34 Christmas Activities Near Seattle for the Ultimate Holiday Cheer

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I was invited to the media preview night at the Seattle Christmas Market to help promote the event. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases. We were gifted tickets to the Astra Lumina experience in exchange for our honest review. 

2. WildLanterns at the Woodland Park Zoo

WildLanterns presented by BECU at the Woodland Park Zoo is a great way to kick off the holiday season. The zoo will be filled with large scale animal lanterns. The attraction typically kicks of in mid-November, so if you hope to do a lot of holiday activities this year, you can get a head start!

One thing to note is that if you purchase your tickets in advance, you’ll be tied to that date regardless of the weather. We’ve been to WildLanterns when it rains and it’s not as fun. I recommend trying to book for a rain-free evening!

We visited WildLanterns and our daughter loved it! There are all sorts of animals lit-up, and it’s a fun experience to be at the zoo at night! While we were there, we saw reindeer and some neat light displays that are perfect for sharing on social media. We will definitely be going back this year! Ticket prices very based on peak weekend or weekday times. 

If you visit the Woodland Park Zoo during the day, you’ll get to see many of the animal sculptures as well. (They just won’t be lit up.)

3. Go to a Christmas Tree Farm

There’s nothing like strolling down rows and rows of Christmas trees and breathing in the refreshing smell of freshly-cut fir trees. We even wrote a full post about best Christmas tree farms.

We recently visited Stocker Farms to see their Christmas trees. They had a section for pre-cut trees as well as u-cut trees. We parked in the u-cut area and enjoyed walking through the rows of Christmas trees. There was fresh snow on the ground, and it made for the perfect outing!

One of the best Christmas tree farms is Trinity Tree Farm. Their farm is over 40-acres and includes Douglas, Noble, Grand, and Fraser Firs. Even if you don’t want to cut down your own Christmas tree, it’s a great place to visit to celebrate the holidays. You can take photos as you walk through the trees, and they even have professional photography packages available. They also have a 1955 antique fire engine for photos. 

4. Watch the Snow Fall at Snowflake Lane

Head to Bellevue to check out the Snowflake Lane parade by The Bellevue Collection. Line up on the streets and listen to music, see parade floats decked out with holiday lights, and experience falling snow. The event typically occurs nightly during the holiday season at 7pm. To see the parade, line up on the sidewalks between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square from NE 4th to NE 8th Streets. You can read all about our experience at Snowflake Lane to see more photos too!

5. View the Gingerbread Houses at the Sheraton Hotel

The Sheraton Grand Seattle hotel creates a jaw-dropping Gingerbread Village each year. The gingerbread houses are on display in the lobby of the hotel. Be sure to check out the Sheraton Gingerbread Village website for updates. Each year they pick a specific theme, and then they create super-impressive gingerbread houses for display. We really liked the year they had a Harry Potter theme! We tend to visit every year to see the gingerbread houses. During peak times there can be a long line, so it’s helpful to plan your visit for an off-peak time. We can barely put together a gingerbread house when we have a kit, so in comparison, these gingerbread houses are beyond impressive!

6. Experience Pike Place Market Holidays

One of our favorite places to visit in Seattle is Pike Place Market. Every time we visit, we get to try new foods and see new shops. There are over 500 vendors at the market! We love the market so much, we wrote a full post about what to see while visiting Pike Place Market. During the holidays, Pike Place Market is extra special. The market is filled with holiday gift ideas, lots of places to grab a warm beverage, and tons of yummy food vendors. We also recommend going on a food tour of the market! (A food tour also makes a great holiday gift!) Once a year, they also offer the Annual Magic in the Market and also the Holiday Night Market. 

7. View the Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden

The Bellevue Botanical Garden is an awesome place to visit during the day time, but it’s truly magical in the evening! During the holidays, the Bellevue Botanical Garden hosts Garden d’Lights. Over half a million lights cover the main garden and create many scenes of twinkling nature scapes. Hot drinks and snacks are available, but there are no restaurants. Order a hot chocolate and enjoy walking around these magical gardens!

We visited Garden d’Lights with my parents and enjoyed walking around the garden at night. The loop is pretty straightforward and in my opinion shows more of a “classic” Christmas light display.

8. Visit the Festival of Trees

Early in the holiday season, you can head to downtown Seattle at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to see the Festival of Trees. The Festival of Trees is a display of designer holiday trees. Many of the trees are available for purchase at benefit Seattle Children’s Hospital. This event has been a Seattle tradition since 1978. You can also purchase tickets to attend the Gala. Although the Gala is expensive, you can bring the whole family to view the Christmas trees while they are on display at the hotel. 

The jumbo-sized tree in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel is sure to impress. (It’s a great place to take a family holiday photo! Youth Christmas carolers also perform on select dates in the lobby. 

9. Attend the Victoria Country Christmas Festival

You can purchase tickets for the Victorian Country Christmas Festival located at the Washington State Fair Grounds. See the website to find out the date of the Extreme Christmas Tree Lighting. The festival has lots to see, including Santa’s village (to meet Santa Claus), a singing nativity, a winter wine garden, and lots of vendors selling food and gifts. Be sure to see their website for a schedule of events, including musical performances, the carousel, horse drawn carriage rides, and more. 

10. Attend the Issaquah Reindeer Festival

Another fun activity is visiting the Issaquah Reindeer Festival. Tickets for the festival also include admission to the Cougar Mountain Zoo, so you can really make a day out of your visit. The festival typically runs from December 1st through December 30th. If you have a child that loves reindeer, it’s the perfect place to take them for some holiday cheer. Santa visits on select dates!

11. Hop Aboard the Santa Train

The Northwest Railway Museum hosts a two-hour roundtrip train ride on the Santa Limited. Board the train at the North Bend Depot and sit inside a historic passenger car. A locomotive will take you to the Railway History Campus. Once there, you can view a number of exhibits, visit Santa, tour a caboose, and complete some Christmas crafts. 

12. Experience the Christmas Ship™ Festival

Argosy Cruises has been hosting this festival since 1949. The Spirit of Seattle™ ship will be decorated with white Christmas lights and will travel to lots of Puget Sound waterfront communities. The 1.5 hour cruise will have a full community choir, photo ops with Santa, a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and a full-service bar. 

13. Attend the Lights of Christmas

One of the best Christmas lights displays is in Stanwood, which is about 50 miles north of Seattle. The Lights of Christmas is the largest Christmas festival in the Pacific Northwest. There are over one million lights! 

14. Watch a Performance of the Nutcracker

Each year the Pacific Northwest Ballet performs George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at McCaw Hall. Ticket prices vary depending on seat selections. This is a classic Christmas tradition and is a whole lot of fun!

15. Compete in a Holiday Run

Okay, it’s really not much of a competition (unless you’re an elite athlete), but it sure is a lot of fun! The Holiday Fun Run takes place every December. You can run or walk, and there are a variety of distances you can choose from: a 5k, 10k, and 15k. Once you complete the run, treat yourself to hot chocolate or cider. The run takes place at Magnuson Park along a beautiful route. Another popular run is the Jingle Bell Run in Seattle. Proceeds help to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. 

16. Attend a Wine Walk 

The city of Kirkland often hosts holiday wine walks. The dates change from year to year, so be sure to check out their website for details. 

17. Get Some Holiday Cheer with Improv Comedy

Catch a show with Seattle’s Improv Comedy Group, Unexpected Productions! They often have a Christmas production.  

18. Attend Zoolights

Each year the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium hosts Zoolights. There are over 800,000 lights at the zoo. You’ll see animal light displays, tunnels of lights, and even a Seahawks blue and green area. Grab a hot chocolate and bring the family to pose for lots of Christmas photos. (This is also a great date night idea!)

19. Visit Leavenworth in the Winter

The charming Bavarian town of Leavenworth is just a couple hours north of Seattle. Leavenworth is nestled in the mountains and it’s the perfect winter escape. You can book a tour of Leavenworth in the winter. When you book a tour, you won’t have to worry about transportation over the mountains! Leavenworth during the winter is a charming place. There’s plenty of snow on the ground, holiday gift shops, Christmas lights, and warm beverages. We wrote a full post about winter in Leavenworth if you’re interested in visiting during the holiday season. We highly recommend it!

20. Drive Through Candy Cane Lane

There are many neighborhoods that do Christmas lights well, but Candy Cane Lane is truly exceptional! The homes are decked with thousands of lights each year. There are 23 houses on this block, and they have been making Candy Cane Lane since 1949. Most years they also have a toy drive or ask for donations to the local food bank. (Check the Facebook page for the exact address. The homes are all on N.E. Park Road.)

21. Watch a Showing of the Burlesque Nutcracker

Located at The Triple Door, you can purchase tickets to see Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker. (This one is obviously not suitable for children.)

22. Check Out a Holiday Market

There are tons of holiday markets in the Seattle area! Check out the Edmonds Holiday Market or the Holly Jolly Holiday Market in Snohomish. Dates and times vary, so be sure to carefully check the details.

23. Visit Seattle Winterfest

The Seattle Center hosts Winterfest. There are lots of Christmas lights, weekend entertainment, and a Winter Train & Village. This display has been part of Seattle for over 50 years!

24. Attend Ballard Holidayfest

Grab a Ballard Holidayfest passport and collect stamps as you complete different holiday activities.

25. Go Shopping at Westlake Center

Westlake Center is filled with dozens of stores and boutique shops. At the adjacent Westlake Park, there has been a holiday carousel set up in years past.

26. Visit Downtown Holiday Lights and Delights

Seattle has celebrated with Downtown Holiday Lights and Delights all season long with a 40-foot tree and lots of light displays. 

27. Laugh Out Loud at Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas

Are you a fan of comedy improv? Uncle Mike Ruins Christmas is a yearly event that focuses on comedic interpretations of different holiday scenarios. 

28. Volunteer Park Conservatory

The Volunteer Park Conservatory is decked out with winter decorations and even a miniature train set that runs through the indoor garden. It’s a great indoor activity for the Christmas season. 

29. Giant Sequoia Tree

See the Giant Sequoia Tree all lit up for the holidays! The 80-foot-tall tree is located right next to Macy’s in downtown Seattle. It’s really easy to swing by and see the tree while you’re doing your holiday shopping. You can find the tree at the intersection of Olive, Stewart, and 4th Avenue. We visited the tree in mid-November and it was already lit up. Our daughter loved seeing the giant Christmas tree! (We could even see it from our hotel room at the Hyatt Regency Seattle!) 

30. Astra Lumina

This year, you can view outdoor lights with a cosmic theme at Astra Lumina. The event takes place during the evening at the Seattle Chinese Garden. The celestial theme is spectacular! We just visited Astra Lumina with my family. We walked about a mile through the garden. Our path was illuminated by lights the entire way. The path was not paved, but it we were still able to easily use our stroller. (There were some puddles from the rain, so wearing boots isn’t a bad idea!)

There were 10 different celestial light displays. Each of them was so beautiful! I overheard people comment “This is one of the most magical moments of my life!” and “This is a fairy wonderland!”  The light displays were very creative and I was glad I took my family.

31. Everett’s Wintertide

At Wintertide in Everett, you can go ice skating, look at holiday lights, and shop local. The Pacific Ice Community Ice Rink is located by Fisherman’s Harbor. 

32. Edmonds Holiday Trolley

Just north of Seattle you can ride the Edmonds Holiday Trolley. The trolley is free and open on select dates in December. When you ride the holiday-themed trolley, Emily the Elf will narrate important facts about the city of Edmonds.

33. Christmas Dive Bar

Many bars in Seattle are decorated for the holidays, but the Christmas Dive Bar goes all out. 

34. Holiday Tea

Another fun Christmas tradition is to celebrate with Holiday Tea. The Fairmont Olympic hosts a Holiday Tea, as well as the Queen Mary Tea Room. 

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More Christmas Activities in Western Washington

In addition to the Christmas activities listed above near Seattle, there are also plenty of fun Christmas activities that are within Western Washington.

If you’re up for a bit of a drive, you might also enjoy:

• Quil Ceda Village at the Tulalip Casino: The Lights & Ice event has over 700,000 Christmas lights, an ice skating rink, and lots of vendors. 
• Christmas Tree Maze in Shelton: The Christmas Tree Maze in Shelton, Washington, recently won a Guinness Book of World Records award for the “Most Lit Christmas Trees” in one location. Shelton is known as the Christmas Tree Capital of the World.
• Village of Lights – Christmastown in Leavenworth: During the winter, Leavenworth transforms into a winter wonderland. With lots of festivals, activities, and Christmas lights, it’s the perfect place to visit to celebrate the holidays. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can you find the best Christmas light displays?

For the best light displays, we recommend the Lights of Christmas in Stanwood. They have the largest Christmas lights display with over one million lights! Other good places to visit are Zoolights at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma and Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.

Which Christmas activities are free?

The evening Snowflake Lane parade is free in Bellevue. You can also visit the Sheraton Hotel to see the gingerbread houses or visit the Fairmont Olympic Hotel to see the Festival of Trees. Another free excursion is visiting Candy Cane Lane to view the Christmas lights in the neighborhood. Finally, you can visit Pike Place Market to see the market decorated for the holidays.

What are the best Christmas activities for kids?

Some of the best things to do with kids during Christmas in Seattle are the following:

• WildLanterns at the Woodland Park Zoo
• Zoolights at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
• Garden d’Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden
• Watching the Snowflake Lane parade in Bellevue
• Ride the Santa Limited train at the Northwest Railway Museum
• Attend the Lights of Christmas in Stanwood

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