12:43 PM: The weather is calmer and the crowd keeps growing at West Seattle Summer Fest, with day 1 well under way – and we’re live in the Information Booth again this year; drop by to say hi, pick up the festival flyer, a free West Seattle Art Walk button, a West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Resource Guide, postcards and mini-flyers for other summer fun (WS Outdoor Movies, Delridge Day, the WS Junction Car Show) … The info booth is on the southwest corner of California/Alaska this year, right outside KeyBank, front row to everything. LOTS of people here so far. Here again are the handy info-links:

Vendor list and map: 3 ways to browse – searchable list, PDF list, zoomable map
Music schedule: Here
Alaska Stage schedule: Here
GreenLife schedule: Here

On the Alaska Stage right now, first event of the day – a West Seattle Hi-Yu presentation, including royalty like Queen Kayli, who had her umbrella handy earlier just in case:

The number one question is always – where’s the kid stuff? Again this year, it’s on the west side of the festival zone, in the Wells Fargo parking lot, under the WF drive-thru (that’s where Pathfinder K-8 and Curious Kidstuff are sponsoring art activities and facepainting). The ticket booth for the kids’ rides is right next to one of them, the scrambler-type ride, on the west side of the western food zone along SW Alaska.

Another area you might miss if you’re not looking for it – GreenLife on the south end of the festival zone – where we found Stefan Hansmire of Ncompass (WSB sponsor) with Chas Redmond and Bill Reiswig of Sustainable West Seattle:

Oh, and this just in – beer gardens open at 2!

2:07 PM: Sun’s out and the activity zones are all in full swing. Some highlights coming up:
Bubbleman (who performed in the street last night) is at the Alaska Stage at 3:45 today; that’s also where you’ll find Caspar Babypants at 6:30 tonight.

3:12 PM: Along with the sidewalk sale outside year-round merchants, the vendor booths in the middle, you’ll also find lots of local nonprofit organizations – like Northwest Hope and Healing, promoting next month’s Alki Beach 5K:

And Seal Sitters:

And speaking of critters … we met Morgan‘s mohawk-sporting Pomeranian, Bogie:

You never know who you’ll see.

4 PM: This is the Summer Fest breakout treat so far (well, besides the deep-fried peanut-butter sandwiches) – coconuts:

Young coconuts, for sale on the north side of the California/Alaska intersection – $3 each or 2 for five bucks. (That’s Jarred Shelton in the photo.) They’ll cut them open for you here – and you can also find them, not cut, at QFC (whose booth they’re in. Steps away, at Cupcake Royale, their ice-cream cart is debuting:

Small scoop about $3, regular scoop about $4. For a more adult type of treat, head to one of the beer gardens – one by the Alaska stage, one up by the California stage:

Feedback Lounge is managing the one by the Alaska stage. Co-proprietor Jeff Gilbert stopped for a photo earlier with West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose:

Summer Fest is on till 8 tonight (with bands and beer gardens running a few hours beyond that) – and of course continuing Saturday and Sunday. We’re in the info booth for the duration … thanks to everyone who’s stopped by to say hi so far – it’s always great to meet you.

7:20 PM NOTE: We have some evening coverage going in a separate story.