(WSB photos/video unless otherwise credited)

4:18 PM: Never mind the rain – the West Seattle Junction’s biggest event of the holiday season is happening now. SW Alaska is closed to vehicle traffic between California and 41st, for the Night Market (vendor list/map here), tree lighting, and Glorious Lights of West Seattle (GLOWS) festival. Here’s the schedule for what’s onstage (42nd/Alaska intersection), following host Marco Collins’ welcome:
4:00-5:00: Costume contestants walk through tunnel of lights [alley west of the park]
4:05: Endolyne Children’s Choir performance
4:30: School of Rock performance
5:00: Host in the Audience with Christmas music
5:15: ArtsWest performance from ‘Snowed In‘
5:30: Light Costume Contest on Stage* [here’s how the contest works]
6:00: The Jay Cates West Seattle All-Star Jazz Ensemble
7:00: Menashe Public Address & Tree Lighting
7:15: West Seattle GLOWS Art Projection Spectacular [on side of Alaska House north of park]
8:00: Close of event

Updates to come!

4:30 PM: Found Santa Claus! Meanwhile, the Endolyne Children’s Choir is just wrapping up its festival-opening performance:

Steps away, the Tunnel of Lights (alley between the park and Panterelli) is open for costume contestants – and photo ops:

Host Marco Collins is sporting an illuminated hat:

The beer/wine garden is open on the southeast corner of 42nd/Alaska, near the stage. More coverage to come!

5 PM: Just concluding the second performance, West Seattle School of Rock:

Costume-contest judging by the crowd is coming up in about half an hour.

5:25 PM: ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) brought a song from “Snowed In”:

The rain’s very light, so no umbrellas needed currently.

6 PM: An hour of music is about to launch – with some surprise All-Stars joining Jay Cates – and then it’s tree time. This past half-hour, the costume competition winners were chosen by audience acclamation. At center below is Archer, who won the “individual” category with her costume of “many jellyfish”:

(added) Closer look:

Archer said she worked for months on the costume! Junction merchants donated the prizes – they’re presenting this whole thing, in fact, as it’s a West Seattle Junction Association production (with community co-sponsors including WSB).

(Added) The “groups” winner was “Santa and Lucy the dog”:

(Photo sent by Amy)

(Added) Three clips from the costume contest – dogs here, individuals here, groups here … Enjoy the break in the rain – the Night Market continues until 8:

And 7:15 pm is when the light projections of community GLOWS contributions are set to start, on the Alaska House wall high above Junction Plaza Park.

8:09 PM: The tree was lit, the community art projected, the serious rain held off … and the All-Stars were so awesome, we’re breaking those videos out into a separate (updated) third report, after Report #2 shows the tree lighting itself … all ahead.