Alan August 21, 2016 (12:48 pm)

This is essentially an old-fashioned pine block derby race, but using vegetables. I’m not sure what your cultural concern is here. I grew up in West Seattle in the ’50s and ’60s, so I am old and set in my ways. I think this is an odd thing to complain about. Maybe kids should only be allowed to play in the dirt with sticks?

There are some pictures here, in case you are imagining something evil.

https://westseattleblog.com/2011/09/west-seattle-farmers-market-gets-squashed-zucchini-500/
- WSB August 21, 2016 (12:59 pm)
  
  I get where NW is coming from … but the cool thing is that, as both Patrick and I said to each other simultaneously while discussing the comment, as we do sometimes, it’s not zero-sum. You can race zucchinis AND drag wooden hydros from your bike if you want. Some say the hydro-inspired play goes back to a time when Seattle didn’t have other major pro sports and so the annual hydro races were HUGE for everyone. Not that long ago … I remember when we moved here in 1991, Opening Day of boating had live major media coverage and now, well, maybe you can find a little blurb on the crew races somewhere. The Seafair hydro races are still televised, though!
  
  P.S. Patrick just went to the market to check out the zucchini racing, and it was a little overshadowed, at least while he was there, by something that wasn’t in the market announcement for today … Pagliacci’s dough-tossing demo. Photos later. – TR
  - Alan August 21, 2016 (2:43 pm)
    
    Dough-tossing?! In West Seattle?! I just do not recognize my neighborhood anymore. ;-)

NW August 21, 2016 (11:55 am)

That’s right forgot city is reinventing itself.

Gina August 21, 2016 (1:55 pm)

I’m open to any possible use of a zucchini at this time. And I have lived here since 1961.

Mike August 21, 2016 (2:40 pm)

I want to do this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xo_W3oYMfM Now that’s classic Seattle / Eastside fun!

NW August 21, 2016 (3:08 pm)

Great video! My comment is in general how Seattle is being changed by new folks rolling in and locals and our ways moving on dying or just fading away zuchini race hydro or pokieman whatever floats your boat.
- Mike August 21, 2016 (6:11 pm)
  
  @NW, I can appreciate your thoughts on this as a huge part of me feels the same. It’s harder for people that didn’t grow up around the area to realize the parts that made Seattle unique and what made it Seattle are actually being pushed away. However, zucchini races sound like a fun kid project, at least to me. Makes sense, you only need a zucchini, knife and toothpicks to make a vehicle that rolls.
  
  Seattle doesn’t have people that create that feel like we remember, the Ivar Haglund’s, Don McCune’s (Captain Puget), the entire crew of Almost LIVE (who still mostly live here). Maybe we can get Joel McHale to come back here and restore this area’s vibe again. The areas focus is so tilted by how much people can make by a monetary status rather than providing a better place to live and be part of. Maybe we can make zucchini races something Seattle gets known for again. Something totally useless other than just for fun and getting families to hang out together. I’d love to bring in a Red Bull Flugtag type event and put zucchni racing in there.
Alan August 21, 2016 (3:35 pm)

I remember going to one of those races on Greenlake circa 1972. The Sammamish Slough looks more fun though. There are still enthusiasts in the area, so it hasn’t all gone to the vegetables.

http://www.seattleoutboard.org/

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