AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE: West Seattle Summer Fest 2019 day 1, first report

(FESTIVAL INFO QUICK LINKS HERE … METRO REROUTE LINKS HERE)

11:44 AM: West Seattle Summer Fest got its start decades ago as the West Seattle Junction’s annual sidewalk sale – and that’s still part of the program, including (outside CAPERS, west side of California between Oregon and Alaska) the world-famous WEST SEATTLE T-shirts shown above. Lots of shopping – at year-round merchants and visiting vendors – and all-ages activities. That includes two types of axe-throwing!

The inflatable “axe-throwing” is in the kids’ zone on Alaska west of California; the actual axe-throwing is in the game zone on California north of Oregon. Now that we’re in hour two, everybody’s starting to settle in. And as lunchtime approaches, you’ll find festival food booths on Alaska east of California, plus lots of outdoor offerings from year-round restaurants – even Bakery Nouveau has a sidewalk café1

12:19 PM: Besides playing, shopping, drinking, noshing, Summer Fest is also a place to learn. Got a question about West Seattle’s light-rail plan? Stop at the Sound Transit booth:

They’re on the east side of California between Alaska and Edmunds. On the other side of the same block, you can talk with WSDOT about Highway 99 Tunnel tolling, which is expected to start this fall:

Speaking of transportation, we just got word that Canna West Seattle is offering a shuttle from Summer Fest to their shop about a half mile south. Canna Culture is here at the festival, too:

That’s Canna Culture shop manager Nina Perceful, just south of the Info Booth (our base during Summer Fest) at California/Alaska. You can stop there to find out about in-store sales happening during the festival. And as for the shuttle:

The rides will be offered every half hour, from 10am-8pm Friday and Saturday, and from 10am-5pm on Sunday. Summer Fest attendees can pick it up at SW Edmunds Street and California Avenue (near the 7-11 store).

Festival attendees should look out for this ride:

As for other transportation to/from the festival – note that we have the bus-stop revisions all linked atop this story. Main-stage music is now just three hours away, starting with Razor Clam at 3:30 pm; more coverage to come!

2:30 PM: Sun’s out and the crowd’s growing. A few things that have come up in comments:

-The kids’ area has a different provider this year. They specialize in inflatables, so there’s no mechanical rides.

-Art-making for all ages is spread throughout the festival, including participation in mural creation with West Seattle Art Nest in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), 3-7 pm today, noon-8 pm Saturday, noon-5 pm Sunday. If you’re looking for face painting, The Hill Team had a free face painter in front of Keller Williams on the east side of California north of Oregon.

-Also on California north of Oregon, giant games for all ages.

3:06 PM: Popular question – where to buy water? Answer:

That’s the QFC booth, just north of our side of the Info Booth at Walk-All-Ways. $1 water plus fruit kabobs and coconuts.

3:51 PM: Main-stage music has begun!

Next up:
4:30 pm – Sweet Jesus
5:30 pm – Stas Thee Boss
6:30 pm – West Seattle Soul
7:30 pm – The Grizzled Mighty
8:30 pm – Common Market
9:30 pm – DJ Kurt Bloch
10 pm – Polyrhythmics

Remember there’s two other stages, too – community stage in Junction Plaza Park, “wooden instrument stage” on the west side of California just north of Edmunds. The schedules for all three stages can be found in this WSB preview.

27 Replies to "AS-IT-HAPPENED COVERAGE: West Seattle Summer Fest 2019 day 1, first report"

  • ttt July 12, 2019 (12:07 pm)

    I appreciate that there are the most seattle themed vendors and local vendors that I have ever seen at Summerfest. I like the kid’s area better too. 

  • Kyle July 12, 2019 (12:09 pm)

    Anyone else think we got scammed on buying the kid zone tickets in advance?  There are 4-5 inflatables and that’s it.  Not like other years at all.  

    • JA July 12, 2019 (1:46 pm)

      My husband just got a refund on the three-day bracelet he bought for our 11-year-old, because apparently they have eliminated everything she would be interested in. Bouncy stuff only? Bummer. 

      • Gatewood Mom July 12, 2019 (2:20 pm)

        Atleast they are honoring refunds…. but lame. There is nothing for over 10yrs to do. 

      • Kyle July 12, 2019 (3:05 pm)

        How did you get a refund I have been calling everyone and nothing. 

        • WSB July 12, 2019 (3:27 pm)

          Everyone involved with the Junction Association and the kids-zone provider is on site producing the festival so if you’re leaving messages for people, you might not get a call back until next week. The ticket booth is staffed by volunteers from nonprofits. But your main point of contact would be the Junction Association, which presents the festival, info@wsjunction.org

    • sam-c July 12, 2019 (3:44 pm)

      I wish they would bring back the Super Slide! I haven’t seen that at West Seattle Summer fest since 2010.  Bummer that they don’t still have the rides for the older kids; rock-climbing, and the other spinning things.  But I guess I will be able to save some money!

    • Brian July 12, 2019 (7:05 pm)

      I asked around and was told that Wells Fargo rescinded permission for the kids area on their lot at the last minute. I then went and spoke briefly to a teller and the branch manager. Wells Fargo did, indeed, pull their cooperation at the eleventh hour. That decision was not made at the local branch, but was dictated to them from somewhere higher up. 

  • GaryBusey July 12, 2019 (1:11 pm)

    There’s a rumor going around that Gary Busey is going to be at Summer Fest all weekend but I can’t find any confirmation online. Do you know if this is true?

    • WSB July 12, 2019 (1:31 pm)

      Certainly nothing official. There is a jokey-looking poster on a pole to that effect. But hey, who knows?

  • tylerdaron July 12, 2019 (1:15 pm)

    Hi! That would be Canna Culture Shop Manager, Nina Perceful at the Canna Booth and not CEO Maryam Mirnateghi. Cheers!

    • WSB July 12, 2019 (1:31 pm)

      Fixing!

  • Gatewood mom July 12, 2019 (2:05 pm)

    Super disappointed in the kids/ride area this year. Only inflatables… no rock climbing wall, no swing carousel, no mini Ferris wheel .I can’t imagine buying a weekend bracelet for any of my kids (2, 5, or 10ys) as I have done for many years past. We were told that the decision was made to make the kids ride area include “more physical activity”. Not sure what that even means…. but I hope they bring back the rides next year. 

  • Becky July 12, 2019 (2:14 pm)

    Has Naked Crepe opened?

    • WSB July 12, 2019 (2:22 pm)

      We’ve looked at it every day for weeks now and still dark, as it was when I walked by around 11 am. Have not been up that way to check since but will be looking again.

      • Gwen July 12, 2019 (5:28 pm)

        We were at Credo last night and the owner said he’s waiting until after summer fest bc it’s too stressful and he has new employees he has to train. We had a great dinner experience last night. 😋

  • James Clark July 12, 2019 (2:58 pm)

    Went to get lunch and check out the street fair . Pretty normal stuff there. I come back to my car to find a post card on my and all the windows of those parked behind Lee’s. Thank you West Seattle Psychic Crystal Healing Gallery for the card but there were quite a few that ended up on the ground , but I suppose you already knew that being Pyshchic and all.

    • helpermonkey July 12, 2019 (3:31 pm)

      those “psychic” people walk around and leave their trash on cars all over west seattle, even going on to private property to do so. You can call the number to complain, but she is a mean, nasty person if you call to complain about her flyers. I usually pick up as many as I can and recycle them. Is illegal, and should be enforced. 

  • Lola July 12, 2019 (4:28 pm)

    Where does the Canna Shuttle go to and from?

    • WSB July 12, 2019 (4:40 pm)

      To and from their shops, which are in the 5400 block of California SW.

    • Jethro Marx July 12, 2019 (10:31 pm)

      Be forewarned, they are undoubtedly hotboxing en route; instead of A/C, it’s pure vape coming out the vents of the CannaShuttle.

  • West Seattle Hipster July 12, 2019 (4:59 pm)

    Bummer about the kids rides being lame.  Looks like we will be headed to the Ballard Seafood Festival instead .

  • WestSeattleMom July 12, 2019 (7:38 pm)

    We are so sad that the kids ‘ride’ area looks like it’s a different group than the past few years and they only have ‘rides’ for the 7 & under kids.  We are not buying the three day wristbands as we have in the past for our 12 year old and her friends.  Last year was amazing with the little swings and the bigger kid swings, the Ferris wheel, the tea cups.   Guess we will save our money for Holy Rosary WestFest in September where they have lots of rides for the bigger kids!   Seriously sad about the ‘rides’.  

  • Kyle July 12, 2019 (7:57 pm)

    How misleading.  Everyone should be getting a refund.  Wells Fargo backed out but we’re still paying full price.  $17 for a few inflatables is a joke.  

  • Asianna July 12, 2019 (8:27 pm)

     I’m sorry but when did rides represent inflatable’s ?

  • WSB July 12, 2019 (9:25 pm)

    The Wells Fargo situation was not a Junction-specific thing as I understand it, it was some kind of regional ruling, and it forced WSJA to scramble at the last minute. WSJA executive director Lora Radford told me in an email exchange just now, “At the end of the day if folks feel ripped off we will gladly offer a refund. The entire festival is free for kids other than that element. We use it as s fundraiser and are sharing revenue to support other organizations.” (As mentioned in our preview a week ago.)

  • Roger jackson July 12, 2019 (11:52 pm)

    It seems to me that every other small little community has a carnival every year but not West Seattle. I’m a third-generation West Seattle light and I grew up here and they used to call it the hi-yu festival and they had a carnival down at the sports complex next to the golf course every year. You could win little live ducks or chicks and they used to give away cars. I don’t really know if you could give away a car today expensive as they are. I don’t blame the people that are asking for refunds on the kids section rides. But all in all it’s a nice event and I hope everybody has a good time

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