(Festival info/map here … Bus reroute info here …)

10:03 AM: Not only is the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on in The Junction as always … so is the Harvest Festival, with a bonus block of activities on California south to Edmunds … both until 2 pm! Our as-it-happens coverage starts now.

The Chili Cookoff is on, at the KeyBank corner – $10 gets you 9 tastes and a vote, and the money goes to the West Seattle Food Bank … the contenders are right behind the booth:

The weather is clear but chilly so bundle up! The sun will be a little higher in the sky by Costume Parade time at 11:30. We’re already seeing lots of costumes:

We’re in the Info Booth at California/Alaska – right across from us at the south end of the Farmers’ Market block, you’ll find the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, who would be happy to sell you advance tickets to their December 7th pancake breakfast!

11:12 AM: Lots of people here enjoying the festival. If you are here for the parade, gather at Junction Plaza Park, where the West Seattle High School Band is warming up. Meantime, activities continue on the block south of Alaska throughout the festival:

Above, Titans Lacrosse; below, Mode Music Studios.

Above, Westside School (which is a WSB sponsor as are the Titans and Mode); below, West City Rope Ninjas. 50 businesses, schools, and organizations are here with activities:

11:54 PM: The parade, which circles the Farmers’ Market block, has just wrapped up. The band had an appropriate song:

Now it’s trick-or-treat time – businesses as well as booths! P.S. If you’re looking for something more savory, chili’s still available last time we checked the cookoff booth. Right next to it on the west side of California/Alaska is the Cider/Cocoa Garden, $2 for either.

Festival and Market both continue until 2 pm.

12:51 PM: Costume-watching continues, as does trick-or-treating – visit your Junction merchants too – they sponsor the festival through the Junction Association!

Above, Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor); below, Curious Kidstuff:

Along with the merchants, thanks to the many volunteers here today too! Events coming up: Around 1:30 pm, the chili vote winner will be announced; that’s also when the kids’ pie-eating contest (all spots filled, we’re told) will be happening here at the Info Booth (California/Alaska).

1:23 PM: Lots of costumed pets as well as people. CJ sent these photos of “Pope Leo” and “Stuart Little”:

1:34 PM: The Chili Cookoff vote results are in:
Duos #1
Easy Street #2
Elliott Bay #3

(Matt from Easy Street and Ben from Duos, with Judi from WSFB)

Almost 400 ballots cast — great support for the WS Food Bank (official tally later)!

1:54 PM: Festival’s almost over – here’s a bit of how the pie-eating contest went:

(added) Here’s Chris with winners Connor, Seth, and Arthur:

8:10 PM: A few photos added inline above, and below:

Above – name that costume! Below, from the WSHS Band leading the parade:

The littlest kids’ costumes were some of the cutest:

Thanks to everybody for coming down and being part of the festival!

Second half of Sunday’s festival doubleheader is in Fauntleroy:

2-5 pm tomorrow, that’s where you’ll find fun for all ages at the >Fauntleroy Fall Festival, which we’ve also been previewing. One last look at toplines:

Where – 9100 block of California SW [map]
Venues – In and around Fauntleroy Church and YMCA on the east side of the street, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse/The Hall at Fauntleroy
Road closures? No. Crossing guard will stop traffic for festivalgoers going between venues
Bus – The C Line stops right at the festival site
Pre-festival concert – Not part of the festival but reminder that Caspar Babypants is performing at 1 pm at the schoolhouse
Cake dropoffs – Entering a decorated cake in the contest, and/or donating to the cakewalk? Info’s here
Schedules – Performance and activity lists, with times, are here
Salmon – Learn about Fauntleroy Creek from Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteers

All free, except concessions (and the pre-festival concert).

Festival doubleheader tomorrow, so we have one last round of previews tonight.

First up on Sunday is the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival, 10 am-2 pm, concurrent with the Farmers’ Market. The highlights:

Street closure – California between Oregon and Edmunds, Alaska between 42nd and 44th
Bus reroutes – Listed here
Activities – Businesses, schools, and organizations’ booths are mostly on California south of Alaska. 10 am-2 pm
Chili cookoff – $10 (benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank) for a flight of nine tastes and a ballot, California/Alaska, starting at 10 am
Applepalooza – Taste and vote at the Market, starting at 10 am
Cocoa/cider garden – $2, on Alaska west of California
Family costume parade – Everyone welcome! West Seattle High School Marching Band leads the way. Meet at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska); starts at 11:30 am
Trick-or-treating – Noon, at participating Junction businesses + festival Info Booth
Kids’ pie-eating contest – 1:30 pm, Info Booth

We’ll be in the Info Booth with as-it-happens coverage, so check WSB for festival updates. See you in The Junction!

Sunday’s festival doubleheader starts with the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival, 10 am-2 pm. As we continue our countdown, here’s the map!

New this year, a Hot Cider and Cocoa Garden – your choice of beverage will cost just $2, whipped cream included if you want it! PCC Community Markets (WSB sponsor) is the cocoa/cider/whipped cream provider; The Beer Junction is donating its time to run the “garden.”

The festival also features:
–Applepalooza tasting and voting during the Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm)
–Activities presented by local businesses/schools/organizations (10 am-2 pm)
–Chili Cookoff benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank (10 am until sold out)
–Costume Parade at 11:30 am
–Trick or Treating at noon
–Kids’ Pie-Eating Contest at 1:30 pm

We’ll be in the Info Booth in the heart of The Junction; see you Sunday. (WSB is a Harvest Festival community co-sponsor.)

Those medals await the 8- to 12-year-olds who win the kids’ pumpkin-pie-eating contest at the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival. If yours wants to be part of it, you need to sign up at A la Mode Pies in The Junction (4225 SW Alaska, hours here) ASAP – they’re looking for 10 participants (eight spots remain at last check). The contest will happen at 1:30 pm at California/Alaska during the festival this Sunday (October 27th).

The festival also features:
–Applepalooza tasting and voting during the Farmers’ Market (10 am-2 pm)
–Activities presented by local businesses/schools/organizations (10 am-2 pm)
–Chili Cookoff benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank (10 am until sold out)
–Hot Cocoa/Cider Garden
–Costume Parade at 11:30 am
–Trick or Treating at noon

See you Sunday in The Junction! (WSB is a Harvest Festival community co-sponsor.)

(WSB photo from past West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival)

We know, the weekend’s just ended, but so much is happening next weekend, we’re going to spend the whole week looking ahead to it. Today we’re continuing previews with another one focused on the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival. It runs concurrent with the Farmers’ Market, 10 am-2 pm Sunday (October 27th), and while the market remains on its usual block of California SW, the street closure will extend south to SW Edmunds, with the extra block full of activities provided by local businesses, schools, and organizations, who provided these descriptions:

*Create King and Queen crowns
*Decorate tea-light lanterns with leaves, glitter, etc. and put the handles on. Made out of school milk cartons!
*Bean Bag into Pumpkins Toss
*Jack o’ Lantern Face basketball hoop shoot.
*Tea light crafts
*Turkey hands: kids will draw their hands and paint them to look like turkeys
*Pumpkin faces: kids with paint a paper plate with two holes for eyes and they can paint
*Photo booth with Halloween props
*Hula hoops for contests to see who can last the longest and just general fun with a large photo backdrop so parents can take pictures
*Kids coloring placemats.
*Spin a wheel or pick up a pumpkin (and look underneath) to see if they win a prize or a 4oz Pumpkin yogurt cup
*Fly casting for kids!
*”Mock” election for kids to try out ranked-choice voting.
*Spin wheel for small prizes!
*Cookie Decorating
*Coloring pages
*Marshmallow/toothpick building, hand turkeys, and large Pinko
*”Build your own sushi” table with hot glue guns (adults will be there to help assemble), cotton balls, felt and markers etc. Come on over and build your own nigiri and temaki’s!
*Math games for students and they will win free prizes and candies
*Coloring and origami
*Sensory bins
*Food systems-based trivia for all ages. Prizes will include a selection of goods
*Spinning wheel that kids can spin to win fun prizes
*Spooky tic-tac toe with painted rocks. Winners will receive a prize!
*Learn to row with a coach.
*Button making and a guitar for kids to try out
*Cow Toss Corn Hole
*Mini putt-putt golf green with small prizes for making a hole in one.
*Goal with a goalie that kids will be able to pick up a lacrosse stick and take shots on goal!
*Allow kids to harvest seeds off plantings and create seed packs that they can take home and plant in their home gardens
*A spin wheel, ring toss, Plinko board
*Witch hat hoop throw and obstacle course.
*Decorate lunch sacks to look like Turkeys
*Decorate mini pumpkins
*Pie Face – kids dig through whipped cream with their mouth to pull out the candy corn and pumpkin candy. Each has their own pie dish to dig in
*Ring toss the Pumpkin – we line up pumpkins and they use a hula hoop to ring toss a pumpkin
*Connect 4
*Jenga and Corn Hole
*Color your own teddy bear and a photo booth.
*Cornhole, stickers, coloring.
*Getting kids involved in jump roping
*Photo booth
*Fishing booth where kids get fishing poles to catch Goldfish crackers.
*Applepalooza (Farmers’ Market taste testing and voting)
*Photo Booth with costumes and cut out dancers and coloring!
*Coloring pages and a fun spinner wheel trivia game

Also – the costume parade at 11:30 am, trick-or-treating at noon, and the chili cookoff (as previewed here). We’ll be in the Info Booth at Walk-All-Ways just like West Seattle Summer Fest – see you there!

(WSB photo from 2018 Harvest Festival)

Time to start counting down to next weekend’s biggest event, the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival (Sunday, October 27th, 10 am-2 pm). First preview: A popular feature, the Chili Cookoff, which raises money for the West Seattle Food Bank. Nine local restaurants/caterers donate chili so hundreds of “flights” can be served for $10 donations; tasters get to vote, and at 1:30 pm, the winner will be crowned. From Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association, this year’s list of competitors:

Duos Catering
Easy Street Café
Elliott Bay
Girls Gone BBQ
Husky Deli
Ma’ono
Pecos Pit
Shadowland
The Westy

All but Ma’ono were part of last year’s lineup; the 2018 winner was Duos. Who will win the taste test this year? Look for the chili being served on the southwest corner of California/Alaska during the festival, which also includes a Hot Cocoa/Cider Garden, the costume parade at 11:30 am, trick-or-treating at noon, and the Farmers’ Market ongoing throughout.

The countdown begins! Four weeks from today – on Sunday, October 27th – two of West Seattle’s biggest fall events are back to back.

(WSB photo, Harvest Festival 2018)

First, 10 am-2 pm, it’s the Junction Harvest Festival, including the traditional 11:30 am costume parade led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band, trick-or-treating at noon, the Chili Cookoff to support the West Seattle Food Bank, and a hot-cider-and-cocoa garden. That’s all concurrent with the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, which stays in its usual block that day, but for the festival, the road-closure footprint expands southward oto the Alaska-to-Edmunds block of California, as well as onto Alaska on both sides of Walk-All-Ways.

(WSB photo, Fauntleroy Fall Festival 2018)

Then, 2 pm-5 pm, it’s the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, spanning both sides of the 9100 block of California SW (the church, Y, and schoolhouse, indoors and out) with activities including pumpkin-painting, birdhouse-making, cakewalking, entertainment, and much more.

BONUS: Pre-festival – at 1 pm Caspar Babypants performs at the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, launching its new Kindie Fest concert series – watch his site for ticket info.

Until 10 pm tonight, it’s the biggest day of the WestFest “carnival of community” at Holy Rosary School (along 42nd SW north of Genesee). You’ll find rides outdoors …

Face-painting and games indoors …

The games include bingo, if you’re looking for something a bit more grown-up. Back outside, food, drinks, and more…

You never know who you’ll see …

West Seattle’s own “Officer Lumpy” from the Seafair Clowns was first on today’s entertainment schedule. The rest of the lineup for today/tonight is in our preview, wrapping up with the West Seattle Big Band!

(WSB file photo)

Almost fall but the fun’s not over. Holy Rosary School‘s WestFest happens tomorrow and Saturday! We’ve just received an update with the entertainment lineup:

Starting this Friday, September 20 at 6 pm, Holy Rosary School’s WestFest begins! This is a community event and everyone’s invited! Come experience great music, eat delicious food, and crazy fun kid rides! There is so much to do and see, including BINGO, a classic cake walk with scrumptious prizes, a kids’ talent show, and carnival-style games galore. Grab a brew at the beer garden and enjoy the day – there is truly something for everyone at WestFest!

WestFest Hours
Friday, September 20 from 6 pm-10 pm
Saturday, September 21 from 10 am-10 pn

Stage Lineup:

Friday 9-20
-Janet Mudge and The CurMudgeons 4:30-6
-The Diabolical Jazz Conspiracy 6-8
-DAD 8-10

Saturday 9-21
-Toddler Time w/ Officer Lumpy 10:30-12
-Magic Show with Maritess Zurbano Woman Hypnotist 12:30-1:15
-Mode School of Music 2-3
-Fairy Magic (Magic Show) 3-4
-Church hour Quiet 5-6
-Service Animal 6-7
-West Seattle Big Band 7-10

Holy Rosary is at 42nd SW/SW Genesee; most of the festival happens on the north side of the campus.

The West Seattle Beer & Music Festival‘s second day is under way – but first, a toast to this year’s beneficiary, the West Seattle Food Bank! Those toasting were participants in this afternoon’s fundraising fun run, the .5K Run4Food. Festival organizer Joe Jeannot led the refreshing celebration at the finish line:

The run was literally around the block where the festival’s happening, at the Alki Masonic Center (40th/Edmunds) in The Junction:

Participants included the WSFB’s tireless executive director Fran Yeatts, who feigned fatigue at the finish line:

Go here to see what’s happening at the festival through 10 pm; it’s followed by the second-night #NotDoneYet afterparty until 1 am. (Dogs are welcome at the WSBMF until 7 tonight.) Ticket info’s here. Community co-sponsors are listed here (including WSB).

(WSB photos)

The beer is cold and the music’s cool as the first night of the second annual West Seattle Beer & Music Festival continues at Alki Masonic Center (4736 40th SW). We were there as the live music got going with Fly Moon Royalty:

Next up onstage, Marmalade, scheduled for 8:15 pm, followed by DJ Indica Jones. The music’s on the north side of the site, with beer booths on both sides, including local faves like White Center’s Future Primitive Brewing:

Above are Dave, Shelley, and Andrew. (See the music and beer lists here.) The festival (including tomorrow’s 2:45 pm .5K Run4Food) is raising money for the West Seattle Food Bank, and you can stop by their booth on the south side to find out how they help thousands of your neighbors every year:

Above are WSFB executive director Fran Yeatts with volunteer Bobby. Not far away, food trucks with options from tacos to banh mi. The festival segues into the #NotDoneYet afterparty at 10 pm; tomorrow’s the long day, with VIP tickets getting you in at 1:30 pm, music starting with Willow at 2:15 pm, general admission at 3 pm. Tickets/info here!

(October 2018 photo by Leda Costa for WSB)

The West Seattle Junction’s fall celebration, the Harvest Festival, will return for its eighth year on Sunday, October 27th, 10 am-2 pm. Even though that’s more than two months away, The Junction is signing up sponsors/activity providers now, if you’d like to be part of the festival. If you’re new, here’s how it works: The West Seattle Farmers’ Market is on California SW between Oregon and Alaska that day as usual, but the block to the south is closed too as well as part of SW Alaska (just like Summer Fest!) for free kids’ activities and other highlights – a costume parade, chili cookoff, and root-beer garden are usually part of the celebration. If you’re interested in sponsorship, go here!