10:12 AM: Until 2 pm, the Morgan Junction Community Festival is on! The entertainment has just begun with The Bubbleman.

Magic and music is coming up too. … Seattle Police Mounted Patrol Unit horseback officers have just arrived:

This is all happening in and around Morgan Junction Park, just north of Beveridge Place Pub on the west side of California SW about half a block north of Fauntleroy.

The Morgan Junction All-Wheels Association is set up on Beveridge Place between the pub and Whisky West:

They’re there to talk with you about the plan for an all-wheels area in the south part of the park. Take this survey to see the concepts – or better yet, come to the festival and talk about them with MJAWA!

This is NOT just for skaters – they want to hear from everyone.

10:43 AM: Ray the Magician is starting his performance.

He has classic magician props – a hat, magic ropes, magic rings – and stories about getting interested in magic as a kid (now it’s a sideline to his day job as a lawyer).

11:20 AM: The magic show has concluded. Here’s some of what else you can do – the Gatewood Elementary PTA has a “gator launch” activity over in the southernmost area:

Alice Kuder‘s Just In Case (WSB sponsor) makes disaster preparedness fun, and that’s what she’s doing at her table:

Just In Case focuses on personal preparedness – while neighborhood preparedness is what the Emergency Communication Hubs are all about, and Cindi Barker can explain them to you:

In the heart of the park, you and your kids can learn about orcas from The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom:

11:42 AM: Gary Benson, acoustic musician and longtime festival favorite, has just started his performance in the park, introduced by emcee Phil Tavel.

This is all volunteer-powered, and presented by the Morgan Community Association, greeting festivalgoers from their table near the park entrance (we’re nearby).

Back over in the festival expansion zone behind Zeeks (right along Fauntleroy just west of California), more Seattle Police representation – Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer and Community Service Officer Dennise:

They have steering-wheel locks if you need one. Over at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society booth, say hi to Elizabeth and Meagan:

12:20 PM: City Councilmember Tanya Woo has just stopped by – she’s currently one of four candidates who’ll be on the August ballot for the citywide seat to which she was appointed:

(We have a longstanding policy that if you’re running for something and you’re at a local festival that we’re at too, come say hi and we’ll take your photo.) District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka is supposed to be here soon too, scheduled to introduce The Potholes, final performers of the festival.

12:57 PM: Councilmember Woo spoke briefly. Shortly thereafter, Councilmember Saka gave a longer speech, mostly riffing off the pothole theme and how he uses the “King of Potholes” nickname as a symbol for attention to governmental basics:

Then emcee Tavel took the mic to talk briefly about two people long active with MoCA who passed away this past year – Eldon Olson and Chas Redmond (who handled the sound system for this festival for many years). As he noted, Chas wasn’t a “moment of silence” kind of person – so instead, there was a “moment of noise.” And The Potholes will be playing shortly.

1:21 PM: They’re performing now!

The festival continues until 2 pm.

2 PM: It’s been a breezy but dry and sunny festival – thanks to everyone who came – and here are the organizers from the Morgan Community Association:

MoCA meets quarterly, with a ton of information about what’s happening in the community – next meeting (likely online and in person) will be July 17 – watch morganjunction.org for info.