(Summer Fest Saturday photo by Leda Costa for WSB)

We mentioned in our coverage of West Seattle Summer Fest this past weekend that the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association planned an online community survey to gather your thoughts. We just got word from WSJA executive director Lora Swift that the survey is now up – “I’m invested in bringing the neighborhood quality events and would love some feedback,” she explains. So if you went to the festival, you are invited to spend a few minutes answering it – go here. Thanks in advance for taking the time to help them understand what was and wasn’t good about West Seattle’s biggest party of the year, so next year’s Summer Fest can be even better.

P.S. You’re also welcome – but not required! – to share comments here, instead of or in addition to/replication of the survey; they’ll be read too.

(Today’s schedule is here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here … Previous coverage: Saturday report #3 here, report #2 here, and report #1 here; Friday report #2 here and report #1 here; Summer Fest Eve here)

(“Live” SDOT camera showing part of the festival zone, on California north of Alaska)

11:57 AM: Day 3 of West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 went from 0 to 60 very fast. Lots of people, lots of bubbles, lots of music. And – dancing!

Jennifer Cepeda and friends were at the main stage to get the morning moving as the festival’s final day began about an hour ago. As for the bubbles – the bubble-machine-equipped clown who’s been busking all weekend is on the KeyBank corner this morning and breezes are bringing bubbles right onto our keyboard! WSB’s Leda Costa photographed him toward the end of day 2:

In the Community Tent section of the Info Booth this morning are the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and Harbor School – you can check out community groups here as well as at Sustainable West Seattle‘s GreenLife expo over in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska). (At noon, SWS president Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board will be talking about E-Bikes on the stage there.) And some organizations have booths amid the visiting vendors – you can buy a raffle ticket from the West Seattle Food Bank:

That’s Ben Viscon (winemaker of WSB sponsor Viscon Cellars) and Judi Yazzolino in the WSFB booth this morning. It’s a Summer Fest theme of sorts – look around every corner, inside every door, you never know what you’ll find (and we mean that in a good way). You also never know who you’re going to see. Seattle’s most famous busker Boe “Scarf Dancer” Oddisey just stopped by the Info Booth, and while we didn’t get him on camera, we did photograph two well-known West Seattleites who also visited about that same time:

If you’re new – that’s County Executive (and lifelong West Seattleite) Dow Constantine and daughter Sabrina. It’s been eight years since he introduced Mudhoney here at Summer Fest, by the way – somebody was sharing that festival memory on Twitter the other day. (See the video here.) As for today’s music, South Sound Tug and Barge is about to get going on the main stage. And we’ll say it yet again, since it’s the top question at the Info Booth so far – yes, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market IS still happening, just not in its usual spot – it’s in the lot behind KeyBank (if you’ve been here for a few years, you’ll remember that as “where the market used to be”):

Besides answering questions, we also have lots of info here about other upcoming summer events – the West Seattle Big Band Concert in the Park (Tuesday, 7 pm at Hiawatha), the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha series (starting Thursday, 6:30 pm), West Seattle Outdoor Movies (starting next Saturday, July 22nd, in the SW Snoqualmie/36th SW “festival street” by the West Seattle YMCA [WSB sponsor]), the summer-quarter West Seattle Art Walk (second Thursdays), and the West Seattle Car Show (August 26th at South Seattle College [WSB sponsor]). Stop by the booth (California/Alaska), get flyers/cards you can take home and put up on the fridge.

12:57 PM: Some video from South Sound Tug and Barge on the main stage an hour ago:

Mega Bog is starting shortly; Swedish Finnish is up at 2 – full lineup here. The festival continues until 5 – but today, unlike the first two days, everything closes at once … and then it’s breakdown time … so c’mon down soon and join the rest of your neighbors and friends.

2:02 PM: We’ve reunited a dog and a wallet with their respective owners here in the past half hour or so. We’ve also got new arrivals at the Info Booth – the Junction Neighborhood Organization on the west side, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on the south side. West Seattle Chamber of Commerce CEO Lynn Dennis is volunteering on the east side. Yes, Summer Fest can be educational. Especially in GreenLife at Junction Plaza Park, where you can check out some bees, talk with a beekeeper from the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association, and buy raw honey:

Three hours left – lots of time to shop, nosh, play. This is the afternoon that feels most like a West Seattle-wide family reunion. And it’s also a chance to find out more about local businesses – like longtime WSB sponsor Fitness Together:

Get here this afternoon to get in on their festival special: “10 sessions for $50 each, this weekend only!” They’re on the northeast corner of California/Alaska, outside the city-landmark Campbell Building.

A few other WSB sponsors who are here that we haven’t mentioned yet in earlier coverage – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate; Westside School; HomeStreet Bank; Dream Dinners; Emerald Water Anglers; GoodMed Direct Primary Care (which is providing first aid for the festival); The Whittaker.

Meantime, at the main stage (California north of Oregon):

That’s Swedish Finnish! Two more performances ahead – Carrie Akre and Danny Newcomb at 3 pm, The Dusty 45s closing out the festival at 4 pm.

2:53 PM: Got little ones? Haven’t been to the Kid Zone yet? Behind the Hamm Building (Easy Street, Virago Gallery, etc.), under the Wells Fargo drive-thru overhang, lots of activities:

And our area’s most famous facepainter, Lashanna, is working her magic:

4:06 PM: Last hour. The Dusty 45s are playing on the main stage now – (added) here’s some video:

And dancing!

Still lots of people in line for food and rides, and wandering the booths. Even though the festival officially ends at 5 and breakdown begins, you of course can still stay in The Junction and have dinner and/or drinks at the year-round restaurants, some of which are new since last Summer Fest – including Great American Diner and Bar and Falafel Salam, both on the east side of California just north of Edmunds, and Alchemy, on 42nd south of Alaska.

We should also note – if you lost your car keys, we have two sets here at the Info Booth. For lost-found info after the festival’s over, contact the Junction Association (wsjunction.org).

4:36 PM: Last chance this year for a cheeseburger on a Krispy Kreme … really!

Perhaps just as well that’s across the street from the mentioned-earlier Fitness Together booth. Unless you are from the “street fair calories don’t count” faction. Meantime, signs of cleanup are erupting early. And if you wondered what happens to keep this going behind the scenes, frequent trash pickup is part of it – here’s a Recology worker we noticed about an hour ago:

It’s getting serious now. The QFC booth across from us, which has offered $3 coconuts and $1 water all weekend, is folding up. The balloon-and-bubbles-busking-with-boombox clown has switched to “California Love.” But summertime is all West Seattle love. Later this evening, we’ll move on to looking ahead to the big stuff happening this week and next weekend.

5:04 PM: We’re done – but several hours of hard work are ahead for festival producer Oliver Little of Monumental Undertakings and his crew, among others. The Junction streets will stay closed to traffic until everything’s all packed up. We’ll update when we get word. And Lora Swift of the West Seattle Junction Association, which organizes and presents Summer Fest, says you can look for a survey soon to gather festival feedback – we’ll have that link when it’s available, too. Thanks to everyone who was part of the festival, whether visiting or vending or volunteering or presenting or … and to everyone who stopped by to say hi.

12:50 AM: The Junction streets are open to vehicle traffic again – just verified via the live video feed on the city’s info map.

(Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here … Previous coverage: Saturday report #1 here, Friday report #2 here, Friday report #1 here, Summer Fest Eve here)

4:56 PM: That’s a screengrab taken a few minutes ago from the SDOT camera (see it “live” here) pointed north at California/Alaska, where we are headquartered for the duration of West Seattle Summer Fest 2017. The streets are buzzing, and bubbling – a busking clown has been here with a bubble machine, and a boombox, all weekend, and it’s kept things iridescent, to say the least,, all weekend. Meantime, the biggest attraction in the Information Booth/Community Tent right now – dead birds, courtesy of Seattle Audubon.

Music continues on the main stage, on California north of Oregon, and tonight’s headliners are West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and the Rodeo at 10 pm. Before then, you can see:

Genders – 5:30
Sisters – 6:30
Charms – 7:30
Porter Ray – 8:30
Memway – 9:30

Here’s Golden Gardens, the 4:30 pm band:

There’s also special evening programming at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) – the film “Transition 2.0” at 8 pm. That’s also the closing time for kids’ rides tonight (price info is here).

5:26 PM: You can admire art and buy art at Summer Fest … and you can make some! The Community Mural is being created in the Kids Zone by Wells Fargo:

You can buy yard art … we spotted this critter:

And outside Fleurt on the east side of California between Oregon and Alaska, this coffee cup:

On the west side of that block, you can find West Seattle merch – the famous yellow-star logo, including T-shirts – at CAPERS.

6:25 PM: The crowd milling around Walk All Ways keeps growing. Some are watching the father-and-son buskers performing steps away. Sign says the little guy’s 5:

One comment we’ve heard over and over this weekend – the weather’s perfect. Sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Don’t be alarmed if you wake up tomorrow and discover it’s cloudy – forecast says that’ll burn off.

ADDED 8:48 PM: The sun has set and tonight’s headline performance is a little over an hour away. Meantime, here’s an aerial view, looking south along California from the beer garden/mainstage zone, courtesy of Paul Weatherman:

Paul says the photo is from about 7 o’clock tonight.

NOTE: For coverage of Saturday night’s headliners Brent Amaker and The Rodeo, go here!

(DAY 1, REPORT #1 HERE … DAY/NIGHT 1, REPORT #2 HERE … SCHEDULE LINKS HERE … BUS REROUTES HERE)

10:48 AM: THAT is how you get your West Seattle Summer Fest on … Bear the dog knows how. And if you bring your own canine companion, don’t miss the gelato at the Camp Crockett (WSB sponsor) booth:

They’re on the west side of California between Oregon and Alaska. Here’s the overall festival-zone map:

If you’re looking for a specific vendor, stop by and ask us in the Info Booth (California/Alaska, look for the giant INFORMATION banners). For specific links to what’s up today, see our West Seattle Saturday daily preview. A few notes: Music starts at 11:30 am, with performers from the School of Rock; at Sustainable West Seattle‘s GreenLife expo in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska), the next presentation is about “minimalist consumption,” at 11 am, with West Seattle Timebank and the Community General Store. And parading around the festival, based at GreenLife, it’s a giant inflatable orca:

Festival shopping goes until 6 tonight, rides and food (everyone keeps asking us about corn on the cob –
none this year that we’ve found, sorry!) until 8-ish, music until 11 pm.

12:06 PM: The music has begun! Above, that’s video from School of Rock performers on the main stage (north of SW Oregon) about half an hour ago. Another place you’ll find music:

The West Seattle Community Orchestras‘ pop-up “instrument petting zoo” is inside the ArtsWest lobby, west side of California south of Alaska, until 2 pm. Stop in and try something! Then wander a little further south on the west side of California, and you will see the friendly people in the Explorer West Middle School booth:

You can play a game there – draw a ball, get asked a question, and win some candy.

12:48 PM: One week from today, the Float Dodger 5K will be on the run from Admiral to The Junction, followed by the West Seattle Grand Parade. You can sign up for the 5K here at Summer Fest – look for the booth on the east side of California between Oregon and Alaska – that’s where we found Tim and Lori McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), which is presenting the run/walk again this year:

Another note – if you’re looking for cotton candy and/or snow cones, they’re in the ride zone on Alaska west of California.

1:18 PM: Again today, there’s pop-up entertainment all around – the DNG Dancers just put on a show at California/Alaska:

Seen in the crowd – cool balloon hats:

The balloon artist is midblock on California between Alaska and Edmunds – at least when last we saw him.

Meantime, it’s getting close to showtime for the one Summer Fest event we’re involved in besides hanging out at the Info Booth – the mayoral-candidates forum, coming up at 2 pm. Junction Plaza Park is a bit hidden behind some of the food vendors, north side of Alaska between California and 42nd – we’ll see you there.

4:15 PM: The forum is over – thanks to everyone who was there, watching, and/or asking questions, plus the candidates! 14 in all showed up. Several left before the forum was over because of another event. Sustainable West Seattle had someone recording video and we’ll point to it when it’s available. We’re now about to get going with today’s second report!

(DIRECT INFOLINKS: Today’s lineups are here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here, )

The mainstage music has begun at West Seattle Summer Fest! Above, a short clip from Po’Brothers’ performance, kicking off the schedule, which concludes with tonight’s headliner Thunderpussy at 10 pm. Wiscon is up next at 4:30 See the full music schedule here. And also note, there’s music tonight on the GreenLife stage in Junction Plaza Park, too – Teresa and the Wolves at 6:30, The Broadcast at 7:45, and Cellar Bells at 9.

Shopping and snacking continue throughout the festival. And art! Diane Venti, former proprietor of Alki Arts at the beach, has a pop-up booth outside CAPERS:

She’s selling work by Michael Birawer. Nearby, we figured out this mystery pretty fast:

That’s a promotion for the opening-this-fall Escape Artist (as explained in our story last month) “escape room” game venue coming to three spaces off the midblock breezeway. Also seen in the area, unique apparel outside the Antique Mall:

And further south, don’t miss the ultimate summer outdoor furniture at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor):

It’s been a trouble-free day so far – the SPD Summer Fest patrol has been here all day, and verifies that:

5:13 PM: Dinner time! Remember the ~20 outdoor cafes. Food goes beyond what you see in the festival-specific booths – although they have unique treats (not just the ones we mentioned earlier) like the burger on a Krispy Kreme donut, Trinidad street food, $3 coconuts at the QFC stand (which is right across from us in the Info Booth – north side of Walk All Ways – $1 water bottles too, as well as bags of tortilla chips).

5:36 PM: Frequently asked question – “is the Farmers’ Market still happening on Sunday?” Yes, it is – but since the street is full of festival booths, you’ll find it in its old spot, the lot behind KeyBank/Bin 41/Pharmaca/etc., 10 am-2 pm Sunday. Another common question – where do you buy ride tickets? Look for the tent just past Pecos Pit and Fish Ice Cream on the south side of SW Alaska, west of California. But if you forget any of this, just ask any of us at the Information Booth in the heart of Walk All Ways – we’re here with reps from the West Seattle Junction Association (which presents Summer Fest) plus volunteers from local organizations like the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle, and the “community gathering tent” groups (see the list here). If you’re looking for a community group that’s not in the “tent,” you might find them at GreenLife, or even in a booth of their own along California.

6:05 PM: Lots of dogs seen today at Summer Fest. Among them, Olive:

The “Pet Junction” zone is on the west side of California north of Alaska, by Next-to-Nature. We’ve seen signs of pet-friendliness elsewhere, too, such as drinking bowls set out for dogs.

Lots of kids here, too, from babies in front-packs to tweens and teens. Rides are scheduled to run until 8 tonight:

And the music goes until 11 (headliner Thunderpussy is at 10). Getting lots of questions right now about the stage location – California, north of Oregon.

More to come! (Today’s first report is here.)

8:32 PM: From Junction Plaza Park, the first of three acts on the GreenLife evening music slate, Teresa and the Wolves, who started playing around 6:30 pm:

ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: We went back for the start of Thunderpussy‘s headliner performance, closing the night on the mainstage:

The crowd filled the street:

And the band rocked the stage:

They were introduced by Troy Nelson, who with Ben Jenkins curated this year’s Summer Fest slate:

(Photo added – this great shot is by Keven Ruf:)

Saturday’s headliner is West Seattle’s own Brent Amaker and the Rodeo.

(DIRECT INFOLINKS: Today’s lineups are here … Bus reroutes: C Line here, Route 22 here, Route 37 here, Route 50 here, Route 55 here, Route 57 here, Route 128 here, Route 773 here, )

(“Live” image of festival zone, courtesy of SDOT info-map camera – refresh page for newest image)

11:08 AM: At the bottom of the image above, that’s the Info Booth/Community Tent at California/Alaska, where we’re stationed, covering West Seattle Summer Fest again this year. The festival’s in its second hour – shopping, noshing, riding, all under way already. The weather’s perfect. Music (here’s the lineup) starts at 3:30 pm. We’ll be showing the sights and the highlights as the day goes by – more to come.

11:41 AM: One trick of maximizing your festival visit is knowing where to look for everything. This year the Sustainable West Seattle GreenLife Expo is in Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW/SW Alaska) – a bit obscured by food booths, so don’t pass it by! Behind the solar panels, in our photo:

Here’s the schedule of demonstrations and events – you’ll find many cool community groups there too. Meantime, at one of the food booths on that side of SW Alaska, the most unusual offering we’ve spotted so far:

Another place you’ll want to look past the main Summer Fest routes on California and Alaska – the Kids Zone (presented by longtime WSB sponsor, the West Seattle YMCA). Activities and inflatables are under the Wells Fargo drive-thru and in the lot beyond, as well as some on Alaska by 44th .

You’ll find the ride-ticket booth on the south side of Alaska by the entrance to the parking lot behind KeyBank – and note that the rides are open a little longer than other vendors on Friday and Saturday night; prices are here.

Back to the food – many year-round Junction eateries do something special at Summer Fest. Like Husky Deli, whose Jack Miller was all smiles already, first thing this morning:

Lots of outdoor seating, too, throughout The Junction, special for Summer Fest. Meantime, between year-round merchants and festival-only booths, about 200 places to shop and visit – including this one that caught our (admittedly geeky) eye:

By the way, if you’re here or in The Junction in general, that’s just a TV helicopter buzzing the festival right now.

12:32 PM: A few government agencies are here too. Including WSDOT, on the west side of California south of Alaska, answering questions about the tunnel – with an exhibit featuring this:

Meantime, festival activities are starting to intensify. Coming up at 1 pm on the stage at GreenLife in Junction Plaza Park – an opening ceremony with the Duwamish Tribe.

1:35 PM: Here’s a short clip of Ken Workman, Chief Si’ahl’s great-great-great-great grandson, welcoming the festival:

On that same stage, Orca Dance: Illuminatos is scheduled at 4 pm. The ongoing displays at GreenLife include these guys:

The crowd is getting bigger as the afternoon goes on – and a lot of people are stopping by to ask about the band schedule – we do have the Summer Fest programs here, free, while they last, along with various other informational items you might want to pick up, such as the cards with the West Seattle Outdoor Movies schedule (first movie “Rogue One,” one week from tomorrow, at the Y “festival street,” 36th/Snoqualmie in The Triangle).

3 PM: We’ll be launching report #2 once the mainstage music gets going later this hour – we’re taking a break to publish a few non-festival news stories in the meantime. By the way, the stage/music isn’t the only reason to head north of Oregon (where you have to wait for a crossing signal, since it remains open to east-west travel):

Art is happening just north of Oregon – at and around the Art Dive. Our photo shows what’s happening just outside Red Cup Espresso – where there’s not only an artist at work, but also DJing, and a food truck. More Summer Fest coverage to come! Vendors are open until at least 6, food and rides until 8-ish, beer garden and music until 11 – come see and hear what’s happening.

7:24 PM: The Bubbleman is on – and so is West Seattle Summer Fest Eve! The streets closed a little over an hour ago for festival setup – and for a pre-festival party that’s become a fun locals’ night over the years. You’ll find outdoor seating at a variety of venues – as well as entertainment, also including Shabazz Palaces at Easy Street …

… and Big Band Blue outside West 5 …

plus your chance to see behind the scenes of setup for Summer Fest, which starts at 10 am tomorrow:

That’s one of the crews working north of Oregon, where you’ll find the Summer Fest main stage and beer garden all weekend long (plus a new band-merch tent). At California/Alaska, the Info Booth tent’s gone up – that’s where you’ll find us throughout the festival again this year (we’re a co-sponsor, too). And did we mention it’s West Seattle Art Walk night too?

10:35 PM: More photos added – first, from Bubbleman’s finale:

Next, a closer look at Shabazz Palaces @ Easy Street:

People-watching on Summer Fest Eve can be fun – in this case, birdwatching too:

That’s Michael with Tara on his shoulder. Meantime, the Kid Zone setup included a test of the pirate-ship ride (on SW Alaska between California and 44th):

And even before sunset, the main stage continued taking shape:

When you come to Summer Fest, if you visit the Info Booth at California/Alaska, say hi! We are there – with festival staffers and community volunteers – again this year. Official festival hours are 10 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday; on Friday and Saturday, the mainstage music and beer garden goes late into the night, and the food usually runs at least a few hours past vendor-closing time those first two nights too. For the Kids Zone – here is our report on ride hours and prices. See you at Summer Fest!

(WSB photo from last year’s festival)

With West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 starting Friday, you might be getting serious in your planning – so we’re trying to answer some of the questions asked most often every year. In this installment: The schedule and prices for the rides. Lora Swift, executive director of the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association, shares the info from the ride provider:

Friday Hours – 10 am to 8 pm for the rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day (Friday only) – $20 (allows unlimited use of all rides)

**Unlimited Use Pass for all three days (allows unlimited use of all rides for the entire event) – $47

**Individual Tickets (rides cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Saturday Hours – 10 am to 8 pm for the rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day (Saturday only) – $20 (allows unlimited use of all rides)

**Unlimited Use Pass for two days (allows unlimited use of all rides for Saturday and Sunday) – $34

**Individual Tickets (rides Cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Sunday Hours – 10 am to 5 pm for rides

**Unlimited Use Pass for the day – $18 (unlimited use of all rides)

**Individual Tickets (rides cost one to four tickets each) – $1.25 per ticket

Note that those hours are different from the basic festival hours (10 am-6 pm Saturday and Sunday, with beer garden and bands running until late night, and 11 am-5 pm Sunday). The Kids Zone is on SW Alaska between California and 44th, and in and around the Wells Fargo lot immediately north of there. The schedule for other kids’ activities is here.

(SDOT camera at California/Alaska, a section of street that’ll be festival-filled Thursday night-Sunday)

Three days to West Seattle Summer Fest 2017, coming up in The Junction this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! We’ve talked a lot about Summer Fest Eve/WS Art Walk on Thursday night – including updates in last night’s preview – so in this update, we’re pointing you to more information about who and what you’ll find during the festival.

SHOPPING & MORE: You need all three days of the festival to see/shop/meet everyone you’ll find there – both the vendors and organizations with booths, and the year-round merchants, many of whom are offering sidewalk sales (after all, that’s what the festival used to be – the summertime sidewalk sale!). Some people like to show up at the festival and discover who’s there, but if you would rather plan ahead, or at least get some hints, the list is now online, including links you can use to find out more about who they are and what they do. Find it here.

FESTIVAL FOOD: Also online, the food list – not just which festival-only vendors will be there, but also the year-round restaurants, including those that’ll be serving up specialties on the sidewalk. See them here.

RETURN OF THE ART DIVE: It’s back this year! Find the artists at California/Oregon.

GREENLIFE SCHEDULE: We’ve talked about the mayoral-candidates debate (13 confirmed candidates now!) on Saturday, but that’s just part of what Sustainable West Seattle’s offering at the GreenLife expo, in Junction Plaza Park (42nd/Alaska). Here’s the schedule.

KIDS’ ZONE SCHEDULE: Kid stuff at Summer Fest is more than just the rides – lots of fun activities. See the list and schedule here.

And that’s STILL not all … watch for more previews coming up! Festival hours, by the way, are 10 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday, 11 am-5 pm Sunday, with the beer garden and mainstage music (both on California between Genesee and Oregon – here’s the festival map) running until late Friday and Saturday nights.

We’re continuing the countdown to West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 with some updates:

FIRST, THE BASICS – WHEN & WHERE: In The Junction, on California between Genesee and Edmunds, and Alaska between 42nd and 44th. Also, Kid Zone along 44th north of Alaska.

Summer Fest Eve/West Seattle Art Walk: 6 pm (also when the streets close) to ? on Thursday night.
Summer Fest Day 1, Friday: 10 am-6 pm; music/beer garden until late
Summer Fest Day 2, Saturday: 10 am-6 pm; music/beer garden until late
Summer Fest Day 3, Sunday: 11 am-5 pm everything
Farmers’ Market: Festival weekend only, it’s in the parking lot behind KeyBank, 10 am-2 pm

SUMMER FEST EVE ENTERTAINMENT/ART UPDATES: Bubbleman‘s location is set, 7-8 pm Thursday at Walk All Ways (California/Alaska) … West 5 will host Big Band Blue outdoors, 7-9 pm (see our calendar listing) … Easy Street presents Shabazz Palaces, in-store at 7 pm …

YOU OF COURSE HAVE SEEN THIS … the lineup for the festival itself, Friday-Sunday.

AND BY THE STAGE … new this year, a band-merch tent.

AT THE BEER GARDEN BY THE STAGE … larger this year, thanks to the West Seattle Eagles; you can play giant Jenga and Cornhole, also new.

GO BEHIND THE SCENES – VOLUNTEER AT SUMMER FEST: Not too late to sign up to give some time and get a unique view of the festival – go here.

MORE PREVIEWS … tomorrow!

It’s almost here – West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 starts one week from today. Lora Swift, executive director of the festival-presenting West Seattle Junction Association, just sent word of a new feature – but there’s a catch – you need to sign up, in person, THIS weekend to get a chance to be part of this NEXT weekend:

We’re planning a pie eating contest during Summer Fest sponsored by A la Mode Pies. People can sign up at A la Mode now through the weekend. Winners will be picked on Monday, July 10th. There are two contests, Saturday and Sunday, 3 pm. We’ll be setting up (during the festival) at the corner by Key Bank.

10 people per contest
-Saturday, adults
-Sunday, kids 8-12 years old

Winners will receive free pie classes and swag.

A la Mode Pies is right in what will be part of next weekend’s festival zone – 4225 SW Alaska, open until 11 tonight, 9 am-11 pm on Saturday, and 9 am-10 pm Sunday. Much more Summer Fest preview info (including Summer Fest Eve) to come!

Just a week and a half until West Seattle Summer Fest 2017 – the peninsula’s biggest party of the year, in the heart of The Junction. While much of the lineup is locked in – like the main-stage music schedule – some of the fun takes shape during the festival, like the street entertainment, aka busking. Here’s the invitation, from the West Seattle Junction Association:

Summer Fest Dates and Times:

Thursday, July 13: 6 pm – 9 pm (Summer Fest Eve/Art Walk night)
Friday, July 14: 11 am – 6 pm
Saturday, July 15: 11 am – 6 pm
Sunday, July 16: 10 am – 5 pm

The organizers at Summer Fest invite you to join one of Seattle’s most vibrant street parties of the year. Buskers of many types perform at Summer Fest each year. We welcome performances with instruments and tools ranging from acoustic instruments, performance art, odd instruments, puppets, bubblesm to magicians. Buskers enrich the already busy streets at the festival by adding to the overall festive feeling.

There are two locations at Summer Fest where performers can entertain the crowds for 90 minutes at a time. Due to the crowds, amplified music is not permitted. All Summer Fest performers are required to wear a performer’s name tag and log into the official busker book. You may place a tip jar on the street. To perform at Summer Fest, visit the information-booth manager who is located at the info booth. You’ll find the info booth at the cross section of the “Walk All Ways” at California Ave and SW Alaska St.

Busker spots are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Any busker who plays outside of the designated spots or performs outside of the rules will be removed by festival staff.

For questions, please email the festival at info [at] wsjunction [dot] com

(WSB photo from 2016 Seafair Pirates Landing – the crowd can be as much fun as the Pirates!)

As mentioned a bit earlier in our continuing coverage counting down to big summer events, the Seafair Pirates Landing is one week from tomorrow, 10 am-6 pm Saturday, July 8th, on Alki Beach. This year, the Pirates are expected around 2 pm, but the music starts at 11 – here’s the lineup we just received:

11 am – North Seattle Ukestra – they’ll be rockin’ tiny instruments in a big way!

12 pm – Skates! – infectious, original punky power pop!

1 pm – The Delridge Boys – rockin’ the classics from the ’50 through the ’80s!

2 pm* – Pirate Landing and Revelry – *Timing is approximate – tides and pirates, you know!

3 pm – Queen Anne’s Revenge – bringing on the upbeat R&B, rock, blues, and other favorites!

Also from the announcement:

Alki Beach will be filled with mermaids, kids activities, live music, and craft and food vendors to celebrate the Pirates’ arrival in style. Additionally, the Alki merchants will be on hand up and down the street with their fabulous food, beverages, and wares available. The event is free, family friendly, and open to the public!

If you’re new – this all generally happens around the Alki Bathhouse, at 60th SW/Alki SW. But exactly where the Pirates storm ashore in that vicinity tends to vary year to year.

11:20 AM: A bubbly start to the Morgan Junction Community Festival, thanks to one of today’s first performers, the legendary Bubbleman. Until 5 pm, here’s what you’ll find in and around Morgan Junction Park (and behind Zeeks Pizza [WSB sponsor] and Whisky West):

*Entertainment and food

*Kids’ activities

*Vendors, local businesses, community organizations

We’re here too, on the north side of the festival zone. The Morgan Community Association makes the magic happen every summer and it’ll continue until 5 pm. Updates ahead!

11:56 AM: Lunchtime! Our top recommendation – wander over to West Seattle Thriftway, kittycorner from the festival zone, and get a fresh-grilled lunch – proceeds go to help cover the festival costs. Michele is at the grill, as always:

You’ll also find food carts/trucks in the festival zone, too – The Tamale Guy, Das Brat Wagen, Mini the Dough-Nut, Sweet Bumpas Ice Cream.

Meantime, Soyaya is playing in the park

12:15 PM: Two more reasons to come by – First, as we reported earlier this week, David Graves from Seattle Parks will be there starting around 12:30 pm to talk with people about the Lowman Beach seawall situation. We’re told he’ll be in space 3 in the vendor zone behind Zeeks/WW. See the alternatives, and tell him what you think. Then 1-2 pm on the north side of the festival zone (right behind where we are!), 1-2 pm, you can join in the Spatter of Morgan – getting paint all over the future park expansion zone.

Speaking of paint, kids can have their faces painted until 3 pm, which is also when craft activities are continuing until. Lots of other fun stuff at booths including, right next to us, West Seattle Emergency Communication Hubs (do YOU know where YOUR hub is?) with the Wheel of Disaster.

Don’t miss it. This side of the festival, north of the park, is also where you’ll find the Westside Neighbors Network, the West Seattle Timebank, and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. That’s a strength of this festival, a chance to talk up close and personal with lots of your neighbors outside the more formal settings of meetings, etc.

12:52 PM: Same goes for the Southwest Precinct police who are here all day with the Mobile Precinct (Mounted Patrol officers are likely to stop by at some point too) – this is your chance to talk with them in a non-emergency, non-meeting situation. It’s a very mellow festival – Gary Benson is performing some classics right now, just his voice and guitar.

1:12 PM: The Mounted Patrol’s here now, we just found out.

That’s Justice. The Mounted Patrol is based near Westcrest Park here in West Seattle; one of their ranks, Harvest, just retired.

2:19 PM: Balloon artist Kevin just wrapped up – he got lots of raves today:

Other creativity happening – you can paint the Spatter of Morgan:

That’s on the fence around the future Morgan Junction Park expansion site at the north end of the festival zone. And kids’ crafts are on until 3 pm:

Over in the vendor zone, you can talk to Dr. Ryan and Dr. Wendy from GoodMed Direct Primary Care (WSB sponsor) to find out more about staying healthy via their unique membership-based care:

The crew from Seattle Fire Engine 37 – the closest one to Morgan Junction – was here for a while, and we got this photo before they had to head out to a medical call:

The festival continues until 5 – onstage it’s the Brian and Janie Show right now, with Yesod following at 4 pm.

3:35 PM: The Brian and Janie Show just ended their set. And light rain just started. Most of the activities are over but vendors and community groups are still here if you haven’t stopped by yet.

4:40 PM: The rain hasn’t stopped, and we’re all packing up. Thanks to everyone who came to the festival today!

Feeling super? Then this year’s Westwood Village Street Fair is the place to be until 6 pm. It’s superhero-themed, and we hear some supers will be stopping by. In the meantime, there are super-sized games (top photo) and bouncy rides, plus of course the traditional train:

While some merchants/vendors have booths in the festival zone (the central parking lot between Ulta Beauty and Bed Bath Beyond), don’t miss the year-round merchants like Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) right across the road, offering a variety of fun freebies:

Free jewelry cleaning inside the shop, too. And bring diapers for WestSide Baby!

There’s mainstage music and other fun too, plus food carts on the south side including fire-roasted corn, close to year-round eateries including Giannoni’s Pizza.