As we wrote about a few days ago, the Greenwood Phinney Wacktastic Light Show begins Monday, Dec. 1. Organizers are hoping to start a holiday light tradition in the area with a contest and prizes for the most “wacktastic” home or business.

Contest categories include scariest, sexiest, most artsy-fartsy, most political, best kid made, and a whole lot more. Contestants should keep their lights up for the entire month of December. Judging will take place Dec. 17, and on Dec. 21, you can join the judging ceremony party at the Greenwood Collective.

Click here for more information and a map of the boundaries for the contest.

The annual Winter Festival at the Phinney Neighborhood Association is one of the biggest neighborhood events of the year – and it’s a major fundraiser for the PNA, which supports a number of local non-profit endeavors.

You can get all your Christmas shopping done during this two-day event, with vendors selling everything from photos and paintings to furniture and housewares, children’s clothing, jewelry and skin care products.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6-7, with 115 juried crafts booths, live entertainment on two stages, food, baked goods and a quilt raffle. Baked goods will be available in both buildings; lunch and Starbucks coffee drinks will be available in Community Hall.

Photos courtesy of the Phinney Neighborhood Association.

The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, Anzanga Marimba, the Eclectic Cloggers and the Phinney Community Chorus will entertain festival-goers. Admission is $2 for PNA members and $4 for the general public; children 12 and under are free. Please brig a can of food for the food bank.

Tickets for this year’s quilt, donated by the Stashbusters Quilt Group, are $1 each or six for $5. The raffle drawing will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. Winners need not be present to win.

If you’re looking for a holiday morning workout before the gorging begins, or you just want your spouse to take the kids somewhere while you cook, check out the Wassa Dance 6th Annual Thanksgiving Fundraiser, Thanksgiving morning.

The African inspired group dance experience with Village Volunteers, Wassa Dance and a group of excellent percussionists welcomes all levels and ages. Wear comfortable clothing, but please no street shoes on the dance floor.

Organizers say 100 percent of the donations made at the event will be used for micro-finance funds that support village-based textile projects in West Africa.

The event will be held 9-10:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 27 at the ARC School of Ballet, 9250 14th Ave. NW, in the old Crown Hill Elementary School. For questions any questions and info: info@villagevolunteers.org.

The Greenwood Phinney Wacktastic Light Show boundary has been extended west to 8th Avenue NW. Here’s a link to the map.

When we first wrote about this a month ago, the boundary was 3rd Avenue NW and several people here called out for it to be moved to what many consider the neighborhoods’ western boundary.

Organizers are hoping to start a holiday light tradition in the area. There’s even a contest and prizesfor the most wacktastic home. Contestants should keep their lights up for the entire month of December. Judging will take place Dec. 17, and on Dec. 21, you can join the judging ceremony party at the Greenwood Collective.

Update (10/23): Wacktastic organizers Beegee and Kelly say they were on the fence as to whether 8th Avenue was Greenwood or Ballard. They were also worried about the event getting too big, since it’s just the two of them working on it currently. But when they saw a “Welcome to Greenwood” sign at 8th Avenue and 85th, they knew they had to change it.

They say the response from area businesses has been so fantastic they’re expanding from first, second and third prize winners to a whole host of categories.

We originally said we’d have a first, second and third prize winners, but now we’re realizing that we need to have lots of winners. For example Prettiest, Most Classic, Most Fire-Hazard Worthy, Scariest, Sexiest, Funniest, Most Colorful, Cleverest, Trashiest, Most Natural, Most Wintery, Most Artsy-Fartsy, Most Political, Best Kid Made, Most Recession Proof (Thriftiest), Most “Greenwood”, Community Favorite, and of course, Most WACKTASTIC!). We just need the residents to be as psyched.

Also, I saw on your last posting of this that some Scrooges were grumbling about the electric bills. To which we say: you don’t need to enter! But if you do enter and win, you can regift your prizes for the holidays. So really, if you do a good job, you’ll be SAVING money!

Really, this is just one way we’re trying to bring the community of Greenwood Phinney together when the weather is less than spectacular. And spiff up the hood so other Seattlites will come visit and patronize our cool shops and restaurants.

Kelly Davis and Beegee Tolpa want to start a new tradition of homeowners lighting up not only their homes but their yards, fences, mailboxes, street signs, garbage cans, driveways and anything else they can think of this holiday season. They’re calling this new tradition the Greenwood Phinney Wacktastic Light Show.

There’s even a contest for the most wacktastic home. Contestants should keep their lights up for the entire month of December. Judging will take place Dec. 17, and on Dec. 21, you can join the Judging Ceremony Party at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

The three celebrity judges are Robynne Raye of Modern Dog Graphic Design on Greenwood Avenue, Rocketman Houllahan (mascot for the Rat City Rollergirls), and Jennifer Worick, Seattle author of “The Prairie Girl’s Guide to Life” and “Nancy Drew’s Guide to Life.”

First, second and third place winners receive “piles of loot” from local businesses. The boundaries for the contest are: south – 65th Street, north – 105th Street, east – Aurora Avenue (west side), west – 3rd Avenue Northwest. Check out more info and contest entry form here.