Didn’t get an official announcement about this, but we just happened to check the website of Terry Brooks, the mega-selling author who lives in West Seattle, and discovered he’s scheduled his annual-tradition local appearance at Barnes and Noble in Westwood Village: 2 pm this Saturday. This will be the fourth consecutive year we’ve covered his readings there, always in late summer: 2006, 2007, 2008. Also according to the author’s website, Brooks is sponsoring the Seattle Interagency Academy Book Fair at the same time. These appearances always coincide with a new book release, and this time it’ll be “A Princess in Landover,” the sixth book in his “Magic Kingdom” series. (Terry Brooks photo from terrybrooks.net, used with permission)
FREE HEAD SHOTS: We brought you first word two weeks ago of West Seattle photographer Rasmus Rasmussen‘s idea to help local jobseekers, and it’s since gotten attention from a couple of citywide media outlets, so it might be a hot ticket: 11 am tomorrow (Tuesday), first-come first-served, free head shots for jobseekers, C and P Coffee (5612 California SW; map). Here’s his own original post about it, and his followup about the publicity. (Early Tuesday update: Rasmus just announced via Twitter he’ll photograph up to 120 people, up from 100.)
FREE CONCERT: It’s been almost a month since we got the news that West Seattle Christian Church would play host to the African Children’s Choir for a free concert (donations accepted) – and now it’s almost here – Tuesday, 7 pm, in the WSCC activity center (east side of 42nd, south of Genesee; map). Here’s our original preview, including a clip of the world-renowned group.
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli reports from the Nature Consortium‘s Arts-in-Nature Festival – which continues through 9 tonight (with evening performers including fire dancing by The Cabiri, shown above in an aerial performance earlier) and again 11-6 tomorrow:
Beautiful weather for the 11th Annual Arts in Nature Festival going on at Camp Long this weekend. I stopped in for an hour around noon on Saturday and each event going on had a healthy audience though it definitely wasn’t crowded. I’d advise people to park on 35th though as open spaces in the Camp Long parking were scarce.
More photos from Christopher, before his report continues:
Lots of crafts for the kids. Coloring, painting, printmaking and face-painting, etc. Music and performance shows inside the geodesic dome on the meadow and down by the pond. The cabins are featuring art installations, including multimedia presentations in some of them.
Christopher also recorded video of one performance, by Lelavision:
For the full Arts-in-Nature Festival schedule, tonight AND tomorrow, go here. Admission is by donation, $5; the Nature Consortium is a West Seattle-based nonprofit whose major work involves restoration of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, the largest remaining stretch of contiguous forest within the city limits.
(WSB photos and video by Christopher Boffoli)
South of The Triangle, Providence Mount St. Vincent took on a “South of the Border” flavor tonight during Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor), with Mariachi Fiesta Mexicana performing, and Mexican food on sale for concertgoers. WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli reports a grande turnout:
In case you missed it – or if you did, but want to re-savor it – here’s video:
A sampling: Learn about the history of Me-Kwa-Mooks during a walk-and-talk presentation by the Southwest Seattle Historical SocietySaturday morning, shop The Junction’s “Big Bonanza” multi-merchant sale (deals listed here) on Saturday, wander Camp Long enjoying the Nature Consortium‘s Arts-in-Nature Festival(WSB sponsor) Saturday and/or Sunday, bring your chair/blanket to The Mount for mariachi music at Summer Concerts @ The Mount (WSB sponsor) tonight AND then tote the chair/blanket to the final West Seattle Outdoor Movies on the Wall presentation of the season Saturday night (“Cars,” with FREE burgers/dogs at a preshow barbecue courtesy of West Seattle Christian, starting 7 pm), plus beer fans can suds up at the Washington IPA Challenge on Saturday … all in all, 50-plus events ahead in this edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Read More
MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT: WSB will be at City Hall with the rest of the media at 10 am today to cover Mayor Greg Nickels‘ first news briefing since Election Night. Widespread speculation is that he will concede; after three days of vote-counting, he remains in third place, behind Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn, though thousands of ballots remain to be counted.
DELRIDGE PRODUCE CO-OP MOBILE MARKET, WEEK 2: Lots of buzz about Week 1 of this experiment in making more fresh food available in Delridge. Today, this month-long pilot project starts its second week – a different location for each of four consecutive days (the same 4 each week). Find them today at Watts Electric, 9050 Delridge (map), 3:30-7:30 pm.
LAYNE STALEY TRIBUTE PRE-SHOW PARTY: Tonight, 7 pm at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), there are “giveaways, raffles, a silent auction, rare video footage and a night of music from the late Seattle singer” one night before the downtown tribute concert raising money for heroin recovery in memory of the late rocker. More at the Feedback Lounge website.
That’s just part of what’s happening today/tonight – check the WSB Events calendar, and the coming-up-later-this-morning West Seattle Weekend Lineup, for more.
WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli reports (and photographed) a big crowd for tonight’s Brian Waite Band performance, second-to-last in the first-ever Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (co-sponsored by local businesses and organizations including WSB). Christopher says that “all of the kids were dancing up front and having a fun time. After a few days of heat the weather forecast says the lows will be back down into the 50’s tonight and it was already fairly breezy out there tonight. But the crowd didn’t seem to mind.”
(Yusef Mahmoud and Tyler Webster in “Dark of the Moon”; photo by Nichole DeMent)
Two more events on tonight’s slate, in addition to the Hiawatha concert mentioned earlier: First, tonight through Sunday, ArtsWest presents its summer Theater Conservatory production, “Dark of the Moon,” billed on the AW website as “is a dramatic stage play in the vein of Romeo and Juliet set in the Appalachian Mountains during the 1920s,” with a supernatural spin — a “witch boy” falling in love with a “human girl.” More info here.
Second: Though the city announced a month ago that it’s not recommending paid street parking for The Junction, that’s not the end of the Junction Parking Project, which may yet result in other changes. You can find out about the next steps in the process by attending the Junction Parking Project Committee meeting tonight, 6 pm, Ginomai (42nd/Genesee; map). More about tonight’s meeting in our preview from Aug. 11th.
That’s the Brian Waite Band – in the middle of their “20,000 Volts Under the Sea” tour and plugging into the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series tonight. 6:30 pm, east lawn of Hiawatha Community Center (map), free admission, bring your own chairs/blankets/picnic dinner. And if you’re bringing kids – there’s face-painting tonight, too! Weather looks promising, unlike last week. (This is the second-to-last concert of the first-ever series, which concludes next week with the fabulous West Seattle Big Band.)
We first told you last year about the Art Lending Library at Youngstown Arts Center – and we just got word they’re planning to open it again this Friday, for “all who may have heard about the Art Lending Library and … those who have already joined up.” Be there between 6-9 pm this Friday night, south classroom at Youngstown (which is at 4408 Delridge Way – here’s a map). If you missed earlier reports or didn’t get around to investigating, here’s how they explain the ALL:
Mission: The Art Lending Library is a system of lending and borrowing artwork to the public for free. It is a trust-based program where artists provide artwork to be checked out by any member of the public, and patrons allow artwork and artists into their homes; all in the spirit of sharing.
(Olympic National Park photo from nps.gov)
Right now, a group of West Seattle High School students is “on assignment” with National Geographic Photo Camp in Olympic National Park, and this Thursday night, 7 pm at Youngstown Arts Center, you will be able to see the results – Susan Turner from NatureBridge sent the following news release with information about what’s happening – read on!Read More
TEAM TRACY: West Seattleite Tracy Dart and the legion of friends known as Team Tracy are fundraising again today to fight breast cancer, which she’s been dealing with for more than a year (and reports she’s now been cancer-free for two months!): They’re walking in the local Breast Cancer 3Day again next month — Tracy is being joined by 11 women, and with a fundraising minimum of $2300 each, they need to raise $27,000, which goes to the kind of research and care that Tracy says saved her life. Today they’ll be raising $ in a tent outside West 5, 11 am-5 pm, as a prelude to a fundraising concert at Easy Street tonight at 8, with local bands Stevedore and Bend (21+, cash only, $7 cover, proceeds from sales of beer donated by Georgetown Brewery and West 5 also benefit Team Tracy).
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: Also in The Junction, it’s market day – 10 am-2 pm; here’s the link to the latest list of what’s fresh.
“DOG DAYS OF SUMMER”: In Morgan Junction, West Seattle Thriftway is the place to go today for three things: 1st, think your dog should/could be a star? West Seattle-headquartered CityDog Magazine is back at WST for its Cover Dog Search, noon-3 pm. (Full details here; last year’s WST winner, Cohen, went on to become the Cover Dog!) Bring — or buy at the store — pet food to donate to West Seattle Food Bank, whose clients have hungry pets, too. And from 11 am-3 pm, the Humane Society’s big bright-yellow Maxmobile will be on site with adoptable pets.
Even in a darkened theater, there’s no mistaking the Seattle Schools All-City Band, directed by Marcus Pimpleton, who’s led the music program at Denny Middle School and is adding Chief Sealth High School duties this fall. They, and the “Music Man” cast of 50-plus (with a live orchestra), brought the sold-out house to its feet (as the video shows), and you have four more chances to see the show: 3 pm today and next Sunday, 7:30 pm next Friday and Saturday. Advance tickets are available online.
Miscellaneous items rounded up in the past few days:
TWILIGHT CLOSING PIKE PLACE STORE:Twilight Artist Collective just announced this afternoon that it’s closing its original store, at Pike Place Market, as of the end of this month and focusing on its West Seattle Junction location, saying Pike Place has been hit hard by the “economic slowdown” while adding, “The Junction shop has weathered this storm extremely well, and we’re very proud and lucky to have a supportive and dynamic community over there that supports Fresh Local Art.”
KING COUNTY FOOD AND FITNESS INITIATIVE GETS NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT:Derek Birnie at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association calls this to our attention – the national parent organization for the multi-year Food and Fitness Initiative has highlighted Delridge youth leaders in its latest newsletter. See it online here. Birnie notes, “The DNDA staff and young leaders who have put together the FEEST program at Youngstown have established a model that other folks around the country are eager to learn from.”
DELRIDGE LIBRARY END-OF-SUMMER CELEBRATION … and Family Game Night, coming up Tuesday, 6-8 pm. From the library staff: “Delridge kids, teens and adults read like crazy all summer and have nearly tripled the Delridge Branch summer reading goal of 2, 350 books! Come to pat each other on the back and celebrate this achievement with snacks, prizes and games. There will be games and activities for all ages. This is a drop-in program – join us any time between 6 – 8pm.”
WEST SEATTLE LINK TO “DISTRICT 9”: Found out via Facebook that there’s a West Seattle link to the sci-fi movie “District 9” that just hit theaters this weekend: WSB’er Noelle tells us her brother Elliot Ferwerda, who grew up in West Seattle but now lives in Chicago and works for production company QED, has producer credit on the sci-fi thriller.
That dragon “guards” the new MacArthur Lane Community Garden/P-Patch in High Point, where volunteers have recently finished assembling its beds and decorating its framework, culminating in a neighborhood party tonight:
Julie Bryan told us the plots will be assigned soon – as will P-Patch plots at High Point Commons Park (scheduled for the 20th), a long-awaited event. Here’s a closer look at the dragon:
The park’s outer fence is festive too:
(ADDED 10:35 PM – Joni’s sharing many more photos via Whrrl – she’s been working on the project all along, and her photos include the ribbon-cutting celebration and check presentation that happened tonight after our brief visit:)
Maia Santell and House Blend headlined – these are free concerts, but if you bring a few dollars, you can buy food/bevs – we took a closer look at the dinner options this time around – check out this Philly sandwich:
A special feature tonight, Jeanne H. Nordquist was doing caricatures.
Last night atTwilight Artist Collective in The Junction, during the August edition of the monthly West Seattle Art Walk, art literally happened inside and out – despite the thunder-and-lightning cloudbursts in the hour before WSAW kicked off. What you see above was created on the sidewalk outside Twilight – a surprise, its proprietors told us, by “traveling artist” friends Christopher and Erica, who dropped by. (Those are crabapples in the center of the piece.) Inside, DJ Joel was at the turntables for the promised dance party:
Among the creations on display was Mark Gunderson‘s work, which appears to be looking back at the viewer:
While Twilight’s home turf, The Junction, remains the epicenter of the ever-growing Art Walk, it’s now passed 50 venues, and the map reaches far and wide to all corners of the peninsula, like Fauntleroy:
Near the south end of the WSAW map, that’s Janet Price with Southwest-inspired art atThe Kenney; near the north end, here’s Gail Howard at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor) in the Admiral District:
Even if you missed the Art Walk last night, most of the featured displays will remain up in the participating businesses throughout the month of August – check the official West Seattle Art Walk website for the full list of venues and for previews of spotlighted artists. Save the date for September’s Art Walk – second Thursday, as always – that’ll be September 10th.
Two block parties you can visit tomorrow afternoon (and the weather looks promising) – The marquee event will be on SW Webster, just west of Delridge, along the south side of the Southwest Precinct, which is hosting Picnic at the Precinct, your chance not only to hang out with local police and enjoy free food ‘n’ fun, but also to meet neighbors representing more than 20 community groups from around West Seattle. Then if you venture southwest to Arbor Heights, they’re throwing a block party too:
That’s one of our photos from last year’s Arbor Heights Block Party, on the grounds of Arbor Heights Church and the neighboring site where a playground is planned; noon-4 pm tomorrow, it’s happening again, you can enjoy more free food n’ fun. Then tomorrow night, stake out your spot early for the second-to-last (ALREADY?) West Seattle Junction Outdoor Movies on the Wall presentation of 2009, the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie:
Saturday’s also the Duwamish Community Garage Sale and C & P Coffee‘s Arts/Crafts Fair (both inviting participation). But it’s not ALL about Saturday – tonight, for example, Summer Outdoor Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor) continue with Maia Santell and House Blend 6 pm, which is also when the 34th District Democrats gather for their annual Garden Party at West Seattle Nursery … all in all, 50-plus events ahead in this edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup: Read More
(Alki, photographed this afternoon by Chas Redmond)
We’ll admit we’re enjoying the long-needed rain. The latest forecast suggests most of it will be over by tomorrow afternoon – and that would be in time for the first of THREE outdoor concerts in West Seattle in the next four nights: Tuesday night, it’s a city-presented Music in the Park concert outside the Alki Bathhouse, with the Toucans Steel Drum Band scheduled to play at 6 pm. Here’s a YouTube clip of the Toucans at Folklife in 2008:
The concert is sponsored by the Alki Community Center Advisory Council; no admission charge but you’re asked to bring a canned-food donation for local food banks. Then on Thursday, the fourth of six Summer Concerts at Hiawatha, presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association (and co-sponsored by businesses including WSB), featuring the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio, 6:30 pm, also free – click the button to hear one of their songs:
By the way, concert organizer Katy Walum told WSB tonight that if there’s rain Thursday night, the concert WILL GO ON:
I have confirmed with Hiawatha CC that we are welcome to use their gymnasium in case of rain. We’ll try to make it as much like the outdoor venue as possible – bring your blankets and chairs, sit on the floor, bring your picnic dinner, etc. The stage will be set up at one end of the gym. The Elizabeth Carpenter Trio is a fantastic jazz trio with an incredibly talented female vocalist, and I hope that our lovely audience will not let a little rain deter them from checking out this week’s act. We may be missing summer, but we don’t have to miss summer music!
Showtime (also free) at The Mount is 6 pm; gates open at 5 and food/drink is available for sale. (Then, after all that great outdoor music, there’s an outdoor MOVIE Saturday night – “Pirates of the Caribbean” is next up for West Seattle Outdoor Movies on the Wall – but we’ll talk more about that later.)
After months of rehearsals, tonight is the opening night for Seattle Opera’s The Ring (Der Ring des Nibelungen). We have five West Seattleites in The Ring as Nibelungen. They are L-R (front) Shana Heavey, Chloe Simmons & (back) Lisel Perrine, Nathan Perrine & Jacob Simmons.
“CLOSE ENCOUNTERS” AT MOVIES ON THE WALL: Come make a protective tin-foil hat and sing along to the famous five notes during the preshow nuttiness, then watch the classic movie on the big screen at dusk, courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor). See you there. If you’re looking for indoor entertainment …
“A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, KIDS”: Thanks to Matt Durham from mattdurhamphotography.com for those shots (including, in the closeup photo, West Seattleites Cameron Lee and Levi Starkweather) from ArtsWest‘s production, with 3 pm matinees and 7:30 pm evening shows finishing the run today and tomorrow. Also onstage tonight, with stars of all ages:
(August 2008 photo by John LaSpina) DUWAMISH RIVER FESTIVAL: Celebrate West Seattle’s “other” body of water while also learning what’s being done to restore its health. The festival’s in the park on the river bank in South Park, 7900 10th Ave. S. (map), noon-4 pm – the tentative schedule of performers/events is here.
BIG SALE BENEFITING THE SERVICE BOARD: Check it out at tSB’s home base at Youngstown Arts Center, 8 am-2 pm. Full details here.
As with the rest of West Seattle’s outdoor entertainment slate this summer – Providence Mount St. Vincent‘s Summer Concerts at The Mount (WSB sponsor) series offers more than music. In that clip from tonight’s 2009-debut event on the south grounds of the Fairmount-area retirement center, you see Carol Johnston leading a Charleston dance lesson while her Duwamish Dixieland Jazz Band-mates play in the background. And then there was Chuckalou the Clown:
Chuckalou’s balloon stylings captivated the younger members of the audience. The Mount’s concerts are free, 6 pm the next three Fridays, with the grounds opening at 5 pm for food/beverage sales; Maia Santell and House Blend are scheduled next Friday night, and you can see the full-season lineup here.
That’s the Duwamish Dixieland Jazz Band last night at The Kenney‘s annual barbecue – tonight, you can see and hear them atProvidence Mount St. Vincent in the first of four Summer Outdoor Concerts at The Mount. (Bring a sweater, it’ll be fun.) Then make music with us and a few hundred of your closest friends tomorrow night in the courtyard next to Hotwire Coffee (which, like The Mount’s event, is a WSB sponsor):
Singing along to those five famous notes from “Close Encounters to the Third Kind” (practice up!) is part of the preshow fun before CE3K takes the big screen at tomorrow night’s West Seattle Outdoor Movies on the Wall. And if you’d rather have fun indoors – here’s a highlight tonight:
That’s Manooghi Hi, playing Admiral Theater tonight, as part of a double bill that includes a movie, too. Also on tap – though it’s in South Park, the Duwamish River Festival tomorrow is all about the body of water on West Seattle’s eastern border, so be there … these are among more than four dozen events ahead in this edition of the West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club … here goes!Read More
It’s big, it’s bold, it’s brassy, it’s a classic, and it’s playing in West Seattle the next three weekends: “The Music Man,” presented by Twelfth Night Productions at West Seattle High School Theater. Twelfth Night is returning as a WSB sponsor to get the word out; here’s the official news release about the show:
Twelfth Night Productions (TNP) is pleased to announce its next offering, Meredith Willson’s ode to Americana, The Music Man, an affectionate tribute to small town USA of a bygone era. The Music Man follows a fast talking traveling sales man, Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City Iowa into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band he vows to organize. This despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.
TNP is excited to partner with the All City Band for this cherished musical. Expect surprises, laughter, fun and an old fashioned good time this summer as Twelfth Night Productions presents The Music Man. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the All City Band.
TNP is a non-profit performing arts organization located at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. This production features several artists from the West Seattle community as well as the greater Seattle area.
The Music Man runs in a special limited engagement at the West Seattle High School, 3000 CALIFORNIA AV SW. Show times are: August 7-8, 14-15 and 21-22 at 7:30 PM, with matinees at 3 PM on August 9, 16 and 23. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students & seniors, and are available through Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com), and at West Seattle High School two hours before each performance.
Tonight’s hot-ticket (but still free) special offering: Face painting. As Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Katy Walum explained as the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha series she spearheaded made its debut last month, they procured grants to offer facepainting twice during the series; tonight was #1, and artist Lynn from Wild Smiles Face Painting estimates she had up to 40 takers. That would be about one of every five showgoers, by our estimate of the crowd peaking at 200:
No video – technical difficulties with our camera – but we did get pix of the acts on the double bill, Cajun/Zydeco specialists Swamp Soul (find out more about them here):
Next week is the fourth of six Thursday night shows (all listed here), free of charge thanks to a big team of sponsors (all listed here) including WSB, and you’ll see and hear the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio that night on the Hiawatha east lawn.
Saturday morning, shop The Junction’s “Big Bonanza” multi-merchant sale (
Second: Though the city 
TEAM TRACY: West Seattleite Tracy Dart and the legion of friends known as 
“DOG DAYS OF SUMMER”: In Morgan Junction, 
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