West Seattle, Washington
12 Thursday
(WSB photo from 2023 Admiral Funktion)
So much summer (and late spring) fun ahead! Today the Admiral Neighborhood Association wants you to know it’s bringing back the Admiral Funktion block party in the heart of The Admiral District, Saturday, August 24th, from 11 am to 10 pm … and while that might sound far away, planning and preparation starts early for festival organizers and participants, so they’re launching a call for vendors now! Registration is open via this link. (And if you want to get early intel about this event and other Admiral summer fun, be at the Admiral Neighborhood Association gathering tonight at 7 at Admiral Church!)
One of the year’s first festivals is exactly two weeks away – the West Seattle Bee Festival in High Point. Here’s the overview of what’s planned for the festival 9 am-4 pm Saturday, May 18, at Commons Park (home to the West Seattle Bee Garden) and along Lanham Place:
During the noon-4 pm festival, two dozen nonprofits, schools, agencies, and city departments will have informational booths so you can connect with your community. That and the other Bee Festival activities and performances are all free!
SIDE NOTE: You can help get the Bee Garden ready for the festival by volunteering there Sunday morning!
As mentioned in our coverage of the most-recent Morgan Community Association meeting, the group’s summer festival is expanding again this year, getting closer to what it used to be, including an area for community groups and vendors. If you’d like to be part of that, MoCA wants to hear from you ASAP – here’s the reminder:
The date for the Morgan Junction Community Festival is on the horizon, so we need to make the LAST CALL for Festival Vendors and Nonprofit Booths!!
The Morgan Junction Community Festival returns to Morgan Junction on Saturday, June 15, 2024 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. It features live entertainment in Morgan Junction Park, and the return of the popular vendor booths with everyone’s favorite local businesses, artisans/crafts people, nonprofit organizations, and government groups in the parking lot behind Zeeks Pizza.
Applications for the vendor booths are found at the Morgan Community Association (MoCA) website morganjunction.org/festival. Application deadline is 5:00 pm April 30, 2024.
Contact the Morgan Junction Community Festival team at mocacnc@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you for helping make the June 15th Morgan Junction Community Festival absolutely amazing!
(Full ‘Snow Moon’ setting this morning, photographed by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
The arrival of the full “Snow Moon” brings an end to two weeks of Lunar New Year celebrations. Tomorrow (Saturday, February 24) you’re invited to the final community event announced for West Seattle – the Lunar New Year Lantern Festival at the Seattle Chinese Garden. The garden borders the north edge of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge. The festival is set to start at 11 am and continue through 3 pm, with music, dance, crafts, story time, tea, and more – the full schedule is here. Admission is free, but donations are welcome.
When we reported last week on the Washington State Black Legacy Institute, which recently moved to the historic former church at 2656 42nd SW, we noted the first big public event coming up: the Business Festival During Kwanzaa.
WSBLI, which hopes to inspire by surfacing long-lost stories including those of successful Black entrepreneurs a century-plus ago, will host entrepreneurs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. WSBLI describes the festival as a “vibrant manifestation of unity, self-determination, and cooperative economics” – three of Kwanzaa’s seven principles. Planned events include free workshops with business and financial experts as well as a homebuyer’s workshop and a vendor fair. WSBLI curator Roger Evans is producing promotional videos for the vendors – here’s the first one:
Other vendors, as listed on this flyer, are scheduled to include A Sista Thang Fashions, Clean Greens Farm, Common Scentz, Diana’s Beauty, Kimberly’s Gems, Merle the Art Lady, Nikky’s Niche Designs, and Tea Moss Shop. Business Festival hours will be 2-7 pm Friday (December 29), 11 am-7 pm Saturday (December 30), and 11 am-5 pm Sunday (December 31). The festival and workshops are free, but WSBLI requests RSVP through Eventbrite – here’s the Friday link; here’s the Saturday link; here’s the Sunday link. Each of those links also will show you the workshop lineup for that day.
That’s the official West Seattle Junction Christmas tree, on the south edge of Junction Plaza Park, officially lit during tonight’s GLOWS (Glorious Lights of West Seattle) festival, after a countdown led by Junction entrepreneur (and Christmas-lights enthusiast) Jack Menashe, six of his grandchildren, and Santa Claus:
Once the tree was on …
… it was time to start the projected community-contributed art display on the side of Alaska House on the north side of the park – we recorded some of this first-ever display on video, but you really had to be there to appreciate it:
One more report to come from tonight’s festival – some of the performances from Jay Cates’ All-Star Ensemble of West Seattle musicians! (Here’s our first report, with photos and video from the first two hours.)
(WSB photos/video unless otherwise credited)
4:18 PM: Never mind the rain – the West Seattle Junction’s biggest event of the holiday season is happening now. SW Alaska is closed to vehicle traffic between California and 41st, for the Night Market (vendor list/map here), tree lighting, and Glorious Lights of West Seattle (GLOWS) festival. Here’s the schedule for what’s onstage (42nd/Alaska intersection), following host Marco Collins’ welcome:
4:00-5:00: Costume contestants walk through tunnel of lights [alley west of the park]
4:05: Endolyne Children’s Choir performance
4:30: School of Rock performance
5:00: Host in the Audience with Christmas music
5:15: ArtsWest performance from ‘Snowed In‘
5:30: Light Costume Contest on Stage* [here’s how the contest works]
6:00: The Jay Cates West Seattle All-Star Jazz Ensemble
7:00: Menashe Public Address & Tree Lighting
7:15: West Seattle GLOWS Art Projection Spectacular [on side of Alaska House north of park]
8:00: Close of event
Updates to come!
4:30 PM: Found Santa Claus! Meanwhile, the Endolyne Children’s Choir is just wrapping up its festival-opening performance:
Steps away, the Tunnel of Lights (alley between the park and Panterelli) is open for costume contestants – and photo ops:
Host Marco Collins is sporting an illuminated hat:
The beer/wine garden is open on the southeast corner of 42nd/Alaska, near the stage. More coverage to come!
5 PM: Just concluding the second performance, West Seattle School of Rock:
Costume-contest judging by the crowd is coming up in about half an hour.
5:25 PM: ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) brought a song from “Snowed In”:
The rain’s very light, so no umbrellas needed currently.
6 PM: An hour of music is about to launch – with some surprise All-Stars joining Jay Cates – and then it’s tree time. This past half-hour, the costume competition winners were chosen by audience acclamation. At center below is Archer, who won the “individual” category with her costume of “many jellyfish”:
(added) Closer look:
Archer said she worked for months on the costume! Junction merchants donated the prizes – they’re presenting this whole thing, in fact, as it’s a West Seattle Junction Association production (with community co-sponsors including WSB).
(Added) The “groups” winner was “Santa and Lucy the dog”:
(Added) Three clips from the costume contest – dogs here, individuals here, groups here … Enjoy the break in the rain – the Night Market continues until 8:
And 7:15 pm is when the light projections of community GLOWS contributions are set to start, on the Alaska House wall high above Junction Plaza Park.
8:09 PM: The tree was lit, the community art projected, the serious rain held off … and the All-Stars were so awesome, we’re breaking those videos out into a separate (updated) third report, after Report #2 shows the tree lighting itself … all ahead.
Here’s the newest information for tomorrow night’s big events in The Junction – the Night Market, tree lighting, and GLOWS festival:
That’s the production company’s site map, with WEST at the top. Notice one important update from what we’ve been mentioning – SW Alaska will be closed between California and 41st, stretching one block further east than previous years. The tree is still in Junction Plaza Park as always, but note that the stage is actually in the 42nd/Alaska intersection. Most of Alaska west of 42nd will be filled with Night Market vendors (two shops on that stretch, A la Mode Pies and Panterelli, will be serving from their regular locations). On Alaska east of 42nd, you’ll find two food trucks, Tabassum and BlackStar Kebab, near the beer/wine garden. Here’s the list and locations of Night Market vendors. And here’s the updated schedule of events, 4 pm-8 pm:
4:00: Festival begins. Host Marco Collins introduction. Night Market and Beer & Wine Garden are open.
4:00-5:00: Costume contestants walk through tunnel of lights
4:05: Endolyne Children’s Choir performance
4:30: School of Rock performance
5:00: Host in the Audience with Christmas music
5:15: ArtsWest performance from ‘Snowed In‘
5:30: Light Costume Contest on Stage* (here’s how the contest works)
6:00: The Jay Cates West Seattle All-Star Jazz Ensemble – led by Jay Cates and featuring an all-West Seattle ensemble
7:00: Menashe Public Address & Tree Lighting
7:15: West Seattle GLOWS Art Projection Spectacular
8:00: Close of event
It’s not too late to get a light costume ready for tomorrow’s contest – here are full details on that. See you in The Junction tomorrow night (whatever the weather)!
One week from today, while the West Seattle Farmers’ Market will be in its usual spot on California SW between Alaska and Oregon, an extra block will be closed for The Junction’s Halloween celebration. To recap, the West Seattle Junction Association decided, starting this year, to split what had been the Harvest Festival into two events – the Fall Festival, with a variety of games and activities, happened four weeks ago, and Halloween in The Junction, with a costume parade and trick-or-treating, happens next Sunday (October 29th). It’s set for 11 am-2 pm, kicking off with the costume parade starting at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), led by the West Seattle High School Band as in years past. Then at noon, the Seattle Thrillers will perform. An extra block of California SW, from Alaska to Edmunds, will be closed to vehicle traffic; you’ll find trick-or-treating and activity booths there (as well as treats offered throughout Downtown West Seattle by businesses). See you in The Junction next Sunday!
P.S. This and other business-district-trick-or-treat events – along with other Halloween-season events – are listed on our West Seattle Halloween Guide page.
2:14 PM: The Fauntleroy Fall Festival is on! You have until 5 pm to get to the 9100 block of California SW for free festival fun at venues on both sides of the street – the activity list and schedule can be seen here. (And if you’re worried about the weather – many of the events/activities are under a canopy or indoors.)
2:43 PM: Bunny visits are immensely popular. Here’s the line:
That’s happening behind the schoolhouse, where you’ll also find pumpkin bowling:
And music – the Brews Brothers are playing until 3:
Walking from that area toward the schoolhouse, you’ll find West Seattle photographer Holli Margell‘s decorated photo booth:
One change in plan – no birds; The Falconer had to cancel because of illness.
3:30 PM: Before the cakewqlk (video above), the cake judging – Josie and her Dia De Muertos cake won big:
(added) Kathryn sent the next photo – explaining, “Cora was so excited to win the beginners category with her first cake!”
Heading outside, to the Fauntleroy Church parking lot, a variety of festival classics – like pumpkin-decorating:
Birdhouse-building too:
Little ones can make salmon hats to wear to the salmon-drumming event one week from today:
Or get up and take a look inside Seattle Fire Engine 37 (nearest one to Fauntleroy):
Along with activities, you’ll also find booths with local organizations, including the Fauntleroy Community Association:
And the Emergency Communication Hubs (a good thing to get up to speed on – it’s just been a week since that North Sound earthquake shook some here, and the statewide earthquake drill is ahead this Thursday):
And as we’ve been noting in previews, this is volunteer-powered, including the crossing guards helping people get safely between the venues:
The rain has remained light, but again, there’s plenty to do indoors too – the West Seattle Big Band, directed by Jim Edwards, has just started its set inside The Hall at Fauntleroy on the schoolhouse’s south end!
Festival’s only half-over – still time to get here and have fun until 5.
7 PM: Adding more photos and video above. The festivities were best summarized by someone we passed while there, remarking to someone she was with, “This is a delightful fall festival!”
That’s the map for Sunday’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival – venues on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW in the heart of Fauntleroy, 2-5 pm. Here’s what you’ll find – the activity list, and the schedule for time-specific events:
And one more reminder for cake-bakers – you’re invited to enter the decorated-cake contest (with entries doubling as donations for prizes in the cake walk) – bring your fall-themed cakes to The Hall at Fauntleroy‘s Vashon Room (south end of Fauntleroy Schoolhouse) by noon Sunday – more info here.
(A few of the cakes from 2022 Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
As we’ve been reminding you, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is now just days away – Sunday (October 15th), 2-5 pm. Here’s another way you can be part of it – bake and decorate a cake! From organizers:
The Fauntleroy Fall Festival will be hosting our annual Cake Decorating Contest and Cake Walk! Here’s your chance to show off your baking skills! We’re accepting fall-themed cakes for beginners, intermediate, and advanced categories. Please submit entries by noon (Sunday) in the Vashon room of the Hall at Fauntleroy. Following contest voting, cakes will be gifted in the Cake Walk.
The Hall (south end of Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, 9131 California SW) is one of the main venues for the festival. Meantime, a few volunteer openings remain, and even if the online signup fills up, organizers tell us you can show up on festival day to help out, too.
(2022 WSB photo, The Falconer at Fauntleroy Fall Festival)
From birds to bunnies to bouncing, crafting to cakewalking, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival‘s unique lineup of fun is just one week away! From 2-5 pm next Sunday, October 15th, festival activities take over both sides of the 9100 block of California Avenue SW in the heart of Fauntleroy, in and around Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and The Hall at Fauntleroy/Schoolhouse. Thanks to donations and volunteers (still a few spots left), it’s all free (except for some food/beverage offerings). P.S. If you’ve never been to the Fauntleroy Fall Festival before, our coverage from last year shows you some of the fun.
Even before we get to Halloween, October brings plenty of fall fun. One of the biggest events is just two weeks from today, so here’s a reminder to set your calendar – the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. From 2-5 pm on Sunday, October 15th, you’ll find a variety of activities on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW in the heart of Fauntleroy, in and around Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and The Hall at Fauntleroy/Schoolhouse. Pumpkin-painting, birdhouse-building, salmon-hat-making, music, and more – all free (except for some food/beverage offerings) thanks to volunteers (can you help?) and donations. Rain or shine!
(WSB photo, Fauntleroy Fall Festival 2022)
The Fauntleroy Fall Festival is just two and a half weeks away. It’s powered by volunteers and donations, and festival organizers are especially interested right now in more of the former:
The Fauntleroy Fall Festival is Sunday, October 15, from 2-5 pm. This annual event is free to the community and expects more than a thousand people this year. The event offers bouncy castles, pumpkin painting, bird house building, live music, bunny petting zoo, food vendors, pie-eating contests, and so much more. The event is organized by volunteers and could use additional help the day of the event. If you have the time, please consider volunteering for the event.
The festival is spread across both sides of California SW in the heart of Fauntleroy – in and around the church/Y and event hall/schoolhouse.
ORIGINAL TUESDAY NIGHT REPORT: This year, the West Seattle Junction Association plans to expand its celebration of light during the holidays – and you’re invited to help design the biggest event of all.
Starting in mid-October, WSJA will accept community submissions of AI-powered art that would be projected, in light, onto the big blank side of Alaska House that faces Junction Plaza Park. This will be the centerpiece of the Glorious Lights Of West Seattle (GLOWS) celebration on Saturday, December 9th – the night that also will bring the Christmas tree lighting, the Night Market, another light-costume contest, even an arch of lights down a Junction alley. WSJA executive director Chris Mackay has been dreaming of this for a long time, and this year GLOWS will really get going. Watch for more details in October about exactly how to contribute … and even if you don’t want to submit a design, set your calendar for December 9th and plan to spend that night in The Junction!
ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: We asked WSJA’s Mackay if she had any comment regarding the discussion this announcement has generated, particularly voicing concerns about AI replacing human artists who might otherwise been used. Here’s the response:
The AI Light Show steering committee would like to express how we (a bunch of creatives) feel about this incredible AI Light Show for the West Seattle Community and why we are doing it.
GLOWS – Glorious Lights of West Seattle – is designed to show how we all glow as individuals and maybe first-time artists. Using AI is not limiting our creativity but expanding it. A machine does not create art on its own. People are creating this art with their ideas and prompts. By using AI, everyone can be involved, even if they have never created a piece of art in their lives. This is about the novelty of the technology and the opportunity to put it in the hands of people who enjoy the idea of being part of a light festival.
What we are doing with this event is all done by humans working together to create something wonderful and full of light and joy for the entire community. From creating the idea, to editing the presentation, and working with the accompanying music; it’s all human. Join in the JOY!
(WSB photos. Above, kids’ zone, presented by Hope Lutheran School)
11:33 AM: If you’re not already in The Junction, this is the epicenter of West Seattle fun on autumn’s first Sunday – the Fall Festival is on, in the street on California SW south of Alaska.
Music (The Potholes, above) and games started at 11 – including the cornhole tournament:
(added) How about giant checkers?
Starting at noon, you can buy chili tastes and vote on your favorite. Noon is also when the Seattle Thrillers are scheduled to dance, and two sets of pie-eating competitors will face off, kids and adults. This is all on until 2 pm (while the Farmers’ Market continues in its usual area north of Alaska).
12:32 PM: Go get your chili while it lasts, right in front of KeyBank as usual:
(Competitors: Admiral Pub, Brookdale, Camp West, Elliott Bay Brewing, Husky Deli, Margie’s Cafe, Pecos Pit BBQ – voting results announced at festival’s end.)
2:12 PM: Congratulations to Husky Deli, which won the chili-cookoff vote, with Margie’s Café (from the Senior Center) coming in second. (~300 flights of chili were purchased for $10 each – proceeds help the West Seattle Junction Association, a nonprofit, cover festival costs.)
P.S. Next up in The Junction – the Wine Walk this Friday (buy your ticket fast – this always sells out) and trick-or-treating on Sunday, October 29th (costume parade too)!
You’ll find family fun all day and into the night during Holy Rosary School‘s WestFest “carnival of community.” We stopped by for a few photos – festivalgoers are bouncing, climbing, even throwing:
Food and beverages too:
Plus onstage entertainment – here’s the schedule. And if you’d rather hang out indoors, you can play bingo. WestFest is on until 10 pm tonight; the campus is on 42nd SW between SW Genesee and SW Dakota.
As we first reported last month, the West Seattle Junction Association is turning what used to be the Harvest Festival into two events starting this year – and the first one is now a week away: The Fall Festival is planned for 11 am-2 pm Sunday, September 24th. It features just about everything you loved about Harvest Fest (except the trick-or-treating, which happens closer to Halloween) – chili cookoff, cornhole tournament, pie-eating contest, live music. (Signup links for the contest and tournament are on this page.) The Farmers’ Market will be on as always, in its usual spot on California SW north of SW Alaska, while the block between SW Alaska and SW Edmunds will also be closed to traffic and will be the site of festival fun. (Meantime, the trick-or-treating celebration is set for Sunday, October 29th, including the traditional costume parade!)
West Seattle’s Vietnamese Cultural Center was brightly decorated this afternoon for one of the most festive occasions of fall, Tết Nhi Đồng, the Children’s Moonlight Festival. It drew a sizable crowd of all ages:
While a lion dance and martial-arts demonstration were part of the afternoon, kids’ activities were the centerpiece:
Young participants got lanterns for a parade around the center’s North Delridge grounds before the festival wrapped up. Never been to the Cultural Center? In addition to special occasions like this, it’s open most Saturdays for the general public to visit.
ADDED: Thanks to Lynda Bui with the Cultural Center for video of the lion dance:
Vovinam Martial Arts from Burien performed the lion dance as well as the martial-arts demonstration, while artist Rick Klu did face-painting.
If you’re staying in West Seattle this holiday weekend, we have a few special events to spotlight – first, the Children’s Moonlight Festival at the Vietnamese Cultural Center (2236 SW Orchard, just north of The Home Depot) on Sunday (September 3rd). Despite its name, this celebration happens during the day, 2-4 pm,; it’s full of free activities and treats, plus a lantern parade (with kids carrying lanterns they just made) and a lion dance. All are welcome; here’s the flyer with more details.
12:19 PM: The second annual Admiral Funktion street party is on!
(WSB photos, video unless otherwise credited)
Until 10 tonight, you can come enjoy this warm late-summer Saturday and walk/roll in the street along California SW between Admiral Way and SW College, The festival is presented by the Admiral Neighborhood Association, whose booth is toward the south end of the festival zone:
They’re in front of the gas-station car wash, ready to talk with you about what’s going on in north West Seattle (and as festival media sponsor, we’re on-site right next to them). Visit their booth for tchotchkes, too – and balloon animals (get here sooner rather than later to get in on those).
Admiral Neighborhood Association’s booth is also accepting $25 (or more) donations to support the festival, for which you get a special wristband good for discounts at local venues. (The ANA is an official nonprofit, so your donation is tax-deductible.) The music just started up, too, toward the north end of the festival zone (update – here’s video from the first band, School of Rock:)
Here’s the scheduled band lineup:
12 pm – School of Rock
1 pm – Princess Pulpit
2 pm – Michael Pearsall
3 pm – Matlock and the Keys
4 pm – Midnight Gallo
5 pm – Radium Girls
6 pm – Tennis Pro
7 pm – (update: mystery act)
8 pm – The Loveless Building
9 pm – The Ancient Robotz
More coverage to come!
1:03 PM: If you have questions for your Seattle City Council District 1 candidates – both have festival tables, so this is a great place to come meet them/talk with them in person:
The election is November 7th; voting will start when ballots are sent out in mid-October. … Other opportunities for community involvement that you can find out about during Admiral Funktion include learning about Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs – preparedness expert extraordinaire Cindi Barker is set up in front of (updated) Ralph’s Barber Shop (close to the festival water-filling station):
Speaking of restaurants, a fun part of the festival street closure is a chance to enjoy expanded outdoor cafés today/tonight at many of the year-round Admiral food/beverage establishments – from West Wings …:
…to Mission Cantina:
… to Arthur’s:
1:35 PM: Princess Pulpit is on stage right now (added: video courtesy Jason Grotelueschen).
Lots of people have stopped by the booth to say hi (thanks!) – and we also wanted to mention that you can learn about community organizations during Admiral Funktion as well as local businesses. Elizabeth and Clay opened the day at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society booth (where you also can find out about the Save the Stone Cottage campaign):
2:43 PM: Here’s Michael Pearsall, on stage a short time ago:
Lots of kid activities, too – Clay sent this photo from the Stone Cottage/Historical Society booth, with 4-year-old Ellie Piersall doing some stone decorating:
3:37 PM: Onstage right now – Matlock and the Keys:
We’ve taken another spin through the booths – Seattle Yarn, moving to Admiral soon, is here:
Inner Alchemy, which has a storefront in South Admiral, is here too:
Inner Alchemy’s Maari Falsetto is having a sound bath to raise money for Maui fire relief – 6 pm Wednesday (August 30th) at Me-Kwa-Mooks (more info here).
3:55 PM: We should note that “Dan the Balloon Man,” who spent hours making custom creations at the Admiral Neighborhood Association booth, has departed. But many booths/vendors are here until 6, so it’s still a great time to come down and walk around. … Another community organization you’ll see here is the West Seattle Food Bank. You can find out about the next Taste of West Seattle – returning this year to its pre-pandemic format – set for September 28th:
4:35 PM: Midnight Gallo is onstage this hour.
This festival – only in its second year and bound to be even bigger next year – is just one of the events the ANA coordinates; Summer Concerts at Hiawatha and the Admiral stops on the West Seattle Art Walk are among the others, plus they’re taking over the West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade starting next year. Regular community meetings, too – next one is on September 12th, where guests will include City Attorney Ann Davison.
5 PM: Last hour for booths (some have broken down already) – but again, the music’s on for a few hours beyond, and the street closure continues, so you might consider coming down for dinner at one of the venues with outdoor cafés.
5:31 PM: This hour’s band, Radium Girls:
ANA is about to draw the winner of its prize pack, with items donated by local merchants:
If you haven’t already seen this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar: You’re invited to a Neighborhood Night Out next Tuesday to benefit the Fauntleroy Fall Festival. It’s a 21+-only event on Wildwood Market‘s rooftop deck at 9214 45th SW with wine, beer, and neighborhood merch, 4-8 pm. All proceeds will go to this year’s Fauntleroy Fall Festival, which is planned October 15th, free to the community as always, powered by fundraising like this as well as other community donations and volunteer help, No need to RSVP for the event – just show up Tuesday (August 29th) at Wildwood (which is a festival sponsor)!
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