At 5 p.m. tonight, the West Seattle Art Walk opens across the Junction, Alki and other West Seattle venues. It runs until 8 p.m. and it's free. It's the second Thursday of November. Over the next four weeks, two more Thursdays on SW Alaska St and California Ave SW will carry most of the Junction's holiday programming, and the Saturday festival on Dec. 5 sits between them.
The block also has new hours this season. For years, an evening in the Junction could end at 10 p.m. because there was little restaurant food left to buy. The new storefronts in the former Haymaker space are planned to stay open well past that.
The block that used to run out of food at 10
When West Seattle Blog previewed the two businesses moving into 4706 California Ave SW, it described them as coming to "a block where restaurant food options are limited after 10 pm." The former Haymaker space is being split into two storefronts, one for Dave's Hot Chicken and one for Gong Cha. Both franchises belong to the Keshap Group, a Kirkland family business. Sana Keshap is opening the Dave's Hot Chicken stores, and Prachi Keshap is opening the Gong Cha stores.
The posted hours are what change the block. Dave's plans to open 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Gong Cha expects to start with the same hours and may adjust them later. On an Art Walk night, the galleries and shops close at 8 p.m. On a Thursday, the planned 11 p.m. close would keep this corner of California open for three more hours.
The October timeline put both openings this week. In the West Seattle Blog report, Sana Keshap said the Dave's grand opening would come no later than Nov. 13, with a soft opening the day before. Gong Cha planned an extended soft opening starting Nov. 12 or 13 and a grand opening on Dec. 3 and 4, with buy-one-get-one specials on select drinks. That puts the Gong Cha grand opening on the same Thursday as the Junction's first Shop Late night.
Expect crowds. The family's Capitol Hill location, also a Dave's and Gong Cha pairing, had more than 2,000 customers during its opening days. Delivery apps will come later, once volume is manageable. "We want to make sure we take care of everyone who shows up in person," Keshap told West Seattle Blog. The West Seattle store will be Gong Cha's second in Washington.
These aren't the only fall additions near the Junction. Starbird Chicken opened Sept. 28 at 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW, its first Washington location. CraftLab Seattle opened its studio at 4411 California SW in early October.
Three Thursdays and the evenings around them
The holiday calendar follows the monthly rhythm the Junction already runs on. Art Walk falls on the second Thursday. West Seattle Book Club, hosted by participating merchants, falls on the first Thursday. The West Seattle Junction Association has scheduled its Hometown Holidays "Shop Late" nights on top of both.
| Date | What's scheduled | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 12 | West Seattle Art Walk, 5 to 8 p.m. | Venues across the Junction, Alki and other West Seattle locations |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | HoneyDew Glassworks grand opening, noon to 6 p.m., with live glassblowing | 2914 SW Avalon Way |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Shop Late with Santa and his elves, live music by Better as Brass, West Seattle Book Club | Junction merchants, including Snapdragon, Easy Street Records and Darby Winery for book club |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Hometown Holidays festival, 4 to 8 p.m. | SW Alaska St between 42nd and California Ave SW, including Junction Plaza Park |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Shop Late with Santa's elves and the Figgy Pudding Carolers, plus Art Walk | Junction merchants |
The Junction Association says all Hometown Holiday events are free.
The weeknight dates also have daytime extras. Curious Kidstuff sets up a room of holiday decorations and nutcrackers for Nutcracker Suite selfies from Dec. 8 through Dec. 22, and Santa and his elves visit the shop on Dec. 12. On Dec. 13, the Kiwanis Cocoa & Coat Drive takes place at the Farmers Market near the All-Ways intersection. Bring coats and other warm clothes, and Husky Deli donates the free cocoa.
Tonight has a few extras of its own. West Seattle Blog's event calendar lists a Hobo Bags holiday pop-up at CAPERS Home from 5 to 7:30 p.m. It also lists a 10-year party for Ounces from 5 to 7 p.m., where each of the first 75 attendees gets a free hoodie, beer or burger.
The one Saturday
The Thursdays are spread across many shops. The Dec. 5 festival happens in one place. SW Alaska St between 42nd and California, including Junction Plaza Park, will host a night market, a beverage garden, Santa, and the tree lighting. The Junction Association's posted run of show, which it notes may still change:
- 4:00 p.m.: Festival begins and the Night Market opens
- 4:30 p.m.: Endolyne Choir
- 5:00 p.m.: School of Rock
- 5:30 p.m.: Pet Costume Contest
- 5:45 p.m.: Metropolitan Singers, carolers
- 6:00 p.m.: Tree Lighting, with carolers
- 6:15 p.m.: Holiday DJ
- 8:00 p.m.: Night Market closes
The festival ends at 8 p.m. If the posted hours hold, the Dave's counter half a block up California would stay open until midnight that Saturday.
Half a block south, a lot that has waited since 2017
The Junction's evenings are getting longer, and a site most people walk past without noticing is also about to change. Seattle Parks and Recreation plans to start building a park at 4723 40th SW in early December, depending on weather, and expects it to open in fall 2027. The 0.38-acre parcel sits half a block south of SW Alaska St, among mid-rise buildings between Fauntleroy Way SW and California Ave SW. The city bought it to add open space to a high-density neighborhood.
The design work happened in 2017 and 2018. The project was put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2022, the Seattle City Council, acting as the Park District Board, funded it as part of the 2023–2028 Park District cycle. The plan calls for native plantings, natural play elements, a lawn, walking paths, seating and a drinking fountain. Details are on the city's West Seattle Junction Park Development project page.
The park doesn't have a name yet, and residents can suggest one. Seattle Parks is taking written suggestions through Friday, Nov. 20, 2026. Each suggestion should explain how it meets the city's park naming policy. Send it by email to [email protected] or by mail to Seattle Parks and Recreation, Parks Naming Committee, 100 Dexter Ave. N, Seattle, WA 98109. The committee will recommend a name, and the Parks Superintendent will make the final decision. The West Seattle Blog announcement has the city's full notice.
The deadline is eight days after tonight's Art Walk. The fencing and early work are scheduled to start in the same weeks the Shop Late nights fill SW Alaska St, so this December's Thursday walks will pass a park under construction. Those same walks will also go by the planned late-hours corner at 4706 California, which would still be serving after the galleries close.
At Sound Real Estate Services, we keep track of the Junction's calendar, its storefront changes and its city projects because that's how we understand a neighborhood. If you own a home or rental near California Ave SW and want to talk about how the new park and the longer evenings might change your block, Schedule a Consultation with our team.
