Solar energy proved its power Sunday as it helped energize a large crowd at the First Annual Sustainable West Seattle Festival.

The festival boasted 18 booths of nearly 50 organizations and businesses promoting environmental sensitivity as well as a stage featuring speakers. Speakers included Sustainable Ballard's Vic Opperman, and neighborhood consultant, Jim Diers, who authored "Neighbor Power: Building Seattle the Community Way."

All were squeezed into the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. timeframe, and clustered by Wells Fargo Bank at the Alaska Junction across the street from the farmers market.

Snowflake the polar bear was getting hugs from kids. Made of paper and wire large enough to hide two humans inside, Snowflake represented the Backbone Campaign's "Procession for the Future," a menagerie of global-warming related eye-catching floats set to parade outside the Democratic and Republican campaign halls.

Dorothy Bosteder was on the fair coordinating council. She seemed delighted with the turnout.

"This worked out great," she said, clasping a pi