10:17 AM: Again today, we start with the SDOT traffic camera facing north on California at Alaska – right over our HQ at the Info Booth in the heart of West Seattle Summer Fest, where Day 2 continues until 8 pm (with music running later). Here’s the basic Summer Fest map:

We’ll be updating live throughout the day – with this report continuing until we launch the day’s second live chronicle at mid-afternoon. (If major/breaking West Seattle news happens, we’ll of course cover that too.) Festival music starts at noon with reggae band Two-Story Zori. Festival quicklinks are in our daily preview, for starters. More to come!

10:44 AM: Need a tote bag? Stop by the west side of the Info Booth, where Karen and Deb from the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network also have some tchotchkes courtesy of the Seattle Police Foundation – hundreds of tote bags, coloring books, and more. Also in the booth with us today are volunteers from the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle. Meantime, local businesses are having sidewalk sales again today, all along the festival grounds – at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), just north of Alaska on the east side of California SW, the hammock’s the thing this weekend:

Click! co-proprietors Frances and John Smersh are in the photo (taken on Day 1), demonstrating. When you’re not resting – maybe you’re on the run. If so, be sure you have signed up for the Float Dodger 5K, preceding the West Seattle Grand Parade one week from today:

West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) is presenting the Float Dodger 5K this year – it benefits the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society – and signing up participants at their Summer Fest booth. Later in the summer, it’s the Alki Beach 5K, benefiting Northwest Hope and Healing, and you can sign up for that at Summer Fest too – here’s the temp tattoo sported by NWHH’s Shari Sewell:

11:29 AM: Teri Ensley of Furry Faces Foundation, which is in the Community Tent today – actually a double-canopied area against the south wall of Easy Street Records at California/Alaska – has a plea for pet owners, given the heat advisory for today:

Please leave your dog(s) at home, in a cool place, with lots of available water. Leaving them in a car, can kill them. Walking them on concrete can burn the pads of their feet…if the concrete is too hot for our bare feet–it’s too hot for theirs. Lastly, keep your dogs out of the sun when you are walking them—they can suffer from heat exhaustion because they are wearing a fur coat.

Here’s who you will find in the Community Tent today – meet local community groups’ reps, find out more about what they do:

10 am-2 pm
Environmental Science Center
SSCC Parent Education Program
West Seattle Be Prepared
Furry Faces Foundation

2 pm -6 pm
West Seattle Community Orchestras
Seal Sitters
34th District Democrats
Furry Faces Foundation

Here are Cindi Barker and Sharonn Meeks from West Seattle Be Prepared (go ask them questions about your nearest Emergency Communication Hub!):

WSCO is bringing its Instrument Petting Zoo – don’t miss that this afternoon.

Meantime, a couple of visitors this past quarter-hour at the Info Booth – Pete Spalding, who’s on his way to volunteer at the West Seattle Food Bank booth (photo added above – don’t miss their raffle!), had a few updates about Delridge Day, which he’s helping organize, August 9th – looks like the “Picnic at the Precinct” SPD features will be combined with the festival again this year, and also, there’ll be a Delridge Day Eve outdoor movie on Friday, August 8th – “The Lego Movie.” Stay tuned for more details on that. Also saying hi, City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – first politician/elected official we’ve seen this Summer Fest.

And reps from West Seattle Hi-Yu – don’t miss their float, and a chance to buy a Hi-Yu button for just $1 to support the festival – on SW Alaska just east of California, near Junction Plaza Park.

12:57 PM: A snippet of Instagram video of today’s first band, Two-Story Zori:

Just about to start on the stage (north of SW Oregon), Sundae + Mr. Goessel, described as “a spirit reminiscent of 1930s pop.” We just returned from another stroll in that direction – noticed the Windermere sidewalk setup has a mister keeping passersby cool:

First mist-er we've seen at #wssummerfest – Windermere on the sidewalk, Calif east side btwn Oregon & Alaska pic.twitter.com/oQAhZH8eII

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) July 12, 2014

Today, almost every eatery on California SW has an outdoor area set up just for Summer Fest, even ones that don’t have outdoor seating otherwise. So along with the official “food court” area stretching along the south side of SW Alaska east of California – all the way to the corner of 42nd – lots of other options. We noticed that Pagliacci Pizza just north of SW Oregon is offering slices, something not usually on their West Seattle menu.

1:44 PM: Another local business that’s all in for Summer Fest, CAPERS, is grabbing attention on the sidewalk with the West Seattle T-shirt made famous by Eddie Vedder:

Don’t miss GreenLife at the southwest end of the festival zone, presented by Sustainable West Seattle in the parking lot north of Technical Analysis, with a full schedule of demonstrations and a few performances. One that was a hot ticket last year is back at 4 pm today – backyard beer making! (Update: just found out at 2:36 pm that the workshop has been canceled.) Speaking of hot … imagine having to wear a big furry costume in this weather:

Those two were wandering to promote the Sasquatch! music festival.

2:38 PM UPDATE: Other places that will be happy to “mist” you – as well as meet you – the West Seattle Fabric Company booth, for one:

And a reminder that if you are here with a baby and/or toddler and need a place to nurse, change diapers, otherwise get out of the crowd – the Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) booth by NW Art and Frame on the west side of California between Alaska and Edmunds is one place, as is City Mouse Studio and Store at 4218 SW Alaska. Meantime, we’ll be launching the day’s second round of coverage around the top of the hour, after a non-festival-related story or two.

(INFO LINKS in our first installment of today’s festival coverage – go here)

That’s a snippet of Squirrel Butter, first band on the West Seattle Summer Fest schedule, performing about an hour ago; right now, Rat City Brass is onstage …

… and music continues until the Yada Yada Blues Band‘s set at 9 pm (see the full schedule here). A breeze has been keeping the festival zone from getting too warm, so far, so don’t be too worried about overheating.

Summer Fest’s roots, of course, are in the Sidewalk Sale – and many shops still have one as part of the festivities. We’ve received this announcement from the nonprofit Discovery Shop, on the west side of California between Oregon and Alaska:

Plants with Pizzazz

It’s a beehive of activity over at the Discovery Shop as their annual plant sale fundraiser is well underway. Shelves are overflowing with a variety of indoor and outdoor plants in unique containers such as toy wagons, old watering cans, even rhinestone shoes. Other containers include beautiful handmade pottery. These one-of-kind creations are only available
during the Summer Fest Sidewalk Sale, now through Sunday. Sales benefit the American Cancer Society.

Lots more coverage to come – hope to see you here!

4:14 PM: Here’s the music schedule for the rest of today – Vaudeville Etiquette is onstage right now (again, there’s one music stage, on California north of Oregon):

And after that:

Killer Ghost, 5 pm
Magic Mirrors, 6 pm
Country Lips, 7 pm
Hobosexual, 8 pm
Yada Yada Blues Band, 9 pm

Also right now, Illuminatio Dance is onstage at GreenLife, which is in the parking lot off the west side of California, just north of Edmunds. That’ll be followed by a presentation about building with reclaimed materials, at 5 pm; here’s the full weekend schedule for GreenLife.

5:25 PM: It’s been busy all day but now of course as more people leave work, the crowd is growing. The kids’ rides will be open until 8, the official end time for tonight, though the music runs later:

With the sun arcing to the west, it’s getting warmer. Lots of beverage options – the QFC booth across from ours is selling $1 water if you don’t bring any of your own. (Just had to buy some after running out of the supply we bought … it’s REALLY icy. Perfect.)

One of our many Summer Fest previews mentioned the pop-up library today in Junction Plaza Park. It’s continuing until 6:

More Summer Fest sights – lots of dogs – all sizes, all shapes, all … spots:

If you’re bringing yours, head up to the Pet Junction zone north of Oregon – a Summer Fest first this year. Speaking of animals … we talked this afternoon with Robin from Seal Sitters and Donna from The Whale Trail. Robin says the pup recently rescued from a local beach is doing OK. Donna is just back from taking The Whale Trail on a road trip including California and says the Southern Resident whales were in the area too – in some cases foraging for fish further south than they’ve been seen before. (Another feature of Summer Fest – endless supply of cool people to talk with, all concentrated in a few blocks for three days)

If you’re coming tomorrow, bring diapers – HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) is collecting for WestSide Baby‘s Stuff the Bus drive:

You can also drop off diapers at HomeStreet’s West Seattle branch (40th/Alaska) during business hours – Stuff the Bus is one week from Sunday, July 20th in the HomeStreet parking lot. Like HomeStreet, some other businesses from just outside the festival zone have booths here – including longtime WSB sponsor Dream Dinners:

Dream Dinners’ year-round location is on the east exterior of Jefferson Square, fronting 41st – that’s where you go to put together ready-to-cook family-style dishes to take home and cook later. At Summer Fest, you can find out more about a variety of local businesses you might not have visited before.

6:30 PM: If you’re coming just to wander .. do note that some vendors leave as early as 6, though they can stay open tonight up until 8 (and the food area might stay open later if people are still buying – that’s the official word festival staff is circulating). We’ll be here in the info booth until around 7, and then back tomorrow morning as the festival opens at 10. In addition to finding particular vendors and other info such as bus reroutes, we also wind up collecting information about other area summertime events, and since the booth has a big banner for the West Seattle Outdoor Movies series, we’ve been fielding questions about it – come get a card with the schedule, or stop by wsmovies.org. First free outdoor movie in the Hotwire Online Coffeehouse (WSB sponsor) courtyard, one week from tomorrow (Saturday, July 19th) – “Gravity.”

7:06 PM: The evening crowd is wandering around in force, many checking out the food zone just east of us, stretching along the south side of Alaska, east of California.

If nothing there grabs your attention, remember The Junction has many year-round eateries too – both old and new; some have opened since last Summer Fest, like Quadrato on SW Oregon and Terra Cole on California. And then there are the classics, like Husky Deli, home to sandwiches as well as ice cream, with proprietor Jack Miller among the familiar Summer Fest faces:

We’re wrapping up the Info Booth for the night – only one question is still being asked, and that’s “which way to the music?” (North of Oregon on California!)

8:43 PM: Thanks to Dave for sharing photos of one of the anticipated bands – Country Lips:

(added) He also shared this video of their final song:

Last band of the night, Yada Yada Blues Band, is scheduled to start at 9. Saturday music begins at noon with Two Story Zori.

10:16 AM: That’s the SDOT traffic camera pointing north on California at Alaska – right over our vantage point in the heart of West Seattle Summer Fest, which has just officially opened. We’ll be covering it live for the next three days, but you can also count on us for other news coverage, especially breaking news, as it happens, so you won’t miss a thing. First, some info links:

TODAY’S HOURS: 10 am-8 pm
MUSIC: Schedule here; Squirrel Butter is first at 2 pm, Yada Yada Blues Band at 9 pm
FOOD: Local year-round restaurants plus vendor stands on the south side of Alaska, east of California
BABY/TODDLER FEEDING/CHANGING: Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) booth by NW Art and Frame; City Mouse Studio/Store at 4218 SW Alaska
KID ZONE: Rides/bouncy toys/ticket booth are on Alaska west of California; also, activities in the Wells Fargo drive-thru
PET JUNCTION: First-of-its-kind pet zone is on California north of Oregon
VENDOR LIST – here
VENDOR MAP – here (by number, per the list)
GREENLIFE SCHEDULE – here – first event today, Zumba at 1 pm
COMMUNITY TENT SCHEDULE – here (scroll down)
BUS REROUTES – here

12:01 PM: Two hours into Day 1, lots of fun so far. Lots of shade and breeze, too, so it’s a great place to get out of the heat. While you’re browsing vendor booths, you can snag some shade too – stop and chat with folks like Gina with Snooter-doots:

Rides and bouncy toys for kids are just west of our spot in the Info Booth – they’re on Alaska west of California and also in the Wells Fargo drive-through. Here’s the price list:

Plenty of activities sprinkled throughout the rest of the festival – for example, the West Seattle Y (WSB sponsor) is just north of us, and it’s offering jumping and hula-hooping.

The new Pet Junction area on California north of Oregon has the MaxMobile pet-adoption van, today only:

Throughout the festival, the Community Tent – actually two canopies – can be found on the south side of Easy Street’s corner of California/Alaska, with a rotating list of local community/nonprofit organizations:

Here’s today’s list of participating groups whose reps are looking forward to meeting you there:

10 am -2 pm
Environmental Science Center
34th District Democrats

2 pm – 6 pm
Seal Sitters
West Seattle Girl Scouts
Seattle Parks for All
WS Green Spaces
Friends of Seattle’s Urban Forests

Some nonprofits have their own spots around the festival grounds – among them, the West Seattle Food Bank, which asked us to share an announcement:

Summer Fest is on all weekend and the West Seattle Food Bank is selling $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win two unrestricted roundtrip tickets on Alaska or Horizon Airlines (no blackout dates) PLUS a 10% discount at 5 fabulous West Seattle restaurants, Christo’s on Alki, Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub, Talarico’s Pizzeria (you could use both of those the day you’re at SummerFest), Menchie’s Admiral & Zeeks Pizza. All proceeds go to help our West Seattle families in need. Stop by and see them and you’ll get a free new cool car window sticker. They’re across from West 5!

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society booth is on the north side of Alaska, east of California, and Seymour History the marmot is on hand until 3 pm with volunteers from the Washington State Historical Society joining SWSHS reps – read more about that here.

Meantime, here in the Info Booth (look for the big INFORMATION sign as well as the WSB banner), service organizations’ volunteers are helping out throughout the weekend too – today, meet reps from the Rotary Club of West Seattle (who also are selling $5 tote bags to raise money for Pencil Me In For Kids, which gets school supplies to kids in need).

12:46 PM: In the background on the block between Alaska and Edmunds, the unmistakable sound of work continuing on the two under-construction projects, including 4730 California at midblock:

We got a tip that the contractor, Compass, is offering cool drinks, and stickers, so check it out if you pass that way. That project has topped out, which means shade where it didn’t exist before.

1:30 PM: When you are at Summer Fest, don’t miss GreenLife – it’s tucked in the parking lot on the west side of California just north of Edmunds (east of the Chase ATM drive-thru). Sustainable West Seattle is managing it again this year, with local sustainability-focused businesses participating, onstage performances and demonstrations and … chickens!

And next to the Info Booth, a pigeon sighting – the official art for this year’s Summer Fest posters etc. is also a photo-op station (that’s West Seattle Junction Association director Susan Melrose at left):

Also getting into the festival spirit – Seattle Police assigned to Summer Fest patrol. Officers Steiger and Dobson met up with West Seattle Hi-Yu royalty:

More to come – we’ll be launching the second round of as-it-happens coverage around 3 pm, after a couple of non-festival news notes.

West Seattle Summer Fest is almost here – it starts 10 am tomorrow (Friday), and once again, we need to remind you that the Junction streets close TONIGHT at 6 (details, including bus reroutes, are here – and “Summer Fest Eve”/Art Walk info for tonight is here). We still have lots to share in advance. Some quick points this afternoon:

COMMUNITY TENT: One of the schedules you might not have seen yet is for the neighbors you’ll meet at the Summer Fest Community Tent, just west of the Information Booth at California/Alaska (where you’ll find us again this year). So many of the people you’ll meet at the Community Tent are busy all year doing good work, almost always on a volunteer basis, to make West Seattle an awesome place, so go say hi, meet them, thank them, ask questions … The lineup, coordinated by the fine folks at Furry Faces Foundation, is toward the end of this page. (P.S. During Furry Faces’ official time in the tent, they’ll be offering pet-ID tags, among other things.)

WSCO’S ‘INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO’: West Seattle Community Orchestras will be at the Community Tent (see the schedule) with an “instrument petting zoo” so that young prospective musicians can get a firsthand look.

FAMILY REST STOP AT CITY MOUSE: At 4218 SW Alaska (just east of California), City Mouse Studio and Store is again open during Summer Fest with “a place to feed, change, and escape the heat,” according to proprietor Donna Ryan.

DONATE DIAPERS AT HOMESTREET BANK AND ITS BOOTH: Melodie from HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor) has a Summer Fest update:

All weekend long we will be accepting diaper donations for WestSide Baby’s upcoming Stuff the Bus Event (7/20). HomeStreet Bank will accept donations at our booth in vendor row and also at the Branch during normal business hours. We will also be helping folks keep cool by giving out free Otter Pops in front of the branch (located at the corner of Alaska and 41st), while supplies last.

HomeStreet’s booth in the heart of the festival grounds is #148.

‘CYCLELUNG’ AT AAA BOOTH: From AAA-West Seattle (WSB sponsor) – they’ll be at Summer Fest too:

People can stop by our booth (#) to learn more about all of AAA’s great services and enter to win a prize. You can also spin our prize wheel and receive a giveaway. Plus, on Saturday, AAA will host the CycleLung to promote the ALA Bike Around the Sound presented by AAA. The CycleLung is interactive art where a person can pedal a stationary bike to get lungs (a series of light bulbs) to light up. The piece of art is made up of bicycle parts. We look forward to seeing everyone at Summer Fest.

Those are just a few updates – you can browse/search the vendors list, review the vendors map (zoom in to see each booth number), the music schedule, and more, on the official Summer Fest website. For the seventh year, we’ll be in the Information Booth (at walk-all-ways, California/Alaska), with volunteers from the West Seattle Chamber, Kiwanis Club, and Rotary Club, ready to answer questions and say hi. We’ll also have Summer Fest updates, photos, videos, and general info here on the site “live” all three days (plus WSB’s social-media channels – see the links atop the right sidebar). See you at Summer Fest!

Now just two days until West Seattle Summer Fest – and the countdown continues with news for parents of babies and toddlers: Again this year, Nurturing Expressions (WSB sponsor) wants you to know that its booth “will have a cozy place for moms to nurse their babies and for parents to change diapers … We’ll be located right across from Northwest Art & Frame as usual.”

You can also find the booth number for Nurturing Expressions (and any other local business or visiting vendor that’s part of the festival) on the online directory here – then find the number on this map. And during the festival, we’ll be in the Information Booth for the seventh year, right in the middle of California/Alaska, so if you can’t find something/someone, we and the community-organization volunteers joining us will do our best to help. Festival hours are 10 am-8 pm Friday/Saturday (with music running later) and 11 am-8 pm Sunday.

By this time next weekend, we’ll be right in the middle of West Seattle Summer Fest, the peninsula’s biggest party of the year. So this weekend, the countdown continues, with our spotlight tonight on the schedule for live music, with 25 acts featured over the festival’s three days (Friday-Sunday, July 11th-13th).

The basics:

*One stage, toward the north end of the festival zone, on California SW north of SW Oregon (“CA” on map, above)
*Free
*Music starts at:
—-2 pm Friday (last band @ 9 pm)
—-Noon Saturday (last band @ 9:30 pm)
—-2 pm Sunday (last band @ 6 pm)

On the Summer Fest website’s music page, click on any act’s name to go to a website or Facebook page with more info. And note the beer garden’s right by the stage – but you can also enjoy beverages and food at The Junction’s year-round restaurants and lounges, some of which set up temporary outdoor-seating areas just for Summer Fest.

We’re counting down to West Seattle Summer Fest 2014 – presented by the WS Junction Association Friday-Sunday, July 11-13 – exactly one week away. This time, a quick infobit – the fun unofficially starts on what we like to call West Seattle Summer Fest Eve, when the streets close in the heart of The Junction on Thursday night, July 10th. The shutdown is technically for setup, but for years now, it’s also facilitated a whole lot of fun right in the heart of California SW – it’s the July West Seattle Art Walk (6-9 pm – previews next week), for one thing, and participants usually turn it up for this one. Then there’s the annual appearance of Bubbleman, out in the street in all his glory, courtesy of Elliott Bay Brewery. And somebody usually has live music in the street – usually more than one somebody. So plan to come down to The Junction not just for Summer Fest July 11-13 (co-sponsored by WSB), but also for Summer Fest Eve and Art Walk next Thursday.

Just 9 days to go until the year’s biggest party, West Seattle Summer Fest (co-sponsored by WSB) – July 11th, 12th, 13th, closing the streets to vehicles and opening them to fun in the heart of The Junction. Today – news from the West Seattle Junction Association, which presents WSSF, that the first day of Summer Fest will feature the festival’s first-ever “pop-up library”:

West Seattle Summer Fest will host Open Air in Junction Plaza Park on Friday, July 11 from 10 am to 6 pm. The Seattle Public Library will bring a pop-up library outdoors (a kind of outdoor reading room, complete with book
tower and benches) where guests can check out books and DVDs from our mobile collection, take a break with a magazine, and chat with librarians (among other things). You can visit their landing page for a bit more information.

In addition to the above, Open Air provides hotspots with free wi-fi access and charging stations for visitors. On site librarians are particularly interested in signing up visitors for library cards and showing them the range of ebooks, downloads, and databases offered by the library.

You can browse more advance info on Summer Fest – including the music schedule and vendor list/map – by going to the official website.

The year’s biggest party, West Seattle Summer Fest (co-sponsored by WSB), is 11 days away – July 11th, 12th, 13th, closing the streets to vehicles and opening them to fun in the heart of The Junction. We’ll be counting down daily/nightly with info – tonight, Sustainable West Seattle‘s preview of the 4th annual GreenLife festival-within-a-festival:

The GreenLife Stage is sponsored by Alki Bike and Board and features 3 days of sustainability demonstrations. Topics include: Building with Reclaimed Materials; Backyard Beer Making; and Home Canning and Preservation. We are also excited to have performances of the highly acclaimed Illuminatio Dance on Friday and Sunday afternoons.

The GreenLife area is sponsored by West Seattle Nursery and is located in the parking lot (east of the former Chase drive-through), off California Ave SW and SW Edmunds St. For more information and to view the schedule, please visit wsjunction.org/summerfest/green-life

You can explore other SummerFest infolinks from the festival’s home page at wsjunction.org/summerfest.

(UPDATED 9:13 PM with 15 more photos, including 3 more aerials!)

(Aerial views of Pirates’ Landing by Long Bach Nguyen; click each photo to see a larger image)
The Seafair Pirates have landed!

(That photo and next 2 are by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
More than anything, their annual Alki arrival is about the kids. And the photo ops. And more kids.

And the occasional politician.

LOTS more photos and video to come, of course. And though a cloudburst has dampened things post-landing, the beach festivities are scheduled to continue for a few more hours – the sun might just make a comeback.

P.S. Before they landed, the pirates tell us, they took time to remember last year’s Captain Kidd, the late Rusty Harper, with a wreath thrown toward the briny deep of Puget Sound.

ADDED 3:01 PM: Thanks to Alki photographer David Hutchinson for the next three views of the Pirates’ boisterous beach approach:

Still adding more. The Pirates will be back in West Seattle for the Grand Parade on July 19th, by the way … if not sooner.

ADDED 9:13 PM: So much more to see. Here’s the crowd on the ground:

(That photo and others from here are by WSB’s Patrick Sand unless otherwise credited)
Here’s another view from the sky:

(Photo by Long Bach Nguyen)
Even with all those people, there were some singular moments – like this pirate fan who wanted to be first out in the water to greet them:

Others were more content to sit and wait … and sit some more:

The clouds menaced:

One pirate was ready:

Another just stuck with the sword:

And then there were some modern, uh, weapons:

Back up on stage, was this the key to the city?

Or maybe the ignition key for Moby Duck?

All over the beach, people were making new friends, like this possible future Hi-Yu candidate who posed with royalty:

This one too:

All the while, the battle for Alki raged … we think:

Some watched from a distance:

(That photo and next by Long Bach Nguyen)
And one last look at that crowd – note the pole-vaulting east of Alki Bathhouse:

Tomorrow, the Pirates will be part of the Pride Parade downtown.

On the eve of thousands converging on Alki for the Seafair Pirates’ Landing tomorrow, here are all the details we’ve been able to pull from the briny deep:

WHEN DO THE SEAFAIR PIRATES LAND ON ALKI? Common question today. In fact, some of them landed this morning. Erik Walum shared the photo – they said they were doing a “TV spot.” Tomorrow, they’re back for the official landing, and we have these details so far:

*As it says on the Pirates’ website, they’re expected ashore at Alki between 11:30-12:30 (we tend to tell people, better to be earlier than later, so we’d advise an 11-ish arrival).

*The new Captain Kidd (Marvin Davis) will take command, with a knighting ceremony, pirate songs, etc., on the main stage by the bathhouse

*Also onstage before and after the ceremonies, 10 am-2 pm, live music with local bands including Side Project

*Beer garden on the beach, 10 am-4 pm

*Pirate Costume Contest/Pirate Lookalike Contest for kids

*Booths/vendors with food, toys, clothing, jewelry, art

*Royalty: 2013-2014 Miss Seafair Rio Barber, the Seafair princesses, West Seattle Hi-Yu royalty

*Mayor Murray is expected there at noon, per his official schedule

And while it’s not an official part of the Pirates’ Landing, yes, the 19th annual Alki Swashbuckler pole-vaulting competition will be happening on the beach too. See you there!

Festival infolinks: Music schedule * Food * Pet parade/contests * Vendors * Nonprofits

(Early pan of part of the vendor zone)
The 9th annual Morgan Junction Community Festival, presented by the Morgan Community Association, is under way! Live music, dozens of vendors, food – Bubbleman is performing at 11:30 am in Morgan Junction Park; the Bark of Morgan pet parade (and contests) is coming up at 2 pm; just head for California/Fauntleroy. We’re in the vendor zone behind Feedback Lounge and Zeeks Pizza (both WSB sponsors). Vendors are here until 5, musicians until 7.

11:52 AM: Bubbleman’s delighting the kids in the park right now:

He creates his bubbly experiences with a variety of implements:

More to come – we’ll continue updating “live.”

12:46 PM: Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske promised he’d have officers on bikes at summer events and hotspots for gatherings – we’ve just spotted two at the festival:

Up to a dozen SW Precinct officers are being equipped with bikes so they can ride in the spots where they make sense – like this. Meantime, it’s lunchtime – go over to West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), where today’s benefit barbecue is raising money to support the festival:

That’s Michele, grilling pineapple because today’s barbecue theme is ALOHA! Back alongside Morgan Junction Park, chalk art welcomes the season:

1:41 PM: Some dogs are already set for the Bark of Morgan parade and contests coming up at 2 pm:

That’s Sunny, who happens to belong to the Higuera family from Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor) – their booth here at the festival is almost directly across from ours again this year, next to City Dog Magazine (West Seattleite-founded and operated) and next to them, Furry Faces Foundation, with Madrid Frame holding down the north edge of this part of the festival. Back to the food:

Those are two of the three trucks in the Washington Federal parking lot on the northeast corner of Fauntleroy/California – Hungry Me and Fez – also there, Curb Jumper Street Eats (which has tweeted it’s here until 6).

2:21 PM: The festival has gone to the dogs! Here’s a quick Instagram clip of the Bark of Morgan parade as a placeholder until official video later. (Added – our “official” clip, as promised):

Excellent turnout – more than last year – and definitely more than the first year in 2012, when the Bark of Morgan was dampened by a downpour that cut the festival short. No weather trouble this year – everyone is delighted with the sunshine and just-right temps.

3:24 PM: If you haven’t come down yet – vendors and nonprofits will be breaking down their booths/tables after 5, so come see us all by then. If you see Seal Sitters in the park, for example, you might just get a sticker:

Go see Seal Sitters in the park at #morganfestival and get an adorable sticker pic.twitter.com/NjtRApy3Oh

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) June 21, 2014

Right now on the stage in the park, the Tongan Church performers are onstage, with dancing and music. (added) Video:

4:41 PM: While the music continues until about 7, the vendor zone is about to fold up. We have a few more photos of some of the people who’ve been here talking with festivalgoers all day – for starters, the West Seattle Food Bank team:

7:42 PM: Adding more images inline and also here as a postscript, starting with a video clip shared by Clay Eals, executive director of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, which had a booth at the festival. He talked with two young volunteers, both of whom just finished seventh grade at Madison Middle School, Adele Arutunian (left) and Sofie Phillips:

Clay says the girls “participated in our ‘Telling Our Westside Stories’ interviewing project over the past year and today completed their first volunteer stint, working our booth at the
Morgan Junction Festival for three hours.” P.S. SWSHS has a big event tomorrow (Sunday) – touring the Gatewood Bed & Breakfast; details here.

By this time tomorrow, this year’s Morgan Junction Community Festival will be well under way in and around Morgan Junction Park (where we photographed the banner you see above) – ~10:15 am-7 pm. We have one more preview today – first, to recap, what we’ve already published:

*Bark of Morgan dog parade/contests
*Music/live entertainment (including Bubbleman)
*Food (including Bite of Morgan samples and on-site food trucks)
*Nonprofits who will be there at booths/tables to meet you

Today – the rest of the three-dozen-plus organizations and businesses (including us!) you’ll see at the festival. First, the nonprofits/schools you’ll see there – a great chance to find out more about what they do beyond the events and meetings we feature here (we’ve linked their websites to their names below, if you want to check them out ahead of time)

*Madrid Frame
*City Dog Magazine
*Ventana Construction (WSB sponsor)
*Pink Gorilla Games
*USTA Family Friendly Tennis (WSB sponsor)
*Eco Beauty Salon Spa
*Queen Beads
*Full Tilt Ice Cream (celebrating its 6th anniversary today!)
*West Seattle Office Junction (WSB sponsor)
*Luna Azul Tie Dyes
*Penguina Designs
*Sound Yoga (WSB sponsor)
*Second Gear Sports
*Roxbury Spine and Wellness Clinic
*Nepenthe Massage
*Forest Lawn (WSB sponsor)
*Pathway Design and Construction
*Rain Fantasies
*Buttons & Beads
*Super Supplements
*Hands to Paws
*Senorita Wears
*Gretchen at HandiStor
*Ginger Jewelry Designs
*West Seattle Natural Energy
*Melissa Zander

The festival venues are at three of the four corners of California/Fauntleroy (all but the southwest corner) plus Morgan Junction Park on the west side of California just a bit north. As a festival co-sponsor, we’re looking forward to seeing you there!

We’re continuing the countdown to Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival, in and around Morgan Junction Park. We’ve already published info about:

*Bark of Morgan dog parade/contests
*Music/live entertainment (including Bubbleman)
*Food (including Bite of Morgan samples and on-site food trucks)

Today – we start a two-day look at the three-dozen-plus organizations and businesses (including us!) you’ll see tabling/boothing at the Morgan festival. First, the nonprofits/schools you’ll see there – a great chance to find out more about what they do beyond the events and meetings we feature here (we’ve linked their websites to their names below, if you want to check them out ahead of time)

*34th District Democrats
*Emergency Preparedness: Community Hubs
*Feet First
*Friends of Morgan Junction Parks
*Furry Faces Foundation
*Morgan Community Association (festival organizers/presenters!)
*Seal Sitters
*South Seattle College
*Southwest Seattle Historical Society
*The Kenney
*Timebanks
*West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network
*West Seattle Food Bank
*West Seattle Garden Tour

Tomorrow – the rest of the “vendors” list, mostly local businesses. So go for the community information, go for the food, go for the fun, just get to California/Fauntleroy (the festival venues are in the parking lot of Zeeks Pizza/Feedback Lounge right at the corner, Morgan Junction Park to the north on California, and Washington Federal on the east side of California, plus the benefit barbecue at West Seattle Thriftway) – 10:30 am-7 pm (if you want to check out vendors, don’t wait till the last minute, as some start clearing out after 5).

In our tradition of disclosure: WSB sponsors mentioned in this story are South Seattle College, The Kenney, West Seattle Thriftway, Feedback Lounge, Zeeks Pizza.

Forecast looks good for Saturday, when you’ll find the ninth annual Morgan Junction Community Festival at and around California/Fauntleroy/Morgan, 10 am-7 pm. We’ve already highlighted the Bark of Morgan dog parade/contests, starting at 2 pm, and the food, including local restaurants’ Bite of Morgan samples and visiting food trucks. Today, the entertainment schedule for the heart of the festival at Morgan Junction Park:

The festival is presented by the all-volunteer Morgan Community Association, and we’re proud to be among the co-sponsors (all shown here) again this year.

(WSB file photo)
Next major summer festival in West Seattle is just six days away – the 9th annual Morgan Junction Community Festival, with activities, performances, booths, and mobile vendors spread around the California/Fauntleroy intersection. It’s organized and presented by the Morgan Community Association, an all-volunteer community council, with sponsors including WSB. We’ve already shared previews including the schedule for the Bark of Morgan dog parade and contests; now, MoCA’s Cindi Barker has shared the lineup for festival food, including the Bite of Morgan:

Bite of Morgan Participants – free small samples provided by our fabulous
Morgan Junction restaurants (11:30 am until supplies run out):

* Caffé Ladro (mini scones)
* Domino’s Pizza (8 piece Parmesan bread bits)
* The Bridge (chocolate-covered strawberries)
* Harry’s Chicken Joint (chicken skewer)
* Little Prague (Hungarian goulash)
* Abbondanza (gnocchi)
* Feedback Lounge (flatbread Bahn Mi sandwich)
* Zeeks Pizza (pizza slice)
* Pet Elements (pet treat)

West Seattle Thriftway special promotion for the festival

Thriftway will be holding a fundraiser BBQ for the festival! This is much appreciated and is essential to our fundraising. This year they will be cooking “Aloha Burgers” and the suggested donation of $7 will also get you a bag of chips and a drink. Best deal around!

Food Trucks

Read More

(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand, unless otherwise credited)
At least the rain stayed away from Seattle Summer Streets on Alki until after the Alki Beach Creeps‘ second annual Bicycle/Costume Parade. If you weren’t there, here are some of the sights!

Dogs aren’t so rare at the beach – but this might be the first cat we’ve seen join the parade:

Seattle Police led the parade – here’s a quick video clip from the start:

ADDED 4:44 PM: Thanks to Tim for a photo of the parade group at the turnaround point at Don Armeni – and the scenic skyline while the sun was still out:

Were you in the parade (or any other Summer Streets events)? Photo to share? editor@westseattleblog.com – thanks!