(Festival performance schedule here * Pet parade/contest schedule here)

Big smiles not only from festivalgoers of all ages, but from the Morgan Community Association as this year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival gets under way in bright sunshine – one year after a relentless downpour ended things early. No chance today! And this year, the festival covers more ground than ever – from California/Graham (food trucks and the game “cornhole” behind the future home of The Bridge and behind the business building across Graham), to three sides of the California/Fauntleroy intersection (including where we are behind Feedback Lounge, with dozens of other businesses and vendors).

Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Flores stopped by to offer a peek inside an SPD cruiser. Lots to look at and listen for; Bubbleman is performing in the park right now, and will be back at 4 pm – check whether he’s in the park or across California in the kid zone, when you get here. Lots of live music The kid zone, meantime (next to Washington Federal), is hosting one of the four food trucks here today:

Fez is West Seattle-based and newly launched. Lots of food options here today, including Morgan Junction’s year-round restaurants, many of which are sponsoring the festival, plus you can buy barbecued lunch at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) on the southeast corner of California/Fauntleroy – here are Michele and Reid from Thriftway with (at left) Cindi Barker from MoCA:

Today’s barbecue proceeds go to MoCA for next year’s festival; they should be grilling till about 4 pm.

12:51 PM UPDATE: Still lots of time to get here for the Bark of Morgan pet parade at 2 pm at the park (and competitions at 2:15 pm in the Washington Federal lot) – just might see Cooper there:

Cooper’s person is John Moore, whose Northwest Insurance Group (WSB sponsor) is located in Morgan Junction, in the new building on the northwest corner of California/Graham. Which is “paws” for another reminder – this is a sprawling festival, multiple venues across two-plus blocks, most NOT visible from California SW (except for what’s in the park), so don’t just pass by, walk or ride or drive and come wander both sides of California just north of Fauntleroy.

1:59 PM UPDATE: First candidate sighting at the festival, State Sen. Ed Murray.

His run for Seattle Mayor was endorsed last week by the 34th District Democrats, who also are boothing here at the festival – you’ll find them right behind Zeeks, next to the Full Tilt Ice Cream stand. This is a two-level area – about a dozen booths in the lot right behind the building, including Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) with their “West Seattle Chamber Business of the Year” banner, plus their trio making and selling duct-tape creations:

Next to Ventana you’ll see Animal Aid and Rescue Foundation and Madrid Frame; we’re across from them, next to Karen and Deb from the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network. on the lower lot west of us, a dozen more booths, including everything from art to the West Seattle Democratic Women to Morgan Junction-relocated Super Supplements to a King County team with more information on the ongoing Combined Sewer Overflow control projects in the area.

Festival’s on till 7; Bark of Morgan dog-parade coverage coming up next. And thanks to all the awesome people who have stopped by to say hi and chat so far; glad to see everybody out on a sunny afternoon.

2:55 PM UPDATE: Video from the dog parade:

By the way, over at the kid zone by California Federal, there’s open-mike time, if you know any youth interested in performing, reading, etc. – last chance per the festival program is 6:15 pm. That’s also when the last band of the day will perform in the park – Matt the Hoopla, “an electrifying ’70s rock experience” – don’t miss ’em. Right now, the Tongan Choir is performing – sounds great from here, and we’ll be adding video later.

Though the music continues till 7, the booths usually pack up by 6, so if you’re thinking of coming down and checking out the vendors/organizations, don’t wait too much longer!

4:18 PM UPDATE: Chas Redmond, MoCA vice president and music-lineup organizer, stopped by – this year, as he reminded us, there’s a speaker pointed toward the vendor area so we can hear the music too. He is also putting together the music for the Alki Art Fair next month and says it’ll have more than 40 acts! Meantime, here’s the picture of the day:

That’s Rita Dixson from The Bridge, Gary Sink from Beveridge Place Pub, and Jeff Gilbert from Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), future semi-neighbors, once The Bridge remodels and moves into the ex-Chuck and Sally’s, a site which became part of the festival this year, for the first time. (Here’s our Friday story with new renderings for the draft concept of its future look.)

5:13 PM UPDATE: Some of our fellow boothers have started packing up; visits to the back lot here have slowed down. And we’ve just been told this area will clear out at 5:30. Music in the park continues, as promised. And so does the unofficial afterparty in the local restaurants/lounges, who will get their parking back once we’re out.

5:33 PM UPDATE: Before we pack up – just saw Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail, and chatted with her about the speaker series just wrapped up. She tells us TWT will be at West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction this year – so look for that chance to learn more about our local whales. We’ll be there in the information booth as usual; the dates this year are Friday-Sunday, July 12th-14th.

ADDED SUNDAY: In case you missed the closing band, ’70s-inspired Matt the Hoopla, here’s a sample: