That’s Sheila Brown from Camp Long, wearing coffee-filter art as a hat – in the newly dedicated Morgan Junction Park itself, you’ll find the Parks Department booth where you can make some too – and the park is also where the legendary Bubbleman put on a show as the festival began – here’s a snippet of video:

(Note: The Bubbleman will be in The Junction the night before West Seattle Summer Fest – Thursday 7/9, 7 pm, after the streets close for festival prep, right in front of Elliott Bay Brewery.) But MJ Park’s not the only place you’ll find things to do and people to meet (like us!) – right behind the Feedback Lounge/Zeeks building is where more than two dozen booths are set up. Just walk southwest from the back of the park, behind Beveridge Place. Good turnout so far, and we’ve had some great conversations – chatted with Larry Carpenter and Ron Richardson from the Southwest Seattle Historical Society/Log House Museum – just finished talking to the first campaigning candidate sighted today, City Council hopeful Jessie Israel (who is running against incumbent Councilmember Nick Licata) — the primary election is just a little more than two months away. Remember to stop by the Morgan Community Association booth in front of the park to get your coupons for the “Bite of Morgan” freebies – and if you want even more, you can cross California SW to West Seattle Thriftway, with $7 for a barbecue lunch till 4 pm (proceeds going to MoCA for future festivals):

You can enter the festival from the park on California north of Fauntleroy, or through the booth area on Fauntleroy just west of California – it continues till 6 pm.

2:56 PM UPDATE: Adding a few more photos. And candidate sighting #2 – David Ginsberg, High Point resident running for City Council. And by all indications, the festival’s a smash hit – 400 coupon books gone already, with three hours left to go … right now we’re talking with Jeff Gilbert from Feedback Lounge about those pulled-pork sliders that folks have mentioned in comments on this post – he says lots of folks who’ve never been in FL before have stopped by because of the “Bite.” A couple quick photos from the booths closest to us:

That’s where you can find out about the Communication Hubs around West Seattle – the places you can go just in case of disaster, to get information. (More info at westseattle.bepreparedseattle.info) Right next to the Hubs, more info about Orchard Street Ravine, a natural area just about half a mile southeast of here:

And next to that, the Friends of Lincoln Park P-Patch are having a fundraising bake sale:

More to come – we’re here till 6.