The West Seattle 5K on Alki is just hours away – 9:30 am Sunday. Here’s what else you should know:

MUSIC & CHEERING: Just received this update from the organizers at the West Seattle HS PTSA late tonight:

New this year, we have formed a WS5K Pep Band to cheer on the runners and entertain the crowd! The all volunteer WS5K Pep Band is under the direction of Clark Bathum (Madison Middle School band director), and made up of WSHS band alumni, Madison music students, and even a Madison teacher (Mr. Ashish Meloottu, English). The talented Mr. Bathum will both direct and play (tuba) as part of the WS5K Pep Band!

The band is scheduled to play a set of crowd favorites during the pre-race festivities from 9:05-9:10, plus the WSHS fight song at 9:30 to kick off the start of the race.

Plus, there will also be 30 members of the award-winning WSHS Cheer team present to cheer on all 1600 (and counting) runners/walkers.

Come out to the 5K early to enjoy the musical talents of our Pep Band!

The start/finish line is around 61st/Alki
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LAST-MINUTE REGISTRATION: It’s all online so if you’re not signed up yet, do it here before you even leave the house. We’re told 1,600+ are signed up so far!

STREET CLOSURES: The route is to Anchor/Luna Park on Duwamish Head and back; Alki and Harbor Avenues will be closed to through traffic starting around 8 am, and connecting side streets are for local traffic only. Here’s the Metro Route 50 reroute (so far the advisories don’t include the Water Taxi shuttles, though).

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

There’s still one more day to stop in at the West Seattle Rock Club’s Rock and Gem Show, which is open again Sunday from 10 am-5 pm at the Alki Masonic Center, 4736 40th Ave SW, free to the public and with some tantalizing door prizes. But the true gems of the show may just be hiding in plain sight.

The Rock Club is celebrating its 60th year with 100 members, 30 of whom are juniors. Members get to show off their finds, their work and their knowledge via displays at the annual show. This year’s show also has 5 stone craftspeople demonstrating their skills and the machinery required to make things like beads, creating facets, and shaping cabochons. There are also a few sellers with rocks and gems in a finished form.

Show visitors have the chance to bid on rocks and minerals in a silent auction; there’s a “people’s choice” award for the best displays, and a chance at a prize just for walking in the door. It’s the group’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and it’s the 57th show.

That is also coincidentally the number of years that Audrey and Lyle Vogelpohl have been members of the club, joining in 1968. They have humbly stewarded the organization practically ever since, adding a Juniors group to the roster along the way. Often, those younger members will get the rockhounding bug after going on one of the club’s field trips and then start going to monthly meetings to learn more.

The Vogelpohls have consistently made the West Seattle Rock Club a priority through most of their married life, while providing an educational opportunity for the entire community. They’re also involved with statewide and national organizations devoted to mineralogy. As the club website says, it is, “dedicated to the advancement of the lapidary arts and to enjoying the great outdoors.”

Audrey says they’ve both relished the work they’ve done with the club, particularly in the 27 years they’ve been retired. “You can’t just sit in a rocker,” she said. Lyle’s specialty is shaping cabochons, and Audrey was wearing a necklace today that she made out of one by adding beading to it. It’s work that takes patience and dedication, something the Vogelpohls have in spades.

Admission to the show is free, and so is parking in the Masonic Center’s lot for showgoers.

Anne, with jam, is one of the ~20 sellers you’ll find at the West Seattle Eagles‘ garden/craft sale, if you haven’t been already – it’s on at the Eagles’ HQ in The Junction until 3 pm, and you can get fresh-grilled lunch until 2, with proceeds going to cancer research!

The Eagles are at 4426 California SW. P.S. Anne – who sent the pics – was bringing eight cases of jam, including raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb, peach, and orange marmalade!

(April 12 WSB photo by Dave Gershgorn)

Only one major West Seattle egg hunt is in the history books – the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s event last Saturday – all the others are in the next two days. Here’s what we have on the list:

DELRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTER: 10 am Saturday (4501 Delridge Way SW)

HIGH POINT COMMUNITY CENTER: 10 am Saturday (6920 34th SW)

LINCOLN PARK: The mega-event presented by Eastridge Church, also featuring bouncy toys and Easter Bunny pics, is in the park’s south meadow at 10 am (8011 Fauntleroy Way SW)

EGG HUNT FOR DOGS: 11 am-2 pm at All the Best Pet Care (4722 Fauntleroy Way SW), which also invites cat owners to stop in for feline-treat-filled eggs.

OUNCES BEER GARDEN Three egg hunts at 3809 Delridge Way SW – two for kids (noon for ages 4-8, 3 pm for younger), one for adults (5 pm)!

SUNDAY EGG HUNTS AT CHURCHES: Among the ones that sent us their Easter/Holy Week schedules, egg hunts are part of the plan at:

Bethany Community Church: After 9:30 am Easter service, egg hunt on Highland Park Playground (11th/Cloverdale)

HOPE LUTHERAN (4456 42nd SW), 10 am Sunday

Alki UCC (6115 SW Hinds), 11:15 am Sunday

The Episcopal Church of St. John the Baptist (3050 California SW; WSB sponsor), 11:45 am Sunday

Fauntleroy UCC (9140 California SW), 12:20 pm Sunday

(Any to add? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!)

(File photo, courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails)

New chances have just been announced for you to learn about and enjoy Seattle’s biggest stretch of forest! Here’s the spring, summer, and fall schedule for this year’s guided hikes in the West Duwamish Greenbelt:

Guided hikes will begin again in the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the largest contiguous forest in Seattle with a network of trails connecting Pathfinder School, South Seattle College, the Duwamish Longhouse, Riverview Park and Westcrest Park. Join the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails group on the third Saturday of each month from April through November. Hikes are up to three miles and/or two hours long based on group ability level and trail conditions (some trails are well maintained, others not so much). This year, we will vary the starting points so as to explore more aspects of the greenbelt. Meet at 9:30 at the designated starting point for each hike:

April 19 Pathfinder School, 1901 SW Genesee St., south end of the parking lot
May 17 South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. SW, arboretum entrance at the north end of the north parking lot
June 21 Westcrest Park, 7th Ave. SW and SW Cloverdale, north end of the intersection
July 19 Pathfinder School, 1901 SW Genesee St., south end of the parking lot
Aug. 16 South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. SW, arboretum entrance at the north end of the north parking lot
Sept. 20 Westcrest Park, 7th Ave. SW and SW Cloverdale, north end of the intersection
Oct. 18 Pathfinder School, 1901 SW Genesee St., south end of the parking lot
Nov. 15 South Seattle College, 6000 16th Ave. SW, arboretum entrance at the north end of the north parking lot

See the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails website, wdgtrails.org/trails, for more information, and please sign up on the website so that we know how many people are coming.

(WSB photo, 2024 Loop the ‘Lupe)

‘Quick break in the news flow to talk about summer … this year’s Loop the ‘Lupe, Seattle’s only 5K obstacle-course run (you can run an obstacle-free version too), is offering the best deal if you sign up by midnight tonight! Race organizer Brian Callanan explains, “People can save up to 40% off race day prices, even more if they sign up teams of 4+ all at the same time.” You’ll find the registration links, and lots of Loop the ‘Lupe info, here. (WSB is a community co-sponsor of Loop the ‘Lupe, which is set for Saturday, June 7, at Walt Hundley Playfield.)

(WSB photos by Hayden Yu Andersen)

Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden in North Delridge is starting St. Patrick’s Day celebrations a day early, with a host of activities today until 7 pm. It began at noon today, with an all-ages free Irish line dancing class, led by the West Seattle Irish Dancers (photo above), and a Green Fun Run along the Alki Trail.

They will be serving green beer, Irish stout, as well as green and glittery cider (courtesy of One Tree Hard Cider). This is one of the St. Patrick’s Day-themed West Seattle events featured on the list we published Saturday, as well as today’s full WS event rundown. (If we’re missing any, please let us know!)

St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, but the celebration is spanning three days this year. If you’re looking for West Seattle (and vicinity) events all in one list, here you go! (The Saturday-night events are already in this morning’s daily list, but we’re mentioning them again …)

IRISH FEST 2: Five bands, including West Seattle musicians, are playing Tim’s Tavern in White Center tonight – doors open at 6, music at 7, fundraiser for SMASH – all ages until 10 pm. (16th/98th)

IRISH-THEMED RAINBOW BINGO: Not too late to get your ticket(s) to the West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation fundraiser, 6:30 pm tonight at West Seattle Golf Course‘s clubhouse. (4470 35th SW)

LEPRECHAUN LEG GROUP RUN: Join West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) on the track at Hiawatha for the start of this wearing-of-the-green 3-mile group ruh, 9 am Sunday. (2700 California SW)

FREE IRISH LINE-DANCE CLASS: Noon Sunday at Ounces, courtesy of West Seattle Irish Dance. (3809 Delridge Way SW)

GREEN RUN: Also at Ounces, the regular Sunday run at noon is green-themed this week!

ST. PATRICK’S DAY IRISH FEST: Those two events are part of a noon-7 pm celebration Sunday at Ounces, with green beer among other things.

MAGICAL STRINGS: This duo celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with their concert at Kenyon Hall, 2:30 pm Sunday, with dancers and fiddlers joining them. Get tickets here. (7904 35th SW)

COMERFORD IRISH DANCERS @ CENTER: 1:15 pm Monday, all are welcome to come see young dancers from West Seattle’s Comerford School of Irish Dance perform at the Center for Active Living. (4217 SW Oregon)

HIGHLAND PARK CORNER STORE TURNS IRISH PUB: It’s a tradition at Highland Park Corner Store, 5-8 pm on St. Patrick’s Day (Monday), visit for “loaded baked potatoes and corned beef sandwiches, green beer, shamrock ice cream scoops, Irish tunes”! (7789 Highland Park Way SW)

More St. Patrick’s Day festivities tonight, Sunday, Monday? These are just the ones sent in for our calendar – if you forgot to send yours, do it now and we’ll add! Thanks!