Kids in costume eat free 3 pm-close on October 28, 29, 30, 31 at Pecos Pit-West Seattle (WSB sponsor), provided they’re with an adult buying an entree. See this flyer (PDF).

Kids can color at Pecos Pit-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) to enter a contest by October 31st – winner gets a party! Details on this flyer.

Dine in at, or take out from, Pecos Pit West Seattle on October 1st and 10 percent goes to West Seattle Cooperative Preschools.

From Pecos Pit-West Seattle (WSB sponsor):

When: Saturday, Sept 9th 4 pm-6 pm
Where: WS Pecos Pit BBQ
What: Kids Eat FREE

Mark your calendar: Pecos’ first..but not last, Kids’ event!

School is back in session, and the summer days are almost over…but they’re not over yet!

Come help us celebrate the release of our kid’s menu!

We will have FREE food and tasty treats for all the kids.

Beer and our signature Moonshine cocktail will be available for the adults.

So sit back and relax while we host an arts and crafts afternoon on our deck and let the kiddos decorate their very own paper-plate Pecos Piggy!

New at the crosswalk on the south side of 35th and Fauntleroy: Orange safety flags, courtesy of Pecos Pit BBQ (WSB sponsor), which has “adopted” the crosswalk.

Pecos Pit executive Jeannie Hammock says they paid for the flag basket and flags because it’s the best they could do for now – they asked SDOT to restripe the faded crosswalk but it has to wait until the Fauntleroy Boulevard project (and even then, improvements there were late additions to the plan) next year.

She notes that the unofficial “adoption” of the nearby area also includes “the installation/maintenance of landscaping in the ‘triangle’ at the entrance of the WS Bridge in order to beautify the entrance.” (That’s the area just north of the restaurant, which opened a little over a year ago.)

From today’s Land Use Information Bulletin:

Here’s the official notice of a community meeting to talk about the proposal for Pecos Pit (WSB sponsor) to use the ex-substation lot next door as a parking lot. When community groups met with Councilmember Lisa Herbold and city-department reps in October – as reported here – to talk about issues with the site, primarily an upcoming cleanup, a question arose about what kind of land-use permit had been sought and obtained to use it for parking. A temporary permit is now in place and a longer-term one is being sought; that’s what the January 12th meeting is about. It’s at 6:30 pm at the Senior Center/Sisson Building in The Junction (4217 SW Oregon)

One day after the official grand opening of Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que in West Seattle, today is the new restaurant’s first full day in business, and we’re welcoming them as a new WSB sponsor. As with all new local sponsors, Pecos Pit gets the chance to let you know what they’re about:

We believe in BBQ’s primal power: The artful use of wood, fire, and smoke to enhance the quality of one’s life and “spread the love.” So … we are taking this power, fusing it into an innovative business model and delivering a simpler but better BBQ experience. Do Well, Do Good, Have Fun!

After 35 years of having a single Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que location on 1st Avenue, Ron and Debra Wise have teamed up with Gerry Kingen to share their iconic Seattle jewel with the rest of the world. The new Pecos Pit location serves the same famous Pecos Pit BBQ found on 1st Ave for decades, along with some new habit-forming options. Offerings include our traditional pork, beef, and chicken sandwiches in a decidedly sloppy style, plus beef brisket and hot links. (Explore the menu here.)

New variations include stuffed smoked potatoes (sweet or russet) and a “Walkaround Bowl” filled with the meat of your choice plus cheese, cold slaw and sauce. We also serve healthy salads made with your choice of smoked meat, or have it veggie style with baby kale, olives, tomatoes, cowboy caviar, cheddar cheese, and blue cheese or ranch dressing. You can even buy bulk, smoked meats, including Pecos pork, beef brisket, turkey legs and smoked chicken.

Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que‘s new West Seattle restaurant is located at 4400 35th Avenue SW. Our hours are 11 a.m.– 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. We have indoor and outdoor seating; you can order ahead by phone at 206-708-7691; or, use the drive-through. Our 16 parking spaces are next door, off the alley, to the east.

We thank Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que for sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news via WSB; find our current sponsor team listed in directory format here, and find info on joining the team by going here.

Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que (WSB sponsor) is now officially open at 35th and and Fauntleroy, after a ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon:

That’s City Councilmember Lisa Herbold next to proprietor Gerry Kingen at right in the top photo. Below, Kingen and wife Kathy Kingen (at left) were also officially welcomed by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s CEO Lynn Dennis and president Elizabeth Pluhta of South Seattle College (WSB sponsor):

Pecos Pit is open until 9 tonight. It’s the first of what the Kingens, who own Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor), plan will be multiple franchised locations of the SODO-born barbecue restaurant.

Three West Seattle restaurant notes:

IRASHAI NOW OPEN: While covering the “Group Hug for The Admiral” this morning, we noticed the banner across the street at Irashai, the Japanese restaurant that took over the former Mawadda Café space. When it opened at 11 am, we ducked in to ask a few questions. This is the second day of the restaurant’s “soft open,” we learned; its operators have another restaurant by the same name in Alaska. The hours might change depending on how things are going, but for now they are posted as 11 am-9 pm Mondays-Thursdays, 11 am-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays, noon-9 pm Sundays.

PECOS PIT OPENING DATE: Pecos Pit BBQ at 35th and Fauntleroy has announced it will open on June 21st. It’s totally remodeled and expanded the former Beni Hoshi/Yasuko’s Teriyaki space. According to an announcement sent to the Junction Neighborhood Organization, a ribboncutting is planned at 3 pm on June 21st, and the restaurant will welcome its first customers at 4 pm.

SHELBY’S OPENING DATE: It’s been two months since we reported on Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery, taking over the former Westside Public House space on the northeast corner of California and Edmunds in The Junction. This establishment has also announced an opening date: July 19th.

(WSB photo, Tuesday morning, taken from Genesee looking south at restaurant location)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

The Pecos Pit Barbecue restaurant at 35th and Fauntleroy is expected to be open by mid-May.

That’s what representatives said at a meeting last night meant to address community safety concerns about the site, primarily stemming from its addition of a drive-through window.

“A lot of good solutions and ideas here tonight,” observed René Commons of the Junction Neighborhood Organization, organizer of the meeting, as it wrapped up. She stressed that the neighborhood is excited about the restaurant – whose plan for the two-years-closed teriyaki shack at 4400 35th SW was first reported here one year ago – but wants to be sure safety and traffic-flow concerns are addressed.

This was the second “community outreach meeting” involving neighbors and restaurant reps. Pecos Pit was represented by business-development vice president Nick Nordby, Jeremy McLachlan (a West Seattle resident) from operations, and Paul Krakow from real estate. Along with about half a dozen JuNO members and neighbors, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold sent rep Alex Clardy.

What was discussed answered some questions that have come up here on WSB in previous discussions:

Read More

Neighbors of the Pecos Pit Barbecue project at 4400 35th SW are asking for a meeting with city reps to show their concerns about its drive-thru exiting onto SW Genesee.

The concerns aren’t new – they’ve come up since the proposal (first reported here a year ago) was shown to include a drive-through, which will be the fourth in the 35th/Avalon vicinity (after KFC, Taco Time, and Starbucks). But as neighbors point out, they’re unique because the drive-through on the restaurant’s east side will have vehicles exiting onto residential SW Genesee to the north, where parking overflow from the apartments and condos along Avalon tends to result in one travel lane.

The city has approved the plan and said it didn’t require a wider review because it wasn’t a change in use for the building, owned by City Light and formerly a teriyaki restaurant. But that restaurant didn’t have a drive-through. Neighbors say they’re not opposed to the new restaurant but they think the city has underestimated its likely popularity and that will result in not just more traffic to Genesee but also a backup on the entrance to the drive-thru, which is from an alley to the south.

In an e-mail loop about the continuing concerns, city rep Bryan Stevens said that if there’s a “long-term problem” once the restaurant’s been open, the city can take another look:

When our staff reviewed the proposal, it was for the purpose of using an existing restaurant building for a new restaurant with the addition of a drive-in function. Based on the size of the new restaurant space and that it was a small local business (not a high-volume chain), staff did not see the need to require any additional queuing space beyond what was shown. While there are prescriptive queuing requirements for high-volume drive-in businesses such as banks and gas stations, restaurant businesses require staff to use their discretion based on what is known about the business and its operations.

While it’s possible upon first opening that there may be a pent up demand leading to queuing challenges, staff determined that for normal average operations, that the spaces shown on the plans would accommodate the demand and traffic flow. If queuing volume presents a long term problem after the business is in operation, then SDOT will have the business develop and implement an approved revision to better manage the vehicle queues.

Councilmember Lisa Herbold, also in the e-mail conversation, says she has already looked into “what types of streets a drive through service can utilize. The response from DCI was that only Pedestrian Zones (which begins at SW Alaska) limit curb cuts along certain streets and prohibit businesses which are car-centric.” Neighbors are now asking for her and city and project reps to meet at the site for a firsthand look.

Four West Seattle food-and-drink notes tonight:

MAREE BISTRO AND BAR UPDATE: The successor to Cassis at 2820 Alki is getting closer to opening, reports a spokesperson. Signage is up:

The new restaurant is just awaiting its liquor license, and hoping that will come as soon as this week. As we reported last month, the husband-and-wife team of Chef Andy Dekle and Megan Hartz, both of whom were with Cassis throughout its two-year run, are opening the new restaurant with “seasonal, market inspired French cuisine with a Northwest flavor.” Hours will be 5-10 pm Wednesdays through Mondays, happy hour 5-6 pm, plus weekend brunch 10 am-3 pm.

CHICKEN AND ICE CREAM CHEF TEAM: Harry’s Chicken Joint proprietor Bruce Cougan tells WSB his restaurant will close for one night this Saturday (January 23rd) to be part of the annual Gifts From The Earth benefit at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor). He adds:

It’s an honor to be included as a guest chef and a privilege to give back to the school where I received such excellent training and support. This year I will be joined by local (West Seattle) chef, friend, and collaborator, Matt Bumpas of Sweet Bumpas Ice Cream. Matt spent time at Poppy working as a chef, and it’s primarily his menu, inspired by some of the dishes at Poppy, that will be served for this event:

*Fennel salad with blood orange, hazelnut, Moroccan olive & Ibores
*Fried mussels with preserved lemon aioli & pickled shallot
*Cauliflower almond soup w/ harissa yogurt
*Beef short rib tagine w/ celery root puree & apple slaw 
*Thyme labneh panna cotta w/ urfa biber toffee & satsuma

Matt is a graduate of Seattle Central’s culinary program. He is currently looking for a brick and mortar location here in West Seattle for his legendary ice cream. He has been very successful at local events and farmer’s markets and now it’s time for him to secure a storefront. His ice cream stand was a big hit last summer at the Morgan Junction Festival.

P.S. Tickets are still available for Gifts From The Earth, which usually sells out. Each table is assigned a chef from the all-star list of participants, and is served a custom five-course menu.

PECOS PIT PROGRESS: Banner signage now covers the old signs at what was Beni Hoshi Teriyaki and is being transformed into Pecos Pit BBQ, at 35th/Fauntleroy:

The restaurant is advertising in the WSB West Seattle Jobs Offered forum for a general manager. Last projection of an opening date was “spring.” Meantime, community members concerned about traffic into and out of the restaurant location, especially the drive-thru that will exit onto narrow SW Genesee, got a reply from the city, saying this is too small a project to trigger a full review, and that the curb cut for that exit, on the north side of the property, has been there a long time.

WESTWOOD’S 4TH STARBUCKS: Last May, we reported that a Starbucks stand was in the works for Target at Westwood Village – where it follows a standalone Starbucks store, a stand inside QFC, and a café inside Barnes and Noble. Longtime WSB’er MIWS reports that construction is now under way in the snack-bar corner by the store’s entrance.

Almost two years after the abrupt closure of Beni Hoshi Teriyaki by the West Seattle Bridge entrance at 35th/Fauntleroy, the work to revamp the site into the home of Pecos Pit BBQ is getting under way. When last we updated the restaurant plan a month ago, they weren’t sure how soon work would start, but then this week, contractor banners went up on the fence and equipment including a big dumpster showed up at the site. We first reported the Pecos Pit plan back in February. The site is actually city property, owned by Seattle City Light as part of the former substation to the north, so Pecos, as was its teriyaki predecessors, will be a tenant. Current timeline for opening: Spring.

Two updates from the world of West Seattle food and drink:

PECOS PIT BBQ UPDATE: Nine months after we first told you a Pecos Pit BBQ restaurant was planned for the former Beni Hoshi Teriyaki spot at 35th/Fauntleroy, we have another update. Spokesperson Nick Nordby says the restaurant is expected to open in spring. They’re still working on outdoor deck seating and a drive-through (exiting onto Genesee, according to a document in the city file) as well as indoor seating. Nordby says founders Ron Wise and Debra Wise have teamed with Salty’s (WSB sponsor) proprietor Gerry Kingen to expand, starting with this location, but serving “the same famous Pecos Pit BBQ found on 1st avenue for decades, along with some new habit-forming options. Offerings include our traditional pork, beef, and chicken sandwiches in a decidedly sloppy style, plus beef brisket, and hot links,” along with “stuffed smoked potatoes … and a ‘Walkabouts Bowl’ filled with the meat of your choice plus cheese, cold slaw and sauce” and salads. You can even buy bulk, smoked meats including Pecos pork, beef brisket, turkey legs, and smoked chicken.” They’re aiming for a full liquor license, he adds. No word yet how soon work will start.

WESTSIDE PUBLIC HOUSE GOES DARK: We haven’t been able to directly confirm that Westside Public House at California/Edmunds in The Junction is gone, but all signs point that way. The pub at California/Edmunds hasn’t been open since Sunday night – just days after its first-anniversary celebration – and a peek through the windows reveals most furnishings gone. Its website and phone line are both down. No message on the door, no message on the still-up Facebook page, but its Tuesday night trivia provider posted on their FB page that they got word it had closed after Sunday night. The pub’s year in the space followed three years by A Terrible Beauty; before that, Table 35 was there for 10 months and Ama Ama for 21 months. (WSB file photo)

Questions about the disappearance of the chain-link fence around the former Beni Hoshi Teriyaki site at 35th/Fauntleroy led us to check in with Seattle City Light, which owns the property. Beni Hoshi, you might recall, abruptly closed in January 2014; eight months later, the city fenced off the site, citing neighborhood concerns about unauthorized parking. Nothing’s shown up in city-permit files yet regarding impending business activity, but SCL’s Scott Thomsen tells us another restaurant is moving in:

We recently signed an agreement with the owner of the Pecos Pit BBQ to use that property. The owner plans to fix up the building and add a patio so they can add a new location for the restaurant. Once in operation, they will be monitoring parking to reserve it for customers. We did take down the fencing that we were paying for to protect against vandalism and the overnight parking. Now that there is an agreement in place, the owner of the business will be putting fencing back up until renovations are completed. That should happen later this week.

We have an inquiry out to Pecos Pit in hopes of finding out more about the plan for the site. City Light owns the parcel because of the former substation next door; Thomsen had told us in September that it was considered “surplus,” though it’s not part of the current group of West Seattle (and vicinity) ex-substations that the utility’s trying to get rid of.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Though the Sound Transit Board won’t decide on the final West Seattle light-rail routing (“alignment”) before the middle of next year, the agency is proceeding with station design based on the “preferred alignment” that got preliminary board approval.

And as ST reps reiterated to the West Seattle Transportation Coalition last Thursday night, this is prime time to tell them what you think about how the design of West Seattle’s stations is shaping up. Your primary way to do that is to answer this survey – also pitched at ST’s recent meeting in The Junction (WSB coverage here and here) – if you haven’t already. That meeting did not include a briefing, just a chance to circulate and look at maps and sketches, so even if you attended, the materials from the WSTC meeting might provide a somewhat closer look.

Here’s the full slide deck from Thursday’s meeting. It includes three views of each planned station (Delridge, Avalon – still potentially on the table for omission, but design continues – and Junction). Below are the three major design views on which presenters focused:

First, the Delridge station (elevated) – some key points mentioned by ST’s Sloan Dawson included that the platform will be about 55′ above a reconfigured Charlestown Street. They’re working on pickup/dropoff/pedestrian zones to minimize having people crossing “a busy arterial.” The station itself eventually won’t front on Delridge – the street was shown as running alongside transit-oriented development projects that could be up to 85′ high (three stories higher than the platform). They don’t believe 26th/Andover will warrant a new signal but a new intersection at 23rd/Delridge will.

Next, the Avalon station (underground in what ST calls a “routine cut”):

This station will “straddle 35th SW,” underground, so entrances will be roughly where Taco Time and Pecos Pit (WSB sponsor) are now. Dawson also pointed out a plan to “reroute” part of SW Genesee in the area, as well as “a lot of new bike infrastructure” planned. He said they’re not currently envisioning any changes to the existing intersection signalization.

And next, the westernmost West Seattle station, in The Junction (tunneled):

Its entrances are envisioned on 40th and 42nd SW, and the platform would be 65′ below street level. There is new bicycle infrastructure here too, with protected bike lanes envisioned “all along the Alaska corridor.” Transit-oriented development in the area could go up to 75′.

Again, the full slide deck (here it is again) also has station-by-station looks at two other views – development near the station, and how you’ll get to the station (where buses and other vehicles will drop people off, for example).

In Q&A, ST reps were asked what happens if the board vote next year results in a different “alignment” than the ones these stations are on. The feedback provided now could be applied to other station locations, they said, but for the record, these are the only station locations getting some early design work now.

WHAT’S NEXT? The station-planning survey is open through December 20th.

WSTC’S NEXT MEETING: The group usually meets every other fourth Thursday, so that means the next meeting will be January 25, 2024 – watch westseattletc.org for info.

ADDED WEDNESDAY: Here’s video of the WSTC meeting, which the group just uploaded:

(Photo by Ann Anderson)

Welcome to this pre-holiday Sunday! First, from the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide:

THANKSGIVING ORDERING DEADLINES: Two of note today – Pecos Pit West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – Order here. … Bakery Nouveau – See Thanksgiving items here.

HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR AT OLG: Shop, eat, make a wreath at Our Lady of Guadalupe (35th/Nyrtle). Ethically sourced gifts and food, plus hot lunch (Frito chili bowls! mac and cheese! lumpia!) available to eat there or take home. Student bake sale benefiting WestSide Baby. 9:30 am-2 pm.

PEACE LUTHERAN HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Second and final day, noon-3 pm at 39th/Thistle. See our story from Saturday. Proceeds benefit church programs plus West Seattle Food Bank, White Center Food Bank, Westside Neighbors Network Shelter.

And now the rest of today’s lineup, mostly from our WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

WESTIES RUN CLUB: They’re running on Sunday mornings too – meet at 9 am at rotating locations.

WEST SEATTLE BEE GARDEN TLC: If you can give a couple hours to this West Seattle treasure, they’d be happy to see you, 10 am-noon. (Graham/Lanham)

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: 10 am-2 pm, the market is open as usual between SW Alaska and SW Oregon on California, offering fall fruit and vegetables as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from cider to kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list. The market is on California north of Oregon.

BUY YOUR PANCAKE-BREAKFAST TICKETS! At the market’s south end, go look for the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle booth, and buy your ticket(s) for their December 2nd pancake breakfast (which features Santa photo ops)!

FOOD DRIVE: One more reason to go to the market – donate to the West Seattle Food Bank via Farmlink fellow Ariel Cook‘s food drive. Look for her booth amid the vendors, 10 am-2 pm.

CLOTHING/BLANKETS/FOOD DRIVE: Also collecting donations today, Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds). 11 am-3 pm.

CAT ADOPTION EVENT: Friends of the Animals Foundation is at Mud Bay (2611 California SW) noon-3 pm with adoptable cats.

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS QUESTIONS/CONCERNS? Our area’s outgoing School Board rep Leslie Harris hosts her last community-conversation meeting, 2-5 pm at High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), with guests and lasagna. Drop in when you can.

LIVE MUSIC AT THE COFFEEHOUSE: At C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor): The Heartache and Heartbreak Show, 3-5 pm, no cover.

LIVE AT EASY STREET: Red Dress, 5 pm free in-store, all-ages show at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW).

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

Something for our calendar – one-time or recurring? Or for our upcoming West Seattle Holiday Guide? Please email us the info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

(Ferry in the fog at sunrise today, photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

Here are highlights of what’s happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar (where you’ll see even more):

LITTLE JAYE’S OPENING DAY: The new South Park bakery and coffee shop by the team from Lady Jaye in The Junction is celebrating its opening day, until 3 pm. (309 S. Cloverdale)

UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE: 11 am presentation at Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon).

WEST SEATTLE UKULELE PLAYERS: All levels welcome to this weekly 1 pm gathering. Email westseattleukuleleplayerswsup@gmail.com to find out where they’re playing today.

THURSDAY FOOD-TRUCK POP-UP: 4-8 pm at Highland Park Corner Store (7789 Highland Park Way SW), Pecos Pit will be visiting.

HIGHLAND PARK RUN CLUB: Also at HP Corner Store, meet up at 6:30 pm for a 3-mile run!

WEST SEATTLE REALTY OPEN HOUSE: Stop by 2715 California SW in Admiral – here’s the announcement from West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor):

Please come by tonight (Thursday, October 5th) from 5:00-9:00 pm if your schedule allows! We’ll have some light snacks, a nice selection of beverages, and be ready to talk about this crazy real=estate market. And it’s also a great excuse to celebrate our wonderful community. We’d love to see you!

WESTIES RUN CLUB: New location! Meet at Future Primitive Beer Bar (2536 Alki SW) at 6:30 pm for a 3-mile run – more in our calendar listing.

HARBOR-ALKI CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES TOWN HALL: See and hear Rob Saka and Maren Costa at 7 pm tonight at Admiral Church (4320 SW Hill). Here’s a video preview from Mark Jaroslaw, who will be recording the event:

Here’s our most recent written preview.

COUNTY COUNCIL CANDIDATES: Sofia Aragon and Teresa Mosqueda will field questions at tonight’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council (White Center and vicinity) meeting, online, 7 pm. Here’s how to participate/watch.

WEST SEATTLE SILENT BOOK CLUB: 7-9 pm, 11 venues in West Seattle/White Center are participating this month! See the list in our calendar listing.

BLUES NIGHT: 7 pm at The Spot West Seattle (2920 SW Avalon Way), every Thursday you can listen to the blues.

THURSDAY NIGHT CORNHOLE: Go play at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW), 7 pm.

THURSDAY THROWDOWN: All-vinyl DJ night at Revelry Room (4547 California SW, alley entrance), 8-11 pm.

OVERNIGHT WATER OUTAGE: As we’ve been previewing, tonight is the night a seven-hour water outage is scheduled, 9 pm-4 am, for 650 Seattle Public Utilities customers in Morgan Junction, Gatewood, and Fauntleroy, for the installation of three new valves. The work will be happening at California/Frontenac.

We publish these daily lists as reminders, but you can look ahead any time, to any day, by visiting our calendar!

This Thursday night brings one of the most delicious fundraisers of the year – the Taste of West Seattle, a chance to sample food and drink from dozens of local venues, all in one place, to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank‘s work fighting hunger and homelessness. It’s happening this Thursday night (September 28th) at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). VIP admission ($125) gets you a half-hour head start at 5:30 pm; general admission ($75) brings you in at 6 pm. It’s a 21+ event. The Taste of West Seattle always sells out but with three days to go, some tickets remain, so you can go here to get yours. (See the list of participating food and beverage purveyors here – they include WSB sponsors Viscon Cellars, Dream Dinners, and Pecos Pit, as well as more than two dozen other sweet and/or savory faves!)

(WSB photos. Above, kids’ zone, presented by Hope Lutheran School)

11:33 AM: If you’re not already in The Junction, this is the epicenter of West Seattle fun on autumn’s first Sunday – the Fall Festival is on, in the street on California SW south of Alaska.

Music (The Potholes, above) and games started at 11 – including the cornhole tournament:

(added) How about giant checkers?

Starting at noon, you can buy chili tastes and vote on your favorite. Noon is also when the Seattle Thrillers are scheduled to dance, and two sets of pie-eating competitors will face off, kids and adults. This is all on until 2 pm (while the Farmers’ Market continues in its usual area north of Alaska).

12:32 PM: Go get your chili while it lasts, right in front of KeyBank as usual:

(Competitors: Admiral Pub, Brookdale, Camp West, Elliott Bay Brewing, Husky Deli, Margie’s Cafe, Pecos Pit BBQ – voting results announced at festival’s end.)

2:12 PM: Congratulations to Husky Deli, which won the chili-cookoff vote, with Margie’s Café (from the Senior Center) coming in second. (~300 flights of chili were purchased for $10 each – proceeds help the West Seattle Junction Association, a nonprofit, cover festival costs.)

P.S. Next up in The Junction – the Wine Walk this Friday (buy your ticket fast – this always sells out) and trick-or-treating on Sunday, October 29th (costume parade too)!

(Saturday rainbow, photographed by Kevin Freitas)

Extra middle-of-the-street fun in The Junction today – that tops our highlight list:

FALL FESTIVAL: For the first time, The Junction’s big fall celebration has become a two-part festival – today, 11 am-2 pm, it’s part one, the Fall Festival, with an extra block closed to traffic (see Metro advisories here) so all this can happen on California south of Alaska:

The Potholes play at 11, The Everlovers at 1 (and between them, “Thriller” dancers at noon). Most of this is free but bring $ for the chili (noon; competitors this year are Admiral Pub, Brookdale, Camp West, Elliott Bay Brewing, Husky Deli, Margie’s Cafe, NW Texas BBQ, Pecos Pit BBQ, and The Westy). Pies for the competition (noon; registration is closed) are provided as always by A La Mode Pies.

WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Meantime, 10 am-2 pm, the market is open as usual between SW Alaska and SW Oregon on California, offering fruit and vegetables as well as flowers, cheese, fish, meat, baked goods, condiments, fresh-cooked food, beverages (from kombucha to beer/wine), nuts, more. Here’s today’s vendor list.

Here’s what else is happening in West Seattle today/tonight:

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Now they’re running on Sunday mornings too – meet at 9 am at Dough Joy Donuts (4310 SW Oregon).

BUSINESS MOVING SALE: West Seattle Wellness is moving from Westwood Village to The Junction and selling some items at its WWV location today – wall art, filing cabinets, wardrobes, massage tables, and a printer. 10 am-3 pm. (2600 SW Barton, Suite A-24, above NK Nails)

DOUGH JOY AT OUNCES: Another 10 am-2 pm Dough Joy Donuts popup at Ounces (3809 Delridge Way SW).

VOLUNTEER AT THE BEE GARDEN: As announced here, the West Seattle Bee Garden (Graham/Lanham) can use volunteer help 11 am-1 pm to get it ready for fall.

CLASSIC NOVELS (AND MOVIES) BOOK CLUB: Monthly gathering at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW), 3 pm; see our calendar listing for the topic!

‘MATT & BEN’: Matinee performance at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), 3 pm. Check for tickets here.

COFFEEHOUSE MUSIC: Sean Morse performs 3-5 pm at C & P Coffee Company (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor). No cover.

(Fall’s first sunset, photographed by Marc Milrod)

SUNDAY NIGHT JAZZ: Triangular Jazztet at The Alley (4509 California SW), 8 pm and 9 pm sets.

Something for our calendar – one-time or recurring? Email us the info – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

(WSB photo from 2019 Taste of West Seattle)

This year, the Taste of West Seattle – benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank – returns in its original format, one big event with dozens of food/drink purveyors offering “tastes” to attendees. Original venue, too – The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). WSFB is now selling tickets for the Taste of WS, which is set for Thursday, September 28th. $125 VIP tickets get you in first, at 5:30 pm; $75 general admission starts at 6 pm. Here are the participants the WSFB has announced so far:

Aroy Mak Thai
Bakery Nouveau
Circa
Darby Winery
Dolcetta Artisan Sweets
Dream Dinners
Elliott Bay Brewing Co.
Ghostfish Brewing
Mission Cantina
Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce
Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que
Ringa
Seattle Sorbets
Shoshinbakery
Shug’s
Sopranos Antico
T2 Cellar
The Good Society Brewing Co
The Locöl Kitchen & Bar
Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes
Viscon Cellars
…and more to come!

It’s a 21+ event, and usually sells out, so if you’re interested, go here to get your ticket(s).