5 PM: Busy night at West Seattle Thriftway (California/Fauntleroy, WSB sponsor) as shoppers sample possibilities for holiday meals, with three weeks to go until Thanksgiving. The “Holiday Taste” is a Thriftway tradition, with more than 20 vendors there offering samples of food and beverages, plus a chance to try what the store’s own deli is cooking up if you want someone else to do the cooking this season. As noted earlier, the store also is matching monetary donation made at its checkstands to the West Seattle Food Bank during the event. More photos later; the “Holiday Taste” continues until 7 pm.

6:16 PM: Part of the “Taste” fun is meeting the vendors as well as trying their creations. Above and below, West Seattle’s own Seattle Sorbets is there:

We wondered what Girl Meets Dirt offered, after seeing them on the vendor list – answer: Preserves!

And more preserves, from McCormick Jam:

Beverages include Caffe Vita coffee:

Twinbrook Creamery dairy products, many in classic glass bottles:

For the 21+ crowd, Lodgepole Distilling brought three flavors of gin:

The team from The Brown Pecan has treats including candied nuts:

That’s just a sample of tonight’s participants. Meantime, Thriftway’s own deli offerings are offered for tasting too:

You can get an order form at the store – with items from a $4.99 dozen rolls to a $174 roasted-turkey-and-all-the-fixings dinner:

If you can’t get to tonight’s tasting event, Thriftway will do it again three weeks before Christmas – Thursday, December 4, 4 to 7 pm.