Taking the stage to close out the first night of West Seattle Summer Fest 2018 just after 10 pm … The Briefs. They were – briefly – intro’d by one of last year’s Summer Fest headliners, Brent Amaker:

He told the Summer Fest crowd they “deserved” The Briefs. To deliver on that, they jumped right in.

The slate leading up to The Briefs included another Seattle band, Versing:

Both during and between bands, the official Summer Fest beer garden was the place to be:

Canna West Seattle (WSB sponsor) had a merch tent nearby:

Tomorrow the performances start earlier – with Boom Dance on stage at 11:30 am (the festival resumes at 10) – see the full lineup here.

(QUICK LINKS: Bus reroutes here … Festival music schedule here … festival food options here … kids’ ride hours and pricing here)

5:03 PM: Let the music play! Above, that’s Ellie Strauss, part of the Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) showcase that kicked off today’s main-stage schedule. Right now, BRACKETS is performing; here’s the schedule for the rest of the night, through The Briefs at 10 pm. The main stage is on California north of Oregon; along California, booths might close as early as 6 – the kids’ rides are scheduled to close at 8 tonight.

5:22 PM: Most-recent question here at the Info Booth/Tent was about the Farmers’ Market on Sunday. It’ll happen 10 am-2 pm as always – but in its old spot, the parking lot behind KeyBank. Though the market hours are the same, the festival doesn’t officially start until 11 am on Sunday. But tomorrow – Saturday – it’s another 10 am start, like today. But let’s not get too far ahead! More festival people – West Seattle’s two highest-ranking Seattle Police stopped by earlier:

At right, Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Pierre Davis, with new Operations Lt. Steve Strand. His predecessor Lt. Ron Smith was a fixture on site at the festival for years – this is the first Summer Fest since his retirement. Also seen from the info booth, a KING 5 News crew:

Our view also includes the QFC booth, which usually sells relatively cheap cool treats during Summer Fest. This year, the menu board features $3 coconuts, $1 water/soda, and $3 fruit kabobs.

6:03 PM: This is official closing time for vendor booths, so the festival is starting to shift to night mode – that means music, outdoor cafés, and at the Beer Garden, the brews include SOL, aka Parking Lot Pale:

The Beer Junction and Elliott Bay (which brewed the special fundraising ale) are pouring it too. Here’s our preview story explaining it. Speaking of beverages … the new bar behind Be’s is open just in time for the festival, as planned:

That’s Tony Larson – whose joint venture with Jade Nguyen and her family, longtime Be’s proprietors, was explained in our June story. You’ll find The Alley off the alley behind Be’s, east side of California just south of Oregon. If you’re here with a too-young-for-bars group … the rides are running until 8:

The rides are open 10 am-8 pm tomorrow too. Meantime, the music rolls on, with Versing set to start at 6:30 pm.

6:38 PM: Speaking of tomorrow – stop by GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) and check out #VirtualSalishSee with “Diver Laura” James, starting around 2 pm:

GreenLife’s not done for the night tonight, though – you’re invited to a singalong in the park at 7 pm.

8:14 PM: We folded up the last section of the Info Tent about an hour ago to head to HQ for a while – planning to be back for tonight’s music headlines. Meantime, Alex e-mailed to suggest we include one more photo of SPD at Summer Fest – this one tweeted by Meeples Games (which has a booth on the west side of the south block):

Summer Fest is full of characters, so to speak. And thanks to the many people who stopped by to say hi today – as well as those who stopped by just looking for info – this is the 11th year that we’ve been honored to help in the info tent/booth (we’re an official Summer Fest media sponsor, too).

(QUICK LINKS: Bus reroutes here … Festival music schedule here … festival food options here … kids’ ride hours and pricing here)

11:51 AM: We are already approaching the third hour of West Seattle Summer Fest 2018 – and what you see above is part of what’s new this year: Giant games, on the east side of California SW, just north of SW Oregon, free for anyone, any age, to play. If you’re not ready to play, browse the year-round merchants’ sidewalk sales and visiting vendors and see who and what’s here. A couple places that caught our eye during our first stroll:

Those booths are both on the south block of California SW, between Alaska and Edmunds. (The Living Computer Museum itself is in nearby SODO – we are definitely making a note to visit sometime soon!) On the east side of that block, you’ll find these two WSB sponsors next to each other:

Talk to GoodMed about their unique plan for helping you and your loved ones stay healthy; talk to Westside School about the preK-8 programs at their campus in Arbor Heights. We’ve noticed MANY WSB sponsors at the festival and we’ll spotlight more through the weekend. Whether you’re new to West Seattle or a longtime resident, this is a great time to discover and celebrate what’s local. And to just plain celebrate – if you’re doing that with the little ones, note that the ride-ticket booth is on SW Alaska, east of 44th SW:

This is the best time to wander the festival – the scheduled events haven’t yet ramped up – first music on the main stage is a Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor) showcase at 3:30 pm – you’ll also see the folks from Mode at the mentioned-above Giant Games zone. More to come!

P.S. Yes, that’s the Guardian One helicopter that just looped over the festival a couple times. Haven’t seen them over here in a while!

12:33 PM: Lots of people here already – including a West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) tour group of sorts:

That’s one corner of the view from our spot in the Info Booth (aka Info Tent), one place where you’ll also find community groups/organizations/agencies – here’s the schedule. Others are scattered throughout the festival – for example, if you have questions about Sound Transit‘s West Seattle light rail, ST is here …

So is the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Project, aka viaduct-to-tunnel, asking the big question of whether you’re ready for that big closure when the switchover is made, likely this fall. Both those transportation agencies are in the main row of booths on California SW; wander a bit east on SW Alaska toward Junction Plaza Park and you’ll find the GreenLife zone, with even more community organizations, including the West Seattle TimeBank. GreenLife programming (here’s the schedule) starts at 1 pm, with a welcome from the Duwamish Tribe, followed by a discussion of Native issues.

1:12 PM: That’s been delayed. But there are many reasons to visit GreenLife, focused this year on the health of Puget Sound and other Salish Sea waters. Including the orca ride:

(Several people have asked us about PCC [WSB sponsor] – they’ll be at GreenLife tomorrow, we’re told.) Also on the central-east stub of the festival zone – SW Alaska east of California – you’ll find classic fair food, including elephant ears. Roasted corn, too! If you’re looking for cotton candy – a popular question many years – that’s over next to the kid-rides ticket booth on the west side of SW Alaska.

2:43 PM: For everyone who asked – the official festival Beer Garden (up on California by the West Seattle Eagles HQ and the main stage, north of Oregon) is now open. Meantime, Donna Sandstrom of The Whale Trail – which has a booth this year, west side of California between Oregon and Alaska – tells us that the Southern Resident Killer Whales’ J and K pods have just returned to the San Juans, first K-pod visit there since March.

3:16 PM: Two more WSB sponsors who are here – on the northeast corner of California/Alaska, not far from their bricks-and-mortar studio, Fitness Together West Seattle:

They have a Summer Fest special going on – ten personal training sessions for $500. And in the booths on California, visiting from Delridge (and Burien!), it’s Camp Crockett:

Speaking of dogs, if you bring yours and s/he needs to cool off, check out the Pet Junction zone by Next to Nature along the west side of California just north of Alaska:

We’ve been here six hours now and can attest to the fact that it’s not too hot – nice breeze here in the heart of The Junction (of course, we have some shade). Meantime, music is about to start up at the main stage, and we’ve heard that philanthropist Adah Cruzen is visiting the Southwest Seattle Historical Society booth on the east side of California just south of Alaska starting at 4 pm. We’ll be launching our second report – the afternoon-evening edition – shortly!