Hoping to see you not only at today’s Westwood Village festival, but also next Saturday at the annual Morgan Junction Community Festival, presented by the Morgan Community Association, offering a brand-new event this year: The ‘Bark of Morgan’ – sponsored by 4 area pet-services businesses, including WSB sponsor The Wash Dog:
All well-behaved leashed dogs (over the age of 4 months) are invited to bring their owners and participate in the following events:
2:00 – Pooch Parade: The parade of pooches will line up starting at 2:00 pm north of Morgan Junction Park along SW Eddy Street. Look for the signs. We will parade through Festival venues to the Bank Stage. Costumes optional.
2:15 – Contests: “Bark of Morgan” contests:
1) Cutest Puppy (4 months up to 9 months),
2) Best Trick,
3) Best Dog/Owner Look-Alike
First and second place contestants will be selected via the ‘audience applause meter’ as monitored by the MC and will be awarded commemorative medallions. All “Bark of Morgan” participants will receive a special prize.
Next Saturday’s festival runs 10:30 am-7 pm at three venues (plus the “Bite of Morgan” sampling restaurants) around California/Fauntleroy; the event lineup is on the official website.
(WSB photo from 2010 Westwood Village Street Fair)
Hope to see you tomorrow at the Westwood Village Street Fair – the first West Seattle festival of the summer, 10:30 am-7 pm at the shopping center. Most of the action will be in the same place as the past two years – the parking lot between Bed Bath Beyond and Pier 1 Imports – but there are two things we want to mention today, so you can plan ahead:
First, the dropout-prevention organization Communities in Schools in Seattle plans a school-supplies donation drive during the WV Street Fair. They’re asking you to help them “stuff the bus” with donated supplies – look for it by Pier 1, 10 am-6 pm Saturday. Full details here.
Second, West Seattle author Jon Wells will be signing his book about the Mariners, “Shipwrecked,” noon-2 pm at Barnes and Noble/Westwood during the Street Fair.
P.S. If you missed the earlier news about the music lineup – live bands will run 3-7 pm, starting with a band also on the Summer Fest lineup as announced today – Gunn and the Damage Done.
FRIDAY:James Germain and the Gray, Gray Days, followed by Branden Daniel and The Chics, then Dead Man, Dolly Rottens, Glass Notes, Kasey Anderson and The Honkies, Star Anna, Knut Bell and The Blue Collars on the main stage (music scheduled 12:45-10 pm), The Bears Upstairs and Caspar Babypants on the Alaska stage.
SATURDAY:Gunn and The Damage Done, C-Leb and The Kettle Black, Lonesome Shack, The Less Than Equals, The Chasers, The DT’s, The Tom Price Desert Classic, Alcohol Funnycar, Pierced Arrows on the main stage (music scheduled noon-11 pm); Rat City Brass on the Alaska stage.
SUNDAY:Black Bangs, Hefty, To The Glorious Lonely, Hobosexual on the main stage (music scheduled noon-4:30 pm); Duwamish Dixieland Jazz Band and Loco Moco on the Alaska stage.
Community performers (dance troupes, etc.) are still being scheduled for the Alaska stage, too. P.S. If you missed our report earlier this week – the vendor list is also now public (and the map of who’s in what booth).
(Washington Federal lot, one of three main locations for festival booths/events)
One week from tomorrow, it’s this year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival, presented by the Morgan Community Association. Like other neighborhood councils, MoCA’s members are all volunteers, so an event like this requires a few extra people to pitch in and help make the fun happen. Becky Bicknell is coordinating that this year and has this announcement:
Volunteers Needed! Morgan Junction Community Festival – Saturday June 23rd from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. We need volunteers for 2 hours shifts to help with set-up, take-down, kids’ activities, and traffic control. Ages 12+ and ideally able to do moderate lifting. Location: California Ave & Fauntleroy. Please contact Becky at beckbick@yahoo.com or 206-407-7618.
One month till West Seattle Summer Fest begins in The Junction – July 13, 14, and 15, those magic days/nights when the streets in the heart of “downtown West Seattle” close for the neighborhood’s biggest party of the year. Today, you can preview the official list of Summer Fest vendors – see the list here. Once you’ve found a vendor that interests you, you can cross-reference their number with their location by zooming in on the map you’ll find here. (WSB, a Summer Fest co-sponsor, will again this year be assisting fairgoers and reporting live from the Information Booth.) The eagerly awaited music list is expected soon; as reported here last week, we know Caspar Babypants will be back, on Friday 7/13 at the community stage on SW Alaska (which is where community performance acts such as dance troupes will be found).
ADDED 1:50 PM: One more local act has announced via Facebook that it’s playing Summer Fest on opening day, too: Branden Daniel and The Chics (2 pm 7/13, they say), featured here back in March because of the West Seattleite-led band’s “Mor Yay” video featuring mostly WS scenery.
(WSB video of Caspar Babypants performing at 2011 West Seattle Summer Fest)
Waiting for the West Seattle Summer Fest music lineup? It’s expected to be out next week, according to Susan Melrose from the West Seattle Junction Association – but she confirms to WSB that Caspar Babypants will be back, performing on the first day of the festival, Friday, July 13th (just five weeks from today!), on a small stage that’ll be on SW Alaska next to Junction Plaza Park “at a kid-friendly time” to be announced. Susan says that’s the “community performance stage,” where you’ll find “performances, demonstrations, cake-eating contests, and music,” and they’re currently accepting applications for people whose talents might be best showcased here. So, Susan invites you: “If you have a dance troupe or other act, please e-mail info@westseattlefestival.com with details.”
(WSB photo of Morgan Junction Park as the 2010 festival began)
Summer-festival season is about to start – and the lineup for the biggest June event, the Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday, June 23rd, is now finalized, put together again this year by Chas Redmond, who says, “This should be a great year; we’ve got some outstanding music lined up.” (Plus one non-musical fave – the eternally effervescent Bubbleman.) Here’s the lineup:
(The Ellis Brothers, photographed by WSB at The Kenney in April 2012)
10:30 am Ellis Brothers
swinging kid jazz trio
(WSB video from Bubbleman’s 2011 Morgan performance)
11:30 am The Bubbleman
amazing things with soap bubbles
(WSB photo of last year’s ‘Best in Show’ at the West Seattle Junction Car Show)
An update from Liberty Bell Print and Design‘s Michael Hoffman, organizer of the West Seattle Junction Car Show (co-sponsored by WSB) – this year’s information is now online, along with the application for those who would like to be part of it. Remember that, as reported here back in April, this year the eligibility expands – including the addition of motorcycles! The show is set for 8 am-4 pm on Sunday, September 16th; find the application and other information on the official WSJCS website.
WESTWOOD VILLAGE STREET FAIR: Though the Westwood Village shopping center has changed owners since last year’s Street Fair, the festival IS on again for this year. The date’s set for June 16th, 10 am-7 pm. Inflatables, live music, and more. According to the Facebook event page set up for the daylong extravaganza, the musical acts will include Gunn and the Damage Done and West Side Sally. The date is a few weeks later than last year’s street fair, which fell on a cool, cloudy day.
SUMMER FEST MUSIC:Susan Melrose of the West Seattle Junction Association says it’s looking like the music lineup for this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest will be out late next week, and doesn’t have any booking info till then. But the Seattle Weekly‘s Reverb site says it knows of one act that’ll be playing Summer Fest – the reunion of Alcohol Funnycar, a ’90s grunge band, per the Weekly. Summer Fest is July 13, 14, and 15. P.S. The website says that while the deadline’s past for vendor applications, there’s room in Art Dive and Green Life.
The city has just announced the latest round of Small and Simple grants – for which organizations apply, promising matching funds/volunteer labor, and three West Seattle events/projects are on the list:
(WSB photo from 2011 Alki Art Fair)
*Alki Art Fair – Volunteer-run since city cutbacks made city-staff resources unavailable. $20,000 grant. (This year’s fair is July 28-29.)
*Castle Park at Roxhill Park – To enhance the city Parks and Green Spaces Levy-funded playground project, $20,000 extra for “a climbing and physical challenge course.” (After getting the city announcement, we checked with project manager Kelly Davidson, who says that the playground/skatepark plans just went to the general contractor yesterday and are in a review period. The playground itself is still on target for a public build, probably in September.)
*West Seattle Community Fruit Harvest – City Fruit gets $6,295 to “organize the harvest of fruit from residential fruit trees to distribute to partner organizations like food banks, women’s shelters, and senior centers within Delridge and West Seattle.”
(WSB photo from 2011 West Seattle Summer Fest)
West Seattle’s biggest party of the year, Summer Fest in The Junction, is only two months away – July 13, 14, 15. And a quick check of the official Summer Fest website reveals that the deadline for vendor applications is today. Find the applications online, here.
(2011 Delridge Day photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
Saturday, August 18th, is the date set for this year’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council-presented Delridge Day, and though that’s almost four months away, organizers – who put it together at the last minute as something of a rescue operation last year! – are signing up sponsors and vendors NOW, as well as musicians. Here’s an update from Holli Margell:
Last year’s 5th Annual Delridge Day was a true community success. North Delridge Neighborhood Council’s Co-Secretary, Amanda Leonard, stepped up when the previous organizing group’s lack of funds threatened to cancel the festival. The result? A community-wide celebration that included the Delridge Skatepark Grand Opening, over 40 vendors and more than 2,000 attendees. Plans for an even bigger 2012 Delridge Day Festival are currently under way.
The 2012 Delridge Day Festival is planned for August 18th from 11 AM-3 PM at the Delridge [Community Center] Park. This year’s festival will feature two new activities: the first Alki Bike and Board Skate Contest and a music stage. Interested musicians can e-mail Chas Redmond at credmond@mac.com and provide links to their music.
The planning committee is working on securing sponsors and vendors to make this year’s event happen. The sponsorship and vendor fees not only support the festival, but also give back to the community as 15% of all fees are donated to the ARC (Associated Recreational Council), which provides scholarships for Community Center classes at the Delridge Community Center.
Vendor and Sponsor packets are available online at www.ndnc.org/delridgeday – which is also where to keep up with festival plans – or by emailing the planning committee at delridgeday@ndnc.org.
It’s official, says organizer Michael Hoffman (of Liberty Bell Print and Design) – the West Seattle Junction Car Show will return for its fifth consecutive year, Sunday, September 16th. And this year, some changes, he says – “This year we are broadening the field. Previously, it was cars that were pre-1975. Starting this year, it will be cars, motorcycles, and mopeds that are pre-1980.” Keep an eye on wsjunctioncarshow.com for registration info.
Four months till the Alki Art Fair but there’s no time like NOW for local artists to be sure they’ll have a spot at the popular beachfront event! Fred Madridshares not only this announcement, but also the new AAF logo:
Applications for artist vendors for the Alki Art Fair 2012 are now available for download at the newly redesigned Alki Art Fair website (alkiartfair.org). The Fair will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 28th and 29th from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm both days at Alki Beach Park. If you have any questions regarding the Fair, please contact the Event Director at alkiartfair@hotmail.com.
Any musicians or bands interested in playing at this year’s fair should visit the Music page on our website for information.
Applications for food vendors will be coming soon. If interested, please contact us at the above e-mail address and you will be notified when applications are available.
Even though city budget cuts meant staffing changes and no more Alki Community Center staff involvement in making the fair happen, volunteers didn’t let that get in the way of keeping the AAF going, and this year – as we’ve reported previously – they are working to make sure it’s bigger and better than ever.
ORIGINAL 2:53 PM REPORT: Remember the invitation to decorate a cake for the Fauntleroy Fall Festival? Here are some of the entrants. The Cake Walk is at 3:30, if you haven’t made it to the festival yet – Fauntleroy Church, Y, and Schoolhouse, 9100 block of California SW, with a guard to get you back and forth safely:
In the church parking lot – activities including pumpkin-painting
Be sure to check out what’s behind the schoolhouse – including the ponies!
And meet some of the folks whose volunteer efforts keep the wheels turning – like board members from the Fauntleroy Community Association:
After months of planning, the final round of readiness started this morning in the heart of Fauntleroy, where we spotted this megacanopy at midday. Its site in the Fauntleroy Church/YMCA parking lot is only part of the venue for Sunday afternoon’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival (2-5:30 pm), which also sprawls across the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse grounds across the street (front and back) in the 9100 block of California SW (map). The full schedule of events/activities – where, when, what – is here – including (elaborating on our headline) a cake walk/cake-decorating contest (explained here – not too late to enter!), pumpkin-painting for kids, pony rides, and even a goat demonstration. Much more, as you’ll see on the activities list. See you there!
Same place where recyclables were dropped off yesterday, you’ll find part of the fun this Sunday, at the annual Fauntleroy Fall Festival. It actually spans the entire Fauntleroy hub – Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and, across the street, the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse Community Center (be sure to wander to the west side, “behind” the schoolhouse, too). 2-5:30 pm on Sunday (October 16) with live music, dance, pony rides, pumpkin-painting, more than two dozen OTHER things to do! We’ve just received the full list of activities and performances, and when/where on the festival grounds you’ll find them – see it here.
The sun is out just in time for food-truck fans to fill two blocks of California SW in The Junction as Mobile Chowdown revs up big time. Don’t let the angle fool you – it’s not shoulder-to-shoulder, there’s elbow room – but there’s definitely a good turnout for this first-time-in-West-Seattle event. Even if you’re not sure you want to stand in line for food, the trucks themselves are worth coming to see:
The “pig truck” is Maximus Minimus, which serves pulled pork and veggie sandwiches. We peeked inside – most of these trucks have quite the kitchen:
There’s outdoor cooking going on, too:
That’s the Veraci Pizza crew. They’re on the north end of The Junction – where we also found a line that was NOT for a food truck:
Organizers say some trucks take credit cards but all PREFER cash, so come with some if you can. By the way, it’s not all full-meal deals – some trucks are more snacky:
Mobile Chowdown continues till 5; more photos to come.
6:02 PM: A few more from today – first, the crowd through a haze of cooking smoke:
Hawaiian-style plate lunches go well with the food-truck theme, and that’s what Pai’s offered:
And one last image – refresh the page for the latest view of whether California is open again (as we publish this, the barricades at SW Alaska are still up, but once they’re gone, it’s open):
Setup is under way as 26 food trucks continue arriving for Mobile Chowdown, the food-truck extravaganza that’s happening in The Junction for the first time ever (organizers staged several in 2009 and 2010 elsewhere in the city). As the sign says, SW Alaska is open, as are SW Edmunds and SW Oregon, all west-east streets, but both blocks of California are closed in the heart of the bizdistrict. The trucks are staging single file down the middle of the street:
As for locations, if you’re looking for a favorite, since most hadn’t arrived yet, we couldn’t rough out a map, but we can tell you that Veraci Pizza and its portable wood-fired oven are at the north end, with Andrae’s Kitchen from Walla Walla right behind; in the middle (photo above) you’ll find weekly West Seattle visitor Marination Mobile by Easy Street Records and Street Donuts by Bin 41; at the south end, West Seattle fixture Beloved Mexico. The beer garden, raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank, is being set up outside Petco. The trucks are scheduled to be here 11 am-5 pm; full details at the official Mobile Chowdown site.
Two notes today from Fauntleroy, related to big events ahead:
FINE ART AND HOLIDAY GIFT FAIR DEADLINE THIS THURSDAY: That’s West Seattle batik artist Ruth Leonard at left in the photo, and she’s been a crowd-pleaser at the fair since its beginnings in 2008. Want to show/sell your stuff this year? The fair isn’t till November 18-20 but volunteer organizers need time to review applications and put together a great event – so they’re asking you to please send yours by the deadline this Thursday (September 30th). You’ll find more details, and the application, at fauntleroyucc.org.
FALL FESTIVAL – THANKS AND REMINDER: One week ago, fundraising flapjack-flipping was under way at The Hall at Fauntleroy, and there was plenty of it, according to this acknowledgment out of the WSB inbox: “A big THANK YOU to everyone who turned out last Saturday (Sept. 17) to enjoy a pancake breakfast in support of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. The event netted nearly $525, putting the festival on solid financial ground to start planning for the 10th anniversary celebration in 2012!” But first, this year’s edition is only weeks away – 2-5:30 pm on October 16th.
(Photo by Holli Margell)
At this past week’s Delridge Neighborhoods District Council meeting, there were rave reviews for, and a glowing recap of, last Saturday’s biggest event – the concurrent Delridge Day festival and Delridge Skatepark grand opening. While Seattle Parks oversaw skatepark specifics, Delridge Day was organized for the first time by the North Delridge Neighborhood Council. And they have some acknowledgments to share this morning too:
The Delridge Day Committee is grateful to share the success of last Saturday.
Despite the weather and a few guests not able to show up (fire truck, Mounted Police), an estimated 1500 – 2000 people attended the event (double previous years). The day would not have been possible without our team of over 25 volunteers! THANK YOU!
(Photo by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB)
We also wish to thank to Seattle Parks for working together with us for a seamless event.
(Amanda Leonard and Nancy Folsom; this photo & next photo by Patrick Sand for WSB)
The total funds raised for the community: We were able to raise enough from vendors and sponsorships to donate $410 to the DNDA, $600 to ARC for program Scholarships at the Delridge Community Center.
(Francesca Annis)
The Bake sale raised an additional $449.66 for ARC, providing a total of $1,049.66 toward scholarships! Thanks to all who donated sweets and those who bought them.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s Delridge Day. Our ideas include: skateboard competition, more games, more food, better weather! Want to get involved? We’re looking for 2 folks to join the planning committee, and others interested in leading additional ideas like music and a skate competition. The timeline is for early September 2012. If you’d like to put your name down this far in advance, please email Amanda Leonard, this year’s Delridge Day Lead Coordinator, amanda.leonard.wa@gmail.com.
(Updated 9:27 pm with video of the awards ceremony)
3:07 PM: Haven’t been to the West Seattle Junction Car Show yet? Still time – if you hurry! Here are a few more examples of the lovingly preserved/restored automotive history on display – that’s a 1921 Buick above, and a 1954 MG below:
From the muscle-car ’60s, a 1967 Barracuda:
The wrap-up, and yet more photos, later! (And if you’re just looking for an update on when the streets will reopen – since the displays here are on wheels, breakdown takes less time than, oh, say Summer Fest, so it doesn’t usually take long after the official 4 pm end time.)
ADDED 9:27 PM: Video of the entire awards ceremony:
Best in show: Harold and his Buick, originally shown above – the car’s 90 years old, and so is he!
Applications for artist vendors for the Alki Art Fair 2012 are now available for download at the newly redesigned Alki Art Fair website (
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