Our area’s biggest party of the year is now just a month away – West Seattle Summer Fest in The Junction, Friday-Sunday, July 15-17. The music lineup is already out, as we reported three weeks ago. But that’s just part of the fun, We talked this week with West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay about what’s different this year – and what’s not.

SUMMER FEST EVE: This year, they’re planning to close the streets (California south of Genesee to Edmunds, Alaska between 44th and 42nd) earlier on pre-festival Thursday – noon, if final approval is obtained from the city – so that setup can be further along before visitors start arriving (in past years, the setup started at 6). It’ll be West Seattle Art Walk night, with an Art of Music performance by Naby Camera at KeyBank Plaza. You can also expect buskers, and a chalk-art area, too.

SUMMER FEST, DAY ONE: Big change – opening-day hours are shifting: The festival will start at 1 pm (it’s been 10 am in past years), and booths will be open until 8 pm; music will continue until 10 pm. Artist Stacey Sterling will coordinate a community-painted sea-life mural Friday and Saturday near the booths north of SW Oregon that also will offer free “big games” for kids on Friday and Saturday. All three days, there’ll also be a ticketed kid zone with bouncy houses, on the west side of SW Alaska, managed by National Event Pros, sponsored by the Seattle Kraken. And a bonus this year – Elliott Bay Brewing Co. is celebrating its 25th anniversary and will have bonus music outside the restaurant at 7 pm Friday and Saturday nights.

SUMMER FEST, DAY TWO: 10 am-8 pm, music until 10 pm. More of what started Friday. You’ll see some community-group performances at the festival too.

SUMMER FEST, DAY THREE: 10 am-5 pm. Big change this year – the West Seattle Farmers’ Market will be on California north of Oregon, not in the KeyBank lot. That means no stage or beer garden on Sunday – that area will be dismantled after Saturday night.

WSJA has just launched its Summer Fest website – you can see the music schedule here, the food lineup (with booths on SW Alaska east of California, plus year-round restaurants throughout The Junction) here, and more. See you at Summer Fest!