(TRAFFIC/TRANSIT INFO: California is closed between Oregon and Edmunds … bus reroutes are linked here … festival schedule is here)

(Updated WSB photo – Root Beer Garden got busy a little while after our original photo)

FIRST REPORT, 10:08 AM: That’s the first-ever West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival Root Beer Garden – on the west side of the California/Alaska intersection. The festival has just begun, and continues until 2 pm, and our as-it-happens coverage starts now! Here are the key schedule points:

From 10 am to 2 pm: Free activities/games (mostly on California between Alaska and Edmunds)
From 10 am to 2 pm: Farmers’ Market (on California between Oregon and Alaska)
Starting at 11 am: Applepalooza at Farmers’ Market booth on east side of California/Alaska
Starting at 11 am: Chili Cookoff ($10 for 9 tastes & voting) on SW corner of California/Alaska
Starting at 11:30 am: Costume Parade (gather at Junction Plaza Park, 42nd/Alaska)
Starting at noon: Trick-or-treating (Junction businesses, some festival booths)

10:30 AM UPDATE: If you’re looking for the Scavenger Hunt, find it at the Farmers’ Market management booth on California south of Oregon. That’s a popular question here in the Info Booth in the midst of Walk-All-Ways. Just south of us, games are on – here’s Dave McCoy from Emerald Water Anglers (WSB sponsor – their shop is at 42nd/Oregon) with the fishing game:

Next to EWA, you can jump with RopeWorks:

One of the most popular booths – Seattle Police crime prevention coordinators, with “button making machine, Halloween ring toss, SPD coloring books and many free goodies for children and adults!”

They’re about midway down the east side of the south block of California. And if you head over to the park (42nd/Alaska), you can make a music/rhythm instrument to get ready for the 11:30 am costume parade!

11:11 AM: The Chili Cookoff is on! KeyBank corner of California/Alaska, go buy your flight before the chili’s gone!

Your $10 gets you a vote (who will win? big trophy this year!) and 9 tastes AND knowledge you helped the West Seattle Food Bank. Meanwhile, we are seeing some amazing costumes – and the parade hasn’t even started yet! Family costumes too – like parents as chefs and their wee ones as lobsters.

And a young astronaut!

Almost parade time – we hear the West Seattle High School Marching Band warming up to lead it.

11:50 AM: After 20 minutes, the parade has ended, after circling the festival blocks. Above, the start – that’s Jim Edwards from the West Seattle Grand Parade (and West Seattle Big Band) leading the parade on his motorcycle. Below, some of the paraders on the southbound march:

(Added – More video from the parade:)

Next, trick or treat time at businesses and booths, starting at noon. Meantime, the chili is going fast – might be gone before the scheduled 1 pm cutoff.

12:14 PM: Candy collection is happening, big time.

(Above, rock ‘n’ roll trick-or-treating at Thunder Road Guitars [WSB sponsor]; below, trick-or-treating at Bikram Yoga)

And Lora Swift from the West Seattle Junction Association – the merchants’ organization that presents the festival – says the chili is sold out, 225 trays gone in just a little more than an hour! We’ll find out a bit later who won the vote.

12:52 PM: The results are in! Chili winners –

#1 Duos Catering (64 votes)
#2 Pecos Pit (35 votes)
#3 Easy Street (26 votes)

(Photo added below – from left, Joshua from Duos, Judi from WSFB, Benjamin from Duos, Lora from the Junction Association:)

Congratulations, especially to the WSFB, whose clients benefit from the participants’ donation of chili and the 225 tasters/voters!

1:09 PM: Last hour and the sun is starting to break through! Perhaps because the Comerford School of Irish Dance is performing just south of us in the Walk-All-Ways intersection:

Meantime, the costume-watching continues, including canine costumes:

Though there’s no gate for an official count, we would have to say anecdotally that this is the most-attended Harvest Festival yet!

1:36 PM: If you’re just getting here – we can’t guarantee you candy (the Info Booth folks sharing this tent have run out) but activities continue until the end. We’ve added a few more photos above and below. The crowd’s thinned a bit – maybe since the Seahawks’ game has started.

Among those with activity booths – the Junction Neighborhood Organization:

If you live and/or work in The Junction, that’s your community council.

1:52 PM: Final minutes. Soon, this’ll be history …

We’ll have even more photos later, including more from the chili trophy presentation. And stay tuned for the Junction Association’s big winter-holidays events, including the Tree Lighting on December 2nd!

ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: More unique costumes. Edward Scissorhands made an appearance:

Willy Wonka was in the WSHS Band:

An aspiring band member:

We found a family of volcanologists:

And a family of recyclers:

R2D2 was not someone in costume – it’s a real replica that has an Instagram page:

ADDED LATE SUNDAY NIGHT: One more round of photos ahead – these are by Leda Costa for WSB:

The crowd:

Trick-or-treating:

Spooky sight in the window at West 5!

Seen in another shop window:

Another non-candy treat, spotted at the market:

Some vendors were in the Halloween spirit:

Another costumed canine:

And did we mention the crowd?

Just might add a few more!