Tag Archives: festival street

Local Events

Rainier Valley Co-op Preschool celebrates Fall Festival 10/13

A table of baked goods for sale at the RVCP Fall Festival in 2009. Photo by Jason Simpson.

It’s fall festival season! The Rainier Valley Cooperative Preschool‘s annual Fall Festival is Saturday, October 13 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Roberto Maestas Festival Street in north Beacon Hill.

The festival will have lots of activities, including bike hay rides, a bike parade, face painting, costume dress-up, a photo booth, cider pressing, pumpkin decorating, and more. All ages are welcome.

There will also be food for sale including baked goods and grilled food for both carnivores and vegetarians.

Proceeds from the festival will benefit the preschool.

Uncategorized

Beacon Rocks! one more time on Sunday

Fun and Zumba dance was enjoyed by all at July’s Beacon Rocks! Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

This Sunday, August 26 from 1-5 p.m., the last Beacon Rocks! event of 2012 returns to Roberto Maestas Festival Street with music and dance performances, kids’ activities, vendors, and even some old-fashioned bartering.

The lineup this time includes Jean Mann (“alt-folk indie-pop singer-songwriter”), Mister K and the Rhythm Rockets Kids’ Show (“Cab Calloway meets Mr. Rogers meets Vince Guaraldi”), Splinter Dance Company (“thought-provoking dance performances”), Lushy (“Cal Tjader meets Stereolab meets Brazil 66 in a bar in Berlin”), and Tumbuka (“a marimba band that plays African music drawn from traditional and contemporary styles”).

Alongside the performances, the focus is on local food and gardening. There will be a BarterFest from 2-4 p.m. Backyard Barter invites the community to trade their homegrown and homemade food and related skills. To participate, bring homegrown veggies, fresh eggs, plants, baked goods, garden tools, kitchen skills, and more to share or trade. No money allowed. (Save your money for the several food trucks and carts that will be on hand, instead.)

Representatives from the Beacon Food Forest will also be on hand with a presentation about the urban farming project currently being developed at Jefferson Park. People for Puget Sound will also be there to demonstrate creative ways to reduce pollutants flowing into stormwater drains.

Here is the performance schedule for the day:

  • 1:00 Jean Mann
  • 1:45 Mister K and the Rhythm Rockets Kids’ Show
  • 2:30 Splinter Dance
  • 2:45 Lushy
  • 3:45 Splinter Dance
  • 4:00 Tumbuka

Here’s a video of Lushy performing at the Beacon Hill Piñata Party at Stevens Place Park in July 2010.

Local Events, Photos

Beacon Rocked on a sunny Sunday

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The latest Beacon Rocks! took place this Sunday under perfect blue skies. This installment of the music series had more vendors than any of the previous events—there were five or more food providers, along with vendors selling jewelry, greeting cards, and other items. There was a good crowd of neighbors in attendance and everybody seemed to be having a great time.

Here are a few photos of the day:

Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
The guest of honor: the whale weathervane from the Garden House. Funds are being raised to restore the whale and put it back in its place on top of the house. Photo by Wendi Dunlap.
Local Events, Photos

Music, food, and color at yesterday’s Beacon Rocks!

Yesterday’s Beacon Rocks! was one of the biggest yet, with multiple food carts and vendors on site to complement the music and poetry on the stage. The theme was Transportation (of all kinds), so representatives were there as well from Sound Transit, Feet First, and Beacon B.I.K.E.S. The weather stayed good, and by all accounts, the day was a success.

Here are some photos of the event. All photos are by Wendi Dunlap unless marked otherwise. Did you take photos yesterday? We’d love to see them. You can submit them to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.

The Feet First giant chicken helped pedestrians cross busy Beacon Avenue.
The new art chairs painted by neighbors last year made the site colorful and welcoming as the event opened to the public. Photo by Melissa Jonas in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr.
Bassist Anton Beck of the group Nigel Mustafa plays at Beacon Rocks!
Neighborhood kids enjoy climbing around on a fire truck under the watchful eyes of parents and firefighters.
There were several food vendors at this event, including the taco truck that is usually at 16th and Festival Street, a hot dog cart, an ice cream cart, and this crepe truck, serving both savory and sweet crepes.
Joanne Klein sings. We are told she was a last minute substitute performer when the group Audio Couture had to cancel, but she did a fine job stepping in on short notice.
Continue reading Music, food, and color at yesterday’s Beacon Rocks! →

Arts, Local Events

Musicians, poets, and a giant chicken: 2012’s first Beacon Rocks!

Ichi Bichi performing at last year’s Beacon Rocks! Photo by Wendi Dunlap.

The schedule has been announced for the first Beacon Rocks! event of 2012 on next Sunday, June 24 from 1-5 p.m. at the Roberto Maestas Festival Street next to Beacon Hill Station. The event’s theme is “Transportation Exploration,” so along with four local bands and four poets, the afternoon will include a “slow bike race,” pedestrian info and walking maps, a visit from Sound Transit with information about the Link light rail system, and a transportation-themed haiku-writing contest with prizes in multiple age categories. We hear there will also be a visit from a giant chicken, to tell us why he crossed the road.

Food vendors will be at the site including a taco truck, a crepe truck, and Full Tilt Ice Cream. There will also be info tables on site for several local groups.

Here’s the entertainment schedule:

  • 1:00: Random Axe (folk/jazz duo Jack LeNoir and Betty Jean Williamson)
  • 1:35: Kelli Russell Agodon (poetry)
  • 1:50: Allen Braden (poetry)
  • 2:00: Blue 55 (old-school blues)
  • 2:45: Kathleen Flenniken, Washington State Poet Laureate
  • 3:00: Audio Couture (improvisational jazz/hip hop duo)
  • 3:45: David Horowitz (poetry, then Haiku Contest winner selection by applause)
  • 4:00: Nigel Mustafa (reggae/rock band)

For more information about this edition of Beacon Rocks!, see the event’s website. For general information about the entire event series, see the main Beacon Rocks! website.

Photos

Yesterday at Beacon Rocks!

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The last Beacon Rocks! of 2011 was yesterday at the newly dedicated Roberto Maestas Festival Street. Here are some images of the sunny Sunday event:

This tiny ukelele player stole the show as part of the Seattle Fandango Project. Photo by Wendi.
Mayor Mike McGinn spoke during the dedication of Roberto Maestas Festival Street. Photo by Wendi.
El Centro representatives with a display at Beacon Rocks! Photo by Wendi.
Baby Sophie enjoys sidewalk chalk. Photo by Melissa Jonas.
Continue reading Yesterday at Beacon Rocks! →

Getting Around, Local Events

Mayor to announce “Walk Bike Ride” plan at Festival Street on Tuesday

Mayor Mike McGinn will be on Beacon Hill this coming Tuesday, May 11, at 2:00 pm for the announcement of the “Walk Bike Ride” Initiative supporting improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities and services “to make walking, biking, and riding transit the easiest ways to get around in Seattle.”

The event is scheduled for the Lander Festival Street at 16th Avenue South and South Lander Street, immediately north of Beacon Hill Station.

The Seattle Times (BHB news partners) discussed the “Walk Bike Ride” initiative, as did PubliCola and the Seattle Transit Blog.

Local Events

Beacon Rocks! rolling onward

Beacon Hill Music logo The Beacon Rocks! music series project planned for this summer is moving full-speed ahead. Beacon Hill Music, the community group that is putting the event together, has been awarded a Small Sparks Fund grant. The Small Sparks Fund of the Department of Neighborhoods provides awards of up to $1,000 to support community efforts such as events and neighborhood organizing. They have awarded Beacon Hill Music $860 for the “Beacon Rocks!” series, which will pay for the permits for all four events this summer.

There are two fundraisers for Beacon Hill Music: a Backyard Party scheduled for Sunday, May 16 from 3:00 to 7:00 pm, and a Dance Party on Saturday, May 22 from 7:00 pm “till we drop”. To RSVP for either event and get addresses and other information, email beaconrocks@gmail.com.

The final Beacon Idol event of 2010 is Saturday May 29 at 7:00 pm. If you live, work, or go to school in Beacon Hill, you can audition for Beacon Rocks! at the Beacon Idol event. If you’re not a performer, come and cheer the contestants on. The event will be at ROCKiT Space, 3315 Beacon Avenue South.

The Beacon Rocks! shows are a free, outdoor, family-friendly Beacon-centric music series, including all styles of music, and will be held on June 13, July 11, August 8, and August 29 at the new Festival Street next to Beacon Hill Station at Beacon Avenue South and South Lander Street.

For more information about Beacon Music and Beacon Rocks, see the website.

Meetings

No fooling—NBHC to meet April 1

Judith Edwards writes to tell us about this month’s North Beacon Hill Council meeting tomorrow night:

The North Beacon Hill Council will meet Thursday, April 1, at 7:00 in the Beacon Hill Library Community Room (2821 Beacon Avenue South). That’s not an April Fool’s joke! We invite everyone that lives or owns a business here on the Hill to come hear a group of individuals present their ideas for parks here on North Beacon. Each has applied for a Parks Department Opportunity Fund grant. Though all cannot be funded, we hope many will be. This is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and learn more about the awesome events that are occurring here on North Beacon.

The agenda is as follows:

  • 7:00 Welcomes
  • 7:05 Presentations on applications for Parks Opportunity Fund grants, followed by Q&A
  • 8:00 Community Business
    • $1M insurance policy which NBHC must take out to cover events on Festival Street
    • Recognizing the Beacon Music Association as a sub-committee of NBHC
    • Upcoming music events on Festival Street
    • Beacon Business Association formation update
    • Update on Jefferson Park playground
    • Steve Louie, Neighborhood Coordinator
  • 8:30 Close

As always, all are welcome to attend. You are part of the council when you attend your first meeting, and you have voting privileges when you attend your second.

Local Events

“Beacon Hill Music” series dates selected

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Paul Ray reports on last Monday’s organizing meeting for a music series at the new Lander Festival Street: 

We have decided to apply for permits for afternoon concerts on four Sundays, June 13, July 11, August 8, and August 29, for afternoon concerts. The Special Events Permit Committee meets early in February so we should find out soon if those dates are approved.
 
Partly due to comments made (and the points in those comments) on the Beacon Hill Blog about our meeting announcement, we decided to name the group “Beacon Hill Music” because for some people the term “BeHi” just rubs them the wrong way and others may not automatically realize it stands for Beacon Hill. But we reserve the right to still use “BeHi Music” for some purposes, such as cool t-shirts.
 
The music series itself will be called “Beacon Rocks” but with a tagline something like “and swings, raps, jams, sings, strums, etc.” to be clear about the diversity of musical styles we intend to include.
 
Thanks for everyone’s interest and as we reach any milestones (such as getting permits approved, starting to seek out musicians, etc.) we will definitely keep the community informed.