(QUICK LINKS: Bus reroutes here … Festival music schedule here … festival food options here … kids’ ride hours and pricing here)
(COVERAGE SO FAR: Friday night, with music, here … Friday evening, here … Friday morning/afternoon, here)

11:34 AM: We’re already into hour 2 of West Seattle Summer Fest day 2, and The Junction is full of people – and pets! At Hotwire Coffee (east side of California SW, just south of SW Genesee), Stanley was one of the first participants in the Furry Faces Foundation fundraiser Paws & Paint (explained in our calendar listing), which continues until 5 pm, today only! Meantime, this is happening inside ArtsWest (west side of California, just south of SW Alaska):

Until 2 pm, you are invited to visit the West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ instrument petting zoo inside ArtsWest. Just found out about it thanks to a question here at the Info Booth/Tent! Which, by the way, we are sharing again today with community organizations/agencies you should stop by to meet – until 2 pm, Seal Sitters are on the south side of the booth, SR3 Sealife Response, Rehab and Research is on the west side.

For any questions you have at the festival, we are on the north side of the booth, West Seattle Junction Association volunteers are on the east side. (We also have info about other upcoming local events – come get flyers about Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, the West Seattle Car Show, WS Outdoor Movies, Tuesday’s West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park, etc..)

Other highlights as today gets going:
-Until 6 pm, special programming (see the schedule here) celebrating the grand opening of Verity Credit Union (west side of California south of Oregon; WSB sponsor)
-Noon, programming starts at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park at 42nd/Alaska (schedule here), with a discussion about saving Southern Resident Killer Whales
-12:30 pm, music starts onstage (California north of Oregon), with a School of Rock showcase
-3 pm, adults’ pie-eating contest at California/Alaska (the kids’ contest is tomorrow)

ADDED 12:33 PM: Even more fun …

Here’s the studio those dancers are from. Also, Celtic Dance at 1 pm and Flamenco at 4 pm. Just be in the California/Alaska vicinity to see the magic happen. Elsewhere at the festival right now… go to VAIN (west side of California just south of Oregon; WSB sponsor) for a photo booth benefiting the Senior Center of West Seattle:

1:21 PM: The Summer Fest sights continue:

And we found the wandering “Star Wars” characters. Not stormtroopers after all:

While you wander, it’s not just about the booths – from sidewalk sales to cafés, The Junction’s year-round businesses are going all-out more than ever this year.

Pegasus Book Exchange‘s $1 sale is a hit. And steps away, Easy Street Records‘ café has extra room because of the temporary sidewalk setup:

Right across California from there, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) has a big sidewalk sale going too – as well as some discounts inside the store:

North of Oregon, the community mural continues to be a work in progress:

And another kind of art continues to be at the heart of the most popular question here at the Info Booth/Tent: “Where’s the face painting?”

Answer: One on each midblock crosswalk hump – plus, you might have noticed on Verity’s grand-opening schedule above, they’re offering facepainting 2-4 pm.

2:45 PM: New group of community organizations here at the Info Booth/Tent:

Endolyne Children’s Choir, West Seattle Be Prepared/Emergency Communication Hubs, and the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club are here now, through 6 pm. On our side of the tent, popular question: Where’s the shaved ice? Answer: By the kids’ rides (same booth as the cotton candy).

3:47 PM: Easy Street changed its marquee this afternoon:

Have we mentioned Easy Street’s huge anniversary sale? Read about it here. Or best of all, just come shop – longtime businesses AND new ones like the one Fleurt (east side of midblock California between SW Oregon and SW Alaska) just launched:

That’s Pili the plant truck aka greenhouse on wheels – part of Inside Wild, launched by Fleurt Collective: “Pili is a mobile plant greenhouse where we offer indoor plants fo sale, plant education, plant matchmaking, and gifts for plant lovers. PILI will be popping up around Seattle throughout the next few months.”

4:26 PM: About to launch the late afternoon/evening coverage. But first – if you’re wondering about an SFD aid response in the ride area, an employee of the company that’s providing rides took ill and is being treated.