This Saturday, you’re invited to the second annual Oktoberfest celebration at Alki Masonic Center in The Junction, which just might be the biggest Oktoberfest party in West Seattle. Organizers are sponsoring WSB this week to be sure you’ve heard about it, in case you haven’t already seen it in the WSB Event Calendar. This Oktoberfest party has it all – food options including schnitzel, brats, and German pretzels; beer; live music; and games (Hammerschlagen, Cornhole, Stein challenge). Even a costume contest! Tickets are $40 and the proceeds raise money for youth-scholarship programs. You can get your ticket(s) now online – just go here. The center’s at 40th/Edmunds, and the party’s happening in their lower-level event venue all afternoon on Saturday – noon to 5 pm.

Just in from organizers – the final two glass floats have been found, so the second annual West Seattle Glass Float Hunt is over. The scavenger-hunt-style search for a total of 100 floats was a collaboration of the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, with the floats hand-blown in West Seattle by Avalon Glassworks. Last year, a grant covered the cost; this year, money from sales of bridge-closure “Reunited” T-shirts provided the funding; WSJA executive director Chris Mackay told us today they’re hoping for a grant so they can do it again next year, and maybe even broaden the invitation beyond the peninsula, so float-hunting becomes a reason to visit West Seattle. P.S. We’re told the last one found was found today near the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse.

This is the fourth day of this year’s West Seattle Glass Float Hunt, with 19 of the first 50 still waiting to be found. Of those that have been found, one was hidden almost afloat:

That’s Jonah of Alki Kayak Tours “hiding” a float on a piling – note the tide (and weather!) difference when float hunter Phil found and retrieved it:

Of the remaining 19, organizers say:

All of them are in businesses and none are outside. Here are the found locations (which will not be repeated):”

Alki Kayak Tours
Beveridge Place Pub
By & By Skate Shop
C&P Coffee
Cupcake Royale
Dumplings of Fury
Easy Street Records
Emerald Water Anglers
Hotwire Coffee
Launchpad Coworking
Log House / Historical Society
Meeples Games
Next to Nature
Princess & The Bear Wines
Starbucks
The Alley
The Grove
Three 9 Lounge
WEND Jewelry
Marination
Me-Kwa-Mooks
By the nursery
Whale Tail
Jack Block Park
Belvedere Park
Schmitz Park
Lowman Beach Park
Dakota Place Park
Totem Pole Park
Madison Middle School
Hope Lutheran

If you’re just finding out about this, backstory is in this preview from last week.

We have an update on the other current West Seattle scavenger hunt too – this one is the West Seattle Glass Float Hunt, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Organizers tell WSB that after the first day, “27 have been found so far. 23 still out in the wild!” They also provided selfies sent by happy finders, including this family:

After the first 50 are found, another 50 are waiting to be hidden. If you’ve missed previous coverage, here’s how it works.

Haven’t planned out your Sunday yet? Alice Kuder says her pirate-themed Summer Scramble scavenger hunt has one more day to go – until 7 pm Sunday – and it’s not too late to sign up:

69 teams of pirate hunters are scouring West Seattle this weekend in search of cache pouches! Each one leads to booty from local businesses. There’s still time to join in this FREE fun. Go to bit.ly/Summer-Scramble to register your team.

(WSB photo of float at Avalon Glassworks)

The second of two West Seattle scavenger hunts that start next week is also an encore – another search for hidden glass floats. It’s again a collaboration of the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. If you haven’t already seen it in our calendar, here’s their explanation of what kicks off August 5th:

Are you ready to go on a West Seattle scavenger hunt? Back by popular demand, the 2023 West Seattle Glass Float Hunt kicks off on Saturday, August 5, 2023. This year’s theme is “GO WEST.” inspired by the stunning sunsets of West Seattle, as well as the neighborhood’s geographical direction. Beginning Saturday, August 5th, the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce invite everyone to search for glass floats hidden throughout West Seattle. 50 floats will be hidden on August 5th, with 50 more the morning of Saturday, August 12, 2023. A total of 100 floats will be hidden both indoors – in beloved local businesses – and outdoors.

Each 2023 glass float is individually hand blown by Avalon Glassworks in stunning red and yellow hues reminiscent of West Seattle sunsets. Each 4-inch sphere is stamped with a heart and “WS” on the sealing button. Float hunters should look high and low for colorful round balls peeking out through the mesh of a knotted net bag. Labels encourage the lucky finders to register the float, as well as tag the local business where it was discovered on social media.

Chris Mackay, Executive Director of the West Seattle Junction Association, shared, “We are thrilled to bring back our Glass Float Scavenger Hunt this August! This engaging event is for participants of all ages who want to discover new businesses and nature areas as they search for gorgeous glass floats. Come one, come all and have fun combing the area for yellow and orange glass balls!”

Whitney Moore, Executive Director of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, added, “We’re so looking forward to our community exploring more of the peninsula and local businesses for the second year of the Glass Float Scavenger Hunt in West Seattle! We hope you delight in this two week search for beautiful, custom-made glass floats. Happy hunting!”

Details for the 2023 West Seattle Glass Float Scavenger Hunt are available at https://wsjunction.org/float-hunt.

Two West Seattle-wide scavenger hunts start in early August. First, on August 3rd, Summer Scramble, brought to you in part by the creator of Winter Wander. Here’s the announcement:

Registrations are now open for a unique community oriented augmented reality pirate adventure that is coming to West Seattle from August 3rd – 6th this year. The Summer Scramble yARrrr Pirate Adventure is a mashup of Pokemon Go, Geocaching, and the prior Winter Wander events. Similar to prior years, team members will solve clues to discover the pirate locations. But this time, they must “capture” the pirates there using their phones to discover where the treasure chests are hidden.

This AR adventure is sponsored by over 20 West Seattle businesses, run by veteran community event organizer Alice Kuder, and developed by West Seattle mixed-reality designers Robert and Laura Peckyno.

Each treasure chest is directly sponsored by one of the local businesses and contains a unique discount or offer for participation. Teams that find all 20 treasure chests will be entered into a special drawing for one of three physical treasure chests filled with swag donated by local businesses.

Charge your phones, grab your pirate hats,
batten down the hatches, and hide the catnip!!
The hunt begins on August 3rd!!

—

To participate and learn more about Summer Scramble, register your team today @ bit.ly/Summer-Scramble

To learn more about the yARrrr Pirate Adventure and see all of the participating local businesses, visit: pecknotes.com/pirate-adventure

We’d also like to put out a few more treasure chests…! Any businesses wishing to participate can still do so by contacting Alice Kuder directly before July 30th at: wssummerscramble@gmail.com

While most of the rest of the nation is hotter than usual, our temperatures remain “seasonal” – so it’s prime time to enjoy being outdoors. Here are four unique local events that arrived in the WSB inbox recently (not even all in our calendar yet)

RAT CITY RUMBLE: Another block party in White Center! Lariat Bar is leading this one, 11 am-5 pm Saturday, with 16th SW closed between 98th and 100th, and wrestling matches – in keeping with Lariat’s theme – among the highlights. Here’s the announcement published on our partner site White Center Now.

S2S FEST: Peace Peloton presents a festival of food/drink, music, and arts/crafts at Seacrest Park (1660 Harbor SW), 3-10 pm Saturday. You can RSVP for free by going here.

SOULFEST BLOCK PARTY: Starting at 4:30 pm Saturday, music, food, and fun will fill the site of this unique celebration in Seaview. Ticket link, music lineup, and more are in our calendar listing.

(Seattle Opera photo by Sunny Martini)

OPERA IN THE PARK: Sunday at 10 am, in Highland Park (1100 SW Cloverdale), Seattle Opera will present “our 2023 touring production, Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, a 35-minute-long bilingual opera written for youth audiences. This interactive piece features an updated text that moves seamlessly between English and Spanish.” Read more here about the event (which will be repeated August 13th if you can’t go this Sunday).

Huge night ahead for three reasons – so we’ll start with them!

SUMMER FEST EVE: It’s the night before the big three-day festival in The Junction, and the streets will be closed in the festival zone by 4 pm – California between Oregon and Genesee and between Oregon and Edmunds (Oregon stays open to east-west traffic), Alaska between 42nd and 44th. Here’s the festival map showing where:

All are welcome to come to The Junction tonight, walk in the streets, and enjoy the pre-festival evening, which coincides with the monthly West Seattle Art Walk (more on that below) and also features bonus events like DancePowered‘s flash mob at the Walk All Ways crossing around 7:15 pm, performers at KeyBank Plaza (including Aurora Ave.!), and “tons of colored chalk lying around” for sidewalk/pavement art. (And don’t miss Easy Street Records‘ film premiere, previewed here.)

WEST SEATTLE ART WALK, WITH THE ART OF MUSIC: 5-9 pm, at venues all over the peninsula, it’s the night to celebrate art! Here’s the map/list for this month:

For specifics on artists/locations, go here. Tonight’s two Art of Music performances are 6-7:45 pm, Hopscotch at the Alki Arts pop-up (California/Oregon) and Jean Mann at Wend Jewelry (3278 California SW).

SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA: The Admiral Neighborhood Association is reviving the free concerts on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center (along Walnut south of Lander) for three Thursday nights starting tonight, 6:30 pm, with the West Seattle Big Band. Bring your own chair/blanket (and picnic dinner if you feel like it) – everyone welcome. And as noted here – visit Admiral Art Walk participants first to get “passport stamps” and then enter a prize drawing at the concert!

Also happening today/tonight, mostly from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:

SPRAYPARK OPEN: Daily operations continue at Highland Park Spraypark (1100 SW Cloverdale), 11 am-8 pm.

HIAWATHA WADING POOL OPEN: (corrected) Noon-5:30 pm. (2700 California SW)

LINCOLN PARK WADING POOL OPEN: Noon-7 pm. (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

COLMAN POOL OPEN: Also at Lincoln Park, noon-7 pm – here’s the schedule of sessions. (FYI, closed for swim meets Friday and Saturday.)

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

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

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

WESTIES RUN CLUB: Meet at The Good Society (California/Lander) at 6 pm for a 3-mile run – more in our calendar listing.

(Wednesday sunset, photographed by James Bratsanos – tonight’s sunset is at 9:05 pm)

OPEN MIC: 7-9 pm, musicians of all genres at C & P Coffee (5612 California SW; WSB sponsor).

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

HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH: Second week for the return of this hit musical at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor). Our calendar listing includes the ticket link.

There’s even more in our calendar!