White Center Now: The blog about White Center

It’s been an annual tradition for 13 years – the Cambodian New Year Street Festival, closing a block of SW 98th between 15th and 16th, and tomorrow’s the day (Saturday, April 25th). 10:30 am-5 pm, you’re invited to enjoy music, dance, contests, games, and more, free.

(WCN photo from 2014)
Saturday morning brings the third annual White Center 5K, and even if you’re not signed up already, you can be part of it! Though online registration is over, you can sign up on site starting at 8 am (the 5K starts at 9) at White Center Heights Park (7th SW/SW 102nd). Local nonprofits are the beneficiaries.

From a post in the forum of our partner site West Seattle Blog:

To potential craftspeople and farmers: Several businesses in White Center are looking to begin a fun, eclectic Sunday Market on 16th Ave SW beginning on April 5th. Participating businesses would allow individuals with locally produced crafts or foods to set up booths in front of their stores from 10 am to 5 pm on Sundays. This is going to be a beautiful year, and we want to bring the fun down to a new and improving Rad City. Please contact Chris at 3604738393 or Prisilla at 2068327625 if you are interested in participating.

The Rainier Roller Girls are bouting at Southgate Roller Rink on Saturday, vs. Faster Pussycats. And it’s not just a chance to see roller derby – the announcement also says:
“There will be an amazing bake sale with treats from Stuffed Cakes, Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, and Mighty-O Donuts. There will be a Storm Trooper photo booth and many Star Wars characters from Garrison Titan and Alpha Base! A super-fun old school punk rock night of roller derby you won’t want to miss! And 10% of proceeds go to Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington!” See the Facebook invite here.

School’s still out and boredom could be rising. Southgate Roller Rink has been offering special afternoon skating sessions to try to combat that – and there’s another one today, 1-4:30 pm ($6.50 charge). The rink will be closed on New Year’s Eve and Day, so you’re running out of time to say you skated there in 2014; there’s one more afternoon session planned, on Friday, January 2nd.

We might have arrived in downtown White Center too early or too late for peak trick-or-treating – but we did find the party at Zippy’s Giant Burgers on 14th SW. Familiar faces above and below…

And in the parking lot, the couple behind the vegan ice-cream-sandwich truck Seattle Cookie Counter:

A spooky time was had by all…

Tomorrow’s the night to bring trick-or-treaters out to participating White Center businesses – the list of which continues to grow. This is the list, according to what Zippy’s Giant Burgers has posted on Facebook over the past week-plus:

Triangle Pub
Meat the live Butcher
Big Al’s
Proletariat
Rat City Records
Zippy’s Giant Burgers
Fantastic Sams
International Halal
Decoraciones Ely
Uncle Mike’s BBQ
Better Life
Herban Legends
Fashion Corner Store
Smoke Town
Samway Market
White Center Pho
L&L Jewelry
Luso Food & Wine
3.14 Bakery
Salon Y Peluqueria
Fashion Corner Store
Center Tools
Platinum Cutz
Delridge Bakery
Lee’s Produce
West Seattle Halal
Crawfish House
Golden House Doughnuts & Deli
Tienda Super
Young’s Restaurant
Samway Market

Pamela McCarty shares the news that Southside Revolution Junior Derby is launching soon, and interested skaters 8-17 are welcome to come to an Info Night at White Center’s own Southgate Roller Rink next Monday (June 30th), 7 pm. Southside Revolution definitely plans a girls’ team, and will also have a coed team if enough boys are interested.

Southgate will be the practice site for the new league. If you just can’t make it Monday night but have an interested skater in the family, there will be another Info Night on July 14th and an August summer camp.

Questions? E-mail info@southsiderevolution.com – and you’re invited to check out this Facebook group.

Full Tilt Ice Cream is six years old today – and White Center is still home, though they’ve opened other locations, partnered in other ventures, and distributed their popular ice cream in many a store. So there’s a party tonight, and you’re invited to stop by, including music from Rats in The Grass around 6 pm. See you there!

ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: Chasing breaking news in West Seattle, we missed the party but got there in time to see Full Tilt founders Justin Cline and Ann Magyar (photographed with son Moss):

Asked for the latest Full Tilt news, Justin mentioned their soon-to-launch truck, which he says will spend a lot of time at Alki Beach this summer, and a deal that will double the number of grocery stores carrying Full Tilt pints. Right now, they’re in about 60 stores, and they’ve been picked up for more than 60 QFC stores in Western Washington.

Until dusk, go get your $2 Food Walk tastes, and enjoy shopping and entertainment in downtown WC, as the Block Party is on until dusk-ish. Here’s our original story; here’s the latest map:

If you didn’t make it to Friday’s fundraising carnival at Mount View Elementary, you missed more than a chance to play games and support good causes … you missed talented local kids showing their stuff! Above, the Seattle Derby Brats showed off their skills on wheels, and promoted their upcoming weekly camp days in August (one for girls 8-11, one for girls 12-17, more info on both at seattlederbybrats.com). Below, young artists from SANCA – the School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts:

Big crowd was there when we stopped by about midway through the carnival. P.S. June 17th is this year’s last day of school – one week from Tuesday.

(Dancing in the street outside Center Studio during 8/2013 Block Party)
From Vy Nguyen at the White Center Community Development Association:

Downtown White Center will be kicking off summer with a block party on June 14th, Saturday, going from 3 p.m. until dusk with many activities for attendees of all ages. The June event boasts pop up shopping with Maker’s Market at Center Studio, a beer garden at Big Al Brewing, Metal Skate Night at Southgate Skating Rink along with live bands at several other local favorite establishments (Triangle Pub, Company Bar, Rat City Records, and Full Tilt to name a few), and the most delicious way to enjoy White Center with a $2 food walk.

Local non-profits White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) and White Center Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) along with local business owners hope to build upon last year’s block party in August 2013, which was organized as part of National Night Out. The neighborhood was busier than many had ever seen with hundreds of attendees on a warm summer evening coming to White Center for the first time, or with residents who wanted to come, support their neighbors’ business or be part of something fun in their neighborhood.

Lead organizer this year is WCCC Board member and business owner of Herban Legends, Chris Cody, says, “I just think folks should come out and see what all the great businesses here in White Center have to offer.” Cody, along with the rest of the WCCC, the WCCDA, and local business owners hope to organize another – bigger and better — block party in White Center later this summer in August.

Stay updated with the June Block Party on their event page or by connecting with the White Center Chamber of Commerce on Facebook. All inquiries can also be directed to Vy Nguyen of WCCDA via e-mail (vy@wccda.org).

Save the date – you’re invited to a carnival at White Center’s Mount View Elementary on June 6th, with two schools getting a boost from it! Here’s the announcement:

The public is invited to attend the Mount View Elementary Carnival, benefiting its PTA and its sister school in Honduras.

Money raised at the carnival will go to Light of Esperanza, a non-profit that is renovating the village school in Vega Redonda, Honduras, Mount View’s sister school. A portion of the proceeds will go to the school’s PTA for the 2014-2015 school year.

The carnival will also celebrate the scholastic achievements of Mount View students throughout the school year.

“These students deserve recognition and a reward for all of their hard work,” said Reading Instructor Shoshanna Cohen. “What better way to do so than with a day of fun with the Seattle community.”

Carnival details:
• Mount View Elementary School

• 10811 12th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98146

• Friday, June 6

• 5-7 p.m.

Event activities include carnival games and prizes, face painting, circus acts with lessons, live music, art projects, raffle drawing, and more. Carnival game tickets will be $0.50 per game. Many students earned free tickets at school based on good grades and behavior. Raffle tickets will be $1.

Next Friday – May 16th – is this year’s Bike To Work Day, and as the map from the Cascade Bicycle Club shows, there are two “commute stations” in White Center again this year, at Dubsea Coffee in Greenbridge, and on 16th SW in the heart of the main business district. Click either marker on the map for details on what you’ll find.

(UPDATED 7:11 PM with top finishers, now that results are online)

(WCN photos by Patrick Sand)
FIRST REPORT, 10:57 AM: Hundreds of people showed themselves to be superheroes this morning – the theme of the second annual White Center 5K Run/Walk, a benefit for three local nonprofits. Our next photo features the executive directors of two – Sili Savusa from the WC Community Development Association and Rick Jump from the WC Food Bank:

Also getting a boost from the 5K, the YES Foundation of White Center. Costumes were encouraged, and more than a few participants got into the spirit:

Leading the pre-5K warmup, White Center’s own fitness superhero, Lonjina Verdugo of The Center Studio:

Watch for results here, later.

UPDATED 7:11 PM: The results are now posted. Of the 283 listed finishers, the top male finisher was Steven Colmus in 19:21; top female finisher, Lydia Ngai in 21:49.

Even if you’re not already registered, you can sign up starting at 8 am to be part of the second annual White Center 5K this morning – just get yourself to White Center Heights Park (7th SW & SW 102nd). Though online registration is over, you can scroll down this page for all the 5K information; runners start at 9 am (when results are available, they’ll be online here), walkers at 9:10. Proceeds benefit the White Center Food Bank, the White Center Community Development Association, and the YES Foundation of White Center.

Starting today, and running through only the first week of the New Year, you can sign up for the second annual White Center 5K – set for March 22 – and get a discount! Details and signups at the official website. The 5K benefits the White Center Community Development Association and the YES Foundation of White Center.

Just announced:

Evergreen Pool in White Center wants to throw a party for the community – while raising a little fun for area children it will also collect toys and food for the less fortunate in the area.

Just bring an unwrapped toy, or food donation for White Center Food Bank and join in fun at Evergreen Pool from 3 pm-6 pm on December 21st. Lifeguards are on hand to watch swimmers who are still learning to swim; parents are encouraged to stay and enjoy the fun with their kids.

The White Center pool faces a Jan. 15 deadline to raise $15,000 to keep the facility open, and the fund drive is proceeding well, “ yet, we just felt we needed to have an event to celebrate the facility, our community and help bring holiday cheer to the area”, said WhiteWater Aquatics General Manager Joel Schweiger.

More than 3,800 children – and adults – have learned to swim at the Evergreen pool in White Center since it reopened under the new nonprofit management three years ago. It serves the greater Highline area, with 56 percent of the children who swim there coming from Burien.

Tax deductible donations can be made online via evergreenpool.org

White Center’s Southgate Roller Rink e-mailed to let us know they are hosting two Halloween events today/tonight – starting with FREE skating this afternoon:

FREE HALLOWEEN FAMILY SKATE: Southgate and Full Tilt Ice Cream present a FREE Halloween Family Skate from 3:00 pm-5:00 pm at the rink. Costume contest, candy giveaways, a guest DJ, more.

ZOMBIE HOMECOMING: 18+ event hosted tonight by Southgate and the Rainier Roller Girls! 9 pm-midnight, $12 @ the door. Costume contest, raffle, 21+ bar, more.

Other White Center Halloween events we’re missing? Post ’em in the comments!

Why wait until Thursday for candy? 2-5 pm, get those costumes on and get down to participating businesses for trick-or-treating! The Facebook event page includes a list of who’s participating.