Alki's Off-Season Calendar Is Written by Its Neighbors

"This means it's up to us, the community, to make sure it's protected for generations to come." The Alki Community Council wrote that line this fall about the cracked pedestal under the beach's Statue of Liberty. It also describes most of what happens on Alki between October and spring.

Each October, public services pull back from the beach. The events that keep the shoreline busy after that are almost all organized by neighbors, built around storefronts, or paid for with small donations. The statue campaign shows how fast that can happen.

October is when public service pulls back

The King County Water Taxi switches to its fall and winter schedule on October 10, 2026. It stays on that schedule through April 9, 2027. Late-night Friday and weekend service to West Seattle ends that day. Weekdays drop to 17 round trips, with the last boat leaving Pier 50 at 6:45 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays get 11 round trips, with the last Pier 50 departure at 6:30 p.m. If you're going downtown for a Saturday evening game or dinner, plan another way home after 6:30 p.m. until April.

Alki Beach Park changed earlier. Fire pit season ended September 7. Non-summer park hours, 4 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., began October 1 and run through April 30. Some beach businesses also pause. Sunfish, the fish-and-chips spot at 2800 Alki SW, takes a traditional winter break. This year it reopened February 18.

None of these cutbacks is new or unusual. They're seasonal routine. The interesting part is what fills the gap.

The statue the community keeps standing

The Alki Statue of Liberty has stood on the beach since 1952. According to the council's history, the Boy Scouts gave the original statue. The current bronze was recast in 2007, and the plaza around it was dedicated in 2008.

The council manages a fund that supports routine maintenance with Seattle Parks and Recreation. This spring's bench staining at the plaza was part of that seasonal upkeep. The pedestal cracks were a different problem. Structural repair falls outside the standard maintenance agreement between the council and Seattle Parks. The West Seattle Herald described preserving the landmark as "a citizen-driven initiative reliant on community and business contributions."

The council launched its $5,000 repair campaign on September 18. The goal was to raise the money this fall so professionals could do the work in early spring. When we checked, the donation page showed $5,157.60 from 91 donations, or 103 percent of the goal. Money raised beyond the repair cost goes into the long-term maintenance fund. On average, that works out to less than $60 a gift, and the goal was met within weeks of the launch.

The council's own description of the statue explains why so many people gave. It calls the statue a meeting place during events like 9/11, a favorite photo spot, a 5K start line, and "a great place to dance."

Trick-or-treat runs through the storefronts

The same model shapes the first big off-season event. Alki Trick or Treat is on Saturday, October 24, starting at Alki Beach Park, and kids collect treats at participating businesses along the beach. Check the time before you go. The council's event page lists 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event's own website and the West Seattle Blog calendar list noon to 2 p.m.

The participating businesses on the event site include a large share of the beach strip. Here's who's taking part, grouped by type:

• Food and drink: Gary's Place, Sunfish Seafood, Spud Fish & Chips, Pepperdock, Harry's Beach House, Christos on Alki, Natalie's on Alki, Seaside Grill, Alki Pho & Bar, Cactus, Driftwood, Fire Tacos, Gyros on Alki, El Chupacabra, Dosi, and Blue Moon Burgers
• Coffee and sweets: Alki Coffee Co., Ampersand Cafe, and Ben & Jerry's
• Shops and play: Alki Surf Shop, Future Primitive, and West Seattle Arcade

The event is run by the people who run those storefronts. The West Seattle Blog reported that Gary's Place co-owners Matt and Elyssa Cichy organized the 2025 edition with the Alki Community Council. The council has also listed the event in past years. Its archived page shows an October 26, 2024 date.

Holiday Lights follows the Christmas Ship's schedule

Alki Holiday Lights is newer than most people assume. The Alki Community Council held its first one in 2024. That year's display included seawall luminarias, participating businesses, the Log House Museum, and a food drive, timed around the Christmas Ship's visit to the beach. An organizer named Zak told the West Seattle Blog he hoped "to have 2025 be bigger and better" and asked attendees to fill out a feedback survey.

The event has no fixed date. It moves with the boat. The 2025 edition fell on December 18 and featured Santa photos at the Bathhouse, treats from participating businesses, and children's crafts, cider, and a bake sale from the Log House Museum. In 2026, Alki gets the festival's opening night. Holiday Lights runs Friday, November 27, 6 to 9 p.m., along Alki Avenue between 57th and 63rd. The council's 2026 page still says details are coming. Treat last year's activities as examples, not as this year's program. The council is also asking for volunteers to help with setup, serving treats, and cleanup.

The ship's timing comes from Argosy's published 2026 schedule. The choir performs at Alki Beach from 8:35 to 8:55 p.m. on November 27. An earlier stop at Salty's runs 5:35 to 5:55 p.m. The council's listing says 8:30 p.m., so arriving a little early covers both times.

The off-season calendar, start to finish

Where the season moves indoors

When the weather turns, Alki's indoor options are also run locally. The Log House Museum opened its new "Beyond Alki" exhibit in August 2026, with interactive local-history material. The West Seattle Blog reported public hours of noon to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. That makes it an easy rainy-day stop when out-of-town guests want to know why the beach looks the way it does.

At the Alki Bathhouse, Seattle Parks' adult wheel-throwing class meets Tuesdays from September 15 to December 1. The listing showed the class full with a waitlist. If you want a spot next session, sign up as soon as registration opens.

The season ends where it started, back at the water. The Alki Polar Bear Swim on January 1, 2026, called for a 10 a.m. plunge and collected donations for the food bank. The White Center Blog reported that organizers said more than 1,500 people went into the water the year before.

Scott Monroe and Molly Kemper work in West Seattle. They follow these beach dates the same way they follow the market, and they're glad to talk through what a quieter Alki season means for a home on or near the water. If you're thinking about your Alki home, or just want a straight read on the neighborhood, contact Molly Kemper to Book a Consultation.

Drawn to life in Alki? See Alki homes for sale, starting with a few listings on the market now:

1. 1111 Harbor Ave SW #500, Seattle (98116) | 2 bd, 1.75 ba, 2,400 sq ft
2. 2104 Alki Ave SW #205, Seattle (98116) | 2 bd, 1.75 ba, 1,328 sq ft
3. 4020 Beach Dr SW, Seattle (98116) | 3 bd, 2.5 ba, 1,710 sq ft

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