After a one-year hiatus, the Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long really will be back this year, the West Seattle-based Nature Consortium affirmed in an announcement this afternoon. Dates are set, and so is the headliner – read on for the news release:

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(WSB photo from 2011 West Seattle Summer Fest)
Nowthat it’s almost April, July is right around the corner – really! Here’s a heads-up from Susan Melrose at the West Seattle Junction Association:

Hi West Seattle!

West Seattle Summer Fest 2013 is July 12, 13 and 14. We’ll bring back all the great stuff that our neighborhood loves.

And that includes local businesses! West Seattle retailers and restaurants are encouraged to sign up as a vendor. We are reviewing the first round of applications on April 1st. This festival fills up quickly so if you’d like to participate, submit your application by Monday, April 1st. Apply at westseattlefestival.com.

Producing this event is a large undertaking and sponsors are needed to help make it possible. If you’re interested in becoming a Summer Fest sponsor, please e-mail susan@wsjunction.org for details.

This year, we’ll have a local non-profit coordinate the Community Tent where our small neighborhood organizations can have shifts of free space at the festival. Stay tuned for details.

(WSB photo from West Seattle Summer Fest ’11)
Yes, it’s technically winter, as this morning’s icy windshields reminded us. But the sunshine also stirs daydreams of spring and summer, and West Seattle’s wonderful annual events. Here are three that are already signing up vendors/exhibitors/etc.:

SEATTLE SUMMER STREETS ON ALKI, MAY 19TH: Once again this year, after the West Seattle 5K closes Alki and Harbor Avenues 9 am-11 am, a shorter stretch of Alki SW will remain closed to motorized vehicles the rest of the day for Seattle Summer Streets, till 5 pm. SDOT is soliciting sponsors, vendors, exhibitors, and activities; apply online here.

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST, JULY 12-13-14: Vendor and music applications for The Junction’s annual festival are linked from the right side of its home page.

ALKI ART FAIR, JULY 20-21: Artist/vendor applications are available – find the links here.

(13-month-old Nathan Boggs, photographed on Sunday by Nick Adams for WSB)
In our two reports here on WSB – “as it happened” coverage and post-event photo gallery – plus Facebook and Twitter updates, we showed you how successful the first-ever Junction Harvest Festival was, in many ways. The West Seattle Junction Association agrees it was spectacular, writes director Susan Melrose, in a note to say “thanks”:

The Junction Association was thrilled and amazed by the success of the Harvest Festival. What a day filled with smiles, friends, and fun. Our community embraced this event and each aspect flourished. I LOVED the parade led by the WSHS Marching Band! The best part is that this event made so many in our community happy and gave folks yet another reason to get together. When the Junction Association’s board decided to expand this event, the #1 goal was to give the neighborhood something great. I’m glad that we succeeded.

Big thank you to the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance for bringing the Harvest, community groups for bringing truly awesome activities, our volunteers for helping make it happen, and the businesses in The Junction who have made all this possible. Thanks to all who came and brought their energy, smiles and laughter.

Cheers to the First Annual Harvest Festival!

Susan Melrose
Junction Association Director

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Report #1, as-it-happened coverage with photos plus parade video, is here)

Thousands thronged The Junction on Sunday for its first-ever Harvest Festival – melding the West Seattle Farmers’ Market with business-district trick-or-treating. We covered it “live” as it unfolded over four hours, but there’s more to show, in these two-dozen-plus photos by WSB contributing photojournalist Nick Adams. Above, 4-year-old Joseph Cho (“The Flash”) awaits fruit in a market booth. Next, hay was a playground for a little dinosaur, 11-month-old Noah Wootton, and friends:

Grownups and pets got into the spirit too:

That’s Jim Rogers with Olaf, who is masquerading as Al Capone. 19 more festival scenes, ahead:
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10:41 AM: The sun is out for the start of the first-ever West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival – with lots of people already out and about to enjoy the special middle-of-the-street Farmers’ Market, plus homemade carnival-style activities like pumpkin bowling (above), at our booth with WestSide Baby and West Seattle Bowl (dubbed WSB X 3) on the east side of California/Alaska. You’ll find art by Curious Kidstuff:

And the Community School of West Seattle is here with chickens and a turkey!

20-plus organizations and businesses are offering activities – and right in the heart of Walk-All-Ways, get your questions answered by Farmers’ Market folks – we loved the corncob hat:

Lots of costumed kids and adults out already – and we’re still just under an hour away from the costume parade leaving Junction Plaza Park at 11:30 am, followed by trick-or-treating noon-2 pm – and 2 is when the festival ends, so get down here fast.

More coverage to come!

11:24 AM UPDATE: The costume parade is about to start – the WSHS Marching Band has been warming up, and we discovered that someone who has a lot of experience with parades – Jim Edwards, co-coordinator of the West Seattle Grand Parade – is helping this one get off on the right foot. (The parade looped all the way around the festival site – here’s Jim on his motorcycle:)

And part of the band:

And the West Seattle Hi-Yu Festival Junior Court:

(added) Video of the parade as it began from Junction Plaza Park:

12:25 PM UPDATE: Hour and a half to go – didn’t think it was possible, but there are even more people here now. Costume-watching continues:

And the Batmans helping each other across the street:

Costumed grownups as well as kids. We’ll have parade video later as well as a second roundup of photos beyond the ones we manage to get into this as-it-happened narrative. Come down and hang out with your neighbors! Also check out the RE/MAX Haunted House over on 44th – which has been drawing lines:

1:30 PM UPDATE: Half an hour to go. So many people have come by the booth – pumpkin-bowling, asking questions about WestSide Baby, saying hi, picking up West Seattle Bowl coupons – thank you! (And if you’re still here or stopping by before 2, we have some of our free WSB ice-scrapers left to give away.) The crowd has been terrific. But the weather’s turned cloudy and cooler, so our respite from the rain might only last as long as the festival …

2:04 PM UPDATE: Starting to fold up – the streets have to be cleared so they can reopen within a couple hours. We will have at least one more report later with lots more photos, and parade video. Thanks to everybody who came to the festival – and all the volunteers/businesses/organizations who made the fun activities happen and provided treats, free.

ADDED: A community-contributed photo – Lisa Secord sent this photo of her 11-year-old son, Brendan Lancaster, dressed as “Great Granny” – she reports the reactions were priceless:

One more business-district trick-or-treat event – Westwood Village, 5-7 pm on Halloween.

10:09 AM: About 150 runners and walkers participated in this morning’s Beat the Burn 5K run/walk from Jack Block Park, along Harbor/Alki Avenues and back, presented by Port of Seattle firefighters, benefiting a camp for young burn victims.

(That’s the starting siren you hear first – followed seconds later by the runners & walkers)
Kelly Spady was first to finish this morning – as he was at the Alki Beach Run last month.

Kathy Edris was the first female finisher.

But today, unlike most 5K events, the race was just the start of the fun. A festival on the path by the park’s beach is under way till 2 this afternoon, with live music and free family fun, as well as a few things you’ll want to bring $ for (the Lumpia World food truck is here, for starters, and there’s a beer garden). More photos to come, including the Kids’ Dash that just began (added – two photos):

(The littlest Kids’ Dash-ers had some adult encouragement:)

Scroll all the way down this page for the schedule of events.

11:20 AM: Ryker is one of the Northwest Disaster Search Dogs scheduled to give a demonstration at the festival this afternoon (12:45 pm):

The live music is courtesy of Slacker – covering some great oldies (from the ’70s to the ’00s) while we were there:

And you can get a close-up look at Port of Seattle Fire Engine #2:

Kids’ games/crafts, too, and Alki Kayak Tours is on hand with stand-up paddleboards (this is the same beach opened to the public for the first-ever Northwest Paddling Festival they sponsored last year). Again, you have till about 2 pm to go join the fun.

(WSB photo from 2011 Holy Rosary WestFest)
Good thing the sunshine’s not over yet because the late-summer fun isn’t either. In addition to the West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB) 8 am-4 pm Sunday, the weekend also brings Holy Rosary School‘s annual WestFest – on the 42nd/Genesee campus, 6-10 pm Friday and 10 am-10 pm Saturday.

We are gearing up to host the season’s premier event for the West Seattle community; come see great local music and talent, eat delicious food, dob a round of bingo, race down the rides, try your luck at the cake walk, climb a rock wall, play games galore, and so much more. There’s a beer garden for adults too — there is truly something for all ages!

Bring your young children early Saturday morning, from 10 am to noon, for “Toddler Time” at WestFest. Avoid the crowds and lines! They’ll enjoy better access to the blow-up rides and games with kids close to their age and ability.

Wristbands for Blow-up Rides
Take unlimited turns on our wide selection of rollicking rides on Friday, 9/14 and Saturday, 9/15 with an activity wristband. Bands are available at for purchase at WestFest on Friday (9/14) for $10 and Saturday (9/15) for $15, or $25 for both days. To allow everyone a safe and fun experience, unsafe or disrespectful behavior on or around the rides may result in loss of ride privileges, up to and including loss of wristband.

Admission to the Cake Walk and Kids’ Games are not included with the wristbands. Blow-up rides are $1 each without a band.

The official WestFest website is here.