5 Holiday Celebrations in Seattle – 2018

Seattle Center Winterfest

November 23rd-December 31st in the Seattle Center, join along as Seattleites bring in the holiday cheer. Festivities, performances, arts, and activities flood the levels of Seattle Center and ground areas surrounding. The Winterfest website holds access to the Winterfest 2018 Handbook– entailing every event’s details. Highlights of the 2018 Winterfest include the winter train and village, ice rink, student showcases, ice sculpting, and musical performances. Dozens of free events are available to the public, as well as a few low-cost activities. 

Woodland Park Zoo Wildlights

Woodland Park Zoo’s WildLights exhibit lights up the Puget Sound this holiday season. Friends and family are welcomed to stroll around the zoo’s grounds, decorated all in lights, and holiday decorated animal exhibits. This picturesque scape sponsored by Sound Credit Union, includes a carousel, indoor snowball fights, 700,000 LED lights, food, drinks, and a holiday gift shop. Wildlights runs November 23rd, 2018-January 5th, 2019 from 5:30-8:30pm. Tickets are available for purchase here. More information regarding events and details of Woodland Parks Zoo’s WildLights exhibit can be found on their website. 

Snowflake Lane 

Bellevue’s annual Snowflake Lane parade runs November 23rd-December 24th, 2018. One of the Northwest’s most famous holiday festivities parades through the streets from NE 4th to NE 8th between Lincoln Square and Bellevue Square at 7pm nightly. Dancers, drummers, snow flurries, musical performances, and a meet and greet are available to the public at no cost or entry fee. This year’s meet and greet showcases the Snowflake Lane princesses. New this year, Santa will be attending every evening parade along the streets of Bellevue. Be sure not to miss the Jingle Belles Dance Line that is even bigger and better this year than ever before. 

Nutcracker 

The Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s, “The Nutcracker” runs November 23rd-December 28th at McCaw Hall in Seattle. This performance includes world renowned scoring by Tchaikovsky, choreography by George Balanchine, and beautiful costume design by Ian Falconer. The Nutcracker has a run time of approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes with one 25 minute intermission. Make it dinner and a show by stopping by the Prelude in the McCaw before settling down to watch the ballet. 

Volunteer Park Conservatory 

Seattle’s Volunteer Park’s Poinsettia Display and Holiday Express Train have arrived. Within the conservatory located within the park’s grounds, holds rooms filled with poinsettias of all kinds, decked out in holiday lights, with tracks winding through as the train display makes its rounds. Conservatory hours for the Poinsettia Display and Holiday Express Train are 11:00am-3:00pm, Tuesday-Sunday. This display is set in the Conservatory’s Seasonal House, November 16th through January 1st. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for youth, and free for children under 12. This relaxing and traditional scene makes for an easy breezy last minute holiday event perfect for all ages. Community members can even sign up to be a Volunteer Train Engineer.