West Seattle, Washington
24 Sunday
(2025 Loop the ‘Lupe – photo by Oliver Hamlin for WSB)
Speaking of Our Lady of Guadalupe (as we were earlier today) … its community-service work benefits from the annual four-events-in-one Loop the ‘Lupe, and we are now just two weeks away! On Saturday, June 6, you’re invited to Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle) to join in the signature obstacle-course 5K – only one in Seattle! – or a 5K Fun Run, a Kids’ Dash, and a walk geared toward seniors. You can find more info, and register, by going here.
(WSB photo from last year’s show)
The Greasy Peeps are doing it again! Here’s the invitation we received to share with you:
Come to the 5th Annual West Seattle High School Greasy Peeps Car Show!
We are very excited to present our 5th Annual WSHS Car Show in partnership with REVUP Energy and the WSHS Alumni Association. After fantastic shows in the last 5 years, we are back bigger and better this year, and can’t wait to see you there!
The car show is open to all vehicles, motorcycles, and even buses/vans that you would like to show off!
The show takes place Saturday, June 6, 2026, from 12 pm-3:30 pm (with vehicle check-in starting at 11 am) at the West Seattle High School Parking Lot.
There is a small entrance fee of $15 if you’re showing a car ($8 for students), that will directly benefit our car club. If you are able to, please pay online in the google form below. If needed, you can pay when you show up with cash or a check.
We are having a small awards show at about 2:45, so stick around for your chance to win an award and some car show merch!
If you plan to attend with a vehicle, please use this google form to let us know you’re coming! forms.gle/Q8Y8nFndk7FuKzNJ6
If you have any questions, feel free to email us at westseattlehscarclub@gmail.com, or by phone (206)-252-8862 – See you there!
One last quick reminder – the 2026 West Seattle 5K is tomorrow morning (Sunday, May 17)! Runners, walkers, and rollers will leave the start/finish line at 61st/Alki around 9:30 am, and head toward the turnaround point by Anchor/Luna Park on Duwamish Head. Alki and Harbor Avenues will be closed from approximately 8 am to 11 am for the race, which is organized by the West Seattle High School PTSA as a fundraiser to bring in $ for programs supporting WSHS students. You can still register here and be in the 5K tomorrow morning; even if you don’t want to, come down to the beach and cheer for everyone who does! The West Seattle 5K has been a springtime tradition since 2009, and WSB has been among the community co-sponsors every year. (We’ll just be roaming for coverage, but many other sponsors will have booths, so say hi to your supportive local businesses while you’re at Alki!) Weather looks dry but chilly. See you there!
The “no parking” signs are up for this year’s West Seattle 5K, now just three days away, 9:30 am Sunday (May 17) along Alki, starting and finishing at 61st SW. Alki and Harbor Avenues will be closed for a few hours as the runners, walkers, and rollers take over the waterfront streets (the closure usually runs approximately 8-11 am). Not only is it a chance to enjoy the scenery as you run/walk/roll with more than a thousand of your neighbors, it’s also a financial boost for the West Seattle High School PTSA‘s support of programs for students – that’s why they’ve been coordinating the West Seattle 5K for more than a decade and a half! Still time to register online – you can do that here right now.
P.S. WSB is among the WS5K’s community co-sponsors again this year – every year since the start! – see all this year’s co-sponsors here.
With the school year ending in a little more than a month, many families – but not all – have summer plans locked in. If you’re still looking for summer-camp options, the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) has an announcement that might interest you:
The YMCA of Greater Seattle is expanding summer camp options in West Seattle to help serve more families and provide additional opportunities for kids to experience camp close to home.
In past years, many West Seattle families have joined waitlists due to limited summer camp space. This year, the Y has expanded Discovery Camp to four West Seattle locations, and added capacity at Outdoor Day Camp, Trek Camp, and Peak Camp at Lincoln Park.
West Seattle Discovery Camp locations (Grades 1-5):
Arbor Heights Elementary (NEW)
3701 SW 104th St, SeattleConcord International (South Park)
723 S Concord St, SeattleFairmount Park Elementary (NEW)
3800 SW Findlay St, SeattleLouisa Boren STEM K-8
5950 Delridge Way SW, SeattleOutdoor Day Camp (Grades 1-4), Trek Camp (Grades 5-6), Peak Camp (Grades 7-9):
Lincoln Park
8011 Fauntleroy Way SW, SeattleAt YMCA summer camp, kids discover something new every day through enrichment activities, physical games, outdoor play, and weekly themes woven into the camp experience. Campers have opportunities to make new friends, build confidence, stay active, explore new interests, and enjoy a summer full of fun in a welcoming environment.
Families are encouraged to register early as summer approaches. To learn more about all Y camps in West Seattle or to register, visit the YMCA of Greater Seattle summer camp website.
Financial Assistance Available: We believe everyone should have the opportunity to participate — regardless of financial circumstances. That’s why we offer income-based financial assistance for memberships and programs as funding allows. Learn more about financial assistance here.
Play bingo, support community work! The Rotary Club of West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is offering you a chance to do both at once, and is sending out the last call for tickets:
There are still some seats available for Peace, Love & Bingo: Flower Power, an evening of rainbow bingo with Sylvia O’Stayformore, on Saturday 5/16. This West Seattle Rotary Club fundraising event supports the club’s humanitarian work in the community and internationally in the coming year. Advance registration is required. Buy your ticket(s) on Eventbrite, then pull out your tie-dye, bell bottoms, and daisies … or come as you are. Tune in and have a far-out time!
Far-out but not far … Peace, Love, and Bingo will be happening at the West Seattle Golf Course.
(WSB photo from 2025 West Seattle 5K)
Want to walk or run a 5K with your furry BFF? The West Seattle 5K is for you. It’s now just two weeks away – Sunday, May 17, along Alki, raising money for (and coordinated by) the West Seattle High School PTSA. The runners and walkers take off from 61st SW and Alki SW around 9:30 am on race day, heading northeastward to the turnaround by Anchor/Luna Park, and back. WSB is among the West Seattle 5K’s community co-sponsors again this year. If you’re not already registered, do it before next Sunday (May 10) to avoid the final-week price increase! (And to be sure you’re one of the first 1,200 paid registrants, who all get T-shirts.) Also – if you want to avoid the race-morning lines to get your bib, shirt, etc. right before the race, set your calendar for May 16, when you can get all that at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW, WS5K co-sponsor and WSB sponsor) the day before race day, noon-5 pm. Sign up now, and we’ll see you at the beach! P.S. Even if you’re not participating, remember that the WS5K closes Alki and Harbor Avenues to motor-vehicle traffic for a few hours that morning, usually 8-11 am.
Get out and enjoy the evening at Highland Park Improvement Club‘s secpnd First Fridays party of the year! Art by local makers, music, food (empanadas!), and drink await you at 12th/Holden.
You’ll find information too – African Community Housing and Development is there to answer questions about the Delridge Farmers Market‘s new location in south Highland Park (as we first reported last month):
The market opens two weeks from tomorrow, on Saturday, May 16. And the First Fridays party continues at HPIC until 8:30 tonight!
(WSB file photo from Loop the ‘Lupe)
Five weeks from tomorrow, Seattle’s only obstacle-course 5K – and three other events – descend on Walt Hundley Playfield for the fun(draiser) known as Loop the ‘Lupe, on Saturday, June 6 (with co-sponsors including WSB). Coordinator Brian Callanan wants to ensure you know that if you’re thinking of participating but haven’t registered yet, today is a great day to do it: “Today is the last day for our early bird pricing deal for Loop the ‘Lupe! Participants can save up to 20% compared to race-day prices if they sign up before midnight. Teams of 4+ save even more, so get your crew together and GET IN THE LOOP!” If the obstacle course doesn’t interest you, your other Loop the ‘Lupe options include a 5K Fun Run, a Kids’ Dash, and a walk geared toward seniors. Proceeds benefit work Our Lady of Guadalupe does in the community. Go here to register now!
If you haven’t been to the West Seattle Eagles‘ spring plant craft sale yet, there’s still time! More than 20 vendors are in the lot on the south side of the WSE aerie until 4 pm. All sorts of handmade and homemade items – Anne (who’s selling her homemade jams) sent the next two photos:
The plants we saw during our visit ranged from tomatoes to geraniums to ground covers. The Eagles are at 4426 California SW, on the east side of the street.
What’s on display at the 2026 West Seattle Rock and Gem Show might surprise you – like the shark’s teeth above and the dragon below!
If you want to do more than look, you can bid in the silent auction:
And/or, admire the wide range of colors:
Even just simply shiny specimens can be mesmerizing:
The West Seattle Rock Club presents the annual show, which is happening at Alki Masonic Center (40th SW and SW Edmunds) until 5 pm today, and again 10 am-5 pm Sunday – free admission.
One of this weekend’s many big events in West Seattle is the annual Rock and Gem Show, with exhibitors setting up right now at Alki Masonic Center at 40th/Edmunds in The Junction. Admission is free and there’ll be a lot to see – even a model train! – 10 am to 5 pm both Saturday and Sunday, presented by the West Seattle Rock Club.
(Tibbetts UMC photo from first Drag Tea in 2023)
This Saturday (April 25) has an amazing array of West Seattle events on our calendar. Among them, the second-ever Drag Tea at Tibbetts United Methodist Church (3940 41st SW), with tickets still available – here’s their preview:
At Tibbetts United Methodist Church, “the table” is usually a quiet and contemplative place, serving a modest meal of communion bread and juice. But on April 25, 2026, that will all change, as dozens of volunteers join forces to hang decorations, bake hundreds of treats, and meticulously place pieces of fine china.
Because on that day, Tibbetts is hosting its second Drag Tea.
According to Betsy Wharton, the church’s volunteer coordinator and a lifelong member, Tibbetts hosted a tea from 2015 to 2019 before halting operations during the COVID-19 lockdowns. As restrictions lifted, the church was looking for a way to reach beyond the regular attendees, and to host an event that would support and center the local queer community.
“We wanted to do a drag event,” Wharton said, “and we said ‘well, we know how to do a tea, so let’s do that!’”
The first Drag Tea took place in April 2023, and Wharton detailed the many logistics that went into the event, from working with a local drag queen to calculating bites-per-person to coordinating bakers and servers. To Wharton’s surprise, the event sold out quickly, with the majority of tickets going to the larger community, not just church members. After six weeks of tireless work, it all came together.
“The day itself was just magical!” Wharton said.
A church might seem like an unexpected place to host a drag event. According to Reverend Sarah Casey, the church’s pastor, Tibbetts joined the Reconciling Ministries Network in 2006, which made full queer inclusion part of the church’s official policy. However, queer inclusion did not become the larger Methodist denomination’s position until 2024. To Casey, this only makes it more important to use the church to uplift and celebrate queer people.
“We do this not because we have it all figured out … ” she said. “It is a way of making space where voices that have been silenced and pushed aside by the institutional church are centered, celebrated, and received as the gifts that they are.”
This is especially important to members like Lindsey Johnson, who wants to raise her two young children with values of “inclusivity, love, [and] connection.” The first Drag Tea carries special significance for Johnson.
“The initial phases of motherhood were very isolating,” Johnson said, whose daughter, Cecily, was born during the COVID-19 lockdown. “[Drag Tea] was the first time that Cecily ever went to church… this [was] me showing [her] what’s actually out there, not just isolation. There’s community, there’s joy, there’s laughter, there’s fun, there’s performance, there’s diversity.”
Tibbetts hopes to make Drag Tea an annual event. In the face of an epidemic of loneliness and increasing anti-queer and anti-trans legislation, Johnson, Casey, and Wharton all expressed a desire for the church building to become a more widely used community gathering space, beyond religious events.
“This space is for you,” Johnson said. “This building … regardless of where you come from or where you live or anything to do with identity or status, this is your space.”
Drag Tea will take place on Saturday, April 25th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. This event is family-friendly and features Jezebel Johnson. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and available at this link.
The annual free fun happening now at the West Seattle YMCA (36th SW and SW Snoqualmie; WSB sponsor) is called Healthy Kids Day, but this year it’s for everyone, all ages, with free classes and activities for adults as well as kids! No membership required.
It’s all continuing until 1 pm, indoors and outdoors!
(2023 WS5K photo by David Hutchinson)
We are exactly one month away from your first and biggest chance to run/walk Alki in a 5K this spring/summer – this year’s West Seattle 5K, presented by the West Seattle High School PTSA with community co-sponsors including WSB, is happening at 9:30 am Sunday, May 17. It’s a fundraiser for programs supporting WSHS students, and it usually draws more than a thousand people of all ages (plus some fleet-footed furry friends too). You can register right now to be part of this community celebration (with great scenery): westseattle5k.com
(Cascade Bicycle Club photos)
As we’ve reported previously, Cascade Bicycle Club is bringing back the Emerald City Ride this year on April 25, on a route including the westbound West Seattle Bridge. They’re sponsoring WSB right now to amplify the ride, with one week left to register – here’s their message!
Who We Are
Cascade Bicycle Club is the nation’s largest statewide bicycling nonprofit, serving bike riders of all ages, races, genders, income levels, and abilities throughout the state of Washington. We teach the joys of bicycling, advocate for safe places to ride, and produce world-class rides and events!
What We Do
Our signature programs include the Seattle to Portland, Free Group Rides, the Pedaling Relief Project, Your Streets Your Say advocacy training, the Bike Walk Roll Summit, Let’s Go, and the Major Taylor Project.
Emerald City Ride
Register for our upcoming Emerald City Ride and see Seattle by bike from a state highway! We’re taking over southbound SR-99 and the westbound West Seattle Bridge for an early morning spin around Alki and a jaunt south to Fauntleroy. This 20-mile ride offers a car-free experience for the first three and a half miles and takes you past some of the best lookout points and views of the Seattle skyline and Puget Sound’s islands.
Ten miles of nearly flat terrain transforms into a hill climb up from the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal. Riders are rewarded with a gradual downhill grade through Delridge on the return to downtown Seattle via the low bridge.
Come celebrate the return of the Emerald City Ride, which has been on pause since 2024.
Event Details
Date & Time: Saturday, April 25, 2026, 7:00 – 11:00 am
Location: S. Charles Street near Lumen Field Event Center | South Charles St, Seattle, WA 98134
Price: Varies, see registration (base registration $50-65)
Distance: 20.1 Miles
Elevation Gain: 965 Feet
Family friendly after-party at Lowlander Brewing starts at 10:30 am!
Additional details including FAQs, parking/transit, food breaks, ride support, etc. can be found on the Emerald City Ride Event Page.
Online registration closes on Thursday, April 23 at 11:59 pm. There is no registration available at the start line.
Join Our Community
Cascade Bicycle Club brings people together to experience the joy of bicycling through transportation, recreation, and friendship. We collaborate with members, volunteers, and community partners to inspire people to advocate for a safe, equitable, and sustainable Washington state.
We envision a safe and healthy future where bicycles bring people together, eliminate inequity, and create thriving communities. Join us on wheels or as a volunteer for the Emerald City Ride, and at any of our future ride events!
We thank Cascade Bicycle Club for choosing to advertise the Emerald City Ride by sponsoring independent, community-collaborative neighborhood news on WSB. Interested in joining our sponsor team? Please email WSBAdvertising@wsbsales.com for information – thank you!
(WSB photos)
If you’ve crossed the West Seattle Bridge, you’ve seen the site that most know as “the old grain silos.” You might even know that part of the site is now Harbor Island Studios. Later this month, you have chances to go inside – not so much to see the studios as to see “History Comes Alive” – true stories, and performances related to them, as planned by Invisible Histories, a project of Cari Simson and Elke Hautala, whose podcasts unearth many such stories. Cari met us at the site on Thursday.
Until they set up for the performances and projections that will highlight the tours 6-10 pm on Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, it’s largely vast and empty inside:
But imagine learning stories including a rum-runner couple, a sabotaged munitions barge, Native life, the fight over where Seattle’s port would be centered … and more. That’s just part of what will be featured.
Guided group tours those two nights will take you back in time, immersively. You’ll meet historic figures as well as learning about historic places, from a segregated military facility to a chicken farm – all of which happened in the vicinity of Harbor Island (which is a human-made island, filling in tidelands).
The studios also contain items from their own recent history – props left behind by past productions, plus a costume shop, and memorabilia of some of what’s been filmed there.
And behind a closed door, there’s a film shoot happening there right now.
The tour will end outside, along the Duwamish River, with another tale from local history, Cari told us.
Once back in the lot, there’ll be reasons to hang out and enjoy the evening, including the Muy Macho food truck. There’ll also be a chance for you to share any Harbor Island history of your own, or your family, at a video booth that will be part of the event.
Cari says she and Elke are excited about the studios’ potential as a blank canvas, and hoping the stories and performances will captivate tour-takers. Find out more here; tickets and time windows are here.
The West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) has announced this year’s Healthy Kids Day festival for Saturday, April 18, with free activities for grownups too, nonmembers welcome too:
Saturday, April 18
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Free Community EventEnjoy activities for all ages, including:
– Dance & Zumba classes
– Swim lessons
– Fitness floor tips & demos
– Pilates Reformer sessions for adultsEverything is FREE for the day! Whether you’re looking to get active, try something new, or spend quality time with family, Healthy Kids Day is the perfect place to start.
Learn more: seattleymca.org/hkd
Healthy Kids Day happens at the Y’s main campus, 36th SW and SW Snoqualmie.
Sunshine, warmer temperatures, and thoughts of summer. If your family’s summer-camp plan isn’t finalized yet, here’s another option:
Westside School’s 2026 Summer Camp lineup is now open for registration, with programs running for seven weeks from June 29 through August 14.
Camps are open to the public and designed for students entering Pre-K through 8th grade. Families can choose from a wide range of half-day and full-day options, including hands-on STEM camps, art and cooking classes, sports, and classic summer camp experiences.
Popular offerings include robotics and LEGO engineering, game design, visual arts, baking, volleyball, and Westside’s full-day Adventure Camp, which features outdoor play, creative projects, and neighborhood excursions. Pre-K camps are available for rising Westside Pre-K students and follow a play-based, full-day schedule.
Programs are led by Westside teachers and staff, along with select enrichment partners, and are designed to balance fun, creativity, and skill-building throughout the summer. Aftercare is also available for families who need extended-day options.
Westside School is located in the Arbor Heights neighborhood of West Seattle. To view the full camp catalog and register, visit: westsideschool.org/summer-camp
(Westside School is a WSB sponsor.)
While continuing to raise money for the rebuild of their fire-gutted ex-HQ, Highland Park Improvement Club is also continuing to find creative ways to serve the community at its site. One way. – spring and summer “First Fridays“ – launched the 2026 season tonight.
The El Koreano food truck served up dinner, while DJs Mighty Moss and Rich served up music:
Environmental education and art was courtesy of DNDA:
And Linda Hornberg, with her book “Picture a Garden“:
Hanging out with neighbors was at the heart of it all:
Next First Friday – May 1st, 12th/Holden.
West Seattle’s first egg hunts of the season happened this afternoon, including the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s volunteer-powered hunt behind the historic schoolhouse. This one happened in two waves – video above shows the littlest hunters getting a head start after the countdown led by organizer Candace Blue; below, ages 5 and up followed.
The FCA made some changes this year, to ensure everybody would leave happy, increasing the number of eggs and setting a limit for how many each hunter could amass, to avoid depletion before all the older kids had a chance to find some. Also of note: The FCA uses plastic eggs that hunters are asked to recycle after extracting the treats (which are non-candy items).
OTHER EGG HUNTS: Here’s the list we published recently; we’ll add any more of the Easter-service hunts we hear about too.
(WSB photo by Oliver Hamlin, June 2025)
If you’re thinking about being part of this year’s Loop the ‘Lupe – which includes Seattle’s only 5K obstacle-course run – today’s your last chance at the lowest prices! Loop the ‘Lupe is set for Saturday, June 6, at Walt Hundley Playfield, and raises money for community work at and by adjacent Our Lady of Guadalupe. The 5K obstacle-course run is one of multiple options for joining in. It’s all part of one big party, also featuring live music, food, and a beer garden. Register by 11:58 pm tonight before the fees go up! (Loop the ‘Lupe director Brian Callanan also points out that if you sign up a team of four or more at once, you “get even more discounts.”) Your options are: Obstacle 5K Elite Wave (11 am), Obstacle 5K Family Wave (11:40 am), 5K Fun Run (noon), Silver Saunter (12:15 pm), Youth Dash (1 pm). WSB is media sponsor for Loop the ‘Lupe – see you there!
(File photo, by Holli Margell)
The Center for Active Living in The Junction is not just for seniors. Newly added later hours on Wednesdays have opened the gates for free all-ages events, “Late Wednesdays at The Center,” which will be open until 6 pm every Wednesday. From the center’s announcement:
… “The Center is officially extending our hours every Wednesday in response to your feedback,” said Amy Lee Derenthal, Executive Director. “We are excited to offer this extra time for people who prefer afternoon programming or are still working. Community members are welcome to come check us out, and we hope to see you at The Center!”
Here are some free events open to the community – all ages – 4-6 pm on Wednsdays in April:
First Wednesday Board Games at The Center
Enjoy a relaxed late afternoon of casual board game play and community. Margie’s Café will be open, serving wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.
Wednesday, April 1 (every first Wednesday)Second Wednesday Quiet Reading at The Center
Escape the noise and settle in for a peaceful afternoon of quiet reading every second Wednesday at The Center. Just bring your favorite book and grab a drink or snack at Margie’s Café.
Wednesday, April 8, (every second Wednesday)Trivia Time at The Center
Put your knowledge to the test! Whether you’re a history buff or a pop-culture pro, come join the friendly competition while enjoying a beverage and a snack from Margie’s Café.
Wednesday, April 29
More event info is on the calendar for the center (4217 SW Oregon).
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