West Seattle Summer Fest 2021: Here’s what will and won’t happen

Just announced by the West Seattle Junction Association: The Summer Fest plan for this year. It’ll be another year without the traditional mega-street party. But other fun is planned – here’s the announcement:

For 39 years, the biggest festival in West Seattle has continued to evolve, starting out as the Sidewalk Sale, then the Street Fair, and now Summer Fest – it’s been a three-day celebration in the West Seattle streets and a tradition for many families. The festival has been a July tradition in West Seattle since 1982, the same year Seattle became the Emerald City. Even prior to the West Seattle bridge being built (but that’s another story…).

After much discussion, the Junction has made the safest decision for the community for the second year in a row, to cancel the in-person 2021 Summer Fest – July 9-11th. Bringing 35,000 of our favorite community members together isn’t safe, but that doesn’t mean the heart of Summer Fest and the Sidewalk Sale will be forgotten. We are planning (and hopeful) we will rise like a vaccinated Westside phoenix to bring back Summer Fest stronger than ever July 15th – 17th, 2022 (this being the 40-year anniversary!).

We’ll continue to monitor all health regulations, and sincerely hope the Junction merchants can show appreciation of the outpouring of community support by bringing you a combination of the good ol’ fashioned roots of the festival – The Sidewalk Sale – along with the popular boxes and tote bags full of Summer Fest feelings. There’s going to be plenty of ways to celebrate all the West Seattle goodness we’ve stored up through this pandemic.

Summer Fest Events 2021

July 8th: Paint and Sip Art Walk night – virtual

July 9th and 10th: sidewalk sale (no street closure) 11 AM to 6 PM

July 9th: Music Trivia Night w/Pegasus Books (with a band set) 7 PM

July 10th: Mayoral Virtual Town Hall – moderated by West Seattle Blog

July 10th: Beer Tasting (w/kettle corn, meat, cheese) – virtual (with a band set)

Kids: Summer Fest craft and summer box

All boxes and tote bags, along with trivia night spots, will go on sale May 11th.

Watch wsjunction.org – and WSB – for that news when it happens.

13 Replies to "West Seattle Summer Fest 2021: Here's what will and won't happen"

  • Seattle is lame April 13, 2021 (5:40 pm)

    Can someone explain to me why they are shutting down an outdoor event when there is zero evidence that this virus is being spread outdoors? I get limiting the capacity of the event but did they really just have to shut the whole thing down? Seems like a bit of overkill to me and if they put some effort into it they could’ve had a street fair this year even if it was just a toned down one it would’ve been much better than nothing. People need something to look forward to so I’m pretty disappointed in the junction association with this decision

    • Seashel April 14, 2021 (6:28 am)

      I agree, they could have managed. I’m a flight attendant and things are so different all over the country.  All my flights are full and people aren’t scared to be mere inches from each other for hours and hours in a metal tube. Then I come home to Seattle and someone will cross the street to avoid walking by me, it’s like the Twilight Zone here.People are living their life with no evidence of higher covid numbers in Florida for example. 

    • Firefly April 14, 2021 (7:49 am)

      It is known actually that crowds gathering is a risk for transmission. The risk is higher indoors, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t risk outdoors. The risk increases with factors like number of people, proximity, length of time, and how safe people are with mask wearing, etc (hard to control). 

      Planning a festival at a time when cases are on the rise would not be wise, would endanger staff, and would be a logistical pain in the arse. 

      All of the restrictions and management necessary would negate the enjoyment of a festival, and the lines to get into a socially distanced festival alone would be prohibitive.

      All the cancellations are hard, but I hope people can find other things to appreciate and look forward to.  It might sound simple, but I’m just looking forward to more sunshine and more opportunity for rest, and finally slowing down enough to read some books again.

    • Vicki Ohge April 15, 2021 (6:15 am)

      And who do you work for the CDC??????? It’s not that it spreads in the air or doesn’t it’s everybody’s going to be really close and yes it does spread in the air do you not watch the news??? Are you some kind of new doctor that knows everything???? Or just a trumpy??? Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry would you rather we go back in time and go back to not being able to do anything at all I have an 83 year old mom I take care of so of course I’m going to be careful I don’t want my mom to get sick I don’t want my grandson to get sick did you see what happened when they opened all the restaurants and bars how everybody started getting sick again come on I think we’ll survive there’s a summer every year when I grew up here the Summers were never this nice it’s nice every summer now it’s just amazes me how regular people think they know everything about this virus I’ve been sick for over a year and that’s the first thing I thought I had I was scared to death and I have underlying conditions too that make me more susceptible

  • Buddy April 13, 2021 (5:44 pm)

    How sad! Another thing people can’t look forward to this summer due to the virus. 

    • DH April 13, 2021 (6:17 pm)

      Glad they cancelled it. Seems reasonable.

  • DaysGoneBy April 13, 2021 (6:07 pm)

    For 39 years… starting out as the Sidewalk Sale…”That is absurd.The Junction sidewalk sale predates ‘1982’ by a mile …  so surely nothing was “starting out”  then.

  • Bob April 14, 2021 (6:56 am)

    Jeez…we just had 3 counties forced to go back in the ability to re-open. In Oregon, the largest county of the state retreated to a more protected phase. This thing is not going away. We can look forward to many things this summer without the much loved and enjoyable Summerfest. I will miss it as well, but let’s be smart. I also don’t feel hundreds of people in line at the airport is smart.

  • G April 14, 2021 (6:58 pm)

    I’m actually glad it’s canceled. Cases are going to continue to climb long before getting better. Vaccines are already proven to be a fail for several people as far as some of the breakthrough cases that are going on. I can almost guarantee that King will be next for falling back to phase 2 unfortunately. This pandemic is far from over.

  • Steve April 15, 2021 (8:37 am)

    It’s a good decision. We don’t have a firm grip on Covid yet. I don’t wanna hear about a  West Seattle Junction variant anytime soon. Jesting of course but still agree with shutting it down. Sad, but I agree.

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