By Lora Swift

Mark your calendars for Harvest Festival!

Harvest Festival – Sunday, October 29th – 10am to 2pm

Quickly becoming a West Seattle beloved fall event, Harvest Festival will once again bring out the costumed (kids, adults and pets!), the daring (chili cook-off) and musical (parade) and the thirsty (root beer garden) as the West Seattle Junction closes down California Ave for a fantastic fall festival.

Check out the festival fun:

NEW in 2017 is a root beer garden! Yes, it’s true – we’re got a full root beer garden this year for people of all ages. Brought to you by The Beer Junction who’ll be serving local root beer topped by a generous scoop of our hometown favorite Husky Deli vanilla ice cream. You be able to slurp up a full 16oz root beer for the low price of $3.50. Find the root beer garden on Alaska St by Easy Street Records.

FREE games and arts activities brought to you many merchants, nonprofits and community groups.

Chili Cook-off! See local restaurants go head-to-head at the chili cook-off (located by Key Bank at the all-walk). $10 buys you nine tastings – let your taste buds vote for the favorite! All proceeds goes to the West Seattle Food Bank. Check out the cook-off and buy yourself some chili, starting at 11am.

Meet in Junction Plaza Park (SW Alaska and 42nd Ave) for a homemade musical instrument activity lead by School of Rock West Seattle. Then join the West Seattle High School Marching Band and motorcyclists who will lead a children’s costume parade at 11:30 am around Harvest Festival.

Trick or Treat starts at 12 Noon. See what treats the Junction merchants and booths have for little hands.

Our Sunday farmers market will take the streets bringing the fall harvest and more.

Sign up to be a part of Harvest Festival. Harvest Games and Activities brought by our neighborhood’s non-profits, churches and businesses. Homemade games and crafts are the best! Your group can sign up now to provide a FREE activity at the Harvest Festival, please fill out the application here. Deadline for submission is October 6th.

We are also looking for volunteers work to help us produce Harvest Festival. With our growing number of community folks helping out in the Junction, this is a perfect opportunity to get to know more people and be a part of a neighborhood favorite festival. Please sign up here! It feels good to help make something awesome for our community.