Get the latest news about West Seattle Summer Fest right here! We’ll be adding updates periodically to keep you in the know about the best summer festival around. As we get closer to July, we’ll be unveiling the new band line-up for 2016, our list of shopping and food vendors, and lots of other great insider tips about the festival. Be the first to know!
The West Seattle Junction is pleased to announce the 6th year of partnerships between Summer Fest and Sustainable West Seattle. Sustainable West Seattle volunteer their time to program GreenLife, a community stage and area full of interesting sustainability demos, debates, and world music. As you may not know much about Sustainable West Seattle, this article I thought I would give you some background about the organization’s President and why they were chosen as one of our community partners.
The mission and vision of Sustainable West Seattle is to educate, create and be advocates for urban sustainability in their local community. Their vision is a West Seattle community of empowered citizens who actively lead us toward greater self-reliance, local democracy, social justice, and existence in harmony with life on earth.
President Stu Henessey, a longtime West Seattle neighbor and lifetime Seattle resident, grew up surrounded by trees, mountains and seas the instinctive feeling of being one with nature. He’s a part of the core group that develops several Sustainable West Seattle endeavors. His interests are carbon free transportation associated with West Seattle Spokespeople and DIY Bikes as well as growing food locally at COWS (Community Orchard of West Seattle).
You may know him as the owner of Alki Bike and Board in the Admiral District. Typical of a gardener/farmer, he likes to plant seeds of change in his community and watch them grow.
It was important Summer Fest programming also included an element of green sustainable outreach, something that truly understood the roots of community giving. The team at Sustainable West Seattle was everything the Junction was looking for in a nonprofit partner.
The GreenLife features 3 days of sustainability demonstrations, music and hand-on experiences. In years past, topics have included: building with reclaimed materials; backyard beer making; and home canning and preservation. GreenLife also excited to program a wide variety of music, ranging from world beats, to local Seattle homespun bands.
GreenLife runs from Friday, July 14th through Sunday, July 16th. Make sure you check out everything GreenLife has to offer this year.
Tonight is Summer Fest Eve (and the July Art Walk), or what’s known around The Junction as “Local’s Night”! In preparation for the huge festival this weekend, we’ll be closing the streets this evening for setup. But once the streets are closed, the fun begins! We have an amazing evening in store with live music, shopping, and a special Art Walk night. It’s going to be a great time!
SUMMER FEST EVE EVENTS
Elliott Bay Brewing Company is re-brewing the Alpine Lakes Pale, and on Summer Fest Eve (tonight), they will be hosting the official release of this tasty beverage for everyone to sample and enjoy! This charity beer was brewed in honor of the passage of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions passed in December of 2014!
From the Alpine Lakes Pale Challenge Page:
Last year in February we celebrated the passage of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions in December of 2014 by drinking a pint of success, the Alpine Lakes Pale. And it was delicious, and even better news is it is BACK! Elliott Bay Brewing Company has generously agreed to brew this charity beer again- $1 for every pint sold of the entire batch will be donated to Washington Wild.
In 2015, to trigger the release of the original Alpine Lakes Pale release Brewshed® Supporters like you helped us raise over $3,000 and now we want your help to do it again! For every $5 you donate, the cost of a pint, a raffle ticket will be entered in your name to win free swag! 1st Place is a mixed case of 12 22’s Icicle Brewing Company Beer (Dirty Face Amber, Crosscut Pilsner, Bootjack IPA, and Dark Persuasion). 2nd Place is tickets to our next Pub Crawl this summer and 3rd Place is an Art Wolfe Book.
West 5 (4539 California Ave SW) will be setting up their outdoor cafe as soon as the streets close at 6pm tonight. Starting at 7pm, The Jazz Night School All Star Big Band will be performing. Jazz Night School is a non profit, music education organization that provides a variety of exceptional experiences in jazz for people of all ages, levels and backgrounds. This includes music instruction and performance ensemble classes, public music performances and more. Jazz Night School is Seattle’s largest all-ages jazz program.
JULY ART WALK
July Art Walk will be happening from 6 – 9pm tonight! Spend the evening strolling and exploring West Seattle while enjoying art, music, and more. Our participating artists, businesses, and organizations are planning some great events to celebrate our vibrant art culture in West Seattle!
We also have an extra special event planned for Summer Fest Eve Art Walk. Stop by The Junction for Historic Mural Tours with Clay Eals of the Southwest Seattle Historical Society! Learn more about these scenes of local history and how they came to grace the walls of the businesses in The Junction.
WHO: FREE and open to the public!
WHEN: First tour begins at 6:00pm and the second starts at 7:30pm.
This free art event encourages you to visit venues across greater West Seattle, both in The Junction and beyond. Many venues will also be inviting their featured artist(s) to meet the public and answer questions. The following businesses, organizations, and artists will be participating:
Gorgeous paintings, beautiful pottery, music, and always something to sip. Our artists are always here to meet and greet. A terrific eve in the neighborhood!
New Small Works! Each month, starting July 2016, Twilight Gallery will have one or two featured artists in the boutique. This allows us to feature small works, textile and fiber art, wearable art pieces and have a wider reach of handmade from around the country, adding dialogue to our solo and group exhibits in the art gallery. Our first featured guests are Portland’s Lauren Seiffert and West Seattle’s Megan Lingerfelt…
Our regular Thursday night wine tasting, which coincides with July Art Walk and Summer Fest Eve this week, will feature French wines from the Loire Valley.
Check out the Art Walk walking map here for the complete list of businesses and their locations. Also find information about this quarter’s featured artist, Genna Draper.
Summer Fest Eve & July Art Walk
Thursday, July 7th / 6-9pm / The Junction & Greater West Seattle
Summer Fest 2016 is a week away! We’re so excited to host an amazing weekend of awesome local music, great shopping, delicious festival food, and more. Come hang out with us and get in on the best party of the year in West Seattle!
This year we’re particularly stoked for the music. We’ve put together a line-up of some of the best bands in the PNW. These are acts that you would normally have to pay hard cash to see at our local clubs and venues in Seattle, but we’re bringing them all together for three days of FREE live music. Why free you may ask? Because West Seattle is the best neighborhood in the city (naturally), and we love having the chance to say thanks to all our local people while inviting the entire metro area to come see what’s just across the bridge. We throw a mean party!
Visit the GreenLife Area at Summer Fest where topics of sustainability are demonstrated and realized! Enjoy interactive and meaningful events all three days. This area is curated by Sustainable West Seattle. Thank you!
Get Artsy! Local music, art, and demonstrations on the West Seattle NurseryGarden Stage.
Get Smartsy! Meet your local non-profits and learn about their great work.
West Seattle Nonprofits And Community Groups Are Encouraged To Apply!
Now is the time to apply for the 2016 Community Tent at West Seattle Summer Fest – July 8, 9, and 10. We’re accepting applications from West Seattle nonprofits and community groups who are interested in being considered for this FREE space in the festival. Priority will be given to local groups who strive to benefit, strengthen, and educate the West Seattle neighborhood in a direct way.
The purpose of the Community Tent at Summer Fest is to allow West Seattle’s small neighborhood nonprofits and community groups easy access to the largest event of the year in West Seattle – free of charge! Each year over 20,000 people attend Summer Fest, making it a great place for local groups to reach out to the community and connect with like-minded people.
The Community Tent will be centrally located in the heart of the festival, near the intersection of SW Alaska Street and California Avenue SW. A tent, tables, and chairs will be provided. Participants are encouraged to set up their table and area with displays that reflect their mission and contributions to the West Seattle community. Participants are welcome to bring props, brochures, and other materials to promote their organization and encourage festival attendees to stop and chat. Please note that NO SALES will be permitted in the Community Tent area.
Interested neighborhood nonprofits and community groups can apply by emailing Jenelle Clark of WSJA by June 17th at jenelle@wsjunction.org. In your email, please include a brief cover letter including details about your nonprofit or group, and please outline your direct impact in the West Seattle neighborhood. Including specific details about how you engage with the West Seattle community will be key.
Interested participants are also encouraged to visit the official West Seattle Summer Fest event website at www.westseattlefestival.com for general information about the larger event.
It feels like summer is almost here, and as we look forward to long days soaking in the sunshine, the Junction Association is excited to announce the 2016 band lineup for West Seattle Summer Fest! Mark your calendar for July 8th-10th to enjoy free, live music in the heart of our neighborhood. You’re not going to want to miss this one!
We’re bringing together some of the best bands in the Northwest for three days of awesome music – right here in West Seattle.
Tacocat, Grace Love & the True Loves, and Chastity Belt are headlining an amazing lineup of over 20 bands this year.
We’re very proud that these bands represent a cross-section of the diverse music that is made and appreciated in Seattle. Rock, hip hop, electronic, blues, metal, and more can be found this year at Summer Fest. West Seattle’s Ben Jenkins and Troy Nelson, co-founders of the new Killroom Records, booked the event lineup and had this to say about it:
“We had a lot of fun rounding up the artists for West Seattle Summer Fest 2016. Showcasing artists that are making a significant impact in our city is something we focused heavily on this year. We also wanted to represent all genres from our vibrant music scene, including rock, hip hop, electronic, blues, metal, and more. We’re excited to see this lineup come together!”
In addition to our headliners, the lineup also includes fresh, up-and-coming artists like Tomten, Maszer, DoNormaal, and Draemhouse as well as stalwart Seattle influencers like Pillar Point, Hobosexual, and The Dusty 45’s.
Check out the MUSIC page here on the website to learn more about each band and explore their music. We’ve also put together a complete Summer Fest 2016 YouTube playlist with featured videos from the bands. Also make sure to check out our Summer Fest Facebook event page to stay up to date with the latest news and RSVP to let your friends know you’re coming to the best local festival of the year!
Summer Fest 2016 Band Lineup – Links to Learn More
Summer Fest 2016 is a week away! We’re so excited to host an amazing weekend of awesome local music, great shopping, delicious festival food, and more. Come hang out with us and get in on the best party of the year in West Seattle!
