Saturday December 5 –

Hometown Holidays Tree Lighting: 5PM – The Junction presents our 6^th Annual Tree Lighting Event. Join us for music, entertainment, revelry, prizes, and much more. It’s community event for the family, friends and neighbors. First of three raffle drawings and everyone enters to win tickets to Stevens Pass Ski Resort. Where: Farmers Marking Parking Lot at 44th and Alaska Ave SW.

Sunday December 6 –

Hometown Holidays Headquarters: 12-4PM – Stay local on Sundays and enjoy what your neighborhood has to offer. Meet us in front of Key Bank for festivities and information on shopping, the $6500 raffle, and in-store events.

Santa’s Workshop at 4218 SW Alaska St. (around from Cupcake Royale):

Santa Photos: 12-4PM Santa Photos – Santa will be here to listen to your children’s Christmas requests. Professional Santa Photos by Donna Ryan Photography and a suggested donation of $10 or more will be donated to our West Seattle charities. Also help make ornaments for the holiday tree. Santa donations to West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Helpline and West Side Baby.

Free Gift Wrap: 12-4PM – Receive a complimentary holiday gift wrapping by Swee Swee Paperie with any $50 or more purchase from participating West Seattle Junction merchants. Additional holiday gift wrapping services are available for a fee with a portion of the profits to be donated to a local charity.

Mule Carriage Rides 12-4PM – Take a traditional carriage ride down California pulled by beautiful Belgium Draft Mules. This is a treat to enjoy with the whole family and friends. Carriages depart on California in front of Key Bank.

Thursday December 10 – Art Walk and Shop Late

West Seattle Art Walk: 6-9PM – Meet us in The Junction for a night out on the town. Check out the local art, enjoy drinks and snacks, and cross items off your holiday shopping list. Get in the holiday spirit with this lively evening event.

Sunday December 13 –

Hometown Holidays Headquarters: 12-4PM – Stay local on Sundays and enjoy what your neighborhood has to offer. Meet us in front of Key Bank for festivities and information on shopping, the $6500 raffle, and in-store events.

Santa’s Workshop at 4218 SW Alaska St. (around from Cupcake Royale):

Santa Photos: 12-4PM Santa Photos – Santa will be here to listen to your children’s Christmas requests. Professional Santa Photos by Donna Ryan Photography and a suggested donation of $10 or more will be donated to our West Seattle charities. Also help make ornaments for the holiday tree. Santa donations to West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Helpline and West Side Baby.

Free Gift Wrap: 12-4PM – Receive a complimentary holiday gift wrapping by Swee Swee Paperie with any $50 or more purchase from participating West Seattle Junction merchants. Additional holiday gift wrapping services are available for a fee with a portion of the profits to be donated to a local charity.

Sunday December 20 –

Hometown Holidays Headquarters: 12-4PM – Stay local on Sundays and enjoy what your neighborhood has to offer. Meet us in front of Key Bank for festivities and information on shopping, the $6500 raffle, and in-store events.

Santa’s Workshop at 4218 SW Alaska St. (around from Cupcake Royale):

Santa Photos: 12-4PM Santa Photos – Santa will be here to listen to your children’s Christmas requests. Professional Santa Photos by Donna Ryan Photography and a suggested donation of $10 or more will be donated to our West Seattle charities. Also help make ornaments for the holiday tree. Santa donations to West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Helpline and West Side Baby.

Free Gift Wrap: 12-4PM – Receive a complimentary holiday gift wrapping by Swee Swee Paperie with any $50 or more purchase from participating West Seattle Junction merchants. Additional holiday gift wrapping services are available for a fee with a portion of the profits to be donated to a local charity.

Mule Carriage Rides 12-4PM – Take a traditional carriage ride down California pulled by beautiful Belgium Draft Mules. This is a treat to enjoy with the whole family and friends. Carriages depart on California in front of Key Bank.

September in The Junction means enjoying the Farm Fresh bounty of the summer harvest!

From the Farmers Market to Fleurt to Fresh Bistro, discover how Junction merchants and restaurants take advantage of the plentiful fresh produce, flowers, treats, meat and seafood from around the region.

Here are some tips from the neighborhood:

APPLES!  Nothing better than our state fruit!  September kicks off the apple harvest, with Ginger Golds, Red Delicious and Auroras arriving by the cartload to West Seattle Produce Co. Start enjoying this year’s crop at great prices, and don’t forget to send one along for your kiddo’s teacher on the first day of school!

September also means the beginning of stew weather, with purple and fingerling potatoes arriving from farms in Mt. Vernon and on Vashon Island. Add some grass fed, organic beef from Enumclaw-based farmers, who sell on-site at West Seattle Produce every Saturday and Monday and you’ve got a hearty meal.

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Like you, we prefer to keep it in the ‘hood. 
You’ll see Bruce with West Seattle Produce
delivering his farm fresh vegetables to
West 5, Easy Street Café, Talarico’s and A Terrible Beauty.
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Don’t forget the dessert!  Shoofly Pie’s September pie of the month, a plum and almond galette, is made with plums from West Seattle Produce.  Make your own Farm Fresh dessert with Shoofly’s hand made all-butter dough (sold by the ball) and fresh harvest apples!

You love to eat local, why not adorn your table with locally grown flowers? Right now, Fleurt is filled with blooms, berries and foliage from local flower farms including dahlias, sunflowers, and phlox. Have florist Sam Crowley create a custom bouquet for delivery, or stop by and pick up some choice stems for your own creation.

Seattle Fish Company’s great selection of seafood choices is WILD fresh rather than farm fresh (no farm-raised fish here) and September is a great time to enjoy salmon and halibut before the season ends in October. Check out their website for recipes and cooking tips!

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Fresh Bistro sources the freshest ingredients
from local producers and farmers.
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Looking for someone else to do the cooking? Fresh Bistro’s mission is to source the freshest ingredients from local producers and farmers.  September will highlight locally harvested peaches from Pence Orchard, greens from Willie Greens Organics, mushrooms from Foraged & Found and plump, tender mussels from Taylor Shellfish.

Head out to Spring Hill for some fresh farm-to-table delights including new crop pears and apples, hot peppers, melons, tomatoes, greens, beets and more from Tonnemaker and Newaukum Valley Farms, as well as Chanterelle mushrooms from Foraged & Found.

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The West Seattle Farmers Market is a great place to
meet local farmers and buy food at its freshest.
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The Junction is honored to host the West Seattle Farmers Market every Sunday, year-round from 10am – 2pm.  This market is one of the largest in Washington State, and is a weekly pilgrimage for Farm Fresh Lovers from near and far.

The Farmers Market brings excitement every month, and September will feature the Sas-Squash Festival on September 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Celebrate the plentiful, versatile and delicious squash – both the summer and winter varieties – by entering the popular Zucchini 500 where kids of all ages make, then race, their very own veggie vehicle.

Bring the biggest squash from your garden to be entered to win a beautiful farmers market basket full of market-fresh goodies and stick around for master chef cooking demonstrations, information from farmers, free recipes and ideas for what to do with your bountiful “burden” of spectacular squash!

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Head to The Junction this September and
Experience Junction Love!
Dinner is Farm Fresh Tonight!
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The Junction’s End of Summer Sale

The Big Bonanza features Western themed grub from Junction restaurants and deep discounts on past and current season merchandise from over 35 Junction merchants including shoes, apparel, books, music, flowers, perfume, French pastry and pub food.

At the event, a checked tablecloth and red balloons will indicate that a retailer is offering specials that day.

A complete list of participants:

Bakery Nouveau
Bin 41
Capers
Carmilia’s
City Mouse Studio and Store
Clementine
Click! Design That Fits
Coffee to a Tea
Cupcake Royale
Curious Kidstuff
Discovery Shop
Easy Street Records
Edie’s Shoes
Fleurt
Funky Janes Consignment
Hotwire Online Coffeehouse
Jan’s Beauty Supply
JF Henry
knows perfume
Northwest Art and Frame
Rubato Records
Seattle Logo Pro
Shadowland
Shoofly Pie Company
Sound Advice
Stop N Shop
Suite Arrangements
Super Supplements
Sweetie
Terjung’s Studio of Gifts
The Forsythe Studio
The Sneakery
Twilight Artist Collective
Wallflower Custom Framing
Wild Rose’s
Zamboanga

Introducing AAA’s West Seattle team: Susan Brahm – Branch Manager, Alison Newquist – Travel Agent, Janet Maines – Travel Agent, and Miriam Maldonado – Auto Travel Agent.

Who are your customers?

Susan: We assist people from all over the greater Seattle area but the majority of our customers are right here in West Seattle.  Our clients are people that are adventurous and enjoy cruising.  Typically they are well educated and have an interest in gourmet food, art and music.

What are some things that people may not know about AAA?:

Susan: In addition to our award winning roadside service, AAA is a nationwide, full service Travel Agency.  Our large volume of business with major Cruise Lines and Tour Operators, allows us to pass along huge savings to our clients.  Unlike other travel agencies, AAA does not charge any service fees for cruise or tour packages.

What do you enjoy most about working in West Seattle:

Alison: All the boutiques, stores and restaurants make it a very colorful and fun place to be.

Janet: I like the daily activity of the Junction and the convenient proximity to shops and restaurants and will certainly enjoy the new park being built across the street from our office.

Miriam: I love the community!  And, it is very close to Downtown Seattle.

What do you like to do in your free time?:

Janet: I like to travel, play golf, read and go out dining and dancing.

Miriam: Take my son to Alki Beach.

What do you like about working at AAA?:

Janet: I like the location of the AAA office and teamwork and local community spirit of my fellow co-workers.

Alison: I like the fact that our office is right in the heart of the Junction.  I enjoy the pleasant atmosphere and seeing my West Seattle clients when they visit the AAA office.

How long have you lived in West Seattle:

Miriam: 8 years.

Janet: I now live in Ballard but grew up in West Seattle and graduated from West Seattle High School.

The West Seattle office is located at 4701 42^nd Ave SW and open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Please stop by and meet the AAA team.  Office phone number:  206-937-8222

Neighborhood Sale!  Over 40 participants.

Junction Merchants have your back by paying your tax.
Enjoy Tax-Free Shopping (10% off) at these locations ALL DAY:

Specials Deals at the following locations:

What do you like about doing business in Junction?

I love being a part of the supportive West Seattle and Junction Community. If I don’t have the book a customer needs, I call Leisure or Pegasus Books or Curious Kidstuff. I try to keep the business in the neighborhood. I know other Junction stores try do do the same for me. I love that the Junction has almost anything anyone would ever need. And I love Summer Fest and Movies on the Wall. It’s great we offer so much free and local entertainment for our community.

How many years has your business been in The Junction?

Our store has been in Jefferson Square for more than 22 years. I have owned it for just over seven years. I was five months pregnant when I bought it. My crazy hormones gave me the courage to jump right in and take over something huge that I had little prior experience with! But much like parenting, I quickly got the hang of it. It’s great to see the growth of my son and the evolution of the store in the same context over the last seven years.

What are some challenges of owning a small, independent business?

I bought the store thinking it would allow me to have more free time with my family, but that is not quite the case. I am always on call. It is hard to go away, and when you are gone, you worry nonstop.  But at least I can bring my son to work with me if I need to-he knows how to ring up customers now, and he likes to recommend children’s books. Being a bookstore owner in this economy and digital age means I need to constantly be thinking about how to market my store and how to adapt to the changing times.

What other Junction shops do you like to patronize?

Any place that serves coffee. I am an addict. I visit Hotwire and Uptown quite a bit. I also love Funky Jane’s,  Clementine and Zamboanga. Shoofly Pie Company is wonderful. I only wish they delivered. I always want pie once I’m home in my pajamas, and it is pouring outside!

What is West Seattle’s best kept secret?

One of West Seattle’s best kept secrets is Jack Block Park. We love to take our bikes, rollerblades and skateboards there. We are often the only people there. I cannot believe I am revealing this. We like it because it is empty!

JUNCTION MERCHANTS – CALL TO ACTION!
Join the Junction Love Campaign!

OBJECTIVES FOR EXPERIENCE JUNCTION LOVE CAMPAIGN

•    Position the Junction as a destination for services, entertainment, shopping and dining comprised of independent, one-of-a-kind businesses mixed with a handful of regional favorites
•    Remind people of the reasons to come to the Junction
•    Introduce new people to the Junction
•    Support an ongoing sense of community

The campaign, which will adopt a new focus each month, is intended to showcase The Junction as a destination for services, entertainment, shopping and dining.  As such, the Experience Junction Love campaign will celebrate the business district’s independent and regional businesses via ten broad subjects:

o    January – Fitness & Health (in honor of New Year’s Resolutions)
o    February – Sweets & Baked Goodness (for Valentine’s Day)
o    March – Arts
o    April – Restaurants
o    May – Shops
o    June – Bars & Wine
o    July – Music (to correspond West Seattle Summer Fest)
o    August – Services
o    September – Veggies & Groceries
o    October – Kids and Halloween
o    November/December – Holiday!

The campaign is primarily implemented through The Junction’s Facebook page, blog, and Constant Contact listserve.  If you’d like your business to be highlighted in any (or all) of these categories, please let us know!

We’re currently keeping a list of which businesses are interested.  To be added to the list, contact:

Susan Melrose  •    •  935-0904

Tricia DiBernardo, Owner, Red Cup Espresso

What do you like about doing business in The Junction?

I love the people! Getting to know our regular customers, watching their kids grow up, and making friends with them has been super rewarding.  Thanks to our customers for all their support – we appreciate it!

How many years have you been in business?

Red Cup has been here in the Junction for 7 years.  It will be 3 years for me as the owner here in May.

Who are you customers?

We get commuters on their way to work, neighbors, Farmer’s Market patrons, tourists, Hybrid/Prius owners, customers who know about our solar panels and energy saving practices.  It’s nice to get recognition from the community.

What do you like about owning your own business?

“I get to be a playa!”  No, seriously though, I get to be off the wall with people.  No limit on fun!  I have a lot of freedom and interaction with people.  It is rewarding to do things that make a good impression on people.

Who is your role model?

My mom, she’s an entrepreneur, a cool lady, fun and engaging.  She owns Roast House Coffee in Spokane, our new organic coffee blend!  I admire what she does and she has always been so strong.  She was the rock in our family.

What do you enjoy in your free time?

I spend time with Nina, my daughter.  I do a lot of domestic stuff – cook, shop and play!

What do you love about West Seattle?

It is a gorgeous place to live with the mountains, water, trees – the landscape is beautiful!  The sense of community, it is close-knit, secure, and safe.

What sort of music do you listen to?

We have Pandora on a lot with all kinds of music! I like hip-hop, reggae, and soul – I am particularly fond of the Brazilian Girls.