West Seattle, Washington
16 Thursday
Thanks to Kate for the photos – she reports this is in Sunrise Heights, in the 7100 block of 30th Ave SW.
We’re continuing to feature your Halloween display photos every night during the spooky season – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Our past few showcased Halloween decorations have been relatively simple. Tonight we rev up to all-out! As Halloween approaches, the lively lights start up. The photo and video are from Derick at 37th SW and SW Graham, who declares, “Our light show is up!”
Halloween show runs Sunset to 9 pm. On the 31st it will go until 10 pm.
There are low volume speakers out front that play music. You can also tune in with your car radio via 87.9FM.
I added more lights and new songs. The playlist is currently ~7 minutes long, but I’ll likely add a couple of songs by Halloween.
I made a simple website for information about the show and how to contact me.
SeattleLightShow.com
Got decorations? Seen decorations? westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you!
Less than a week after celebrating Harvest Fest in advance of Halloween, the West Seattle Junction Association is presenting a new event this year – a Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration in the “Lower Junction” (east edge of The Junction, mostly on the west side of Fauntleroy Way):
Saturday, November 1st | 11 AM – 2 PM
Join us for a vibrant Day of the Dead celebration as we transform Fauntleroy Ave into a colorful block filled with papel picado, marigolds, and community spirit. Come honor loved ones, enjoy live music, and explore festive activities from your favorite local merchants.
What’s happening:
Live Mariachi band (Mariachi Estrellas de Mexico)
Calaveras face painting (skeleton art)
Community Ofrenda at Maris – starting Oct 30, bring a photo of a loved one to add to the altar, honoring their life and spirit. The ofrenda will remain up through Nov 2.Merchant Activities:
–Orangetheory Fitness – “Afterlife Burn” 30-second rowing challenge, giveaways, swag, class vouchers + photo area
–Sound & Fog – offering Mexican hot chocolate + Day of the Dead–themed treats
–Maris – Create your own skull keychains + Day of the Dead magnets
–Club Pilates – Color your own calaveras, try the “Deadly Plank Challenge,” join the magic-circle fun
–Spa Phoebe – Create your own skull scratch masks, make your own bath salts with essential oils and grab a free temporary Day of the Dead tattoo
–City Sweats – Add to our Gratitude bowl: share memories or notes of thanks; entries entered in a raffle for complimentary wellness services
–Bohemian Studios – Participate in Day of the Dead -themed morning Barre classes at 8:30 A & 10 A plus Vinyasa Yoga at 11:30ACome walk the block, sip, shop, move, and celebrate life and remembrance together in true West Seattle style.
It’s not strictly a Halloween decoration … but the newest mural by West Seattle artist Desmond Hansen (whose nickname is “Graves“) certainly fits the season. Property owner John Bennett commissioned this for the east-facing side of his building on the northeast corner of California SW and SW Genesee (home to Itto’s Tapas and Salon 08, among other things), and sent us the photo. This is actually the second giant skeleton to decorate Bennett’s building; the other one also is up year-round.
Got a Halloween-season scene to share? We’re continuing to show them nightly – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Thanks again to everyone who’s answered our call for Halloween decoration photos! Tonight we’re going with another simple yet elegant scene – A sent this from West Seattle’s legendary Chelan Café (3527. Almost worthy of a caption contest!
****Right after we uploaded the photo and wrote the lines above, before we even hit “publish,” another view arrived, sent by Yma; removes a little of the mystery:
Got a decoration photo to share – whether your display or one you’ve seen? Email westseattleblog@gmail.com – and see what we’ve already shown in our Halloween archive!
(Photo courtesy South Seattle Cooperative Preschools)
It’s time for reminders about some of the biggest events of Halloween/fall-celebration season – so here’s one: We are now less than two weeks away from the next West Seattle Monster Dash! This costumed 5K and kids’ run at Lincoln Park on Saturday, October 25, is a fundraiser for West Seattle Cooperative Preschools. The 5K run/walk starts at 9:30 am; the kids’ Monster Dash starts at 10:30 am – and there’s a Kids’ Zone with other activities for the younger dashers, too. You can sign up right now on the Monster Dash website. The Monster Dash is celebrating its 13th anniversary!
Some Halloween displays fill yards/decks with various creeply creatures. Then … there are some with sparse elegance. Like this one. The centerpiece is the heart of this Halloween display, spotted by Jerry Simmons along 35th Avenue SW (and requiring him to turn around and go back for the photo!). Got a decoration pic to share, yours or someone else’s? westseattleblog@gmail.com as we continue nightly features for three more weeks! (What we’ve already shown is in the WSB Halloween archive.)
Three weeks until Halloween! Tonight’s featured decoration photo was sent by Erika last night. She said, “I just encountered a good one … near the intersection of 9th Ave SW and SW Cloverdale St. Lots of scary clowns. Photo attached is just a small part.” If you have – or have seen – a display your West Seattle neighbors should see, please send a photo to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s Halloween decorations were sent by Treair, from SW 106th/Seola Beach Drive.
Treair explains, “This is my house.. I made all of the big stuff minus the two 12-ft skeletons, those Home Depot provided.”
We’re showing Halloween decorations nightly again this season – if you have a display to show off, please send pic and info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(What we’ve shown already is archived here, along with other Halloween-season coverage, newest to oldest.)
Thanks to Joanna for tonight’s spotlight photo! She sent photos of several displays she’s seen around North Admiral; this one mixes multiple genres of spooky decor. Thanks to everybody who’s already sent photos – Halloween is just a little over three weeks away, so we’re showcasing decorations every night. Send photos of your own display or one(s) you’ve seen – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Tonight’s showcase West Seattle Halloween decoration is in honor of the Mariners‘ playoff win tonight:
Thanks to Yma on SW Portland in Gatewood for the photo! We’re showing decorations nightly through Halloween/Dia de Muertos – if you have a photo or two to share, whether it’s your display or someone else’s, westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! (And good luck to the M’s in ALDS Game 4 tomorrow, at either noon or 4 pm our time!)
Last week we started asking for your photos of Halloween decorations – either your own, or someplace you’ve seen – and one of the first replies came from Jaime and Jill in South Delridge, who sent these photos: “These are our Halloween decorations on Delridge Way SW between Trenton and Cloverdale. Better to look after dark.”
We’ll be showcasing as many as we can between now and Halloween, and we’re adding seasonal events to the calendar too – please send photos and/or info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Remember Astra Lumina, the light-and-sound show that took over the Seattle Chinese Garden on Puget Ridge for the holiday season (and beyond) again last year? The producers have added a Halloween-season show this year, Forest of Shadows, and it starts tomorrow, running until early November. The photo above was sent by Margaret, showing a daytime view of one of the many features added in the garden to help set up the show, which is described as taking visitors “down a dark path of mystery and fright … an immersive, strange world where illusions twist reality, echoes surround you, and hidden figures linger beyond sight.” After an invitation-only preview tonight, “Forest of Shadows” runs most Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (with a few exceptions/additions) through November 2nd – see the schedule and pricing here.
P.S. Astra Lumina will be back too, scheduled to start just a few days after Forest of Shadows closes.
(2024 photo by Janelle Otterholt)
Now that it’s October, Halloween is just under a month away.Just four weeks and one day until Halloween. We’ve noticed some decorations are already up. So it’s also time for a reminder that we showcase Halloween decorations every year and would love your photo(s)! You don’t have to provide your exact address as long as it’s a vicinity where people who want a firsthand look are likely to find the display (“in the xx block of xxth Street,” for example). It’s also helpful if you indicate whether the display’s more intended for night – lights? – or day (or spooky any time of day). westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302. P.S. Business displays welcome too – we see every year that some go all-out with the seasonal spirit!
(WSB file photo)
The start of fall means Halloween season is nearing too, and we’re starting to receive announcements about this year’d events. Among them, one month from tomorrow, Camp Long will again host Trail or Treat – and right now it’s looking for organizations to host and decorate cabins! From Camp Long’s Matt Kostle:
Right now we are looking for organizations to volunteer to host cabins at the event as this event happens in collaboration with public and private organizations. The way it works is each organization “hosts” a cabin by providing some volunteers/staff and treats to hand out while we set up the lighted trails and pathways along with some interactive activities! This is a family-friendly event and has been quite popular the last two years we have done it, bringing in around 1000 people each time! Here’s a link for organizations to sign up to host cabins! Once we get a better idea of how many organizations are participating this year we will send out an updated flyer and map of the event with organizations logos as available. Organizations are also able to decorate the cabins in whatever festive ways they like (keeping in mind that it is family friendly so not too scary) and can hand out/provide whatever info they want about their organizations to the public visiting for the event!
Yes, really, we have two reasons to mention Halloween today, even though it’s more than 2 1/2 months away …
HALLOWEEN STOCKPILE SALE: Patricia wants to be sure you have plenty of advance notice that she is having a sale because she’s getting out of the Halloween-decoration business after many years of delighting neighbors and visitors – the reader-contributed photos above and below are just a few of those we’ve received spotlighting her past displays. She is selling her stockpile to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank: “I am retiring from the ‘business’ of Halloween home decor. Over the years I have amassed a substantial number of decorations and hope to turn those items into much-needed cash for the food bank.”
Patricia’s all-Halloween WSFB-fundraiser sale is set for 9 am-4 pm Saturday and Sunday, August 23 and 24, at 2752 38th SW – cash only.
HALLOWEEN STORE: A concerned reader contacted us recently, worried that Spirit Halloween wouldn’t be returning to Westwood Village’s ex-Bed Bath Beyond for a fourth season, since it wasn’t on their website, though other 2025 stores were, and there was no signage on the storefront (at least as of last we looked). We found job listings that had been posted this past spring for fall 2025, which seemed like a hint they would indeed be returning, but now there’s no doubt – the WWV seasonal store has been added to . No opening date listed, but the past two years, they’ve opened by the last week of August.
The first big event of the night has 16th SW closed to traffic between Roxbury and SW 100th, as White Center’s “Halloweentown” welcomes trick-or-treaters, among others – actually “trunk or treaters,” with decorated low-rider cars on the west side of the north block:
Go admire the decorated trunks and grab some candy.
Even well before dark, the ghosts and goblins were out marauding.
Individual venues have activities too – travel through the scary-clown inflatable arch at Big Mario’s Pizza/Alpine Diner (WSB sponsors) and you’ll find pumpkins to paint:
More grownup fun is part of the party later in the evening too – Halloweentown is in the spirit until 2 am.
(Photo courtesy Kristin)
That’s a 2023 photo of the Arbor Heights “Haunted Alley,” on SW 102nd between 35th SW and 36th SW. “It’s spooky but also family friendly,” says Kristin, who emailed us about it this morning. Here are other highlights from our Halloween list:
TODDLER PUMPKIN PALOOZA: Fun for little ones at High Point Community Center (6920 34th SW), 10 am-noon. Admission is a food donation for West Seattle Food Bank.
RON & BRIAN’S HALLOWEEN EXTRAVAGANZA: We’ve been previewing this one. See it tonight on 47th SW between Hanford and Hinds.
WHITE CENTER HALLOWEENTOWN BLOCK PARTY: Celebrate Halloween in the street! 16th SW between Roxbury and SW 100th, 4 pm-2 am.
MEEDS MANOR HAUNTED HOUSE: 5:30-9 pm, famous neighborhood haunted house, collecting donations for youth basketball. (3011 45th SW)
HENRY’S HAUNTED HOUSE: Around the corner from Meeds Manor, 11-year-old Henry has built a haunted house you can see 6-9 pm – 47th/Hanford.
‘NIGHTFALL’ CHARITY HAUNT: Annual spooky experience, 5:30-9:30 pm, with a “trick-or-treat trail” for the first hour. Private West Seattle residence – go here for more info.
NIGHTMARE ON 44TH: This might be the last year for David Williams‘ front-yard animatronics show, 6-9 pm on 44th between Charlestown and Andover.
REVELRY ROOM HALLOWEEN SOIREE: 8 pm-2 am, costume contest and more. (4547 California SW)
SKELETON SKATE: 8:30 pm at Southgate Roller Rink (9646 17th SW).
See other Halloween sights in our archive; for non-Halloween events, see our West Seattle Event Calendar.
Two notes about places you might want to go on Halloween:
(File photo)
NIGHTMARE ON 44TH FINALE? David Williams says this might be the last year for his animatronic extravaganza in a yard on 44th SW, between Charlestown and Andover. Halloween night only, go see it, in case you never get another chance!
R & B’S PREVIEW: Back on October 5, we showed you the early edition of R & B‘s annual extravaganza on 47th between Hanford and Hinds. R & B have sent an update:
We said we had more to show you and we meant it. Here’s our “Dress Rehearsal” YouTube video!
There will be Halloween videos playing on the Skeleton Theater and plenty of candy for the Trick o’ Treaters.
Happy Halloween!
(No relation to the former Skeleton Theater that hung up its [bone] spurs after last year.)
If you’re making your plan for Thursday night, add Henry‘s house! His mom Heather tells us why:
My 11-year-old son Henry is obsessed with Halloween, and has built an elaborate haunted house in our back yard.
You’re invited to our Haunted House! We will have a Spooky Porch with candy for littles, and Henry has really gone all out this year (with the help of his dad) to build a very scary Haunted House in the back yard, with very kind input from Chris, who hosts Meeds Manor, around the corner – come to both! We are on the corner of 47th & Hanford. For kids 10 or older – no snakes or spiders, but plenty of other scary stuff – and it will take 5 minutes (or less) to go through it. We welcome donations to the West Seattle Food Bank, and it’s free to enter. On Halloween, 6-9 PM!
We still have decoration pics to show tonight, too – stand by!
More Halloween decorations to showcase: A “parade of pumpkins” is how Janelle Otterholt describes this annual display at (corrected) 52nd/Dakota on Genesee Hill – dozens and dozens of jack o’lanterns.
She declares this “a viewing destination during the day or at night (when the pumpkins are lit).” And of course, what a sight it will be on Halloween this Thursday! Thanks to everyone who has sent photos and video – see what we’ve already shown by scrolling through this coverage archive.
ADDED TUESDAY: Theresa Arbow-O’Connor sent this nighttime view:
(First two photos by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)
Perhaps they conjured the break in the rain! The annual Witches and Warlocks Paddle took off from Seacrest early this afternoon, substituting personal watercraft for brooms.
They glided onto Elliott Bay and its magical silver sheen:
(Photo by Steve Pumphrey)
Just another spellbinding West Seattle Halloween-season scene. This is organized by Maari Falsetto of Inner Alchemy.
(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!
| 0 COMMENTS