(scroll down for frequently updated info and photos)

We’re here, facing KeyBank and the Food Court, and ready to cover the first afternoon of West Seattle’s biggest summer event. Come say hi and take the Summer Fest survey (only one page of questions and you’ll be entered for a $100 shopping-spree drawing). Above, a look down the Food Court. Much more to come! Full festival rundown here.

1:07 PM UPDATE: Time for more photos! GORGEOUS day out here. Lots of people but not too crowded, sunny but not too hot. Toward the north end of the Summer Fest zone, on California north of Oregon, near JF Henry, you’ll find Greg Whittaker from Alki Kayak Tours – modeling the rubber sunglasses he’s got on sale for $1 (down from $5!):

Not far from there is Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) – thanks to Lora for sharing her phone so we could participate in KUOW’s “The Conversation” this afternoon, during another of their roundtables with neighborhood-news site editors (we were asked about the King County Water Taxi and the Conner Homes Junction project). Check out Hotwire this weekend for free samples of a frosty drink!

Also on the north end, you’ll find the Art Dive tent just north of Oregon – on the south side of the tent, this metalcrafted mermaid is keeping watch:

2:07 PM UPDATE: Live music will be starting soon – remember there are two stages, the California stage at the north end of the festival, and the Alaska stage east of California, near the Junction Plaza Park site. We’ve talked to lots of great people already – the Hi-Yu Junior Court has come by, as they patrol the festival selling Hi-Yu buttons (help support what is arguably Seattle’s most robust summer festival – and the only one that still has a float that travels to represent its community). If you’re walking north, just look for the gingerbread house:

The steel-drum band, by the way, is The Toucans, and they just declared that they and Mudhoney are the only two bands at Summer Fest that started in 1988. (Mudhoney performs tonight after 8 pm, same stage that The Toucans are on right now.)

2:38 PM UPDATE: Alan Harrison from ArtsWest just dropped by with word of the deal they’re offering during Summer Fest – buy season tickets here, in person, during the festival, and you get $42 worth of goodies thrown in – a ticket to “Plaid Tidings” this holiday season and a $10 gift certificate. (Season tickets are $159 for six plays.) We’ve also gotten a visit from a multimedia class at the Delridge Community Center, youth 14-18 – you’ll be seeing some of their work here on WSB soon, and we’re really excited about that!

3:26 PM UPDATE: Lots of fun to be had on the fly – there’s been a cake-eating contest over by the Community Tent on the east-central side of the festival – tomorrow, we’re told, they’ll do it again with chocolate cake, so plan on that. Meantime, here’s video of the unicyclist who’s been doing stunts – and just keeping your balance on one of those contraptions seems like stunt enough – near our HQ:

5:19 PM UPDATE: We’re going to start a separate evening update with more photos – the live music is really rocking over here in the center of the festival – the Alaska stage (near the Junction Plaza Park beer garden, proceeds from which benefit the park construction fund) is just east of California.