Continuing to count down to this year’s West Seattle Summer Fest, this Friday-Sunday in the heart of The Junction, it’s time to talk food! As WS Junction Association (the merchants’ organization that presents Summer Fest) executive director Lora Swift explains, “We’re focused more and more on the incredible food you can find right here in The Junction. With each restaurant offering table service, fair specials, plenty of seating, and front-row people watching, grabbing a bite at Summer Fest has never been better or more delicious.” The first list below is year-round food/beverage businesses with “extended service” during Summer Fest – in most cases that means temporary outdoor cafés:

Easy Street Records
Elliott Bay Brewing Company
Supreme
Great American Diner & Bar
Falafel Salam
Vine and Spoon
The Lodge Sports Grille
Pizzeria Credo
Maharaja
Kizuki Ramen
Seattle Fish
The Beer Junction
JaK’s Grill
West 5
Pecado Bueno
Ma’ono
Shadowland
Coastline Burgers
Talarico’s
Bin 41

Some – like West 5 (WSB sponsor) – get going with their outdoor café on Summer Fest Eve, so come down tomorrow evening and wander! Meantime, for festival days Friday-Sunday, here are the vendors you’ll find with booths/stands on SW Alaska:

Monster Dogs
3 Little Sisters Filipino Deli
Ray’s Food
Frelard Tamales
Bang Bar
Matador West Seattle
Pecos Pit Bar-B-Que
Tasty Craves Roasted Corn
Kenyan Kitchen

Official festival hours are 10 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday – with music and beer garden running later those nights – and 11 am-5 pm Sunday. But “extended service” also can mean added hours, so wander when you’re at the festival and see what you find! More previews to come …

West Seattle Summer Fest is almost here – the streets in the heart of The Junction start closing at 4 pm Thursday for setup and Summer Fest Eve festivities, and then starting at 10 am Friday, it’s on! We’ve been previewing various features of the festival – and right now, we want to call your attention to the question mark on the map above, at California/Alaska. That’s the Information Tent, but as always, it will be more than “just” festival info. It’s also where WSB is headquartered during Summer Fest, for as-it-happens coverage – and it’s also where community organizations/public agencies have free space so you can get community info! Here’s who will have reps there this year and when you can stop by to talk with them:

Friday, 10 am-2 pm

Girl Scouts of Western Washington
Seattle Public Schools Head Start

Friday, 2 pm-6 pm

Neighborcare Health
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer with American Cancer Society Seattle

Saturday, 10 am-2 pm

Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network
SR3 Sealife Response, Rehab and Research

Saturday, 2 pm-6 pm

West Seattle Be Prepared
Endolyne Children’s Choir

Sunday, 11 am-2 pm

Seattle Police Department
Seattle Subway

Sunday, 2 pm-5 pm

Southwest Youth and Family Services
West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation

You’ll also find some community orgs at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park, too.

Later today (Wednesday) – more previews – including Summer Fest food! (And you can browse the festival website for tons of advance info, too.)

Festival hours are Friday 10 am-6 pm, Saturday 10 am-6 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm, with music and beer garden running later the first two nights. See you at Summer Fest!

West Seattle Summer Fest 2018 is just a few days away! The streets in the heart of The Junction close at 4 pm Thursday for setup and Summer Fest Eve fun – then West Seattle’s biggest party of the year starts at 10 am Friday. While the year-round Junction merchants, restaurants, and bars are the stars of the show – most with something extra during the festival (outdoor sales, sidewalk cafés, etc.) – 110+ visiting vendors (and organizations) will have booths too, and tonight, while the list is in the process of being added to the official Summer Fest website, we have the names (after the jump if you’re reading from the WSB home page):

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(WSB file photo – one of WSJA’s 4 free-to-shoppers lots)

Continuing our countdown to West Seattle Summer Fest – next Friday, Saturday, Sunday (July 13-14-15) in The Junction – tonight, we’re talking beer. Specifically, a new beer that will make its debut at Summer Fest: SOL (Save Our Lots) Parking Pale! We’ve reported before on the challenge facing the West Seattle Junction Association in continuing to offer free parking; the land it’s on, owned by Trusteed Properties and leased to WSJA, continues to increase in value and therefore property tax, which is passed on to the local businesses who comprise WSJA, under terms of their lease. After an appeal, they’ll get a bit of a reprieve, but that won’t last, so a fundraising campaign is launching, and SOL Pale is part of it. Elliott Bay Brewing Company has brewed it, described as “a hybrid, somewhere between a session style pale ale and a hazy light wheat” with a “citrusy aroma and quaff-ably refreshing finish.” For starters, it’ll be available at Elliott Bay and The Beer Junction; watch for more news about it as Summer Fest approaches. P.S. If you’re not a beer drinker, WSJA is accepting donations for the lots online, too.

That’s the official 2018 map for West Seattle Summer Fest, which will be wrapping up Night 1 right about this time one week from now (Friday, July 13th), with The Briefs scheduled as last act of the night. If you’ve been to the festival in recent years, you’ll notice the basic layout is the same, with a few changes – for example, the newly added (free!) game zone will be on the east side of California/Oregon. The California Stage at the north end of the festival zone is where all the entertainment listed here will happen. And if you get lost or have a question – come see the West Seattle Junction Association staff (and us!) in the Information Tent, marked on the map by the big question mark in the heart of what’s Walk All Ways the rest of the year. Summer Fest hours are next Friday and Saturday, 10 am-6 pm (music and beer garden running later), plus Sunday, 11 am-5 pm, with the streets in the heart of The Junction closing at 4 pm Thursday to get going with setup and Summer Fest Eve. More previews to come!

(SDOT cam image captured during 2017 West Seattle Summer Fest)

Now that the 4th of July is past – we’re stepping up the countdown for West Seattle Summer Fest, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year, now just eight days away! (Seven, if you are starting with Summer Fest Eve, the Thursday night pre-festival fun – here’s our newest info on that.) We talked with Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association – the merchants’ organization that presents Summer Fest (with co-sponsors including WSB) – to see what’s new this year. Here’s a taste:

-More local restaurants/bars with outdoor cafés – at least 26 at last count, Lora told us! – so the focus is on local food/beverages, with fewer outside vendors
-More activities for teens and tweens
-Giant games
-More signage to point you to the basics, like restrooms
-The music stage will be a bit further north, still on California between Genesee and Oregon
-Shade tents set up around the festival if you need to take a break from the sun ‘n’ fun

Lots more info to roll out, but we’ll start with this. Festival hours are Friday (July 13th) and Saturday (July 14th), 10 am-6 pm, with music and beer garden running into the late evening, plus Sunday (July 15th), 11 am-5 pm. Since the festival takes over California from Genesee to Edmunds, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market on Summer Fest Sunday will be back in the 44th/Alaska parking lot where it got its start (usual hours, 10 am-2 pm). Music lineup is here; pricing and hours for the kids’ rides is here; other info soon!

(WSB photo, Summer Fest Eve 2017)

Just confirmed by Lora Swift at the West Seattle Junction Association – the ever-effervescent Bubbleman will be back for Summer Fest Eve on July 12th, two weeks from tonight. He’ll perform in the heart of The Junction, at California/Alaska, that night at 6:30 pm, after the streets are closed for festival setup. Even if you’re not much for bubbles, Summer Fest Eve has long been a great time to come wander the streets, and this year there’ll be more going on than ever. Many restaurants and bars will be setting up their outdoor spaces – more than two dozen this year! – including West 5 (WSB sponsor), which is continuing its 15th-anniversary celebration, and will bring back the Yadda Yadda Blues Band.

Summer Fest Eve also is West Seattle Art Walk night, and will include extra artistic touches including the start of a community mural project that will last for the entirety of Summer Fest – look for it near California/Oregon, with artist Stacey Sterling there to guide you. Artists will be creating chalk art on the streets during Summer Fest Eve, too.

P.S. Want to be a busker during Summer Fest Eve, or any other time at the festival (Friday-Sunday, July 13-15)? You get priority for time slots and designated locations if you sign up in advance – the form is live now!

(SEE THE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE – entertainment, activities – here)

11:06 AM: Perfect almost-summer day at the Morgan Junction Community Festival, presented by the Morgan Community Association, spread across multiple spots in and around Morgan Junction Park (west side of California, just north of Fauntleroy)! The performances have begun:

The food vendors are up and running – The Tamale Guy, Jones BBQ, and Sweet Bumpas Ice Cream are in the lot on the north side of Beveridge Place Pub:

And kitty corner from the park, West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) is serving up a benefit barbecue with proceeds going to keep the festival free and fun.

While you’re wandering, be sure to see the vendors and community groups behind Whisky West (WSB sponsor) and Zeeks Pizza:

Along with local business, a few local departments/agencies are there – Sound Transit (got questions about West Seattle light rail?) and the Department of Neighborhoods (kicking off this year’s Your Voice, Your Choice voting – more on that post-festival). In the heart of the park right now – Bubbleman!

Lots of ways to participate, not just watch – like chalk art:

We’re in a row of booths just north of the park, with the West Seattle Timebank, Emergency Communication Hubs, and kids’ arts and crafts. The festival’s on until 4 pm – more coverage to come!

12:19 PM: Second musical act of the festival!

Here again is the schedule for the day. Many activities are continuous – face-painting, kids’ art, etc. – so no matter what time you drop by, you’ll find something happening. You’ll also find public-safety personnel, including SPD:

At left is the Southwest Precinct’s longtime second-in-command, Operations Lt. Ron Smith, who’s on his farewell tour of festivals – he’s retiring at month’s end. On the south edge of the park, artist Desmond Hansen started his mural-painting early and has drawn an audience:

1:08 PM: Speaking of painting, if you’d rather do it than watch, one of this festival’s unique activities is under way – the Splatter of Morgan:

You can come down and blast paint at the canvas draping the fence at the future Morgan Junction Park addition, just north of where we are. Another unique activity, the Bark of Morgan dog parade and contests, is coming up at 2 pm. Meantime, another SPD delegation:

1:21 PM: Every year we’ve boothed at festivals, we’ve had a standing offer: Candidates who stop by get photographed. First candidate of the year, Shannon Braddock, who’s running for the open 34th District State Senate seat, just stopped by:

She and other candidates will be at the <strong>West Seattle Democratic Women‘s forum June 18th and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce‘s forum later in the summer (date to be announced). Speaking of politics, the festival’s emcee, MoCA vice president Phil Tavel, confirms he’s considering running for City Council again next year (he finished third in the crowded August 2015 primary).

2:14 PM: We’ve had a city official visit too, interim Neighborhoods director Andres Mantilla (a West Seattleite):

And a small but spirited dog parade has gone by:

More live music right now, too – Deal is onstage.

Festival’s on until 4 if you haven’t been here yet!

2:37 PM: The Tamale Guy is sold out of tamales. And the SFD engine that was here, 32, just had to leave on a call, minutes after we snapped a photo:

Medical call, according to Real-Time 911. Speaking of medical, while you’re here you can find out about Good Med Direct Primary Care (WSB sponsor):

Drs. Ryan Campbell and Wendy Hueners can tell you all about their unique model for keeping you healthy. You’ll find them and other local businesses, organizations, etc., behind Whisky West/Zeeks. In the park, meantime, we looked in again on muralist Desmond Hansen:

Thanks yet again to all the kind people who’ve stopped by to say hi and thank us for our work – community collaboration has been what WSB’s been about for more than a decade now, and we appreciate the continuing tips, questions, suggestions … westseattleblog@gmail.com, or text/voice 206-293-6302 any time.

3:30 PM: Final half-hour for the festival. Gary Benson is onstage – mellow music for a mellow afternoon.

Also just talked with a couple more people who stopped by – Donna Sandstrom from The Whale Trail, who is on the governor’s new task force about orcas, saying it’s time for bold action to try to save the Southern Resident Killer Whales; Karimah Edwards from Seattle Parks, telling us they’ve had a good day of talking to people about the future development of Morgan Junction Park’s expansion site to the north. Look for an online survey starting next week, with options for park design and potential elements (we’ll write a separate story when it goes live).

4 PM: The festival’s officially over – but live music will stretch out a little longer; Servants of the Rich missed their slot earlier, getting caught in multiple traffic jams while headed this way from the south, but they’re here now. We’re headed out. Thanks to MoCA and festivalgoers/participants for a great day!

Just hours until summer’s next big West Seattle event, the Morgan Junction Community Festival, 10 am-4 pm Saturday at and around Morgan Junction Park [map]. We’ve already published multiple previews, but here are two sets of specifics that might help you finalize when you want to be there:

Music and Entertainment Schedule

10:00 Endolyne Children’s Choir (MJP music stage)
10:45 Bubbleman (MJP)
11:45 Soyaya (MJP music stage)
12:30 – 2:00 Spatter of Morgan (MJP expansion site)
1:00 Servants of the Rich (MJP music stage)
1:00 Live Mural Painting by Desmond Hansen (MJP)
1:45 – 2:05 Bark of Morgan Pooch Parade and Contest (MJP expansion site next to Eddy Street)
2:15 DEAL (MJP music stage)
3:15 Gary Benson (MJP music stage)

Children’s Activities (Eddy Street side of MJP)
10:00 to 4:00 Crafts with Janet Taylor
10:00 to 4:00 Face Painting
10:00 – 12:30 Sidewalk Art with Chalk Artist David Toledo
10:00 – 2:00 Balloon Artist

First Responders Units (California Ave in front of MJP)
10:30 – 3:00 Seattle Police Dept Mobile and Mounted Patrol
1:00 – 3:00 Seattle Fire Department Engine 32

Now, food details:

Sweet Bumpas Handmade Ice Cream. Owner/chef Matt Bumpas is excited to be participating again for his 4th year! Flavors he’ll be serving up:
Hokey Pokey (Sweet Cream w/ Honeycomb Candy)
Chocolate
So Vanilla
Strawberry Vanilla
Garden Mint w/ Cocoa Cookie
Peach Dreamsicle
Lemon Sesame Street (Lemon Sesame Ice Cream w/ Black Sesame Honeycomb Candy

The Tamale Guy, Juan Garcia. is again offering three kinds of his wonderful homemade tamales, served with a choice of great sauces and pickled vegetables.
Hickory smoked chicken
Pork belly
Vegetarian: charred cauliflower and roasted potato
Chips and salsa
Beveridge: strawberry-lime agua fresca

Jones Barbeque
Chopped Pork Sandwich
BBQ Chicken w/Southern Slaw
Strawberry Short Cake
Assorted Beverages

West Seattle Thriftway’s fundraiser for the festival will be grilling hamburgers (and will include a soft drink and chips) in front of the store from 11:30 am until approximately 3 pm. (Southeast corner of California/Fauntleroy)

The vendor/community group list is here; Bark of Morgan details are here. See you there!

The weekend gets ever closer and so does the 2018 Morgan Junction Community Festival, 10 am-4 pm Saturday at Morgan Junction Park [map]. Tonight, the list of vendors and community organizations you’ll find there, from festival spokesperson Susan Madrid:

This year’s festival will feature more than 30 vendors, many returning. All but three will be in the vendor area in the parking lot behind Zeeks Pizza and Whisky West. West Seattle Blog, Seattle Emergency Hubs and West Seattle TimeBank will be on Eddy Street to the north of Morgan Junction Park. For-sale items feature handmade jewelry and crafts by local artisans; products from a West Seattle backyard bee keeper; handcrafted candy; and specialty dog treats. The Cal-Mor Circle Residence Council will be selling bottled water to support its recreational activities. A number of commercial vendors will provide information on their services and/or products. Community and government organizations are eager to educate festival attendees about their activities and how interested citizens can get involved. Of note, Seattle Parks and Recreation will have an information booth highlighting the planned expansion of Morgan Junction Park and will be seeking public input. The Department of Neighborhoods will provide information on its programs and incentives. Seattle Department of Transportation will provide project information about 35th Ave SW Phase 2, the 34th Ave SW Neighborhood Greenway, and the Avalon Paving Project.

West Seattle/Morgan Junction Area Businesses
Good Med Direct Primary Care
Leaps and Bounds
Lularoe
Madrid Frame, LLC
Nepenthe
Second Gear Sports
Super Supplements
West Seattle Blog
West Seattle Electric & Solar

Edibles, Food/Meal Solutions
Dolcetta Artisan Sweets
Dream Dinners
Emerald City Apiaries
Puddles Barkery
Smith Brothers Farms

Handcrafted Jewelry/Crafts
Beads-N-Mor
Flying Feather Designs
Ginger Jewelry Design
Penguins Designs
Queen Beads

Community Organizations
34th District Democrats
Church of the Nazarene
Endolyne Children’s Choir
Morgan Community Association
Peace Lutheran Church
Seattle Fair Growth (SCALE)
West Seattle Be Prepared – Seattle Emergency Hubs
West Seattle Democratic Women
West Seattle Food Bank
West Seattle TimeBank
Westside Neighbors Network

Government Organizations
Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON)
Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)
Seattle Parks and Recreation
Seattle Public Library
Sound Transit

Our previous previews include the Bark of Morgan dog parade and contests here, 5 festival highlights here, the food lineup here. As a co-sponsor, we look forward to seeing you there!

We’re continuing the countdown to West Seattle’s next major summer event – the Morgan Junction Community Festival on Saturday (June 16th), 10 am-4 pm at Morgan Junction Park [map].

Five unique reasons to go:

*See Desmond (Graves) Hansen paint a mural, live! His signal-box art has rocked West Seattle from Morgan to Luna Park, and now you can watch him in action, starting at 1 pm.

*Bubbleman – the bubbly entertainer performs from 10:45 am to 11:30 am

*Bark of Morgan – show off your dog(s) in a parade and contests, 1:45 pm

*Spatter of Morgan – it’s colorful, it’s deliberately disorganized, it’s fun! 12:30-2 pm

*Sidewalk chalk art with David Toledo, 10 am-12:30 pm

Plus kids’ activities (face-painting, balloon-twisting, crafts), food, live music, more. More in our next festival countdown! We’re among the co-sponsors and we’ll see you in the sunshine Saturday!

West Seattle’s biggest party of the year is one month (plus two days) away. The West Seattle Junction Association is providing the official neighborhood notification about Summer Fest, and as a festival co-sponsor, we’re sharing it with you:

WHAT: West Seattle Summer Fest

WHERE: West Seattle Junction – California Ave SW from SW Edmunds St to SW Genesee St, SW Alaska St from 42nd Ave SW to 44th Ave SW

DATE(s): July 13-15

TIME(s): 10 am – 11 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm Sunday

WHO: West Seattle Junction Association

CONTACT: Lora Swift 425.445.5672 Oliver Little 206.403.8507

On July 13th-15th, our organization The West Seattle Junction Association will be producing a special event in the Junction neighborhood called Summer Fest. The Junction Neighborhood has hosted Summer Fest for 36 years. We are thrilled to host Summer Fest in your neighborhood and it’s important to us that we are communicating clearly with you, the neighbors.

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

• Event hours are from Friday, July 13th 10 am to Sunday, July 15th 5 pm.

• We will be loading in beginning at 6 pm on July 12th, and will load out until 11 pm on July 15th.

• We will leave your neighborhood as we found it: litter and recycling will be handled by Recology and Waste Management.

• During the event hours, we expect between 5,000 to 15,000 attendees per day.

• Streets may be closed or have limited vehicle and/or pedestrian access between the hours of 4 pm on July 12th through 11 pm on July 15th.

• We will have amplified sound during the hours of 12 pm to 11 pm on July 13th and 14th and 12 pm to 4 pm on July 15th.

• Sound will be from the North stage on California Ave near Genesee. (See map)

We are working closely with the City of Seattle Special Events Committee to minimize the impacts of the
event. Our goal is to create an enjoyable and positive experience in your neighborhood.

If you or any of the surrounding residents and businesses have questions or comments about impacts of
this event, please email us at:

Lora Swift, Executive Director, West Seattle Junction Association lora@wsjunction.org
Chris Swenson, Chair, City of Seattle Special Events Office chris.swenson@seattle.gov

And there’s lots more festival info online here.

Just one week until the next major summertime community celebration in West Seattle – the Morgan Junction Community Festival is next Saturday, June 16th, in and around Morgan Junction Park [map]! It’s presented by the Morgan Community Association. We’ve already previewed one festival event, the Bark of Morgan – you and your dog(s) are invited to be part of it! – and other highlights will include the ever-popular Bubbleman performing 10:45-11:30 am, plus live music, community groups and vendors, and Seattle Parks with info about the long-planned park expansion. Another festival feature – food! That includes the Saturday barbecue at nearby West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor):

We photographed Michele and Curtis at today’s benefit barbecue; next Saturday, starting at 11 am, barbecue proceeds all benefit the festival, to help keep it free and fun for everyone. (Sponsors are a big part of that too, and WSB is again part of the sponsor team.) Other food options at the festival will include The Tamale Guy, Jones Barbecue, CJ’s Hot Dogs, and Sweet Bumpas Ice Cream. Tomorrow – we preview the entertainment and activities! Festival hours next Saturday are 10 am-4 pm, and we hope to see you there.

(WSB photo, 2017 Morgan Junction Community Festival)

Now that Memorial Day weekend is past, it’s time to continue looking ahead to the rest of our sure-to-be-spectacular summer. Just added to the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar: Westwood Village has announced the date for this year’s Street Fair at the shopping center – 11 am-5 pm Sunday, June 17th. The past few years it’s been scheduled concurrently with the Morgan Junction Community Festival, but this year it’s the day after, so if you want to go to both, you’ll be able to do that without festival overload! WSB is again a co-sponsor of the Morgan festival, which will be presented 10 am-4 pm Saturday, June 16th, by the Morgan Community Association, in and around Morgan Junction Park (California just north of Fauntleroy) – live music, Bubbleman, the return of the Bark of Morgan dog parade, and more. Details on both as we get closer.