An addition to music, a barbecue and beer and wine, the fundraiser will include speakers, vendors and a raffle. Local politicians have been invited to the event.

Local organizers of Aviation Justice and the fundraiser are anti-airport activists Debi Wagner, who earlier this year published Over My Head, a book about her growing opposition to airports and airlines, and Chris Cain, a Port of Seattle watchdog.

Aviation Justice Express Tour 2011 will stop at Seattle’s Town Hall Wednesday, Oct. 26, with a program against the environmental impacts of aviation on people, property and the planet, including speakers from the United Kingdom.

It will begin in New York with Aviation Justice partners from the UK, where “representatives from impacted communities at airports” in the Northeast will meet with airport and Federal Aviation Administration officials and stakeholders in New York.

The tour will then proceed by rail to Philadelphia, Chicago and on to Los Angeles, traveling up the West Coast to Portland, Seattle and Bellingham.

Their goal “is to raise awareness about aviation impacts and be a collective voice calling for sustainable integrated alternative transportation solutions to so many short-hop flights which are nearly as energy intensive as long haul flights.”

One of their proposed alternatives is high-speed regional rail service between cities.

In the meantime, there will be a “Flash Mob and Puppet” event at the Port of Seattle Commission offices Saturday, Sept. 24. RSVP is requested.

Wagner said persons wishing to donate or help organize the fundraiser can call her at 206-241-1553. To RSVP, e-mail dwagner0007@msn.com.

Go to www.aviationjustice.org for more information on the national organization, groups, meetings and upcoming events.

Out and about after a full day in our Olde Burien offices, we ran into local Artist Eric Edwards at the Tin Room Bar Thursday night (July 14), and when asked what the heck he was doing in B-Town (we know him from White Center), he told us that he had been hanging some of his art at a new gallery, slated to open this Saturday, July 16th.

The new gallery is located at 827 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien, in the spot formally occupied by Zizia, which closed in April (read our coverage here), and according to Eric, will be open during this Saturday’s Olde Burien Block Party (more info on the party here).

UPDATE 7/15/11: According to Jimi Lou Steambarge, who’s running the new gallery, it will be called ‘GASSHO GALLERY & CREATIVE HUB.’

“We are still rough around the edges and will evolve over the next few weeks, but the fabulous art of Eric Edwards is in the house!” she said on a Facebook post. “Stop by and check it out while at the Olde Burien block party! We are located next door to the Danish Bakery. GRAND OPENING PARTY – FRIDAY AUGUST 19TH!!! Follow us on Facebook!”

Pop culture Artist Eric Edwards' work will be part of Saturday's opening of a new art gallery called GASSHO GALLERY & CREATIVE HUB, located at 827 SW 152nd in Olde Burien.

Our incredibly tall Photographer was able to peek through the top of the covered-up door for this exclusive look inside the new Olde Burien art gallery.

If you get out to the Olde Burien Block Party, which runs from Noon – Midnight Saturday, you should drop by and see Eric’s work – he uses found objects, mostly pop culture in nature, some kitschy, some bizarre, but all found; then when it’s all put together by him it’s suddenly incredible art – the kind you have to look at closeup to fully appreciate or understand.

WHAT: Artwork of Eric Edwards at a new Art Gallery in Olde Burien.

WHEN: Saturday, July 16th during the Block Party (doors open at 10 a.m.)

WHERE: GASSHO GALLERY & CREATIVE HUB, Burien’s new Art Gallery at 827 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien.

Here’s Eric’s bio from his Facebook Group Page:

Eric S. Edwards
b.1961, United States
Self taught

I work primarily in mixed media collage and found object assemblage.

I use pop culture advertising posters torn from buildings so far in Seattle, London, San Francisco, Miami and New York city. I like to use the garish colorful adverts and paper fragments in a painterly way and often the image themselves pull me off in unexpected ways. I really enjoy the spontaneity and sometime frustration of the collage process the losing of some image to some other other image, the juxtaposition of objects, the colors and textures.

I am very influenced by street art, graffiti murals, wheat pastes, tags and stickers. Influences also include Robert Rauschenberg, Max Ernst and Romere Bearden and lately Judith Supine and Michael Anderson.

Here are some images of some of Eric’s art from his Flickr page:

Olde Burien will sizzle with a Summer Street Party on Saturday, July 16th, with a full day packed with fun diversions ranging from ice-cream (and sausage) eating contests to live music to a drawing for a $500 shopping spree to a live wedding onstage and much more.

From Noon to midnight, the Olde Burien Block Party will also feature a sausage-eating contest, a fashion show and a drawing for a $500 shopping spree, plus a live wedding onstage. The free event is a thank you from the Olde Burien merchants to customers and community for their support.

Be sure to enter the drawing to win a $500 Olde Burien shopping spree. Every time shoppers make a purchase at participating businesses that day, they will be entered in the drawing. The shops will offer special deals, so it’s an ideal time to shop the unique wares of Olde Burien.

Until 10 p.m., catch live entertainment on an outdoor stage while savoring the food and drink of various Olde Burien eateries in their extended outdoor seating. Don’t miss the live wedding onstage of a member of Uncle Ernie. Or become part of the action by competing in the ice-cream-eating and sausage-eating contests.

In the street party’s entertainment lineup are:

• 12-2 p.m.: Greg Parke (easy listening acoustic & electric guitar)
• 2-2:30 p.m.: Fashion Show
• 3-4 p.m.: Mike Sroc Band
• 4-4:30 p.m.: Ice Cream and Sausage Eating Contest
• 5-6:30 p.m.: Otis and The Raw Dogs (rock & roll)
• 7-8:00 p.m.: Uncle Ernie (classic rock & roll), including a live wedding
• 8:00 p.m.: Drawing for $500 shopping spree
• 8:30-10 p.m.: Tin Smiths (acoustic rock) and The Burien City Ballbangers (hard rock)

This year’s event sponsors are Burien Honda, the restaurants and bars of Olde Burien, and the Mark Restaurant & Bar.

The party will take over SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien between Ambaum Blvd. SW and 10th Ave SW. That portion of SW 152nd will close to vehicular traffic around 9 a.m.

For more information, call (206) 941-7199 or go online to www.shopoldeburien.com.

Burien Evangelical Church will be holding a Block Party this Saturday, July 2nd from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., with free food, huge inflatables, games, contests and more.

The church is located at 500 SW 146th Street (206-244-5300).

For more information, visit their website here.

The block party offered a little something for just about everyone this year. Businesses in Olde Burien were open and area restaurants were serving special deals.

Bands on the main stage were offering up a smörgåsbord of musical genres and in between there were sausage and ice cream eating contests, and even a fashion show sponsored by Howard & Marge.

Photographer Michael Brunk hung out in Olde Burien on Saturday and shot these photos. This slideshow is set to music by The Blame recorded live at the block party. Be sure to check your volume before clicking!

Click to Play Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

The “Burien Beauty Blast” grand finale will be Thursday night, July 9th from 6pm to 9pm at The Mark Restaurant, with beauty consultant work by BTB Advertisers Market Place Salon and Howard & Marge.

Come out and enjoy music, wine tasting and register to be selected for Hair, Make-Up, Teeth Whitening, Nails, Eyewear, Hair, Make-Up, Clothing, Jewelry and more – all this taking place on Friday and Saturday with the unveiling on Saturday, July 11th at 8 pm during the Olde Burien Block Party.

Some of the participating businesses are:

• Market Place Salon
• Skin Perfect
• Howard & Marge
• Poggi Bonsi
• OptiMark

Some of the rules include:

• Must be present to be picked.
• Person selected will unveiled during the block party at 8 pm on the main stage.

Come and be part of Burien’s own fashion reality “show”!

Lake Burien Presbyterian Church, which so graciously opened its doors to host the Red Cross shelter for the apartment arson fire victims, is hosting a Block Party on Aug. 15th from 4pm to 8pm at 15003 14th Ave SW (map below).

The family-friendly party will include:

• FREE backpacks to the first 300 guests!
• Prizes
• Games
• Face Painting
• Food
• Music
• Cakewalk
• Family Fun

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Good ol’ B-Town is definitely a party place, or so it seems every summer when SW 152nd gets closed down for not one, but at least two block par-tays, one of which is coming up Sat. Aug. 16th, from Noon-10pm.

That’s right – it’s time for Burien’s annual “Hot August Nite” which will feature:

• Classic Cars (from Noon-5:30pm)
  
• Elvis (or at least an Elvis impersonator, as exhuming corpses is illegal…)
• Drums
• Live Auction hosted by Steve Tannehill
  
• Awards
• Music from Jr. Cadillac
• Music from Eric “Two Scoops” Moore
• Much more!

The all-day and into-the-night event will take over SW 152nd between Ambaum and 10th Ave SW in Olde Burien, and yes, the street will be closed off, which is cool ‘cuz you can walk anywhere without the fear of being struck by an errant B-Town driver (unless he/she is moving a classic car then look out…).

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Here’s Burien City Councilmember Gordon Shaw getting dunked in the Kiwanis/Discover Burien dunk tank:

Here’s Burien legend Dean Parkins gettin’ splashed:

And Burien Arts Association Executive Director Erin Williamson proves that she’ll “do anything” to promote arts in B-Town:

Despite her wishes to be dunked into a working blender, Emerald City Smoothie’s Janel Stoneback had to settle for the regular tank:

Burien’s own The Cheeters Brass Band wowed the crowd with their unique big band sound:

We guess nobody wanted to. Perhaps it was the heat?

How many firefighters does it take to fill a dunk tank?

How many firefighters does it take to fill the kiddie’s pool?

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• No cover charge!
• A dunk tank
• Beer/Wine Garden
• Live music
• Magicians
• Jugglers
• Fortune tellers
• Face painters
• Karaoke
• Eating contests
• Discounts
• An entire two blocks closed to traffic and open to pedestrian funsters

The party grows more interactive each year, with event-goers taking part in activities that include ice cream- and sausage-eating contests, a karaoke contest, unbeatable store specials and a drawing for a $500 Olde Burien shopping spree.

New this year are carnival games, including a dunking tank at the Discover Burien booth, which will be next to the B-Town Blog booth – a perfect excuse to drop by, say hi, then dunk some poor schmoe (something we’ve always wanted to do)!

As always, event-goers can put the chill on the heat with a cool brew or some fine wine served in one of the event’s beer gardens situated outside Olde Burien eateries.

From the moment the party fires up at noon, look for fortune tellers, face painters, musician and jugglers on Southwest 152nd Street, which will close to vehicular traffic in Olde Burien at 9 a.m.

The event’s main stage lineup includes:

1 to 2:30pm: Burien City Ballbangers (classic rock and roll)
3 to 4pm: Roget de Man (family entertainment, including juggling and magic)
4 to 6pm: The Cause (rock with a reggae flavor)
6 to 6:30pm: Sausage-Eating and Ice Cream-Eating Contests followed by grand prize drawing for $500 Olde Burien shopping spree
6:45 to 8pm: K.J. Sherman (original music on acoustic guitar)
8 to 9pm: The Evin Rudes (classic rock and roll)
9 to 10 pm: Live karaoke contest (Burien Idol)
10 to 11pm: The Evin Rudes (classic rock and roll)

With store specials galore, the party is the perfect time to scope out the novel offerings in Olde Burien businesses. The event is a big “thank you” from the Olde Burien Retail Group to customers and community for their support.

Produced by the Discover Burien Association and the Olde Burien Retail Group, the party is sponsored by:

• Waterbrook Winery
• Pyramid Breweries
• Blue Moon Brewing Company
• Puget Sound Energy

Discover Burien is a nonprofit organization that works on the economic development and marketing of the city.For more information, call (206) 941-7199 or go online to www.shopoldeburien.com.

The party centers on Southwest 152nd Street between Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and Tenth Avenue Southwest:

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