West Seattle, Washington
05 Friday
(Photo by Hana Alishio)
Merry Christmas! Happy 8th night of Hanukkah! Here’s some info we hope will be helpful on this holiday:
LOW BRIDGE: Still closed by mechanical problems as of early today – check the camera for changes.
BUSES: Metro‘s on the Sunday schedule.
WATER TAXI: Not running today.
FERRIES: 12:55 pm update – after a service-reduction alert earlier, WSF now says “The Fauntleroy Vashon-Southworth route will continue to operate on the regular schedule today.”
MORE TRANSPORTATION NOTES: No charge for street parking in areas of the city with pay stations … West Seattle-relevant traffic cameras are here; see all cameras citywide via this map.
NO WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Taking Christmas off, but it will be back next Sunday (New Year’s Day).
COFFEE SHOPS OPEN TODAY: We found six – here’s the list.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS OPEN TODAY: Eight Eleven are on our list – see it here. (5:08 pm update – just added three more!)
GROCERY STORES OPEN TODAY: Again this year, only the three Safeways (Roxbury, Admiral, Jefferson Square) are open (8 am-5 pm) – all other West Seattle grocery stores are closed until tomorrow.
CHURCH SERVICES TODAY: Nine of the churches on our list have Christmas Day services.
OTHER NOTES: Seattle Parks closure info is here … Libraries (city and county) are closed.
AFTERNOON BIRD/NATURE WALK: 1 pm at Lincoln Park – details are in our calendar listing.
SEE A MOVIE: The Admiral Theater (2343 California SW) is open this afternoon/evening.
If you see/hear news, please text/call 206-293-6302 – we appreciate your tips 24/7/365!
If you haven’t been out yet today, the good news is that most of the ice has melted (watch out for remaining slick spots here and there). The bad news – the usual pre-holiday rush has been compounded by people having missed a few days of shopping time. Particularly groceries. Above, West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) has people directing traffic in the parking lot. Inside stores – and we’ve been to several – you’ll find scenes like the one Bill Schrier tweeted from Metropolitan Market:
Tonight’s closing times for local grocery stores – and hours for the ones open tomorrow – are all listed here.
Every year, we compile lists with some Christmas basics – churches with services Christmas Eve/Day, grocery-store hours Christmas Eve/Day, restaurants/bars and coffee shops open Christmas Day. We keep adding to the lists until the holiday’s here, so if you have info to add, please let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com is the best way to send info. In the meantime, you can see what we have so far by going here for the restaurants/bars list, here for the church-services list, and to our Holiday Guide‘s Christmas section for the grocery store and coffee lists (which will have their own pages in our Event Calendar by Saturday). Thanks to everyone who’s already provided info by email, phone, or web!
P.S. We welcome info for New Year’s Eve too – the events we have so far are also in the Holiday Guide.
(1/1/22 photo by Scott Nelson)
Just in from organizer Mark Ufkes, word that the New Year’s Day Alki Polar Bear Swim is on again! Here’s his announcement in its entirety:
Alki Polar Bear Swim 2023
January 1, into the water at 10 am sharpLife gets better each year, and there is, and always will be, a benefit to celebrating this reality. Since the beginning of time, humans all over the World have held ceremony at the New Year. It is an opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed and wash away the many frustrations and injuries that the previous year demanded of us.
And for us optimists out there, and those in our circle who suffer from our perpetually positive outlook, it is a chance to ask the Universe, in all its awe, for guidance and strength to make the New Year more significant than the previous one.
Some call our annual Alki Polar Bear Swim “the great washing.” Others call it the most challenging family-oriented adventure of the year. And for a few, it is simply another example that all of us humans have mild insanity and a need to prove it to an adoring crowd of fans who watch from the sidewalk.
Last year over 500 met at Alki for our grand entry into 47-degree Puget Sound. We were in and out of the water so fast that it was all over in less than a minute. And another crowd of hundreds watched and cheered as we proved again how great it is to be alive, in this still great city, and still great Democratic nation (even though many extreme Republicans seem to want to destroy it).
You all know the drill. We meet at Alki Beach across from Duke’s. We spread out up and down the beach with those we love and adore next to us, and after a count down from 10, 9, 8 …, we hold hands, start screaming and laughing, and run madly into the water as if our lives depend on it. As always, we go into the water at 10 am sharp, so don’t be late.
Bring good water shoes, a large towel, and warm clothes to dress in afterward. And as always, bring your hopes and dreams for the New Year and they will come true!
Last year, the water – 47 degrees, as Mark mentioned – was 22 degrees warmer than the air (25 degrees).
Every holiday season, The Christmas People prepare and serve meals to people in need. To make those meals just a bit sweeter and more festive, they send out a call for people to bake and donate homemade cookies. As mentioned here and in our Holiday Guide, the dropoff spot for your home-baked-cookie contributions this year is West Seattle Coworking‘s south location, 9030 35th SW. But Ross from WSC tells us there’s a change in the dropoff dates from what we were originally given, so we wanted to let you know: Now it’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (December 22-24), 9 am-3 pm. Again, homemade cookies only, not store-bought. The Christmas People thank you! (Image from Pixabay)
(WSB photos)
Not only can you get a pic with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus at the Menashe Family Lights tonight – you can meet real reindeer too.
As featured in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, they’re visiting until about 9 pm at the 5605 Beach Drive SW house famous for thousands of Christmas lights. The two reindeer are from Rainier Reindeer Ranch, which is based in Buckley (near Mount Rainier), part of a herd of 40 reindeer.
By the way, if you’re thinking about going tonight, Beach Drive road conditions were good – the most challenging spot we drove – using arterials to get there – was California SW just south of Admiral Way, crunchy thanks to frozen snow.
It’s a tradition at West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) to feature Santa visits and live holiday music the week before Christmas. That all started today – Santa roamed the store 10 am to 1 pm, and Alex Baird is there playing holiday favorites until 3 pm.
Gary Benson also is performing at Thriftway – here’s the schedule for both musicians, as posted at the store:
And as noted in our Holiday Guide, Santa will be back 4 pm-7 pm Tuesday (December 20) and Thursday (December 22) and 10 am-1 pm Friday (December 23).
This is the first of eight nights of the Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. It began with two community menorah lightings – both outdoors, as light snow fell:
The Alki synagogue Kol HaNeshamah returned to The Junction for its “pop-up” Hanukkah celebration, with Rabbi Sabine Meyer lighting the first-night candle. Music followed.
Kol HaNeshamah also offered treats in keeping with the celebration’s theme of “Love! Light! Donuts!” P.S. As Hanukkah begins, the synagogue’s donation drive continues, collecting warm clothing through Wednesday (December 21st) – you can drop off donations at 6115 SW Hinds.
Tonight’s other menorah lighting brought a gathering to Alki Beach, just north of the bathhouse:
Rabbi Eli Duban‘s plan was to light the first candle of a 12-foot Grand Menorah with a tiki-torch flame, but the weather was a bit fierce right about then, so one of its light bulbs was turned on instead:
The Grand Menorah is expected to stay at Alki through the final night of Hanukkah on December 25th.
One more holiday tradition is back for the first time since 2019 – Cocoa Cris Cringle is visiting Easy Street Records right now. Photo sessions until 7 pm ($20 fee as a food-bank fundraiser, kids and pets welcome too), and music at 7:30 pm (no cover) – two holiday songs from Cocoa Cris (aka Maurice Caldwell Jr.)’s own record!
(WSB photo)
On this misty night, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) filled with people ready to head out on the annual Christmas Light Run, a tradition that dates back to even before Tim and Lori McConnell founded their shop. So off they went to run a few miles and see nearby holiday sights:
They jingled, they glowed, they ran, they rolled. Upon return to WSR, treats and warm beverages awaited.
P.S. Lots of gift possibilities in the clothing, shoes, and accessories sold by WSR; they’re open regular hours through Friday, then closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That means 11 am-4 pm Sunday, 10 am-6 pm Monday-Friday.
Did you try the Winter Wander this year? Local realtor and community advocate Alice Kuder organized it for the third year and says that thanks to participating businesses, volunteers, and players, it was a ton of fun:
The West Seattle Winter Wander Scavenger Hunt is a free, 10-day event designed to bring friends and families together for holiday fun! It also promotes and supports small West Seattle businesses, providing them with free publicity that will bring them to the attention of hundreds of potential customers.
Winter Wander by the numbers:
-In 2020, its first year, 12 teams signed up.
-In 2021, 24 teams registered.
=In 2022, 77 teams signed up, most of which pre-registered before the event even began. Registration wasn’t required unless players wanted to qualify for prizes, so many others may have just downloaded the clue sheet and map and played just for fun.
35 of the 77 teams submitted selfies. 16 teams solved all 25 clues. In addition to solving clues, teams earned points by donating to the West Seattle Food Bank and Toys For Tots. Each point earned an entry in the drawing for the Grand Prize Swag Bag filled with booty from local businesses. In the end, those donations were so generous that we gave away three swag bags instead of one! Those 3 were drawn at random from 2003 entries!
The three winning teams were: The Snow Leopards, led by Amy Converse; The Dog Pack, led by Chris De La Rosa; and Team Peckyno, Steve and Laura Peckyno.
Diana and Eric Huling, aka The Cotton-Headed Ninnymuggins, won the $100 First Place prize by submitting all 25 correct answers at 9:36 PM on Dec. 2nd, just 5 hours and 26 minutes after Winter Wander began!
Here is a sample of the creative team names: We Sleigh; Kraken the Clues; The Dingus Dashers; The Awesome Austins; The Yetis; and The Penguin League.
I hope and intend to make Winter Wander a West Seattle holiday tradition that our community can look forward to each year. It runs from the first Friday in December until the second Sunday in December, so the fourth annual Winter Wander will be Dec. 1-10, 2023.
Although I am the sole sponsor of Winter Wander, I depend on the generous assistance of a few volunteers to help me pull it off. This year, those volunteers included: Claire Sites, Randy Winn, Kathy Blackwell Harper, Shelley Barouh, Steve Bierman, Sarah Frances, Barb Joseph, and MJ Brick.
Swag bag donors:
Just in Case
Avalon Glass
My Necessitea
Meeples Games
Hotwire Coffeehouse
Seattle Sorbet
ArtsWest
Sound Painting Solutions
Lars Gesing Fine Art Images
The Missing Piece
Dunn Gardens
Better Builders
Log House Museum
In Spa
Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Penguina Jewelry Designs
West Seattle Adventures blog
Prestige Home Loans
Guild Mortgage
Equity Title
Procura Home Lending
Home DepotBusinesses that participated as clue solutions:
Animated Cafe
Better Builders
ArtsWest
The Missing Piece
Lars Gesing Fine Art Images
Ounces
Skylark Cafe
Pawsitively Kleen
Applied Martial Arts
Three Little Birds
Thunder Road Guitars
GoodMed Clinic
West Seattle Food Bank
West Seattle Fish House
Verity Credit Union
West Seattle Autoworks
The Westy
GrillbirdAny business that would like to be a clue solution next year, should contact me at wswinterwander@gmail.com or 206-708-9800.
Lastly, in case anyone wonders why I do this, here are some of the comments I got in emails.
“So grateful for the event – was a ton of fun! Thanks for doing it,. Alice – It was a great community builder!”
“Thank you so much – it was honestly the funnest we’ve had in a while so thank you for setting this up.”
“Our family is having fun with the Winter Wander! Thanks so much for making this happen in our community 😊”
“The Three Blind mice found the Grinch!! This was fun, saw amazing lights while driving around.”
“This was a really fun adventure. Thanks for putting this together.”
“Thank you for providing (me) so much fun this weekend!”
Two holiday notes just in:
TREE DEALS: We mentioned in today’s preview list that it’s the last day for Holy Rosary School‘s tree lot. Just got an update – starting now, everything is half-priced, and they’re open today until they sell out. They have about 20 trees left in the 5′ to 12′ range, and 30 under 4′. Find the lot – whose proceeds benefit nonprofits – on the north side of the campus, 41st/Dakota. 3:38 PM UPDATE: Just got a call – they’re sold out. ADDED: Some little trees have been set out, free for the taking:
EMERALD WATER ANGLERS: West Seattle’s fishing/outdoor-apparel shop at 42nd/Oregon (a longtime WSB spondor) says it’s “Holiday Sweater Saturday” – which means “wear your fave/obnoxious/ugly sweater and receive 6 trout flies for every $100 spent.” EWA is open until 6 pm today.
(Photo courtesy Melody Sarkies)
The “giving tree” is a holiday tradition for many businesses – with “ornaments” representing holiday wishes, fulfilled by employees (and sometimes customers too). The tree above is at Nucor Steel, which delivered the resulting presents to Providence Mount St. Vincent at midday today:
(WSB photo)
This year’s giving tree in the Nucor lobby resulted in more than 200 gifts!
All season long, we’ve kept a running list of holiday donation drives in our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide. This week we got word of one more hosted by a local business – PNTA, which is headquartered at 2424 SW Andover (the business park by Nucor), is collecting items for the nearby nonprofit Transitional Resources. Unlike many donation drives, this one continues into January, so there’s still time to help. Here’s the announcement we received:
You can help make the holidays brighter for those in need. PNTA is hosting a “Winter Essentials Drive” for Transitional Resources, running from December through January.
Transitional Resources supports adults living with serious mental illness by providing them with behavioral health treatment and supportive housing. The needs for their services are critical during the winter, and TR is in need of warm winter accessories and hygiene items to give to their clients to use during this time of year and beyond.
These items will go directly to those living in supportive housing in our community (*New items only):
Hygiene products: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, hand soap, shampoo, hand lotion, and other items.
Warm socks
Gloves
Other warm itemsFor questions about items needed, please email kristenj@transitionalresources.org
Location Drop Off:
PNTA, 2414 SW Andover=
Mon-Fri 9 am-6 pmIf PNTA is closed, here are other options to help support TR: transitionalresources.org/get-involved
Just added to our West Seattle Holiday Guide – the return of Cocoa Cris Cringle!
(WSB file photo)
Cocoa Cris Cringle has presided over some of the most fun Santa-photo sessions in past years, and this Sunday (December 18th) he’ll be back at Easy Street Records (4559 California SW), 4-7 pm. The $20 photo-session fee is a food-bank fundraiser. Everybody’s welcome – even pets. No appointment necessary – just show up. Bonus this year: Cocoa Cris has a record coming out and plans to perform two holiday songs at 7:30 pm, so come for the photos, stay (or come back) for the music!
(January 1, 2019 photo by Robert Spears)
With a clear view from across the bay, the Space Needle‘s New Year’s Eve fireworks show is practically local for us, so here’s what was just announced: For one, if you’d rather be there in person than watching from here (or on a screen), they’re again going to allow a crowd to gather for viewing from beneath the Needle at Seattle Center. Second, they’re adding a drone light show this year. It’ll be produced by Sky Elements of Fort Worth, Texas. Here’s how the Space Needle’s announcement describes the plan:
The captivating formations — designed to integrate with the fireworks and light displays being launched and projected off of the Space Needle — will fly between 200 and 600 feet above ground, directly north of the tower. The coordinated drone effects will be best seen from the Seattle Center campus grounds. This won’t be the firm’s first show in the Emerald City; Sky Elements’ drones performed at T-Mobile Park following a Seattle Mariners game on July 22, 2022.
Before the midnight fireworks and drone light show, the Needle will stage “two musically-choreographed light shows” at 10 pm and 11 pm, produced by Illuminate Production Services; the 11 minutes of fireworks are by Pyro Spectaculars by Souza.
Three holiday biznotes:
BOUTIQUE CRAWL: Thanks to Alisa for the tip. Tomorrow night (Thursday, December 15), seven West Seattle Junction shops open their doors for a “boutique crawl,” 5-8 pm – see them listed here.
CHRISTMAS LIGHT RUN: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) coordinates many group runs every year, but none as festive as the Christmas Light Run, a casual fun run from the shop on a route where you’ll see lights. The run leaves the shop (2743 California SW) this Saturday (December 17th) at 6 pm. Treats afterward. Bring a nonperishable-food donation if you can!
SPECIAL HOURS: From Thunder Road Guitars and The Bass Shop (both at 6400 California SW, and both WSB sponsors):
Happy holidays from Thunder Road Guitars & The Bass Shop. We wanted to pop in and say thank you for your support this year! We are here for your holiday shopping needs: Strings, cables, straps, pedals, picks and maybe even a guitar or two. We have extended hours leading up to Christmas Eve and then will be closed the last week of the year for a much needed break. Our holiday hours are below, stop by and see us between now and Christmas Eve.
Through December 18th (normal hours Tues – Sat 10 am – 6 pm, Sun 11 am – 5 pm)
Monday, December 19th open 10 am – 6 pm
Tuesday, Dec 20th – Friday Dec 23rd open 10 am – 6 pm
Dec 24th Christmas Eve Open 10 am – 1 pm
Dec 25 – Jan 2nd – Closed
Jan 3rd – Normal hours resume
Got holiday – or other – West Seattle business news? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
With four days until Hanukkah, one week until Winter Solstice, 11 days until Christmas, and 18 days until New Year’s, we’re still adding to our all-season-long WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide (and updating it nightly to remove events that have passed so you’re not scrolling through outdated info). It’s where you’ll find events and info including holiday markets/bazaars, Santa photo ops, concerts, plays, other performances, tree lots, donation drives, and more. We’re also building lists of holiday services and “what’ll be open on the holiday,” so all of that information is appreciated. Best way to send something for the guide is westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Planning on getting a Christmas tree soon? Time is running out for two West Seattle tree lots. First, from the nonprofit-benefiting lot at Holy Rosary School:
The Holy Rosary School tree lot is in the final week of sales. A fresh load of trees arrived Monday night, with another due on Wednesday. If you haven’t found a tree yet, hurry and stop in before they are gone. The lot is scheduled to close for the season after Saturday, December 17th, barring inventory. Wreaths, garland and poinsettias (in partnership with Hope Lutheran) are also available for sale. Proceeds to benefit Holy Rosary School, Hope Lutheran (poinsettias only), West Seattle Food Bank, and Hickman House. Open weekdays at 4 pm and weekends at 9 am, closing 8 pm nightly.
The lot is on the north side of the school, off 42nd north of SW Genesee.
Second, just received from Trees By The Sea (2530 Alki SW): “Very few trees left; we anticipate being done by Thursday the 15th. Regular hours until then: noon to 7 pm. If you’ve been waiting, now is the time to visit. For all of you who’ve already been by we thank you for your amazing reviews, overwhelming joy and general support. We’ll see you all again in 2023!”
P.S. You can find the full list of West Seattle tree-sellers in our Holiday Guide.
(WSB photos)
Tomorrow (Wednesday) night brings your next chance to see the Fauntleroy UCC Festival of Trees – a dozen creatively decorated trees with unique takes on the season. Among them, a “Star Wars” tree (with a sign inviting you to guess whose quotes are on its branches):
For those whose space taste runs back even further in time, there’s also a “Star Trek” tree:
There’s a Peru-themed tree highlighting the church’s work with immigrants:
And the church’s pastor, Rev. Leah Atkinson Bilinski, exhibited a sense of humor with this tree:
That one has the title “Idol-a-Tree,” a pun paying homage to the ’80s music icon. Other themes include birds and Legos (the full list is here). The Fellowship Hall at the church (9140 California SW) will be open again tomorrow night (and the following Wednesday night) 7-8 pm for viewing. If you can, bring a nonperishable-food donation – people are voting for their favorite tree by placing cans and boxes around them.
As noted in our daily highlight list, you have extra reasons to go to The Junction during Farmers’ Market hours today:
The West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Junction Association, and Kiwanis Club of West Seattle are teaming up to accept coat (and other warm clothing) donations, with free cocoa, at the south end of the market (California/Alaska). A very young donor visited while we were there:
Also at the booth, you can buy Hometown Holidays mugs and $2/foot holiday garland, both benefiting WSJA (which is a nonprofit too):
Across the Walk-All-Ways intersection, just outside the market at KeyBank Plaza, you’ll find the Pathfinder K-8 PTSA selling handmade garlands and other “door decor”:
This is the second of three consecutive Sundays they’re in The Junction to sell the fundraising wreaths/decor, which benefit outdoor education for Pathfinder students. You can also order online!
All of the above is happening until 2 pm today.
Santa photos are not just for kids! Everybody’s welcome to a selfie with Santa Claus at the West Seattle Junction Association‘s Hometown Holidays “Santa House” photo ops until 1 pm today. Three different settings await you in the ground-level corner space at the Senior Center of West Seattle (California/Oregon) – BYO camera/phone. Here’s the full list of Santa photo ops remaining this season (as listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide). Meantime, another major Hometown Holidays event happens tomorrow (Sunday, December 11th) – look for the WSJA booth at the south end of the Farmers’ Market (California/Oregon) to donate coats, get hot chocolate, and/or buy commemorative mugs and holiday garlands.
Today’s the last day to bid on that Noble Fir we told you about back on Monday – a West Seattle family is offering it to the top bidder to raise money for the Medic One Foundation, in memory of a family member and friend both lost in crashes last year. Two updates from the original call for bids – the tree is removable at 7′ than 8′ so you don’t have to have a mega-high ceiling, and they have the equipment to remove it, so it’s not a “bring your own saw” situation. Email your proposed bid amount to KimberlyMickelson@icloud.com by midnight tonight; they’ll notify the top bidder Sunday morning, with the tree available the same day. (Full details are here!)
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