West Seattle, Washington
07 Sunday
At 11:11 am, Washington State Ferries will commemorate Veterans Day with a moment of silence on all vessels, followed by blowing the ships’ whistles. From the announcement: “Please join us in remembering and thanking our veterans for their service in the U.S. Armed Forces.”
Veterans Day observances started tonight in West Seattle with the annual dinner at American Legion Post 160 in The Junction. The experiences of those who were there tonight spanned multiple services and multiple decades:
Below with Post 160 commander Keith Hughes, left, and American Legion state chaplain Chris Kuhnert is Chelsea Clayton, a West Seattleite who works as veterans’ affairs director for U.S. Senator Patty Murray.
As she had done at last year’s Post 160 dinner, Clayton read a message from Sen. Murray:
The heart of the message: “Please accept our sincere thanks for your dedication and service.” Tomorrow, November 11th, is not only Veterans Day but the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day.
P.S. Post 160’s observance continues tomorrow morning as volunteers will be out early to place flags in The Junction.
Since Thanksgiving is on the earliest-possible date this year, November 22nd, the holiday season is starting semi-early, and so we’ve launched our annual WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide knowing that you’ll be sending MUCH more to add to it. Additions? editor@westseattleblog.com – parties, tastings, light shows, concerts, plays, craft events, open houses, bazaars, donation drives, holiday hours/closure info, Santa appearances, anything and everything that’s holiday-related and open to the public, happening now through New Year’s, send it! Thank you!
In the seasonal mood yet? Twelve days to Thanksgiving! And holiday bazaar season has begun! Until 3 pm today, Highland Park Improvement Club is full of local artists/vendors with ideas for your gift list … or maybe for yourself.
Among the sellers, Scouts from Troop 40593, Layla, Nora, Cora, and Lilliaa, with tea wallets and bath bombs:
Among the coolest merchandise – local maps and items made from them:
And if you’re hungry … HPIC has tons of treats. Mike and Christie were at the table with sweet potato pie, cookies, and more.
Plus, ways to show off your Highland Park pride:
HPIC is at 1116 SW Holden.
West Seattleite Patrick Gerding is on the board of Everyone for Veterans and wants to be sure everyone hears about the organization’s “open mic” event tomorrow – not in WS but not far – whether you are a veteran who would like to speak, or whether you could simply be there to listen:
Veterans Day is not just a day off or about Veterans Day Sales…..
Please join us in honoring and acknowledging veterans on November 11th. We are collaborating with What They Signed Up For to bring you a free event where veterans and their families will share their stories of deployment to combat and readjustment at home. The public can listen and learn at this meaningful celebration.
It’s at the Rainier Arts Center (3515 South Alaska St.; map) in Columbia City, 3-5 pm Sunday. Find more information, and an RSVP link, here.
(WSB photos from final show setup this afternoon)
Looking for something to do before/after dinner? The Fauntleroy Fine Art and Holiday Gift Show has begun! Open until 8 tonight at Fauntleroy Church‘s Fellowship Hall – free to stop in and browse:
Courtesy of Judy Pickens, here’s the list of this year’s participating artists:
Melissa Aaron – Spice blends & teas
Michelle Aitken – Beach-inspired ceramics
Mary Anderson – Whimsical cashmere & fleece hats
Leslee Avery Beausoleil – Cold-pressed soaps & dog shampoo
Sonja Bergstrom – SheepPAL footstools
Saki Uehara-Bingen – Hand-designed mandala products
Gretchen Curtis – Hand-knitted textiles
Josephine DeLellis – Collages, shadow boxes & collage kits
Natalie Fobes – Prints, mobiles & notecards
Esperanza Robles-Lazo – Delicate wire-wrapped jewelry
Johanna Lindsay – Playful glass & wire jewelry
Kate Lorenzini – Fine greeting cards, packaging & paper sundries
Dee Miller – Garden art
Marise Miville – Nature-inspired handmade jewelry
David Somers – Wood turnings, engravings, carvings & paintings
Linda Thorson – Molded concrete yard art & birdhouses
The church is at 9140 California SW. The show/sale continues 10 am-4 pm tomorrow and 11 am-2 pm Sunday, one of the first events of the season – here’s our calendarized list of holiday events (more to come, in the calendar and our almost-ready Holiday Guide).
If you haven’t already seen this in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar: American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle will again host its Veterans Day Spaghetti Dinner, on Saturday, November 10th. The free dinner is not just for veterans but also for active duty, reserve, national guard, military veterans, and families. No RSVP required; just show up. Dinner is served at 5:30 pm; program at 6 pm. Post 160 is at 3618 SW Alaska.
Now, our request: Anyone else planning a Veterans Day event? And/or extending a special offer to veterans this weekend and/or on the official holiday Monday? Please let us know – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
As noted, we’re working on this year’s West Seattle Holiday Guide, with the first big weekend of the season just days away, including several bazaars. One December event, however, is still looking for vendors. The announcement:
We’re looking for vendors of any type to join us for a Holiday Bazaar hosted by The Community School of West Seattle, Saturday, December 1st from 12-4 pm.
If interested, please email office@cswsplay.org for more information and to nab a spot!
CSWS is at 22nd/Roxbury.
P.S. While we work on the Holiday Guide, here are all the holiday listings that are already in our regular calendar (more added last night and more to come)
With Thanksgiving as early this year as it’s possible for the fourth Thursday to arrive – November 22nd – holiday happenings are early too, so we’re working on this year’s West Seattle Holiday Guide. If you have a holiday-related event set to happen now through New Year’s – including donation drives that span all or part of the season – please send us info as soon as you can! We don’t need news releases or poster images, just the basics – what/when/where/who/etc. Thanks to those who have already sent theirs (you’ll find some listings in our year-round calendar’s Holidays category)! westseattleblog@gmail.com remains the best address.
Outside and inside, things are seriously tasty right now during the annual West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) Holiday Taste event.
What, you ask, holidays already? Keep in mind that Thanksgiving is only three weeks away.
So the store is full of possibilities – meats, cheeses, breads, dips, more – for you to sample until 7 pm, to get ideas for your holiday parties and meals. (And if you’d rather get expert help with an entire pre-made meal – here’s how Thriftway can help you with that!)
What we’ve seen … and received:
“Welcome to Nightfall Orphanage” is the scary display at 2130 Alki SW this year.
Tawd‘s show – a followup to last year’s “haunted pumpkin patch,” which he created after realizing Alki needed more Halloween spirit – will be open again this Friday and Saturday (November 2nd and 3rd), 7:30-10:30 pm.
Next, texted video of a decorated house in North Admiral, at 45th/Seattle:
So many elaborate displays tonight! One street in especially spooky spirit(s) was Walnut, south of West Seattle High School. Including Aaron‘s house:
Speaking of costumes – a couple reader-contributed photos from earlier – including these two seen during Admiral trick-or-treating:
Melodee at Daystar sent this photo of “Miss Butterfly”:
And earlier in the day, this texted photo wishing all “Feliz Día de los Muertos from West Seattle High School”:
Thanks as always for the photos, video, tips, calendar listings, etc. – now on to the winter holidays!
It’s the yard that draws a crowd every Halloween, going back to 2006 – the southwest corner of 36th and Hanford becomes the stage for Skeleton Theatre. It’s a labor-intensive animatronic production, and some years have recycled all or part of previous years, but this year ST is presenting an all-new show, “The Toppers of Redbridge.” We stopped by for photos and video about midway through tonight’s continuous three-hour run.
Skeleton Theatre isn’t spooky unless you find skeletons scary in any context; it is clever and humorous. (Think bone-related jokes.)
If you missed it tonight, check it out tomorrow (Thursday, November 1st), 20-minute shows scheduled to run pretty much continuously 6-9 pm. Read more on the ST website, where you also can donate to help the creators cover the costs of this Halloween spectacular they’ve been presenting all these years.
Judi Yazzolino from the West Seattle Food Bank sent that photo of just part of the scene outside the Meeds Manor Haunted House – before dark … just imagine the spookiness that awaits you now! Until 9:30 pm at 5415 49th SW, you’re invited to stop by for a scare – admission is by nonperishable-food donation for the WSFB, which Judi says has as a result in the past had a Halloween haul around a half-ton or so! Of course it’s part of our Halloween Etc. Guide, which you’ll want to check for spooky shows and more.
Not too much competition for candy so far in the Admiral District, where business trick-or-treating is on until 6 pm as this West Seattle Halloween revs up into high gear! Participating businesses are happy to see all their costumed visitors – and don’t miss the side streets – West Seattle Realty (WSB sponsor), for example, is on 42nd SW, east side of the Admiral Safeway complex, and has Tracey and Kevin standing by with candy:
Costume themes this year range all the way back into prehistoric times:
(added) Our nominee for best accessories:
For best treat pairing (A Kids Place Dentistry for Children [WSB sponsor] offered toothbrushes AND candy):
Spiciest costume, at Mission Cantina (WSB sponsor):
Still a few more photos to come. And more Halloween coverage! See what else is up tonight by checking our Halloween Etc. Guide.
(2015 photo by Jason Enevoldsen)
By Alice Enevoldsen
Special to West Seattle Blog
It’s Halloween! Time for candy, chocolate, costumes, cultural celebrations … and allergic reactions? I’m a little late writing about the Teal Pumpkin Project this year, but you can still participate! Even if you can’t, having a little empathy tonight will go a long way with your neighbors.
As adults, we are almost always able to deal appropriately with the feeling of being left out. Good for us. Celebrating Halloween with food allergies means being left out over and over again, which is particularly difficult for children.
Enter the Teal Pumpkin Project! It’s simple:
1. (optional) Sign up at http://tealpumpkinproject.org
2. Display a teal pumpkin at your door, or a picture of one, to show that you’re participating. Locally, Target is selling Teal Pumpkin Project merchandise that you can use to display your participation.
3. Give trick-or-treaters a non-food treat either instead of candy or in addition to candy. Try to keep the candy in a separate bowl from the non-candy.
The Teal Pumpkin Project is not an attempt to eliminate candy from Halloween. The Teal Pumpkin Project was started to promote the inclusion, safety and respect for people with food allergies. As a happy circumstance, this also promotes the inclusion, safety and respect for people who also cannot have candy for reasons besides food allergies such as diabetes, family rules, simple preference, etc.
I don’t have food allergies, why would I participate?
Empathy and inclusion.
Most social occasions in the United States have an emphasis on food. This is extremely stressful if you have food allergies, like me, and even more stressful if your children have food allergies. It takes a lot of willpower not to eat that tempting chocolate bar—even though I know it might have nuts. I just really wish I could have one too. Children are still learning this skill and need more supervision.
There are already over 60 households signed up on the West Seattle peninsula, including White Center. These houses will be passing out tattoos, stickers, toys, making slime, making glow worms, critters, slap bracelets, bubbles, pencils, fangs, blind bags, squeeze balls, glow sticks and more. You can find a map or list of some of them on the Teal Pumpkin Project website. I know there are more planning to participate as well.
Do kids really like non-food treats?
Yes. Not every kid likes every treat, and that’s true for candy too, but non-food treats can be even more fun, and are less likely to be subject to the “parent tax” (you know the one: the portion of kids’ candy eaten by the parents after bedtime?). I’m sure you can get even more creative, but stickers and glowsticks are usually a hit. Toothbrushes, probably not. I’ll be making slime, but I’m intense about Halloween. Are you down to the wire on time? A dollar store is going to have a variety of things that will work.
If I’m handing out candy and non-food treats, how do I determine which treat to give to each trick-or-treater?
I advocate giving out both to each kid, but the Food Allergy Research and Education organization recommends that “you can either ask trick-or-treaters if they have any food allergies, or give every visitor a choice of which treat they’d like: candy or a non-food item.”
There are answers to more of your questions on the Teal Pumpkin Project FAQ. I’m happy to answer your questions tonight at @AlicesAstroInfo on Twitter, in between making slime with my own trick-or-treaters.
I/My Child Has Food Allergies
Please stay safe on Halloween. Bring your epinephrine and allergy medications while you trick-or-treat and to Halloween parties. Wait until you get home to eat any treats. Check every label and ingredients, fun size candies can have different ingredients than full-size. If you can’t find the ingredients, swap it for something safe. Bring extra safe treats along with you to parties.
Resources:
FARE: Food Allergy Research and Education
FAACT: Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team
WA-FEAST: Washington Food Allergy, Eczema, and Asthma Support Team—this is our local active support group.
Sea-FAC: Seattle Food Allergy Consortium—local research being done into causes and cures for food allergies.
(WSB photo, November 2017)
Thanksgiving is just three weeks from tomorrow, so it’s an immediate segue from Halloween into the holiday season again this year, and the first big event is Thursday – West Seattle Thriftway (4201 SW Morgan; WSB sponsor) invites you to the annual Holiday Taste, 4-7 pm Thursday. Dozens of vendors will offer samples to inspire your holiday plans, free as always.
P.S. If your business/organization/school has a holiday event, please let us know ASAP as we’ll also be segueing into work on our annual guide (besides the year-round calendar – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
(Photo by Rose De Dan – Halloween displays on 38th SW between SW Stevens and SW Lander)>?
It’s Halloween Eve and we just wanted to remind you one more time about the array of activities in our West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide. Trick-or-treating starts early, with costumed candy-seekers welcome at businesses in Admiral (starting at 3), Westwood Village and White Center (starting at 4), and things get spookier from there … animatronic shows … even Halloween Trivia with a costume contest and prizes! See the full list here.
First big event of Hallo-weekend – more than 300 people on the paths of Lincoln Park, raising money for local co-op preschools via the West Seattle Monster Dash. It was a beautiful morning in the forest:
Spooky creatures everywhere you looked:
This set of outfits, you might call sweet:
Here’s our video as everybody left the starting line:
This was the Monster Dash’s seventh year!
Four West Seattle Hallo-week notes tonight:
WEST SEATTLE YULETIDE’S HALLOWEEN SHOW RETURNS: Got late word from Ken and Cora Iverson that their light show east of The Junction, on the east side of 38th SW between Genesee and Dakota, is back:
We’ll have our singing pumpkin again with his three monster back-up singers, along with Zombies, Larry and Scully and the Wicked Witch of the West (if it’s not raining – she melts in water, you know).
The show just wrapped up its first night and is set to go continuously 6 to 9 again tomorrow (Saturday) – “later if there’s an audience” – and 6-10 pm on Halloween. Inbetween – possible shows Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Adding to our Halloween Etc. Guide – where we’ve also added this second-year attraction:
‘WELCOME TO NIGHTFALL ORPHANAGE’: 2130 Alki SW is where you’ll find this spooky show next week:
It’s the second year of a special show in this Alki yard; you can read more about it at nightfall1031.wordpress.com. It’ll be open for your visit Monday-Wednesday (October 29th-31st) and the following Friday-Saturday (November 2-3), 7:30 pm-10:30 pm each night. Candy on Halloween and Nov. 2nd.
SKELETON THEATRE: The website is updated now for this south-of-Admiral animatronic extravaganza with word of an all-new show this year. Here’s the trailer:
6-9 pm Wednesday and Thursday (October 31-November 1) at 36th SW/SW Hanford. And see our guide for the trailer for one more animatronic show, Nightmare on 44th.
One other Hallo-week note tonight:
HARVEST FESTIVAL KIDS’ PIE-EATING CONTEST: We hear there’s still room for more participants in the new pie-eating contest during Sunday’s West Seattle Junction Harvest Festival. The announcement: “A la Mode Pies is sponsoring a kids’ (8-14) pie-eating contest. Sign up at their West Seattle cafe by 10 AM October 28; they will pick 10 random contestants.” Prizes for the top three finishers. A la Mode is on SW Alaska just east of California; the contest will be at Walk All Ways by the Info Booth at 1:30 pm Sunday.
Got a Halloween/fall/harvest event coming up but haven’t sent us the info? Hurry! westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
As of right now, 38 events are listed in our West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide – for kids, adults, even pets – many, but not all, later this week and this weekend. But we’re sure there’s more, and we’d love to add yours. White Center and South Park events are welcome as well as everything happening in West Seattle. Please e-mail us the info at westseattleblog@gmail.com!
This year’s official West Seattle Junction Christmas-tree-lighting event is December 1st – still seven weeks away, so some people did a double-take when they noticed the tree all lit up this past weekend, including Melissa, who sent the photo. We recalled early installation and testing last year, and verified today with Junction Association executive director Lora Radford that the same thing is happening this year – easier to get it done before the fall rains arrive. (Although the forecast suggests they’re not likely to get going any time soon!)
As we do every year, we’ll be publishing the West Seattle Halloween Etc. Guide page, listing all the special events coming up this month, and they’re starting soon, so we’re working on it sooner than usual! If your organization/business/school/facility/group/etc. is planning something that’s open to the public, please e-mail us the info as soon as you can – just the basic what/when/where details, and a website link if you have one – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Halloween is just under six weeks away, and businesses in The Admiral District have decided to offer trick-or-treating that afternoon again this year:
That’s the official poster, just sent by Brent Amacher on behalf of the Admiral merchants – look for it on Halloween (which is a Wednesday this year) to see who’s participating.
P.S. West Seattle Junction businesses’ trick-or-treating will happen as usual during the Harvest Festival, 10 am-2 pm on Sunday, October 28th.
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