Costumed kids, a nine-restaurant chili showdown and a zombie dance troupe took over the West Seattle Junction on Sunday as the annual Harvest Festival ran from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. along an expanded stretch of SW Alaska and California Avenue. The free event, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association, mixed trick-or-treating at local businesses with live performances and contests built around the neighborhood's fall tradition.
Costume Parade Opens the Day
The festival kicked off with a costume promenade led by the West Seattle High School band, scheduled to run from 11 to 11:30 a.m., according to West Seattle Blog. Activity vendor booths and sidewalk trick-or-treating ran the full length of the festival, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., giving families a steady stream of stops between California Avenue and SW Alaska. The gathering was presented by the West Seattle Junction Association, which also included business and booth trick-or-treating as part of the day's programming, per the same outlet.
This year's footprint grew beyond past editions, with an expanded street closure covering SW Alaska between 44th and 42nd avenues and California Avenue between Oregon and Edmunds streets. The added ground specifically extended onto Alaska between 42nd and 44th and the California block south to Edmunds, the outlet's countdown coverage noted.
Nine Restaurants Vie for the Chili Trophy
Inside ArtsWest, nine local restaurants brought their best recipes to compete for the 2026 chili cook-off trophy, with the competition scheduled from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or until the chili ran out. A $20 tasting flight gave attendees nine samples to judge for themselves, with proceeds benefiting the West Seattle Food Bank. The same report noted the chili cook-off's proceeds went toward the food bank's food assistance and eviction prevention programs.
The chili cook-off winner was set to be announced between 12:30 and 1 p.m., paired on the schedule with a pie-eating contest during the same half-hour window, per the festival schedule the West Seattle Junction Association distributed to the outlet.
Performers Took Over the All Ways Intersection
A RopeWorks performance was scheduled in the All Ways Intersection from 11:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. The Seattle Thrillers, the zombie-style dance group whose Halloween performances have become a fixture of the festival, took the same intersection from noon to 12:20 p.m. The 2025 festival also featured the Thrillers, with Westside Seattle calling their return that year a fan favorite.
A pet costume contest followed from 12:20 to 12:35 p.m., and the day wrapped with Halloween House music from 1 to 2 p.m. Nearly all of the festival's activities were free, with organizers noting that the only expense was buying a chili flight.
Farmers' Market Ran Alongside the Festival
The West Seattle Farmers' Market operated on its usual schedule during the festival, running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on California Avenue between Oregon and Alaska streets. Harvest Fest has historically landed on the last Sunday in October, with the West Seattle Junction Association describing it as a family-friendly tradition built around a costume parade, live music, a pie-eating contest and a chili cook-off.
