VIDEO, PHOTOS: West Seattle Summer Fest, day 3

(QUICK LINKS: Bus reroutesmusic lineupsvendor & sidewalk-sale lists)

10:50 AM: As the final day of West Seattle Summer Fest begins, one big thing to know – the Farmers’ Market is on California SW north of SW Oregon, regular hours (until 2 pm), one week only, then back to its regular block next week. The festival is on until 5 tonight. That includes the Kids’ Zone, which today is being overseen by Tilden School (WSB sponsor), the independent K-5 school located just north of The Junction:

The Kids’ Zone has free activities as well as inflatables for which you have to buy tickets (or a $20 all-day pass). If you’re looking for face-painting, that’s on the raised crosswalk midblock on California between Oregon and Alaska. … Just one music stage today, in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska) – here’s the lineup, starting with the West Side Music Academy camp band at 11 am, minutes away. … Save The Stone Cottage advocates are back in the Info Booth with us and West Seattle Junction Association volunteers – find out what’s happened in the two years since the quirky little structure was moved, and what’s next

They’re on the east side of the booth (which is at Walk All Ways); we’re on the north side.

11:14 AM: Above are some of the “Littie STP” riders – as featured in our daily preview and calendar – who just rode from Seattle (Street, North Admiral) to Portland (Street, Gatewood) and then on to Summer Fest … The food vendors have fired up for the day – judging by what we’ve seen going by the booth, one of the most-popular festival treats this year has been the animal-shaped cotton candy (custom-made!):

On stage now in Junction Plaza Park, the camp band from West Side Music Academy, calling themselves Clark’s Son Kelly. Video:

We’ve also had bonus music here in the heart of the festival zone – instrumentalists over on the Cupcake Royale corner – and a commenter says the West Seattle band Aurora Avenue, which rocked Summer Fest Eve, will be back on the KeyBank corner at 2 pm.

12:47 PM: Not all the food is at the Farmers’ Market- some local purveyors of tasty items are here too, like award-winning Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce, and Lovely and Dapper Desserts‘ famous cakes:

(There’s a gluten-free cake on this month’s menu, too!) … Need a house plant (or two)? Check the Discovery Shop‘s sidewalk sale:

Proceeds from the shop go to fight cancer. … Our festival tradition of photographing candidates continues. Here’s Gina Topp, running for the West Seattle/South Park district on the school board, #6:

Elected officials too, even if they’re not currently on the ballot – here’s State Senator Joe Nguyá»…n and daughter Junie:

If you’re headed to the Farmers’ Market, remember it’s on regular hours – until 2 pm – though otherwise, the festival continues until 5 today. (The streets will remain closed for some hours afterward because of cleanup and breakdown.)

2 PM: As noted earlier, Tilden School is managing the kids’ area today – we just went over to see what’s up for free activities, on SW Alaska just west of California – options include games and art:

Here with your furry friend(s)? Visit the pet zone outside Next-to-Nature, on the west side of California just north of Alaska:

With three hours to go, this is the time we see lots of family and friend groups just hanging out. Come back even if you’ve already been!

2:25 PM: Aurora Avenue is playing now, not on the KeyBank corner but on the Cupcake Royale corner. (They’re under the canopy in this traffic-cam framegrab.)

We’ll get some video in a bit. Back here at the Info Booth, see the Junction Association volunteers on the west side of the booth – they’re continuing to sell Summer Fest merch, including a sale on T-shirts (purple, with the cool seahorse from this year’s poster art), just $10:

3:06 PM: Aurora Ave continues with a jazzy vibe – here’s a bit of video:

We’ve seen some visitors from the Admiral area this past hour or so – including Lori and Tim McConnell from West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor):

They’re organizing one of West Seattle’s biggest events next weekend – the Float Dodger 5K on Saturday, before the West Seattle Grand Parade. More than 500 people are signed up to run and/or walk, and the proceeds benefit the West Seattle Food Bankregister now for your last chance at a discount rate!

3:38 PM: Last performer of the day on the West Side Stage in Junction Plaza Park – Dave Hates Chico:

4 PM: Aurora Ave is wrapping up too (but their merch tent will be open a while longer). Last hour of the festival. Get here fast if you’re still interested in checking it out! And if there’s any specific vendor you’re looking for but haven’t found, visit the Info Booth and we’ll look it up – we have a list of booth numbers and by this point in the festival a near-encyclopedic grasp of who’s where.

4:30 PM: The inflatables in the kid zone have closed for the day. Shopping continues until the last moment, including sidewalk sales like the one under the tent outside Easy Street:

4:45 PM: The Info Booth is in breakdown mode – unlike Friday and Saturday, festival closing time gets more intense on the last day because the streets can’t reopen until everything is cleared out and cleaned up.

We’ve had a great time talking with people. Now it’s on to the rest of the summer, including another three-day festival next weekend, the Alki Art Fair. (We’re not “in residence” there but WSB is a community co-sponsor and we’ll be covering it starting on opening day, Friday, July 22dt – lots of Alki Art Fair info is online here. Music and food as well as art!) Thanks to everyone who came to Summer Fest, including the businesses and people who made it happen!

9 Replies to "VIDEO, PHOTOS: West Seattle Summer Fest, day 3"

  • Rara July 16, 2023 (11:03 am)

    Aurora Ave is playing again today at 2 across from Easy Street

    • WSB July 16, 2023 (11:44 am)

      Good to know – that’s practically next to us here in the Info Booth so we’ll see them then.

      • WSB July 16, 2023 (2:17 pm)

        Haven’t seen any sign of them yet, as of 2:17 pm.

      • WSB July 16, 2023 (2:22 pm)

        No wait, they’ve just shown up – not on the KeyBank corner, but the Cupcake Royale corner!

  • editrixie July 16, 2023 (4:39 pm)

    Is there a way for those of us who couldn’t make it this year to buy those cute t-shirts? I’d love to get one but being in the middle of chemotherapy, I’m not really capable of getting up there.

    • WSB July 16, 2023 (4:58 pm)

      Hi – check with the Junction Association starting tomorrow (info@wsjunction.org) – if they have any left over, that’s who would be taking custody of them.

  • Scarlett July 16, 2023 (6:18 pm)

    Interesting name for a band, even if tongue in cheek:  “Dave Hates Chico.”  Been through through that beautiful college town many times.  

    • Rara July 17, 2023 (5:08 pm)

      Scarlett, are you talking about Aurora Ave? 

  • Jay July 17, 2023 (8:59 am)

    I’m curious who this all benefits. I’ve heard vendors say that the registration costs were astronomical, well over double what they were in 2019. More than $2,000 for a local business booth, more for restaurants. I’m in Marketing and that’s not much less than I pay for booth space at major business-to-business trade shows. It’s four times what a booth at Comicon costs.  And the prices were very high because of this. I always thought this was more a nice local event with opportunities for people from all walks of life to get out and have fun – but now it’s a gentrified playground for only our most affluent neighbors? $20 tickets to play on a bounce house? $18 elephant ears? It just doesn’t seem right to me, this should be a community event and opportunity for small businesses to sell their products rather than a big moneymaking opportunity for the organizers. Does the city charge huge permitting costs for using the street?

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