(This morning’s foggy moonset – photo by Lynn Hall)

Good morning! If you haven’t already browsed our West Seattle Holiday Guide and regular calendar to see what’s up – here are the highlights, from mid-morning on into the night!

JUNCTION SANTA: DIY Santa photos (bring your camera!) at City Mouse as part of West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays, 10 am-2 pm. (4218 SW Alaska)

MULE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES: 10 am-2 pm, also part of Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB): “Take a carriage ride down California Avenue pulled by beautiful Belgian Draft Mules. A treat the whole family and friends will enjoy. Stop off at the Farmers Market for a complimentary hot apple cider.” (California/Alaska)

PATHFINDER WREATH SALES: Also in The Junction, 10 am-2 pm, the second of three Sundays (while supplies last!) for Pathfinder K-8‘s wreath fundraiser – selling their famous wreaths made by the school community from local greenery – here’s our photo from last Sunday:

Details in our calendar listing. (California/Alaska)

SEATTLE SAMPLING: Final day of holiday studio tour, with 4 of the 10 studios in West Seattle – Brace Point Pottery, Village Green Nursery, Ceramistas Seattle, Penguina Designs. 10 am-5 pm. Detailed tour information at seattlesampling.com.

TIBBETTS CRAFT BAZAAR: Holiday craft bazaar at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (WSB sponsor),11:30 am to 1:30 pm, including hand-sewn items, crafts, stocking stuffers, baked goods, & jewelry. (3940 41st SW)

NEW THIS YEAR – HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAY FEST: New event in Admiral – the Holly Jolly Holiday Fest, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, noon-4 pm at The Sanctuary at Admiral:

The Admiral Neighborhood Association welcomes a visit from Santa Claus on Sunday, December 7th at the Sanctuary at Admiral!

Santa’s visit will be part of our Holly Jolly Holiday Fest, a full afternoon of holiday activities including live holiday music, a gingerbread house contest, a craft bazaar, and a food drive for the West Seattle Food Bank. A photographer will be available to take portraits with Santa for a small donation, or you can bring your own camera.

If you made a gingerbread house to enter in the contest, drop it off by 10:30 am; judging starts at 11 am. Otherwise, drop by The Sanctuary noon-4 pm! (42nd/Lander)

OPEN HOUSE AT WYATT’S: Holiday Open House at Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) at Westwood Village, noon-4 pm. “Nibbles, bubbles, storewide specials.” (2600 SW Barton)

CAPERS SANTA: DIY Santa Photos at CAPERS in The Junction, with “ex-Westwood Santa.” Noon-3 pm. Bring cameras/phones, kids/friends, and a donation for the West Seattle Food Bank. (4525 California SW)

BLITHE BAZAAR: Cozy afternoon/evening of shopping and sipping, supporting West Seattle artisans. At Community School of West Seattle. 3-7 pm. (9450 22nd SW)

‘JUDY’S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS’:”Matinee today at ArtsWest in The Junction, 3 pm. Buy tickets online here. (4711 California SW)

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’: Matinee today at 3 pm for Twelfth Night Productions‘ radio play edition of the holiday show, at Kenyon Hall. Buy your ticket(s) online at brownpapertickets.com/event/917572 or an hour before showtime at the venue box office. (7904 35th SW)

CHOCOLATE *AND* SINGALONG! Admiral Sings Christmas at Admiral Congregational Church, 3:30 pm Grand Chocolate Buffet, 4 pm festive concert and singalong of favorite Christmas songs and carols. Admission free (suggested donation $10); nonperishable food donations welcomed, for local food banks. (California/Hill)

ST. NICHOLAS FAIRE: First Lutheran Church of West Seattle‘s St. Nicholas Faire, 4-7 pm, fundraiser for West Seattle Food Bank and West Seattle Helpline, admission $5/person with nonperishable food item, $15/family with food donation for each family member, or, without food donation, $10/person or $25/family. Appetizers and spiced hot cider; elegant bake sale items; silent auction with a variety of gift baskets- puzzles, games, wine, art & educational activities, gift certificates to local businesses, food -themed baskets, Seahawks and Sounders gear, etc! Plus a ring-toss game to win wine prizes and wine tasting. (4105 California SW)

HOLIDAY SCENES AS THEY HAPPEN … while we’re out and about, we’re usually updating the WSB Twitter and Instagram feeds with quick pix – so check in, and share yours too, through either of those links or editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!

(Also happening this morning: West Seattle Rotary Children’s Shopping Spree – full story to come!)

From pre-dawn until long past dark, this is the busiest day of the holiday season in West Seattle! From our Holiday Guide and Event Calendar, here are the many reasons why – along with non-holiday highlights for today/tonight:

PANCAKE BREAKFAST: Santa photos for kids up to age 10 are part of the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle‘s 67th annual pancake breakfast, on now and continuing until 11 am at Alki Masonic Hall. $10 at the door, kids under 10 eat free. **Bring unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots!!** (40th/Edmunds – note that parking is across Edmunds or across Fauntleroy)

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AT VFW HALL: Happening at VFW Post 2713 in The Triangle, 9 am-6 pm – details on the official flyer. (3601 SW Alaska)

SEATTLE PRESCHOOL PROGRAM MEETINGS: Two today at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center regarding the in-formation, voter-approved city program – 10 am-12:30 pm, on curriculum; 2-4:30 pm, on teacher training/coaching. (4408 Delridge Way SW)

WESTSIDE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE: 10 am-noon, all-school open house, as previewed here on Friday. (7740 34th SW)

HOLIDAY BAZAAR AT SLHS: Seattle Lutheran High School‘s third annual Holiday Bazaar, in the gym, 10 am-3 pm; details here. (4100 SW Genesee)

HOLIDAY ARTS/CRAFTS AT WSUU: 5th annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Show in the Social Hall at Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation Social Hall, 10 am-4 pm: “You are invited to our fifth annual sale of gifts by local community and WSUU artists and handcrafters. You’ll find original, one-of-a-kind gifts: felted hats, knits, jewelry, watercolor paintings, designer bags and accessories, greeting cards and stocking stuffers, edible holiday goodies, glass art, fiber art, more. Free refreshments.” (7141 California SW)

PET PHOTOS WITH SANTA, 10 am-2 pm at Pet Elements in Morgan Junction. $25, with $5 donated to Furry Faces Foundation; you’ll get a 5×7 and a digital file. (6511 California SW)

FOOD DRIVE: 10 am-2 pm, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Northwest (WSB sponsor) Food Drive for the West Seattle Food Bank, at West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy).

JEWELRY SHOW AT CLICK! 11 am-8 pm (continuing through the Junction Holiday Party), Sarah Loertscher is at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) “with studio samples, one of a kind pieces and an extended selection of her jewelry line.” (4540 California SW)

SANTA AT SMALLCLOTHES: Santa Al will be at SmallClothes, bring your own camera or get a photo for $5, 11 am-2 pm. (3215 California SW)

GIVE THE GIFT OF VOLUNTEERING: 11 am-1 pm is the monthly volunteer-orientation event at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s Log House Museum. You’d be surprised at how many types of skills SWSHS can use – come find out how to help. (61st/Stevens)

‘SANTA PAWS’: 4th annual Santa Paws event sponsored by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Realty (WSB sponsor) – “Bring your pets in for a FREE photo with Santa! 12-4 pm in the Jefferson Square Building, 2nd floor lobby.” (4700 42nd SW)

SANTA AT CAPERS: DIY Santa Photos at CAPERS in The Junction, with “ex-Westwood Santa.” Bring cameras/phones, kids/friends, and a donation for the West Seattle Food Bank. Noon-3 pm. (4525 California SW)

COUCH FEST FILMS: Starting at 1 pm, this citywide-and-beyond not-in-theaters film festival includes three West Seattle venues. Here’s the official Seattle program, listing what’s being shown, when, and where. If you don’t have tickets already, buy the pass at your first stop. West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor) is participating at 6040 California SW, where the documentary shorts will be shown (33-minute program in all) – the other two WS sites are 6017 49th Ave SW, with the “Inappropriately Awesome” shorts (32 minutes), and the “Mixed 1” collection will be screened at 3011 SW Cycle Court.

CHRISTMAS TEA & SILENT AUCTION … at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 2-5 pm.

More details here – and we have late word (along with the teapot photo shared by Leanne) that tickets ARE available! “The decorations are up, the tables are set, and the preparations are well underway. Tickets are still available for the fun, festive, fabulous Christmas Tea at St. John’s. The event also includes a silent auction, and the long awaited quilt raffle drawing. Event tickets are $20 per person, $10 for children age 12 and under.” (California/Hanford)

HOLIDAY PARTY IN THE JUNCTION … as part of Hometown Holidays (co-sponsored by WSB)! Multiple businesses participating. 4-8 pm, before, during, and after the Junction Tree Lighting, roam from store to store to celebrate: “Businesses throughout The Junction are each hosting events and parties on the same night, yet each doing something different. Think of it as a progressive party with drinks, nibbles, games and shopping. We’ll also be dressing up The Junction with candles to light the way. It will be enjoyable as a pre- or post- Tree Lighting Event activity but also a festive event on its own.” Details here.

12 BARS OF CHRISTMAS:, benefit pub crawl, 4 pm in The Junction – details in our calendar listing.

WEST SEATTLE JUNCTION TREE LIGHTING: 5 pm at Junction Plaza Park, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association as part of the all-season-long Hometown Holidays events: Josh Sutton of the West Seattle YMCA will emcee; you’ll also hear from Bakery Nouveau co-proprietor Heather Leaman on behalf of WSJA and from Emerald Water Anglers proprietor Dave McCoy on behalf of the merchants’ Holiday Party event, which will start at 4 pm, before the lighting, and continue until 8 pm. (Details here!) You’ll get to carol and to enjoy live performances by the Chief Sealth International High School Marching Band (starting around 4:45 pm), the Endolyne Children’s Choir, by cast members from ArtsWest‘s “Judy’s Scary Little Christmas,” and by Jay Cates. (42nd/Alaska)

EVENING SANTA PHOTOS … with Santa Al at QFC’s outdoor area across from/during the Junction Tree Lighting (42nd/Alaska), 5-6 pm, bring a can for West Seattle Food Bank. (42nd/Alaska)

HOLIDAY BEAUTY EXPO: 5-7 pm at Shanti Salon & Spa. Aveda makeup artist consultations & touchups, refreshments including champagne, complimentary bang trims and hair/skin consultations. (2138 California SW)

WEST SEATTLE MEANINGFUL MOVIES: 7 pm, “The Health Care Movie,” at Neighborhood House’s High Point Center. Details here. (6400 Sylvan Way)

HOLIDAY CONCERT: Cantaré Vocal Ensemble presents Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and fresh takes on your favorite Christmas carols, 7:30 pm at Holy Rosary Church. (42nd/Genesee)

‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’: Join Twelfth Night Productions this holiday season for the radio-play edition of the much-loved holiday tale, 7:30 pm at Kenyon Hall. Buy your ticket(s) online at brownpapertickets.com/event/917572 or an hour before showtime at the venue box office. (7904 35th SW)

‘JUDY’S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS’: Holiday show at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) in The Junction, 7:30 pm. Buy tickets online here. (4711 California SW)

AND THOSE ARE JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS … browse the Holiday Guide and Event Calendar for even more options. Have a great Saturday!