"Cafe Blameless is a third space where you can find great coffee, food to fill you up, community to engage with, or a place to work, meet, rest, or just be."
That line comes from the newest café in the neighborhood. It isn't in a new building. Cafe Blameless soft-opened on September 23 inside a church that has stood on the southwest corner of 33rd Ave NE and NE 60th St since 1923.
The same thing shows up all over Ravenna's October. A Bigfoot-themed race uses the ravine trails. Two longtime NE 65th St restaurant spaces have new kitchens. Third Place Books is booked almost every weeknight. What's new this month is mostly happening in places the neighborhood already had.
The month by date
A few of these dates are sign-up deadlines, so the list comes first.
- Tue, Oct 6, 11:59 p.m. Last day to sign kids up for the Where's Bigfoot 5K. Kids' entries are free and untimed.
- Thu, Oct 8, 7 p.m. Jamie Lorente presents "My Three Fathers: A Memoir" at Third Place Books Ravenna.
- Fri, Oct 9, 7 p.m. Rosanne Parry presents "A Raven of the Rainforest."
- Sun, Oct 11 Last day of Cafe Blameless's soft opening. It's also the last day of the lower Bigfoot 5K entry price, which ends at 11:59 p.m.
- Fri, Oct 16, 4 to 6:30 p.m. Halloween carnival at Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave NE.
- Sat, Oct 17, 10 a.m. Where's Bigfoot 5K starts at 5520 Ravenna Ave NE.
- Thu, Oct 22, 7 p.m. Barbara Sjoholm presents "Sámi Folktales from the Near and Far Worlds."
- Mon, Oct 26, 7 p.m. Science on Tap at Third Place Books Ravenna.
The church on 33rd Avenue
The building has a longer history than most houses on the surrounding blocks. Its congregation started as the Yesler Sunday School in 1901 and formally organized as a church in 1903. By 1922 the Ravenna Methodist congregation had outgrown its meeting space. It built across 33rd Ave NE, and that building was finished in 1923.
A newer congregation called Illume acquired the building and began renovating it in 2023. The local history blog Wedgwood in Seattle History reported the plans at the time: an accessible entrance, larger bathrooms, and rooms that could be used during the week, including a coffee shop. Three years later, that coffee shop is open. The café's website names Pastor Kent as Illume's founder, pastor and building owner.
Secret Seattle's October 1 report covers what's on offer during the soft opening:
- Coffee from Gloom and Elm
- Chocolate from Cocoa Legato
- Pastries from Radiant Flavors, along with sandwiches and paninis
- Co-Working Wednesdays, every week from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., no registration needed
- Hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
The same report says the menu is limited and hours may change through October 11. It also argues that running the café every day opens the building to the public on a regular basis. Before this, most people walking past the building had little reason to go in. The 1923 sanctuary is now a place to have a panini on a Thursday.
The café has used its evenings too. On October 1, it hosted a Board Game Night in the Lower Hall from 6 to 8 p.m., and Jazztime Seattle brought intermediate Balboa dancers into the main café space at 6:30. Secret Seattle points readers to the café's Instagram for hours and upcoming events.
Same addresses on 65th, new kitchens
The 65th Street changes follow the same pattern. The Ravenna Varsity at 2300 NE 65th St served its last meals on August 3, 2025, after its lease wasn't renewed. The Seattle Times called it one of Seattle's oldest diners, closing after more than 60 years. The space didn't stay empty. By March 4, 2026, The Infatuation reported that Mama Grande's Café had taken over the Varsity's spot, and the café's own site now says it is open at 2300 NE 65th St #101.
A few blocks west, El Cantor Mexican Cuisine now operates at 805 NE 65th St, the former Casa Patron space. WhatNow reported in July 2026 that it was coming, and The Infatuation had a listing up by September 10. On a strip where some restaurants lasted decades, both are quick turnovers: the same storefronts reopened with new owners and menus.
Bigfoot in the ravine
The trails beneath the Cowen Park Bridge become a race course on October 17. The Where's Bigfoot 5K, organized by Run 2 Be Fit, LLC, runs through Ravenna Park's wooded trails and paths. Along the way are Bigfoot sightings, footprints, clues and photo spots. The organizer's linked course map is titled "Ravenna & Cowan Park 5k."
| Detail | What the organizer lists |
|---|---|
| Start | 5520 Ravenna Ave NE |
| Packet pickup | 9 to 9:45 a.m. |
| Race start | 10 a.m. |
| Approximate wrap-up | 11:15 a.m. |
| Standard entry through Oct 11 | $39 plus a $3.34 signup fee |
| Standard entry after Oct 11 | $44 plus a $3.64 signup fee |
| Kids | Free and untimed, no bib or medal. Sign up by Oct 6 |
| Trees | One planted per registrant |
Signing up early makes a difference in two ways. The adult price goes up $5 after October 11. The kids' deadline is five days earlier, on October 6, and missing it means a child can't be registered at all. RunSignup's packet pickup page still shows the 2025 times, so use the 9 to 9:45 a.m. window from the organizer's event page. The 2026 page doesn't mention a costume contest, though nothing stops anyone from wearing one.
The night before, the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center holds its Halloween carnival from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Seattle Parks is still recruiting volunteers to set up and run carnival games. Families can do the carnival Friday and the ravine run Saturday morning.
Most weeknights at Third Place
Third Place Books Ravenna at 6504 20th Ave NE has a 7 p.m. event on 12 different evenings in October. Beyond the ones in the calendar above:
- Mon, Oct 12: Magic Monday at Ravenna
- Tue, Oct 13: Translator Michelle Quay presents "Woodwind Harmony in the Nighttime"
- Fri, Oct 16: Kelly Grace Thomas, Ari B. Cofer, Elise Powers and Jane Wong
- Tue, Oct 20: Catherine Mutti-Driscoll presents "The Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Workbook"
- Wed, Oct 21: Black Jaw Reading Series with the UW MFA Program
- Fri, Oct 23: Lauren Appelbaum presents "The Holiday House Swap"
- Wed, Oct 28: Lena Rani with Kiran Chitluri presents "The Last Crystal Dragon"
- Thu, Oct 29: Mary Lou Sanelli presents "An Island Called Bainbridge"
Two details for anyone who hasn't checked lately. Third Place's Ravenna page now links to Cafe Arta & Pub, whose own events page currently shows nothing scheduled. The store's October calendar also has no kids' storytime, and its Kids page shows no upcoming events. Parents of young children may find more this month at the carnival and the Bigfoot course.
The street work by the start line
The Bigfoot start at 5520 Ravenna Ave NE is a couple of blocks from a street project the Seattle Department of Transportation began this summer. According to SDOT's project page, crews have trimmed vegetation along the west side of 22nd Ave NE, converted back-in parking to parallel parking and painted new bike lane markings.
Still to come are a shared-use path for people walking and biking, upgraded curb ramps, marked crosswalks and an all-way stop at Ravenna Ave NE and NE 54th St. The full plan also includes a protected southbound bike lane on 22nd Ave NE between NE 54th St and NE 45th St. SDOT says it doesn't have a timeline for the next phase yet. When work does start, it may close lanes, parking, sidewalks or crosswalks for a while, and overnight work can block driveways for up to two hours. "No Parking" signs go up at least 72 hours ahead, so anyone parking near Ravenna Ave NE and NE 54th St on race morning should check the curb the night before.
If you're wondering what a converted church, a new café in the old Varsity space or a planned path a few blocks away means for your own block, the team at PBNW Homes follows these Ravenna changes closely and is glad to talk them through. Work With Us.
