West Seattle, Washington
24 Friday
(Festival schedule is here)
11:50 AM: That’s the costume parade (led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band) that kicked off the first full-strength West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival in three years. It’s happening right now on California SW between Alaska and Edmunds, and on Alaska between 44th and 42nd. Trick-or-treating is happening now, wherever you find candy (and it’s going fast). Lots of free fun activities too:
Plus, the first mainstage performance, by the 8-Bit Brass Band, starts soon. The chili cookoff also gets going at noon – $10 gets you tastes of every contender (benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank), and a vote.
More to come as the festival continues until 5 pm, whatever the weather does.
12:24 PM: The chili cookoff is literally a hot ticket – it’s drawn a line. Servers are busy!
Over at the main stage – which is ground-level – the 8-Bit Brass Band is playing:
Following the band, the mural created at Summer Fest is scheduled to be unveiled.
1:19 PM: That’s artist Stacey Sterling, who led community participants in creation of the mural. She was followed on the main stage by the pie-eating competitions, presented by nearby A La Mode Pies:
We’ve made a few trips to the nearby stores for candy replenishment, so trick-or-treating is still on here at the Info Booth. Lots of little ones who are trick-or-treating for the first time, getting parental coaching.
1:49 PM: The Heebie-Jeebies are playing now – perfect Halloween music.
And all around the festival zone, the first-ever Harvest Fest cornhole tournament is in the heat of competition:
32 teams are playing; winners will be announced when the festival wraps at 5 pm.
The @WSJA Harvest Festival rolls on. Jump-rope demo right now! pic.twitter.com/M2gV1Onivw
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 30, 2022
2:17 PM: Lots going on at the community activity booths, sponsored by local organizations, schools, and businesses. Westside School (WSB sponsor) had a line of festivalgoers:
The Farmers’ Market is keeping regular hours, so it just closed. (That means vehicles are coming in for market breakdown, on California north of Alaska.)
The Heebie-Jeebies have just finished playing; next up in the stage area, square dancing at 2:30 pm. But first, the chili cookoff results …
#1 – Husky Deli
#2 – The Bridge (just one vote behind)
#3 – Easy Street
WSFB promises an update tomorrow on how much the cookoff raised to support their work preventing hunger and homelessness. (MONDAY UPDATE: $3,820!)
2:45 PM: Some booths are folding up early, so if you haven’t been here yet, hurry! At the stage, square dancing has begun.
3 PM: With the scheduled activities wrapping up (aside from The Potholes performing at 3:30) and rain moving in, Chris Mackay of the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association has given the clearance to fold this up, so our coverage is concluding. Thanks to everyone who stopped by them Info Booth to say hi! For the rest of today, and tomorrow, see our West Seattle Halloween Guide.
ADDED SUNDAY EVENING: Some additional photos. First, these owls caught a lot of attention – photo sent by Laura Goodrich:
Holli Margell sent the next four, starting with two more looks at the WSHS band leading the costume parade:
And we caught more costume creativity:
Set your calendar for the next big seasonal fun in The Junction – Tree Lighting, GLOWS, Night Market, more on Saturday, December 3!
Two notes as we wrap up this first night of the extended Hallo-weekend … first, a reminder about Sunday’s West Seattle Junction Harvest Fest:
That’s the map for Sunday’s in-the-street festival, which runs 11 am-5 pm; just north of the top of the map, on California between Alaska and Oregon, you’ll find the Farmers’ Market as usual, regular time (10 am-2 pm). Note all the cornhole-court locations – the tournament is new this year, with 32 teams set to compete. One thing West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay wants to stress – the festival is RAIN OR SHINE – if we get rain, just incorporate an rain hat or umbrella into your costume! The costume parade starts it off at 11 am; line up at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska). Right after that, trick-or-treating and other activities start at businesses and booths at 11:30 am. Almost everything is free, but if you want to taste, and vote in, the chili cookoff, bring $10 (which benefits the West Seattle Food Bank). See the full schedule on the official website.
And more home decorations to show tonight – Heather sent this:
Happy Halloween from The Dyers on 17th! (Between Myrtle & Holly)
Spiders, Webs & Skeletons….oH mY eYeballs!
The Rube Goldberg Candy Machine will be up and giving out candy Sunday and Monday.
Come on by and check out the Spooky neighbors too!
PS…just spooky enough for the little during the day. Extra creepy lights at night for the bigs.
Thanks again to everyone who has sent decoration photos – so much Halloween spirit around West Seattle! Lots going on the next few days – check out the listings in our West Seattle Halloween Guide.
(WSB photo from 2019 West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival)
Next weekend will be part of a four-day Halloween celebration, Friday through Monday, and the biggest event of all will be on Sunday (October 30th) in The Junction – the return of the full-fledged Harvest Fest. In the first pandemic year, 2020, the West Seattle Junction Association assembled and sold Harvest Fest boxes so families could enjoy seasonal fun at home; last year, The Junction hosted in-person trick-or-treating. This year, all the festival fun is back – costume parade, trick-or-treating, activities, chili cookoff, pie-eating contest – and new fun has been added, including a cornhole tournament, mainstage music, and square dancing. The West Seattle Farmers’ Market will still be happening at its regular time in its regular location – California SW between Oregon and Alaska – and the street closures will expand to California between Alaska and Edmunds and Alaska between 42nd and 44th. The festival hours will be 11 am-5 pm Sunday (the Farmers’ Market is 10 am-2 pm as usual). If you’re interested in the cornhole tournament – prizes! – team registration is still open last we heard; use this form. For everything else, just show up (all the spots in the pie-eating contest are taken, by the way). Even more Harvest Fest details are in our most-recent preview. (And you can plan your whole Hallo-weekend with our West Seattle Halloween Guide!)
2:16 PM: Until 5 pm – you’re invited to the return of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival, free fall fun on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW, inside and outside Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and Fauntleroy Schoolhouse/Hall at Fauntleroy.
The activities list is here; the event schedule (for performances and competitions) is here. Photos and more to come!
2:40 PM: Those are three of the decorated cakes for which you can vote in the cake-decorating contest on the lower back level of The Hall at Fauntleroy; at 3 pm, you can compete in the cake walk. Just outside the room where that’s happening, it’s a fall photo booth with West Seattle photographer Holli Margell – lots of families stopping for that.
And steps to the west, The Falconer is here with amazing birds.
Over in the lot outside Fauntleroy Church/YMCA, the festival traditions include pumpkin-painting:
Birdhouse-building:
And making salmon hats – celebrating the return of coho to Fauntleroy Creek (any time now!):
Sun’s out right now, too. More to come!
3:15 PM: A first-time feature, bunny-petting (replacing the “petting zoo” of years past), is a hit – you’ll find it in the “lower playground” area behind The Hall at Fauntleroy:
Nearby, The Don’t Ask Band is playing:
The Don't Ask Band pic.twitter.com/vSfAOOpJkw
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 23, 2022
There’ll be live music inside The Hall shortly too, with the West Seattle Big Band scheduled at 3:30 pm.
West Seattle Big Band! pic.twitter.com/SyLK29ncXb
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) October 23, 2022
3:48 PM: And there they are, playing timeless tunes. Back out in the church/Y lot, it’s a great day to climb:
Or to talk with some of the community organizations that are there – including the Fauntleroy Community Association, debuting this new banner:
One more hour to go – we’ll add more photos later!
ADDED SUNDAY EVENING: Also seen at the festival, Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network, educating festivalgoers about wildlife on and off our shores:
If you see a marine mammal on a West Seattle shore, alive or not, or one offshore that appears to be in distress, call Seal Sitters’ hotline at 206-905-7325. … From the Emergency Communication Hubs, the Fauntleroy area’s new volunteer hub captain Chris Jaramillo was at the festival:
The hubs are places you’d go to get and share information if disaster strikes and the usual methods are unavailable out of service – check this map to find the location of the hub closest to you (and if there’s not one nearby, get involved and start one!).
P.S. Speaking of getting involved, many people did that to make today’s volunteer-staffed, donation-funded festival, led by coordinator Reed Haggerty, a successful comeback. Like many events, the festival was on pandemic hiatus in 2020; last year, a drive-up/ride-up version was offered.
Tonight we have full details of what’s happening at the Fauntleroy Fall Festival on Sunday (2-5 pm)! Here’s the activity list:
And here’s the schedule of time-specific performances and events:
Among the highlights – a performance by Endolyne Children’s Choir:
Endolyne Children’s Choir is thrilled to celebrate fall and the return of the Fauntleroy Fall Festival this year on Sunday. Led by director Megan Callaghan Booth and staff instructor Maya Adams, all choir levels will perform and show off what they’ve been working on since the start of the fall session.
ECC is a no-audition, secular choir welcoming all singers in grades K-12. There are 21 West Seattle schools represented in our choir. Come join us and enjoy all the free activities that the festival has in store!
The photo above shows the choir performing exactly where you’ll find them at 2 pm Sunday, inside Fauntleroy Church, one of the festival venues – all on both sides of the 9100 block of California SW, as shown on the official map. Everything’s free at the festival except food/beverage concessions. See you there!
(WSB file photo)
For the first time since pre-pandemic, the Fauntleroy Fall Festival is returning this Sunday (October 23) as a full festival! 2-5 pm on Sunday, the grounds of Fauntleroy Church/YMCA and The Hall at Fauntleroy/Schoolhouse will host myriad free all-ages activities. They include longtime festival favorites like pumpkin painting and birdhouse building. The climbing wall will be back. And new this year – a bunny “petting zoo.” The activities are free (supported by voluntary donations, at the festival and throughout the year), and the festival is an all-volunteer operation – which brings us to the “Can you help?” part. They still have some volunteer spots open – and if you can spare as little as one hour on Sunday, that could be a big help. See the volunteer tasks and times, and sign up if you are interested, by going here!
P.S. If you haven’t been before, the festival sites are across the street from each other in the 9100 block of California. There’s always a crossing guard for festivalgoers – in fact, that’s a volunteer position too!
(WSB photo, kids’ pie-eating contest at 2018 Harvest Fest)
More details tonight about the expanded West Seattle Junction Harvest Fest, 11 am-5 pm Sunday, October 30th – but first, registration just opened tonight for two of its biggest events, and space is limited, so you’ll want to sign up if you’re interested:
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT: Starting at noon, the tournament begins on courts spread out on California and Alaska. Registration is limited to 32 teams – first-come, first-served. The cost per 2-person team: $45. Find prize details and more info on the registration form.
PIE-EATING CONTESTS: At 1 pm, A La Mode Pies will host adults’ and kids’ pie-eating contests. It’s free to register, but only 10 kid spots and 10 adult spots are available. Kid registration is here; adult registration is here.
Here are other festival details:
FESTIVAL FOOTPRINT: Almost as big as Summer Fest – SW Alaska will close from 42nd to 44th, California SW will close from Oregon to Edmunds (the Farmers’ Market will be in its usual spot on California between Oregon and Alaska),
COSTUME PARADE: 11 am, led by the West Seattle High School Marching Band – line up at Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska) pre-parade.
KIDS’ ACTIVITIES AND TRICK-OR-TREATING: 11:30 am-3 pm. Activities will be in booths all along California; businesses participating in trick-or-treating will display orange and black balloons.
CHILI COOKOFF: Noon-2 pm; $10 tickets get you tastes and votes, and benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. Competitors include Husky Deli, Shadowland, Pecos Pit BBQ, The Westy, Baker’s Dozen Catering, Margie’s Café, and NW Texas BBQ.
MAIN STAGE MUSIC: 8-Bit Brass Band at noon, Heebie Jeebies at 1:30, Potholes at 3:30.
MURAL UNVEILING: On the main stage at 12:45 pm, your first look at the completed Summer Fest mural created by community members led by artist Stacey Sterling.
STORYTELLING: 1:30 pm with Dolly Warden
SQUARE DANCING: 2:30 pm with Caller Andy Garboden.
Updates before festival day will be at wsjunction.org.
(WSB photo from 2019 Harvest Festival)
Last year, trick-or-treating returned – this year, the West Seattle Junction Association is ready to put on a full-fledged Harvest Festival for the first time in three years! Sunday, October 30th is the date. And while Harvest Fest will again share the streets of The Junction with the Farmers’ Market, the festival will feature new features this year – including live music and a cornhole tournament. Some traditional favorites will return: The costume parade at 11 am, the chili cookoff at noon, for starters. The festival will run longer than years past, too. Trick-or-treating will run 11 am-2 pm; a pie-eating contest is planned at 1 pm; square dancing at 2:30 pm, and music continuing into the afternoon, with the announcement of the cornhole-tournament winners planned to end the festival at 5 pm. Stay tuned for more details as it gets closer!
If you are looking for something low-impact to do this afternoon, the Seattle Chinese Garden‘s Kite Festival is on until 5 pm. You can make a kite ..
fly yours and/or watch someone else fly theirs …
listen to guzheng music by Angell Li …
Happening at @SeaChineseGrdn – Kite Festival, with music pic.twitter.com/UJ1gCwuodp
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) September 10, 2022
and enjoy the garden, which is on the north end of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus at 6000 16th SW, just east of the Arboretum. ($5 suggested donation for entry.)
(WSB photo, 2019)
This summer of returning events isn’t over yet – this Saturday (September 3rd), the Vietnamese Cultural Center in West Seattle brings back the Children’s Moonlight Festival. It includes a kids’ lantern parade – as shown above in our 2019 photo, that doesn’t actually happen in the moonlight, as the festival will take place 3-6 pm with a variety of activities for all, including treats, games, entertainment, and a lion dance. All free! The center is at 2236 SW Orchard (just north of Home Depot).
For the first time ever – or at least the first time we can recall – you can wander California Avenue SW north of Admiral Way today, during the first-ever Admiral Junction Funktion, continuing until 9 pm. Local businesses welcome you to come shop, dine, drink, and play!
Face-painting, too:
And did we mention entertainment? Here’s the lineup. (Added) And here’s a short clip of one of the first bands, Princess Pulpit:
Businesses from beyond the immediate area have joined in, too – Alair Gift Shop brought some of its West Seattle-appreciation merch:
And if you live/work/study in Admiral, you’ll want to go meet your Admiral Neighborhood Association reps:
Today’s event also offers at least one chance to give back to your community – in front of Pizzeria 22 (4213 SW College) we found Anna collecting diapers for WestSide Baby:
While you’re there, look for beer gardens at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), Mission Cantina (margarita garden – 2325 California SW), Arthur’s (2311 California SW), and Yen Wor Village (2300 California SW). Three of those venues – Admiral Pub, Mission, Yen Wor – are planning afterparties tonight too, along with the nearby Benbow Room (4210 SW Admiral Way).
SATURDAY, 2:04 PM: The cars are of course a big draw at the 2nd annual Lowrider Block Party, happening until 6 pm on 17th SW between Delridge and Roxbury – we spotted a two-wheeler too:
Art is a centerpiece as well, creating it as well as admiring it:
The custom cars are works of art in their own way:
Nearby Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery is presenting the Lowrider Block Party again this year.
Along with cars and art, vendors and entertainment are part of the party too.
ADDED SUNDAY NIGHT: Thanks to Yma for sharing these photos with some of the cars’ intricate details:
A partner in the Lowrider Block Party was Eazy Duz It Car Club, seen on Alki last weekend.
(WSB photo – Joyas Mestizas at Seattle Folklorico Festival)
Dance and music isn’t all you’ll see at the Seattle Folklorico Festival, happening at Westcrest Park (9000 8th SW) until 4 pm.
As noted in our calendar listing, you can shop and snack too.
Local organizations are there too – from the Highland Park Improvement Club to the Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs, whose booth offers this info for the youngest members of the family too:
The Seattle Folklorico Festival is coordinated and presented by the youth folkloric-dance group Joyas Mestizas (who are scheduled to perform again at 2:30 pm). Performances are for and by all ages!
Another big event in West Seattle this Saturday! We’ve already previewed the Admiral Junction Funktion and Lowrider Block Party street-closing events, Now we have word of the Seattle Folklórico Festival, 11 am-4 pm Saturday at Westcrest Park [map]. It’s hosted by the youth folkloric-dance group Joyas Mestizas, whose members also will perform, along with other groups – here’s the list/schedule:
For more information on the performers and vendors, go here.
We have more information tonight about this Saturday’s Admiral Junction Funktion street party, which will close California SW just north of Admiral Way before, during, and after the noon-9 pm event. It’s a joint presentation of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Admiral Business District, City of Seattle Office of Economic Development Neighborhood Economic Recovery Fund, and PCC Community Market – West Seattle (WSB sponsor). The free event is described as “Shopping, dining, drinking, beer gardens, and dancing to live music.” The revelry actually starts – unofficially – the night before, Friday, with a Pre-Funk Bar Crawl (here’s the participant list/schedule). Then on Saturday, you’ll find beer gardens at Admiral Pub (2306 California SW), Mission Cantina (2325 California SW), Arthur’s (2311 California SW), and Yen Wor Village (2300 California SW). And here’s the entertainment schedule:
12 pm Alina Ashley Nicole
1 pm Princess Pulpit
2 pm Yen Wor Karaoke
3 pm Otter on the Rocks
6 pm Surf the Pines
7 pm Queen Andrew Scott
8 pm Boogie Boyz
Hosts throughout the day will be Brent Amaker and VJ Lacefront. Then once the Admiral Funktion wraps up at 9 pm, it’s afterparty time:
-Admiral Pub ’70s funk/disco party with drag performances by Queen Andrew Scott. –
-Mission Cantina will feature live bands
-Benbow has 2 DJs Back to Back going on all night
-Yen Wor Karaoke Party
Thanks to Alex Garcia from Admiral Pub for the entertainment-lineup info. Alex says organizers intend to ensure this is an annual event,
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
1:17 PM: Until 5 pm, you can visit newly dedicated Duwamish River People’s Park and enjoy the Duwamish River Festival. The park is at 8700 Dallas Ave. S. in South Park [map] – we reported on the site when construction began two years ago.
Today’s event includes entertainment, games, educational booths, and food, as shown here. We’ll add more photos when we’re back at HQ.
P.S. If you drive there and can’t find a close parking spot, there is a shuttle from 8438 Dallas.
ADDED 2:59 PM: The festival has more than 55 booths, most from agencies and groups addressing environmental issues in the Duwamish Valley and ways you can help – native plants, for example:
Knowing and respecting the Duwamish River’s fish and wildlife is another topic:
You can find out more about the West Dumamish Wet Weather Storage Facility project featured here earlier this week, to be built in southeast West Seattle in about three years:
Community resilience is a topic too – Cindi Barker from West Seattle is at the booth where you can find out about Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs:
And of course the EPA is there to talk about the ongoing Duwamish River cleanup. New regional administrator Casey Sixkiller (last mentioned here when he was running for mayor last year) spoke briefly to festivalgoers – he’s at right in our photo below next to Paulina López, executive director of the Duwamish River Community Coalition – which is presenting today’s festival:
With them from left are Calvin Teraba, Christian Poulsen, and Fatima Hernandez. Sixkiller promised to “continue to work in partnership with this community” toward “a river that’s clean, healthy, open to everyone.”
ADDED: Thanks to Don Brubeck for this photo of some of the festival performers:
Not to rush you out of summer, but it’s worth noting that Fauntleroy Fall Festival organizers are planning to bring it back this year. This was a discussion item at this month’s Fauntleroy Community Association meeting. You might recall that last year, a modified drive-up/walk-up version of the festival was offered. This year, the tentative plan is to fully bring back the festival, which usually offers multiple activities on the grounds of The Hall at Fauntleroy, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse, and Fauntleroy Church and YMCA (WSB sponsor). The date and time are set – Sunday, October 23, 2-5 pm. Funding for the free-of-charge festival got a boost at last month’s Endolyne Joe’s fundraiser, bringing in $3,150, the FCA was told. Organizers are also happy to have “a great group of fresh volunteers” on board to make it happen.
(WSB photos)
You’ll find art everywhere you look at the Alki Art Fair, where day 1 continues until 8 pm. Dozens of artists are on the promenade west of Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki), showing and selling their work – including West Seattle neighbors like oil painter Rance Holiman:
And collage artist Linda McClamrock:
You can also learn about sea life from volunteers at the Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network booth:
They’re near the booth where you can say hi to Canna West Culture Shop‘s Tricia and Mimi – Canna is an Art Fair sponsor (and WSB sponsor too):
This is a bonus day for the festival, continuing all weekend – some features, including the Kid Zone, silent auction, and live music, don’t start up until tomorrow. Find the artist lineup, music lineup, and more on the official festival website.
Another look ahead to a major weekend event – the Alki Art Fair, which is not only returning after three years, but also expanding to three days. It begins Friday (July 22nd). The artist/vendor booths stretch along the promenade, westward from Alki Bathhouse; the main music stage is on the lawn east of the Bathhouse. Our preview two weeks ago has details, but here are the basics:
FRIDAY
Artist Booths & Food Vendors: 2-8 pm
LIVE DJ : 4-8 pm
SATURDAY
Artist Booths & Food Vendors: 10 am-6 pm
Live Music: 11 am-8:30 pm
SUNDAY
Artist Booths & Food Vendors: 10 am-6 pm
Live Music: 11 am-5 pm
The Alki Art Fair also has a Kid Zone presented by Outer Space Seattle. And while there’s no admission charge, there are ways to support the festival, such as bidding in the silent auction inside the Bathhouse – organizers tell us you’ll be able to “Find everything from art to gift certificates from some of your favorite West Seattle eateries, museum and sports tickets, massages and more!” See the festival website here for the artist and music lineups. One more note: As with other returning events, this is a transition year – they’re not offering a shuttle this time, but you do have transportation options, such as the Water Taxi shuttle and Route 50 Metro bus.
A first-time feature at last weekend’s West Seattle Summer Fest was The Whale Trail‘s scavenger hunt and presentations to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the rescue of Springer the orca. We asked Whale Trail executive director Donna Sandstrom how the weekend of “orca sightings in The Junction” went:
Celebrate Springer at Summer Fest was a big success! Kids loved looking for the orcas, and merchants loved hosting them. The West Seattle Junction Association handed out more than 500 maps. Kids had to work hard to find some of the orcas!
About 70 people attended the Springer presentations, where the prizes were handed out. Everyone who participated got a Springer card and a marine mammal sighting chart, that will help them spot whales in the wild. Six grand-prize winners also received a copy of Orca Rescue! and an orca plushie.
Big thanks to the West Seattle Junction Association, the Senior Center of West Seattle, Husky Deli, participating merchants, and especially our volunteers, who made it all possible.
She says this was a first for The Whale Trail and they’d like to try it again, “maybe when we Welcome the Orcas in the Fall. In the meantime we are heading up to British Columbia this weekend to celebrate Springer with her team. We are hoping the guest of honor makes an appearance too!” She adds that you can “watch northern resident orcas – sometimes including Springer and her calves – at explore.org/orcalab. You can eavesdrop as they swim through Blackfish Sound, or watch as they visit the rubbing beaches in Johnstone Strait. The A54 pod is at the rubbing beaches now!” She was joined at the Summer Fest presentations by “members of Springer’s team, including Mark Sears, the local researcher who first spotted her; Joe Olson, who took the first hydrophone recordings of her calls; Dr. Dave Bain, who recognized the calls that helped identify her; and Lynne Barre, NOAA’s Branch Chief, who came to the northwest originally to help with Springer and now leads recovery efforts for the endangered southern residents. The audience was especially excited to see one of Springer’s sticks! Mark brought one of the small logs that was used to bring her close to the boat for early monitoring and assessments.”
(QUICK INFOLINKS: Farmers’ Market here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
11:11 AM: If you haven’t been to West Seattle Summer Fest yet, you have six more hours – or, even if you have, come back and see what you might have missed the first time, browse the year-round merchants’ sidewalk sales. Some FAQ here in the Info Booth:
*Where’s the Farmers’ Market? One block north.
*What bands are playing today? None – this year, music was scheduled just for Friday and Saturday.
*Where’s the face painting? Mid-block raised crosswalk on California between Oregon and Alaska.
*Where’s the cotton candy? Food zone, south side, toward the east end.
*Where are the Whale Trail scavenger-hunt maps? Here in the Info Booth.
We’re on the north side of the Info Booth today; on the east side until 2 pm, Seattle Police Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner (just a little over two weeks until Night Out!).
Lots of free swag, too – coloring books, pencils, tote bags. … An SDOT12:06 PM: The free “big games” got a late start but they’re now up and running on the east end of the Kids Zone (SW Alaska between California and 44th):
The Seattle Kraken have free games right next to that:
12:35 PM: Without bands today, the only schedule note we have for you is the 3 pm Whale Trail presentation about Springer the orca’s rescue – just go to the Senior Center (California/Oregon). … Breaking news: It’s National Ice Cream Day! You can celebrate with a West Seattle vendor in the Food Zone (Alaska west of California) – the Shug’s Soda Fountain cart!
They’re on the north side of the food zone, by Junction Plaza Park.
1:30 PM: The sun has returned! Just half an hour to get to the Farmers’ Market (one block north of its usual spot). That’s one more place you can get lunch and snacks – as we reported earlier, almost all the regular vendors are there, including those that are preparing food for you to enjoy on the spot.
2:01 PM: Surprise guest here at Summer Fest – Seattle Fire Ladder 11. It’s currently parked on Alaska close to 42nd, and since we took the photo above, a firefighter has climbed up to the end of the ladder.
(Reader photo)
You can also stop by and say hi to the firefighters on the ground. …. Farmers’ Market has closed, but the festival has three more hours. We’ve heard there’s an afterparty at Shadowland with live bands; first report said 5 pm, but the Shadowland staff told us, when we went up to ask who’s playing, 7 pm. We’ll be checking back.
2:55 PM: The sun is coming and going.
And time is going fast, with two more hours left in the festival. Thanks again to all the people who have stopped by to say hi! Also your final hours to get a Summer Fest T-shirt:
See the Junction Association volunteers on the southwest side of the Info Booth. The T-shirt design is something of a souvenir marking a historic moment in time, too, with this year’s logo incorporating the orange traffic cone and the almost-fixed bridge – the only (here’s hoping) Summer Fest to be held with a closed bridge. (Although if you look back 40 years to the roots of Summer Fest, that would take you to 1982 – two years before the current bridge fully opened.)
3:20 PM: Another FAQ: “Where’s the beer garden?” None today since there’s no music because of the Farmers’ Market moving into that space for the day. But certainly you have options for beer – like Elliott Bay Brewing (east side of California between Alaska and Edmunds, celebrating 25 years), and The Beer Junction (west side of California, not far south of Oregon) among them.
3:40 PM: Most attention-grabbing vendor name at
the festival:
In festival-food names, we’d give the award to the sushi burrito and light-bulb boba tea.
4 PM: The final-hour rush is on! Lines for fair/festival food – and the elephant-ears booth just announced they’re sold out.
4:25 PM: Still a lot of wandering going on. We’ll be here until the close at 5; festival staff starts breaking down immediately, but it’ll likely be some hours before the streets reopen. One more note about the Shadowland afterparty – it starts at 5, and the bands are playing indoors, not outdoors. … Update, just found out more. Five bands, 5 pm until close. Shadowland is on the northeast corner of California/Oregon – 21+.
4:53 PM: The Info Booth is being folded up around us – so that’s a wrap. Thanks to everyone who came down to celebrate the return of West Seattle’s biggest party of the year – from WSJA organizers to volunteers to production crew to sponsors to vendors to performers to festivalgoers! More summer fun to come.
That’s the north end of the relocated-today-only West Seattle Farmers’ Market, by the Post Office in the 4400 block of California SW. In past years, the third day of West Seattle Summer Fest has seen the market relocate to its old spot behind KeyBank, but this year the West Seattle Junction Association – which presents the festival – is trying something new: Dropping music on Sunday (which tended to be lightly attended anyway), so the market could stay on California SW, one block north. We stopped by the market-management booth to ask about the vendor response; 46 vendors are here today, which is only five fewer than usual. Hours are the same as usual – so get your shopping and snacking done before 2 pm!
(QUICK LINKS: Music here, food here, vendors here, kids zone here, bus reroutes here)
3:27 PM: Flash-mob-style synchronized show just happened at California/Alaska in the middle of West Seattle Summer Fest day two:
DancePowered is putting on a tour de force in the heart of Summer Fest. pic.twitter.com/uBXVzvBEY5
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
Jennifer Cepeda‘s fitness classes have been wildly popular for a long time. Jennifer tells us she’s been working on that since January!
Also big this afternoon – quite the crowd for West Seattle’s own THEM:
THEM on the Summer Fest main stage! pic.twitter.com/3SKKgA7Idr
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
Here’s the music lineup for the rest of the day/night:
3 pm – Rub (replacing Emily Stranger)
4 pm – Johnny Nails
5 pm – Mark Pickerel & the Peyote
6 pm – Mala Suerte
7 pm – Chong the Nomad
8 pm – Battlestar Kalakala
9 pm – True Loves
And at 7 pm at Elliott Bay, Down North. Also happening: come meet Seal Sitters here in the Info Booth. … More coverage to come; the festival continues until 8 pm tonight (music until 10)!
4 PM: Breaking weather news – it’s now partly sunny, after a mostly overcast day. …. As you wander Summer Fest, you’ll notice that the booths are a mix – some fair/festival stalwarts, but also some local businesses whose stores/offices are elsewhere in West Seattle, here to introduce themselves to more neighbors. Among them, several West Seattle sponsors – Camp Crockett is a home away from home for your dogs, with locations including Delridge and Upper Morgan:
That’s Vanessa from Camp Crockett. We also said hi to Ramone and Alice from Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Northwest, which serves West Seattle and vicinity from offices in Jefferson Square:
Nina is at the festival for Canna Culture Shop, between The Junction and Morgan Junction:
Longtime WSB sponsor Click! Design That Fits is having a sidewalk sale outside its shop at 4540 California SW – including these West Seattle = Best Seattle T-shirts in partnership with Alair (we reported previously on their intent)
The sidewalk display at Click! also includes earrings, which along with the T-shirts are part of a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association in honor of co-founder and artist Frances Smersh. … Another WSB sponsor with a special feature for Summer Fest, Verity Credit Union (4505 California SW) has a drawing you can enter:
Not far north of us at California/Alaska, meantime, the trombone-playing busker is back for a second day …”
Favorite busker so far. pic.twitter.com/B3rh67fXwC
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 16, 2022
… as is what we could call the proselytizing busker. Though Summer Fest planning has been under way for months, there are always some surprises along the way.
5:51 PM: (Added) Here’s a clip from Mark Pickerel’s set earlier this hour:
Close to dinner time. Judging by what people are carrying, looks like roasted corn and the light-bulb boba tea are very popular. Also of note, the sun went back into hiding and it’s a bit breezy, so you might want a sweater tonight. Festival maintenance is happening too – takes a lot of behind-the-scenes help to power an event of this magnitude:
Here at the Info Booth, we have info about more than what’s happening at the festival – we have a poster for the return of West Seattle Outdoor Movies too – they start next week, five Saturday nights in a row:
There’s a change since first word of the series – the July 23rd movie will be at Camp Long, then the subsequent four at Hotwire Coffee’s courtyard (long-ago longtime home of the series) – see you next Saturday!
6:54 PM: Lot of interest in the late-substitution band Down North performing at Elliott Bay at 7 pm, judging by inquiries here. Also, we’ve continued a long tradition … any candidate who stops by the info booth gets a photo – first and only candidate we’ve seen is State Sen. Joe Nguyen, so here’s the pictorial proof:
This year’s primary is just 2 1/2 weeks away – anybody running for office, come see us at the Info Booth during the festival (we’re here again tomorrow). … Other sightings in the past few hours included Lori McConnell and Tim McConnell, proprietors of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), who are a week away from presenting the return of the Float Dodger 5K, before the West Seattle Grand Parade. Still time to register to walk/run in it (go here to sign up) – proceeds benefit the West Seattle Food Bank.
8:24 PM: Back at HQ, we’re adding some music clips from earlier – some in line above – but first, here’s Down North at the Elliott Bay stage:
One more time … festival music is done after tonight … the stage/beer garden zone north of SW Oregon will hold the West Seattle Farmers’ Market 10 am-2 pm tomorrow.
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