West Seattle Junction Association Executive Director Lora Radford shared the announcement that the annual Summerfest celebration, which began 39 years ago, is cancelled again for 2021, due to the pandemic.

"For 39 years, the biggest festival in West Seattle has continued to evolve, starting out as the Sidewalk Sale, then the Street Fair, and now Summer Fest – it's been a three-day celebration in the West Seattle streets and a tradition for many families.

The festival has been a July tradition in West Seattle since 1982, the same year Seattle became the Emerald City. Even prior to the West Seattle bridge being built (but that's another story...).

After much discussion, the Junction has made the safest decision for the community (for the second year in a row), to cancel the in-person 2021 Summer Festival - July 9-11th. Bringing 35,000 of our favorite community members together isn't safe, but that doesn't mean the heart of Summer Fest and the Sidewalk Sale will be forgotten.

We’ll continue to monitor all health regulations and sincerely hope the Junction merchants can show appreciation of the outpouring of community support by bringing you a combination of the good ol' fashioned roots of the festival - The Sidewalk Sale - along with the popular boxes and tote bags full of Summer Fest feelings. There's going to be plenty of ways to celebrate all the West Seattle goodness we’ve stored up through this pandemic.

We are planning (and hopeful) we will rise like a vaccinated Westside phoenix to bring back Summer Fest stronger than ever July 15th - 17th, 2022 (this being the 40 year anniversary too!)."