(Festival schedule is here)
11:50 AM: That’s the costume parade (led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band) that kicked off the first full-strength West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival in three years. It’s happening right now on California SW between Alaska and Edmunds, and on Alaska between 44th and 42nd. Trick-or-treating is happening now, wherever you find candy (and it’s going fast). Lots of free fun activities too:
Plus, the first mainstage performance, by the 8-Bit Brass Band, starts soon. The chili cookoff also gets going at noon – $10 gets you tastes of every contender (benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank), and a vote.
More to come as the festival continues until 5 pm, whatever the weather does.
12:24 PM: The chili cookoff is literally a hot ticket – it’s drawn a line. Servers are busy!
Over at the main stage – which is ground-level – the 8-Bit Brass Band is playing:
Following the band, the mural created at Summer Fest is scheduled to be unveiled.
1:19 PM: That’s artist Stacey Sterling, who led community participants in creation of the mural. She was followed on the main stage by the pie-eating competitions, presented by nearby A La Mode Pies:
We’ve made a few trips to the nearby stores for candy replenishment, so trick-or-treating is still on here at the Info Booth. Lots of little ones who are trick-or-treating for the first time, getting parental coaching.
1:49 PM: The Heebie-Jeebies are playing now – perfect Halloween music.
And all around the festival zone, the first-ever Harvest Fest cornhole tournament is in the heat of competition:
32 teams are playing; winners will be announced when the festival wraps at 5 pm.
The @WSJA Harvest Festival rolls on. Jump-rope demo right now! pic.twitter.com/M2gV1Onivw
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 30, 2022
2:17 PM: Lots going on at the community activity booths, sponsored by local organizations, schools, and businesses. Westside School (WSB sponsor) had a line of festivalgoers:
The Farmers’ Market is keeping regular hours, so it just closed. (That means vehicles are coming in for market breakdown, on California north of Alaska.)
The Heebie-Jeebies have just finished playing; next up in the stage area, square dancing at 2:30 pm. But first, the chili cookoff results …
#1 – Husky Deli
#2 – The Bridge (just one vote behind)
#3 – Easy Street
WSFB promises an update tomorrow on how much the cookoff raised to support their work preventing hunger and homelessness. (MONDAY UPDATE: $3,820!)
2:45 PM: Some booths are folding up early, so if you haven’t been here yet, hurry! At the stage, square dancing has begun.
3 PM: With the scheduled activities wrapping up (aside from The Potholes performing at 3:30) and rain moving in, Chris Mackay of the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association has given the clearance to fold this up, so our coverage is concluding. Thanks to everyone who stopped by them Info Booth to say hi! For the rest of today, and tomorrow, see our West Seattle Halloween Guide.
ADDED SUNDAY EVENING: Some additional photos. First, these owls caught a lot of attention – photo sent by Laura Goodrich:
Holli Margell sent the next four, starting with two more looks at the WSHS band leading the costume parade:
And we caught more costume creativity:
Set your calendar for the next big seasonal fun in The Junction – Tree Lighting, GLOWS, Night Market, more on Saturday, December 3!
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