(TODAY’S INFO is here; FIRST SATURDAY REPORT is here; DAY 1 COVERAGE here, is here, and here)

(Our 4 pm view from the Info Tent)

4 PM: Though technically we’re two hours away from tonight’s “closing time” at West Seattle Summer Fest, most of the action continues on into Saturday night – food and rides into at least the mid-evening, music until about 11:30. But if you want to check out the shopping – both The Junction’s year-round stores as well as the booths – get here sooner rather than later.

As we’ve mentioned before, the Info Tent is the place to stop (our side facing north at California/Alaska) for info on not only this festival, but also much of the upcoming West Seattle summer fun – we have flyers/cards for West Seattle Outdoor Movies (starting one week from tonight!), Alki Art Fair (two weeks away), Summer Concerts at Hiawatha (six Thursday nights starting July 21st), West Seattle Garden Tour (July 17th) … And elsewhere at Summer Fest, you can find out all about other upcoming events. For example, the Float Dodger 5K before the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 23rd:

Sign up for the race at the West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) – Elite Sports and Spine booth on the east side of California between Oregon and Alaska. (In our photo above are Lori McConnell from WSR and Dr. Nate Moore from ESS.)

Also publicized here at Summer Fest – the month-long Stuff the Bus diaper drive for WestSide Baby:

The biggest day is July 24th, when you can bring diapers to “stuff the bus” at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) in The Junction (41st/Alaska), but there are other dropoff spots and drives all month long.

HomeStreet has a booth here at the festival, we should mention … on Day 1, we photographed Eric, Melodie, and Cody:

4:19 PM: Hot toy of the day seems to be a Nemo (you know, Dory’s friend) -themed bubble blaster that also makes a spooky little noise when bubbling. Have seen and heard this in the hands of many a child; not sure of the source, but they are suddenly everywhere. Children in general are abundant, too, as they are in most of West Seattle, as observed King County Executive Dow Constantine at last Monday’s 4th of July Kids’ Parade (speaking while holding his toddler daughter).

Popular questions include “kettle corn?” (short answer: no) and “festival T-shirts?” – that too is a “no” but there are places you can seek West Seattle-themed shirts including Seattle Logo Pro (west of us at California/Alaska) and Shockwave Tees (on California south of Alaska). And a really popular feature – the Tiny Homes display at GreenLife, though the one we’ve seen these past few days isn’t THAT tiny:

5:01 PM: If Summer Fest had a turnstile, we’re speculating this might be the biggest turnout ever. And this is the peak time – late afternoon, Saturday.

(The view from Cupcake Royale, closest recharge spot for our laptop)

Still some sunshine. Doesn’t feel like you have to see absolutely EVERYTHING, because there’s still one more day (and let us mention again, YES, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market will be happening 10 am-2 pm as always tomorrow – but in the lot behind KeyBank, the one day a year it can’t be out in the street).

5:45 PM: Major hang-around time, now. Shopping time is wrapping up – as we’ve said before, don’t miss the year-round stores as well as the booths. Twilight, on SW Alaska west of California, had cool Seattle-themed art on display today:

At Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) at 4540 California SW – east side, a little ways north of Alaska – stop by the shop to register for a Fatboy hammock giveaway.

Another longtime WSB sponsor, Dream Dinners-West Seattle, is based in The Junction – but a little ways out of the festival zone (outer east side of Jefferson Square), so you’ll find them in a booth here at the festival:

Ask them about festival specials/deals – and check out their current menu here.

6:44 PM: As crowded now as it was at mid-afternoon! Meantime, up at the stage, we got a bit of video of the 6 pm band, Christian Mistress:

Still four bands to go tonight, and music on the GreenLife stage too – see our first report today for both lineups.

7 PM: We’re the last ones out of the Info Tent, folding up for the night, but Summer Fest goes on! Sunday hours are 11 am to 5 pm – and it’s the one day that everything really DOES end at that announced closing time, because hours of cleanup/breakdown will follow.

(TODAY’S INFO here; DAY 1 COVERAGE here, here, and here)

11 AM: One hour into West Seattle Summer Fest 2016, day 2, and it seems like the whole town’s here already. It’s the biggest day of the festival and we’re live in the Info Tent again today with festival updates. Including …

CORONATION: In half an hour (at 11:30 am), West Seattle Hi-Yu will crown Haley Beebe as this year’s Senior Court Queen on the main stage (California SW, north end of the festival zone, between Oregon and Genesee) Update: photo added:

After that, you’ll find Hi-Yu royalty, ambassadors, and volunteers, plus this year’s parade float, on SW Alaska east of California, across from the food zone.

‘WE LOVE THE JUNCTION’: Come write down why you love The Junction, on the blackboard at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s booth – here are photos of what some festivalgoers wrote on Friday. And be part of 360-degree photos and walking tours with SWSHS executive director Clay Eals and other local experts:

The photos are happening at the top of each hour, noon-5 pm, and the tours, at 12:15, 2:15, and 3:15 pm – find the SWSHS booth on the west side of California just north of Alaska, across from Easy Street Café.

TODAY’S MUSIC: Here’s today’s lineup on the main stage (north end of festival):

(The Hollers include, center, Frank Gross of Thunder Road Guitars [WSB sponsor])

Noon – The Hollers
1 pm – Danny Newcomb and The Sugarmakers
2 pm – Tomten
3 pm – Donormaal
4 pm – Draemhouse
5 pm – Crater
6 pm – Christian Mistress
7 pm – Bread & Butter
8 pm – Hobosexual
9 pm – Pillar Point
10:30 pm – Grace Love & The True Loves

HIGHLIGHTS ON THE GREENLIFE STAGE … which is at the south end by California/Edmunds:
Noon – Indian dance performance
1 pm – Dance: Odissi By Urvasi Dance Ensemble
2 pm – Discussion of growth/development
4 pm – Electric-bike demonstration
4:30 pm – Music with Aji Piper
5:30 pm – Poetry with Raven Matthews x DoNormaal
6 pm – Music with Richie Dagger’s Crime
7 pm – Music with Sendai Era
8 pm – Music with The Brodcast

11:42 AM: Not EVERYTHING is on the schedule – wouldn’t be a festival without some unscheduled performances, and one is happening right now just east of our Info Tent HQ, with D&G Dance Beatfeet:

11:56 AM: The youth-led #BlackLivesMatter demonstration is about to start – looks like at least 50 people gathering on the west side of California/Alaska.

Organizer Lashanna Williams just spoke briefly to invite people to join.

They’ll be photographed by the same crew that is about to take the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s first group photo, Clay from SWSHS then announced.

12:15 PM: The demonstration is still going by – with more people joining as they proceed around the festival’s perimeter.

We’ll have more photos later. Meantime, Deb Barker is taking off on the first SWSHS walking tour from right in front of the Info Tent.

12:58 PM: The demonstration just ended with a gathering at California/Alaska, where it began – here’s our Instagram video panning across part of the group:

“Carry peace through your day,” Lashanna urged them, in closing.

1:20 PM: While the clouds have moved back in, we’re seeing some blue sky to the west. All the same, if you haven’t been here yet, you might consider bringing a jacket or sweater.

3 PM: Crazy busy! Part of what we checked out last hour – a panel discussing West Seattle growth and development at the GreenLife Stage:

Lots of viewpoints on how our community can and should grow. Next up on the GL Stage – 4 pm, electric-bike demo with Alki Bike and Board. Our coverage continues shortly in today’s 2nd report …

(WSB photos. Above, singer Emily Nokes)

A near-perfect first day for West Seattle Summer Fest 2016, with Seattle’s own Tacocat taking the stage to wrap it up, delighting a curb-to-curb crowd in The Junction’s streets.

(Drummer Lelah Maupin)

Their set included a song all too appropriate for our Jultober weather, “Bridge to Hawaii,” and one for X-Files fans, “Dana Katherine Scully.”

(Tacocat’s Eric Randall in left background, Bree McKenna in right foreground)

Introducing Tacocat was West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker:

Saturday’s music lineup starts at noon with The Hollers, includes Hobosexual at 8 pm, and runs through Grace Love and The True Loves at 10:30 pm.

(Our first Friday report on Summer Fest is here)

4:09 PM: Things are just ducky as the first day of West Seattle Summer Fest 2016 moves toward evening. (You’ll find the birds, along with pigs and goats, at GreenLife on the south end of the festival zone.) The main-stage music has begun, too – it started with the 3 pm performers from School of Rock:

Nastybits is playing now, with Braindrain at 5, and of course headliners Tacocat tonight at 9:30.

If you’re down here, you might be looking at all the opening-soon restaurants and wondering what’s new. We broke the news earlier this week that Dumplings of Fury is planning to open July 20th. That’s one day after the scheduled opening of Shelby’s Bistro and Ice Creamery – not in time for Summer Fest, but we just found out that Shelby’s is offering sneak-peek tours the next two days, 10 am-6 pm Saturday and 11 am-5 pm (which are the official Summer Fest hours, too). They won’t be able to serve food or ice cream until they officially open, though.

Something else that’ll be big the next two days – the 360-degree group photos to be taken here at California/Alaska by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, whose booth is right across from Easy Street Café:

SWSHS is also offering walking tours. See the schedule in our story from Friday.

5:52 PM: Biggest question right now – when’s closing time tonight? Booths are supposed to stay open at least until 6 pm. Some will be folding up then – some will stay open later, and again, the music continues well into the night. Despite a cloudy/showery forecast, the weather’s been great all day, and so have the people.

The food booths are usually going strong through dinnertime. If you’re into total festival food, look for the Deep Fried PB&J booth, and consider the deep-fried Nutella and banana sandwich ($7). And if you’re planning to come tomorrow, some unique shopping:

Earlier we mentioned that shops from outside The Junction often book Summer Fest booths to introduce themselves to more West Seattleites – that sign, across from the Fitness Together (WSB sponsor) building north of California/Alaska, goes with Mystery Made, whose brick-and-mortar shop is in Admiral. Continue further north, and you can find “badass barware” in this trailer:

It’s on California north of Oregon. Speaking of beverages – Bin 41‘s wine garden is now open outside their shop on the southwest corner of California and Alaska; the official festival beer garden is by the stage on California north of Oregon; you’ll also find other festival-only outdoor areas including at The Beer Junction just south of California/Oregon.

P.S. If you’re coming tomorrow or Sunday, another reason to stop by here at the Info Booth – by day’s end we now have info you can peruse about a variety of other big West Seattle summer events – WS Outdoor Movies (which start one week from tomorrow), Alki Art Fair (two weeks away), Hi-Yu events, even a poster for the West Seattle Food Bank‘s “Grand Affair” benefit coming up September 16th. Or, just wave as you pass – thanks to all the fine folks who have come by to say hi today/tonight already. We’ll be in the info booth until about 6:30, and then heading out for a break before coming back in time for the later musical acts.

6:48 PM: We haven’t left just yet – still plenty of people circulating. While as we mentioned the “official” closing hour for booths was 6 pm, some stay open – including food vendors, and rides are still running too (as mentioned earlier, tickets are $1.25, with ride prices from 1 to 5 tickets, and a day pass is $20 – there was a $45 three-day pass but kind of too late for that now – update, rides run until 8 pm). Biggest question this hour, “which way to the main stage?” Answer: North end of the festival zone. Acapulco Lips is up at 7, Chastity Belt at 8, Tacocat at 9:30.

Snack tip for tomorrow: We’ve spent the day staring across the intersection at QFC’s tent, which again this year has fruit kabobs, water, and coconuts. Water’s $1, fruit/coconuts are priced $3-$4. They’ve closed down for the night now but will be back tomorrow under the orange umbrellas.

11 AM: One hour into the first day of West Seattle Summer Fest 2016, and the sun has arrived in The Junction, along with festivalgoers of all ages:

The preschoolers were stopping by the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) tent, where there’s hopscotch as well as information about the expansion project. They’re right across from our spot in the Summer Fest Info Tent – info on the north and east sides, community groups on the west and south sides.

The Kid Zone is in the Wells Fargo lot north of Alaska (look for free activities in the WF drive-thru) along 44th, and also on Alaska west of California, where you’ll find the ticket booth:

We checked on prices first thing, after a reader question. Ride tickets are $1.25; a day pass is $20; all three days, $45. The ride-ticket booth is also where you’ll find cotton candy, which we’re often asked about; most food is on the other side of Alaska, between California and 42nd, but also look for sidewalk specials in front of year-round Junction eateries

The main stage is at the north end of the festival zone on California, between Oregon and Genesee, with the beer garden nearby; it opens when the music starts at 3 pm with School of Rock – tonight’s headliner, Tacocat, plays at 9:30.

There’s also a stage at the south end of the festival zone, on California at Edmunds; that’s part of GreenLife, presented by Sustainable West Seattle:

Music and other performances/demonstrations are planned all weekend, starting around 2:30 today. And between the two stages – dozens and dozens of vendors, exhibitors, organizations. If you’re looking for someone in particular and can’t find them, come to the Info Tent and we’ll do what we can to help.

11:57 AM: Looking for lunch? Here’s our Instagram video of a quick walk past the main food zone:

Also look for sidewalk cafés and stands outside the year-round Junction eateries (the restaurants are all open too – except for Azuma Sushi, closed for vacation). And Screamin’ Sicilian is handing out FREE pizza samples on the northwest corner of California/Alaska.

Other businesses and groups are on the east side of Alaska, across from the food vendors, including West Seattle Hi-Yu, where you can take your photo with the “Around West Seattle” float, which was getting a touchup when we walked by:

You can meet the Hi-Yu Teen Ambassadors and royalty, too – we stopped by to say hi to Junior Court Princess Stephanie and friends when we arrived:

And come see Haley Beebe be crowned Senior Court Queen on Saturday at 11:30 on the main stage.

1:12 PM: Though many Summer Fest vendors are from outside the area, it’s also a great chance to come find out more about local businesses and organizations. For one, as we’ve mentioned, you can check out the local year-round eateries, some with special setups on the sidewalk, some without – we just heard from Itto’s Tapas just north of the festival zone, at California/Genesee, and they’re opening early today, at 2 pm.

Summer Fest is also a chance for businesses from outside The Junction to come show off. Meeples Games (WSB sponsor) from south of Admiral has a booth:

We’ve also seen Avalon Glassworks, from Luna Park, which has Summer Fest specials every year.

1:46 PM: You can also learn about local nonprofits at Summer Fest. Some are in the “Community Tent,” which is actually half of the Info Tent at California/Alaska:

Right now, Neighborhood House, West Seattle Garden Tour, and BeSMART are on that side of the tent, talking with people who stop by. Throughout the festival zone, you will find other nonprofits with booths including West Seattle Food Bank – where you can buy raffle tickets for $5 that get you discounts at four local eateries even if you don’t win the raffle – West Seattle Helpline, West Seattle Timebank, WestSide Baby – some are in the GreenLife area by California/Edmunds. Speaking of nonprofit – members of the West Seattle High School Band just set up under the Easy Street marquee.

More to come!

Happy Friday! Rain or shine, the biggest party of the summer is on:

(Live SDOT traffic camera, east edge of the festival zone – road closure & bus reroute info here)

WEST SEATTLE SUMMER FEST: Day 1 runs 10 am-6 pm, but the music runs well past then – it starts on the main stage (California north of Oregon) at 4 pm, with tonight’s headliner Tacocat at 9:30 pm – see the full music lineup here. … We’ll start reporting on what’s up and who’s where once we’re in place at the Info Booth at California/Alaska, but here are some other links that might help for starters:

Vendor list
Food list
Kids’ area (free AND fee activities – update: $1.25/ticket, $20/day pass, $45 three-day pass)
GreenLife (south end of festival zone, California/Edmunds)
Road closure/bus reroute info

Again, watch for live festival coverage here after things get going post-10 am. Also happening today/tonight:

COLMAN POOL CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC … because of a swim meet.

WORDS, WRITERS, WEST SEATTLE: 5 pm at Barnes & Noble/Westwood Village, journalist Eric Wagner and photographer Tom Reese talk about their collaboration “Once and Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish.”:

The monthly author presentations comprising WWWS are presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. (2800 SW Barton)

OUTDOOR SHAKESPEARE: 7 pm at the amphitheater behind Neighborhood House’s High Point Center, it’s the Greenstage Backyard Bard version of “Twelfth Night.” Free. (6400 Sylvan Way SW)

TX TRUMBO: Singer-songwriter live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)