West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
(Live SDOT camera from California/Alaska)
11:01 AM: Until 2 pm, The Junction is a center of Halloween-season happiness, for this year’s Harvest Festival. Here’s the schedule – costume parade from Junction Plaza Park, led by the WSHS Marching Band, starts it all at 11 am; the chili cookoff also starts at 11 at the KeyBank corner until chili runs out; and the Thriller Dancers are due at Walk All Ways at noon. (The Farmers’ Market is in its usual spot, usual time, until 2 pm, plus an extra block of closure on California south of Edmunds.) Updates to come!
11:31 AM: The costume parade has concluded – we’ll have video later:
Update: here’s the video!
(Videos by Edgar Riebe for WSB)
Trick-or-treating is now in full swing.
(This photo and next by Holli Margell)
The weather is dry but brisk – not a good day for oh, say, a beach-party costume.
12:05 PM: If you haven’t tried a flight of chili yet – $15, benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank, and you get to vote – Robbin from WSFB tells us there’s still some:
“Steady crowd,” we’re told.
(We’ll report later who won.)
12:23 PM: Don’t forget the activity booths from local schools and businesses, mostly on California south of Alaska (which also is closed on the blocks bookending Calif):
Trick-or-treating status – we bought candy weeks ago and brought four big Costco bags today – hasn’t all run out yet!
12:34 PM: The Seattle Thrillers put on a show at Walk-All-Ways, as lively – or should we say undead – as ever:
(Photo by Paul Weatherman)
Update: Here’s the video!
Right now the pie-eating contest is happening (as is a rain shower, though costumed attendees are braving it). The festival continues until 2 pm.
12:45 PM: And now a sunbreak!
12:54 PM: Just announced – the chili winner, Easy Street Café! Proprietor Matt Vaughan says he lost by one vote last year so he’s thrilled to take the top spot this time. (Update: A commenter points out Margie’s Café was actually #2 last year. We apparently misheard at a distance.) Coming up in the stage zone, on the east side of Walk All Ways, the Heebie-Jeebies will rock the festival.
1:19 PM: The band says this is their 10th anniversary!
They’re singing what you might call Halloween-forward music, like the ’60s classic “Spooky,” plus selections from their most-recent CD.
1:35 PM: Final half-hour. The band’s still playing, telling spectators “we’ll keep going as long as it’s not raining!”
2:58 PM: The rain did return before the festival ended. We’re adding more photos – thanks to everyone who has shared pics! Another cool performance at the festival – RopeWorks:
SUNDAY NIGHT: In addition to the video we added above, here are two more clips – trick-or-treating …
And Joe Ross, one of the two spotlight musical acts:
Thanks again to Edgar Riebe for the videography!
(WSB file photo)
Time to start previewing Hallo-weekend’s big activities. Biggest of them all – the West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival on Sunday (October 27). It starts off with the costume parade, led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band, and includes trick-or-treating. But for the savory palate, a non-candy treat awaits – the flight of chili that will get you the right to vote in the cookoff benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. Here’s this year’s lineup, as announced by WSFB:
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds at the West Seattle Food Bank Chili Cookoff during Harvest Fest! This year, eight fantastic West Seattle-area restaurants will compete for the coveted title of Best West Seattle Chili. Here are the contenders:
Easy Street Café
Elliott Bay Brewery
Fire Tacos
Husky Deli
Margie’s Café at the Center for Active Living
NW TX BBQ
Shadowland
The WestyWe’re excited to welcome a couple of newcomers to the competition this year. Margie’s Café at the Center for Active Living and Fire Tacos, who recently won Best Savory Taste at the Taste of West Seattle with their mouth-watering pork verdé, are joining the fray!
For just $15, you can purchase a flight of 8 chili samples, with all proceeds supporting the West Seattle Food Bank’s vital programs. These include food assistance, help with utilities and rent to prevent homelessness, clothing, bus tickets, and more. Join us at the Key Bank corner during Harvest Fest — the chili cookoff starts at 11am. Don’t miss your chance to vote for your favorite chili and help crown the winner of the Best West Seattle Chili trophy!
The Farmers’ Market will be in its usual spot and time (10 am-2 pm) during the festival (11 am-2 pm) but an extra block of California will be closed for festival activities – between Alaska and Edmunds.
(WSB photos)
2:28 PM: It’s a blustery autumn day, but the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is on – both sides of the 9100 block of California SW, until 5 pm. See the map, activity list, and schedule here. Lots of indoor and under-a-canopy options – like the bunny petting zoo west of the schoolhouse! Also outside the schoolhouse, you’ll find The Falconer with amazing birds:
Among the other activities already under way: Until 3 pm, the decorated-cake contest is happening in the Fauntleroy Church Fellowship Hall, where you’ll also find the Jump Ensemble. More coverage to come!
2:46 PM: Quite an array of cakes entered. Above, the advanced; below, some of the intermediate:
Voting goes on a little while longer. With live music from the Jump Ensemble!
(Then come back at 4 pm for the “cake trot.”) And outside the church/Y building, build a birdhouse, paint a pumpkin, make a salmon hat … we are off to check on some of that.
3:10 PM: The weather’s actually not too bad – still dry, and not quite so windy in the sheltered area between the church and schoolhouse. Salmon-hat-making is going swimmingly:
And pumpkin painting is as popular as ever:
At the east end of the lot outside the church, the clatter of busy birdhouse-builders:
This is all free, except for the food concessions you’ll find scattered around the grounds.
(Photo courtesy Holli Margell)
Coming up at 3:30, a trio of performances – the West Seattle Big Band in the Emerald Room at The Hall at Fauntleroy (south side of the schoolhouse), Dance West Seattle in the Vashon Room at The Hall, School of Rock in the church lot, and the Hilltop Jazz Project by the playground outside the west side of the schoolhouse. The festival’s on until 5 pm.
5:02 PM: Before we left about an hour ago, we recorded a bit of the ever-fabulous West Seattle Big Band, directed by Jim Edwards:
And as we wrap up our coverage (aside from adding the cake-contest results later), we wanted to publicly thank the festival team for the surprise tribute to WSB co-founder Patrick Sand … buttons bearing a photo of him:
Even without him, WSB will keep showing up for what’s happening in West Seattle.
ADDED 11:02 PM: From cake-contest organizer Emer, the winners:
Beginner:
1st – cake #28 Emma
2nd – cake #26 Michael
3rd – cake #44 IrisIntermediate:
(Photo courtesy Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
1st – cake #34 Karen
2nd – cake #40 Leah
3rd – cake #35 KarenAdvanced:
1st – #12 – the unknown winner. Ghost cake with the spider web. (Seen in photo near top of story)
2nd – cake #40 Rachel
3nd – cake #22 Katie
#12 was dropped off without a name – they’d like to get the baker/decorator their prize; email us and we can contact you, or comment below. Emer adds, “I would also like to thank the church youth group for decorating and contributing so many cakes!”
Tomorrow’s biggest West Seattle event is the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, stretching across multiple venues on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW. Here’s the official map:
And here’s the schedule for all the events packed into three fun hours, 2-5 pm:
The full list of everything you’ll find is page 2 of this PDF that includes the map and schedule you’ll see above. Everything is free except the food that vendors are selling. And if you’re making a cake for the decoration contest/cake trot, be sure to drop it at the Fauntleroy UCC Fellowship Hall by 1 pm!
(WSB photo, cake-contest entries, last Sunday)
In our previous preview of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, we noted we were awaiting details of how to participate in this year’s cake-decorating contest. We have them now, in case you’re interested in baking/decorating. Just bring your entry to the Fellowship Hall at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW) on festival day – Sunday, October 20 – by 1 pm, no advance registration necessary. All ages welcome; there are three categories for entries – beginning, intermediate, advanced. All entries will be considered donations for the “cake trot” that follows – but first, festivalgoers will get to vote, 2 pm to 3 pm, with winners announced at 3:15 pm, and the cake trot starting at 3:30 pm, running until they’re out of cakes! (The festival itself runs 2-5 pm Sunday.)
(A few of the cakes from 2022 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
Bake a cake for the cake-judging contest/cakewalk! Volunteer to help ensure the festival is fun for all! Or – just show up and enjoy it! Those are three ways to be part of this year’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival, 2-5 pm next Sunday (October 20) on both sides of the 9140 block of California SW [map]. Besides the cakes (participation details to come), the festival will include pumpkin-painting, birdhouse-building, bunny-petting, raptor-watching, salmon-hat-making, inflatable-bouncing/climbing, live music, and more. It’s not just kid stuff – all ages will find fun. Free except for food concessions, but if you come, donations are always welcome to help cover the costs (look for opportunities near the entrances) – this longrunning festival is entirely powered by donations and volunteers. See you there!
(WSB photo, 2023 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
No major events this weekend, so we’ll take some time looking ahead to what’s next – including the Fauntleroy Fall Festival! Organizers have sent a reminder of what you’ll find at this free festival, plus a request for help in filling up the volunteer roster:
We are a little bit over 2 weeks away from the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. This year’s Festival is Sunday, October 20th from 2-5 pm and will feature a number of annual favorites — bunny petting zoo, birdhouse building, pumpkin decorating, bouncy houses, live music, arts & crafts, much more.
As always, our event is free to the community, except for our food vendors. Come join us at The Hall at Fauntleroy, Fauntleroy YMCA, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, and Fauntleroy Church. We are very grateful to our sponsors to keep this event free to the community including Birdhouse, Endolyne Joe’s, DSquared Hospitality, Garden Coaching Solutions, Hazelwood, Wildwood Market, Fauntleroy Church UCC, Fauntleroy Children’s Center, and the Fauntleroy Community Association.
We are still looking for a few last volunteers to help out with the festival; please feel free to sign up to help make the event a success.
The festival venues are on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW, and crossing guards are part of the volunteer lineup to help festivalgoers get safely back and forth. And – given the season – we’ll remind you, the festival happens rain or shine!
(Costume parade in The Junction, WSB photo from October 2023)
After one year of separating the West Seattle Junction Association‘s fall celebration into two dates – the Fall Festival in late September, and trick-or-treating in late October – WSJA is bringing them back together this year. Everything will happen during one event as in previous years: The Harvest Festival, with the costume parade, trick-or-treating, chili cookoff, pie-eating contest, and other autumn activities, is set for six weeks from today – Sunday, October 27. The festival is set for 11 am-2 pm (the Farmers’ Market will start at 10 as always); an extra block of The Junction, California from Alaska to Edmunds, will be closed for festival activities as in years past. It’ll all start with the costume parade at 11 am (gather at 10:45 in Junction Plaza Park), led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band; the chili cookoff (proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank) also will start at 11 am. The Seattle Thrillers will perform in the Walk-All-Ways intersection at noon, and the pie-eating contest is set for 1 pm; trick-or-treating and other activities will happen throughout the festival. You can find details of all of the above and more on the Junction Association’s website.
12:15 PM: This year’s Alki Beach Pride celebration – combination beach party and street festival – is on! Thanks to Alki Community Council president Charlotte Starck for the early photo. We’re headed to Alki for more pics but wanted to remind you first that Alki Avenue is closed to vehicles between 57th and 61st; that means a Water Taxi shuttle reroute. The festival is on until 8 pm; see the entertainment schedule here.
2:51 PM: The Rainbow City Marching Band was performing while we were there – here’s a bit of music (Macklemore‘s “Downtown”):
Also on stage – deputy mayor Greg Wong and City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s district director Leyla Gheisar, presenting a proclamation accepted by Alki Beach Pride co-founder Stacy Bass-Walden – it recounts the history and intent of ABP:
Beyond the stage, you’ll find dozens of booths, both vendors and resource providers:
Among them, the West Seattle Food Bank, whose booth is where – as noted here last night – you can enter a drawing for a ticket to the Taste of West Seattle, now less than three weeks away:
As noted in the city proclamation, this is the 10th ABP celebration, with a simple theme:
Headliner Mariah Counts is just an hour away; the festival continues until 8 pm
This Saturday marks the 10th time that Alki residents Stacy and Jolie Bass-Walden have organized the Alki Beach Pride summer celebration. It’s grown over the years, and again this year, Alki Beach Pride will be an all-day street festival and beach party. Alki Avenue will be closed for the street-festival component, 7 am–10 pm, between 57th SW and 61st SW. Here’s what you’ll find if you’re going:
*The entertainment lineup is on the ABP website now – see it here. Organizers tell us, “Our entertainment headliners on the stage are Mariah Counts, LIVt, and RikoWithAK.”
*Other activities include volleyball 1-6 pm, a HIIT fitness class on the beach @ noon, and Drag King Story Time with Harley Sane, hosted by the Charlie’s Queer Books booth, in Alki Bathhouse at 12:10 pm
*More than 40 vendors
*Future Primitive (2536 Alki SW) is the “official beer garden”
*Food trucks
*Some other Alki businesses are supporting the festival too – one example, Harry’s Beach House (2676 Alki SW) is offering a Divas Brunch on Saturday, with seatings at 11 am and 1 pm (details and ticketing link are in our calendar listing); up in the Admiral District, Mission Cantina (2325 California SW) hosts an after-party
Official festival hours are noon-9 pm on Saturday (August 31).
11:36 AM: The Admiral Neighborhood Association wasn’t going to let a few (OK, more than a few, earlier) raindrops get in the way of this year’s Admiral Funktion street festival. It’s on right now, in the street on California SW between Admiral Way and SW College. Music starts at noon – here’s the lineup:
We’re on site at the festival – which continues until 8 pm – all day – lots of coverage to come!
12 PM: This is the place to have lunch – Admiral restaurants and bars welcome you outside or inside. Lots of specials. (Outside the festival zone, too – for example, a block south, The Good Society tells us they’ve got another smash-burger pop-up going, now until 5 pm.) And the music has begun – first up, School of Rock-West Seattle!
If you’re bringing your kid(s) to the festival, look for activities at some booths, including the Lafayette Elementary PTA:
All ages can look for festival goodies like the octopus temp tattoos from Kingtide Ink, at the ANA booth:
We’re near the Admiral Theater, between booths for two of West Seattle’s premier nonprofits. At the West Seattle Food Bank booth, you can enter their drawing for a ticket to next month’s Taste of West Seattle.
On the other side, the Log House Museum/Southwest Seattle Historical Society, where you can find out what’s new at the home of West Seattle’s history.
1:12 PM: A bit north of SWSHS, the Emergency Communications Hubs are here – they’re looking for new volunteer help with the Admiral hub, if you wat to get involved with neighborhood preparedness (check this map for YOUR nearest hub):
On the music stage, the band formerly known as Plum is just beginning their set … by announcing a new name: Slumber.
Steady stream of people here, and the National Weather Service says it’ll warm to 65 degrees.
2:14 PM: More festival freebies – go see the PCC West Seattle (WSB sponsor) booth for free snacks:
One of the major missions of Admiral Funktion is to bring together local businesses and community members. Speaking of Mission – that’s one of the local restaurants welcoming you for festival food and drink:
Admiral Pub across the street too –
And in the immediate festival vicinity, you can also check out other local faves like Arthur’s and West Wings on the west side of the block, New Leaf Bistro and Irashai on the east side. And onstage, Princess Pulpit is playing right now:
All-ages crowd!
Got a question for local police? They’re here too, at the south end of the festival zone, right by the ex-Wells Fargo corner, where we photographed Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite and Operations Lt. Nate Shopay in the early going:
3:45 PM: The summer’s busiest West Seattle band, The Potholes, are wrapping up their set:
Good crowd, too:
One of the busiest booths is the one right across from us, a sidewalk sale in front of Hosté, clothing $5 and up:
Up toward the north end of the festival zone, say hi to Julia with Honey Girl Books and Gifts – who is also an avid quilter:
Weather update – it’s drier, lighter, and a bit warmer, so if you decided not to go out earlier, might be time to reconsider!
4:48 PM: The Loveless Building has just wrapped up their set – here’s a sample:
DAD is up next at 5 pm. Speaking of “up,” the temperature’s up to 64. And in a bit of inter-neighborhood synergy, we’ve spotted a Mrs. Roper (sorry, no pic), up from The Junction (where we hope to photograph their group-pic gathering in about half an hour). This festival is on until 8 pm – most booths will be closing between 6 and 7 – so c’mon down. (And thanks to the many kind folks who’ve stopped by to say “hi” so far!)
5:31 PM: The sun has made a guest appearance!
Onstage right now, it’s DAD, doing a Nirvana cover (“In Bloom”) in our clip:
This festival is the finale to a truly event-full summer for the Admiral Neighborhood Association, after the West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade and the three-concert Admiral Music in the Parks series. Fall will bring Admiral District trick-or-treating, and the next ANA community meeting – watch connecttoadmiral.org for updates.
6 PM: Our neighboring nonprofits have departed but still lots of vendors here – and two more bands to go, starting with Novachrome.
6:40 PM: The music continues until 8, but booths are wrapping up after what’s been a fun day despite the unsummery weather! Last band up will be Secondhand Flannel at 7. Local restaurants and bars are open for dinner and beyond, too!
With today’s rain and tomorrow’s mixed forecast, we checked in with organizers of two of Saturday’s notable events – and both say they’re still on, rain or shine:
ADMIRAL FUNKTION: With the current forecast for Saturday suggesting things will get better in the afternoon, organizers of this street festival – scheduled for 11 am-8 pm on California SW between Admiral Way and SW College – are optimistic. Dan Jacobs from the Admiral Neighborhood Association, which is presenting Admiral Funktion, sent an update to festival participants (us included) saying in part, “Just so you know how optimistic I am … I bought a bunch of sunglasses for ANA swag to give out at our booth tomorrow. The stage area is covered … much of the restaurants’ outdoor seating will be covered, and we are planning for the rain to get on out of here in time for everyone to really enjoy most of the day.” From our earlier previews, the music lineup is here; the vendor lineup is here; food vendors are the ones already lining the festival zone.
WEST SEATTLE ROPER ROMP: One month ago, the caftan-clad Helen Roper aspirants wowed crowds and won an award at the West Seattle Grand Parade:
Tomorrow, everyone’s invited to join them – BYO caftan/wig/etc. – for this year’s West Seattle Mrs. Roper Romp. Organizers tell us it’s definitely on, whatever the weather. The only really time-specific activity is a group-photo gathering at Junction Plaza Park at 5:30 pm – but organizers have roped a variety of local businesses into offering discounts and specials for COSTUMED participants dining and/or shopping starting as early as brunch – mapped here, with more details in these three graphics (here, here, here).
With nine days to go until this year’s Alki Beach Pride celebration – the 10th festival organized by Alki residents Jolie and Stacy Bass-Walden – ABP volunteers say the posters they’ve put up are being torn down. It appears to be someone deliberately targeting ABP posters, as others on the same poles have been left up.
ABP volunteer Autumn Lovewell says, “This has never happened before. Makes me so angry and sad that this is happening and it’s always unsettling too.” We asked Autumn if more posters for the August 31 event are available if anyone wants to put up one to make up for the torn-down posters, and she said yes – you can contact ABP at alkibeachpride@gmail.com.
(WSB file photo)
Before we get to today’s reminders of calendar highlights, one more weekend note – we just found out last night that Festival CentroAmericano is returning to Westcrest Park this Sunday (August 25).
The celebration of Central American cultures is planned for noon-6 pm Sunday. It has rotated locations between West Seattle and South Park in recent years and this year it’s back here; Westcrest is at 9000 8th SW.
Four days until one of summer’s last festivals takes over California SW between Admiral and College for this year’s Admiral Funktion! 11 am-8 pm Saturday, the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s street party brings out music, food, and fun, including booths and tables from these organizations:
PCC Markets
SW Historical Society
Seattle Yarn
Seattle Dive Tours
West Seattle Bowl
Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce
SPD SW Precinct
Admiral Neighborhood Association
Admiral Church UCC
Seattle Emergency Communications Hub
Mossy Trail Collections
MonkeyPod
Inner Alchemy
West Seattle Food Bank
Kingtide Ink
Honey Girl Books
Hoste
FoRest Wellness Collective
Bend N Move / Life in the Body
Sam Day Illustrator
Alair
Admiral Theater
Lafayette Elementary PTA
Hawthorne Massage and Self Care
We’ll be there too, as one of the community co-sponsors. P.S. If you missed the music-lineup announcement, check it out here!
One of the summer’s festival finales is also just a week away. The Admiral Neighborhood Association wraps up a busy summer – previously presenting the West Seattle 4th of July Kids’ Parade and three Admiral Music in the Parks concerts – with the Admiral Junktion street party. It’s happening 11 am-8 pm next Saturday (August 24) on California Avenue SW between SW Admiral Way and SW College Street. There’s of course a live music lineup – as announced August 1st:
12 pm School of Rock
1 pm Plum
2 pm Princess Pulpit
3 pm The Potholes
5 pm DAD Band
6 pm NovaChrome
7 pm Secondhand Flannel
WSB is a festival co-sponsor. We hope to have a few more previews with other details in the days ahead. See you there!
(WSB photos)
If you’re a fan of Lucha Libre (the showy masked wrestling style that originated in Mexico) but you missed the 2 pm bouts at SOPASUPA, good news – luchadores from Lucha Libre Volcánica will be back in the ring at 6 pm. This is part of the South Park Summer Party festival, happening in multiple spots at and around the 14th/Cloverdale intersection in the heart of South Park.
In the first bout, Sniper (wearing the black and white shirt) was victorious….
In the second bout, Red Dog (in pink and black) was the last luchadore standing.
The ring – as well as the main music stage – is behind the building on the southwest corner (right behind The Scene coffee shop). You can even buy your own luchadore mask:
Behind the building on the northwest corner of 14th/Cloverdale, you’ll find the Kid Zone, with bouncy toys:
And a coloring table:
Across 14th at the northeast corner, art and food vendors:
And a few blocks west on Cloverdale, next to the Highway 99 overpass, South Park’s skatepark is hosting festivities too. The festival’s on until 9 pm; the stage schedule is in our calendar listing.
(WSB photo, July)
If you went to Summer Fest – whether for three minutes, three hours, or all three days – the West Seattle Junction Association has a few questions for you. Answer their survey and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a Junction gift card. Most are yes/no questions but two are open-ended, so you can provide festival feedback to help them make it better. Here’s the survey link!
We’re now three weeks away from one of summer’s last big West Seattle events, Alki Beach Pride, a street festival and beach party on Saturday, August 31. As part of the permit process, organizers have a special notice with what neighbors need to know:
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
· Event hours are from noon to 9:00 PM
· We will be loading in beginning at 7:00 AM on August 31 and will load out until 8:00 PM on Aug 31
· We will leave the neighborhood as we found it: litter and recycling will be handled by Waste Management
· During the event hours, we expect between 400 and 800 attendees.
· These streets (Alki Ave. between 57th and 61st) will be closed between the hours of 7:00 AM on 8/31 through 10:00 PM =on 8/31
· We will have amplified sound during the hours of Noon to 8:00 PM on 8/31
o Entertainment Stage will be at the Bathhouse / Sand area with Speakers pointed toward the waterWe are working closely with the City of Seattle Special Events Committee to minimize the impacts of the event. Our goal is to create an enjoyable and positive experience in the neighborhood.
If you or any of the surrounding residents and businesses have questions or comments about impacts of this event, please email us at:
Alki Beach Pride
Attn: Organizing Committee
alkibeachpride@gmail.comSpecial Events Committee
City of Seattle – Special Events Office
specialeventsoffice@seattle.gov
Volunteers are still welcome – you can choose a task/time slot and sign up here.
After presenting a holiday parade and three free concerts, the Admiral Neighborhood Association has one more big event ahead this summer – the Admiral Funktion street party, 11 am-8 pm Saturday, August 24, on California SW north of Admiral Way. It’ll have all the things that make street festivals fun – music, food, activities – and since the ANA is a small-but-mighty nonprofit community group, it also needs you! ANA’s Dan Jacobs explains, “We are looking for ‘day of event’ volunteers. Shifts are early morning setup, later evening teardown, and daytime shifts for band/stage support. Besides the thanks of a grateful neighborhood, Mission Cantina and Arthur’s will be offering donations of food/drink items. If interested they can contact us here.” (WSB is media sponsor for Admiral Funktion – we’ll see you there whether you’re volunteering, attending, or both!)
One of summer’s final West Seattle festivals is four weeks away (27 days, to be precise). This year is the 10th anniversary of Alki Beach Pride, a daylong celebration founded and coordinated by Stacy and Jolie Bass-Walden. It’s a street festival as well as a beach party, as the announcement notes:
Please note that Alki Ave will be closed from 57th to 61st all day, with vendor booths lining the street. Our main stage will be positioned near Alki Bathhouse. For those seeking an elevated experience, limited VIP tents near the stage are available for rent. Get ready to be captivated by performances from headliners such as Mariah Counts, LIVt, iZOHNNY, DJ Zen, and many other talented entertainers!
Also:
We really need some volunteers for the event! An organization called Gay For Good has partnered up with us. They organize volunteers for a variety of LGBTQ events. Here is the link for volunteer signup.
The annual Duwamish River Festival is a chance to get up close and personal (free kayaking!) with the waterway that many West Seattleites know mostly as the waterway over which they ride or drive to connect to/from the rest of the city. It’s so much more, and that’s why the Duwamish River Community Coalition presents the festival every year. It’s also a chance for glimpses into the many cultures who share its shore:
That video is from the Seattle Classical Thai Dance performance this afternoon – in the first hour, festivalgoers also saw the Aztec group Tlalokan:
The stage slate for the festival, which continues until 5 pm today, is in our calendar listing. The stage is at the north end of the festival zone at Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat (8700 Dallas Avenue S.; map)
Those dozens of booths feature community groups, environmental organizations, and government agencies offering information and activities. Seattle Parks has a booth featuring naturalists ready to talk with you about wildlife:
(L-R, Miranda, Lizzy, Marielle, Nicolasa)
DRCC, the hosting organization, can talk with you about many community projects, including an effort to learn more about the Duwamish Valley’s air-quality problems by reaching South Park and Georgetown families with children who have asthma (email joseph@drcc.org):
(DRCC’s Thuy and Van)
The Environmental Protection Agency has huge cleanup projects to discuss – and simple ways to see what’s at the heart of it all, like this little fish pond:
There’s personal action you can take – with recycling and composting items that don’t belong in the trash – look for the Seattle Public Utilities “Where Does It Go?” team:
Other city departments there include City Light, SDOT, Sustainability and Environment, Emergency Management, and the Office of Police Accountability. Got light rail questions? Sound Transit is there too:
You can also learn about community projects including Reconnect South Park and the next round of Duwamish River sewer-overflow-prevention work. The Duwamish Tribe is participating as well – Ken Workman was there to welcome everyone in Lushootseed:
At their booth, you can get stickers, buy T-shirts, and learn about the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, just across West Marginal Way from Duwamish River shores:
(Kate and Lucas)
From West Seattle, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association is represented too:
(Ranny, Louisa, April)
This is all a fairly easy walk from the heart of the South Park business district (we parked near the southwest end of the South Park Bridge), or there are shuttle locations (see our calendar listing).
The final Admiral Music in the Parks concert is ending, but the Admiral Neighborhood Association is moving right on to the runup for its next big summer event – tonight ANA announced the band lineup for this year’s Admiral Funktion block party, a little over three weeks away:
12 pm School of Rock
1 pm Plum
2 pm Princess Pulpit
3 pm The Potholes
5 pm DAD Band
6 pm NovaChrome
7 pm Secondhand Flannel
The Potholes and NovaChrome both also performed at last month’s West Seattle Summer Fest (The Potholes also played Admiral Music in the Parks and the Morgan Junction Community Festival). Admiral Funktion will happen on California SW north of Admiral, 11 am-10 pm Saturday, August 24 – see you there!
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