Originally published Saturday, October 26, 2013 at 7:20 PM
Where to celebrate the holidays in Seattle
Seattle holiday activities include: holiday parade, Christmas tree lighting, Winterfet, Figgy Pudding carolers, Wildlights at Woodland Park Zoo and New Year’s festivities at the Space Needle
Seattle Times staff
Seattle guide for visitors and locals
Northwest travel guides
If you’re coming to Seattle at Thanksgiving or in December, join in some of the holiday fun. Here’s a sampling of community events:
Nov. 29: Enjoy the Holiday Parade’s floats, marching bands, drill teams and Santa at 9 a.m. in downtown Seattle. Later in the day, watch the giant Christmas tree light up at Westlake Center at 5 p.m., followed by the lighting of the Macy’s star (a giant decorative star on the Macy’s store facing Westlake Center, at Fourth Avenue and Pine). Weather permitting, there also will be a fireworks show.
Last, but not least, take a ride on the Holiday Carousel at Westlake Park as it opens for the season. holidaysinseattle.com
Nov. 29-Dec. 31: At Winterfest, enjoy an ice-skating rink, music and other entertainment, food vendors and a big model train at Seattle Center, the cultural/civic complex on the edge of downtown (the Monorail takes you right there from Westlake Center). Hours vary daily. 206-684-7200 or seattlecenter.com
Dec. 6: Hear community choirs, some with dozens of singers and others with just a handful, performing on downtown sidewalks at the Figgy Pudding Street Corner Caroling Competition. Some singers wear costumes and sing wacky versions of Christmas songs. Figgy Pudding is a fundraiser (by donation) for the Pike Market Senior Center and Food Bank. Preshow entertainment is at 5 p.m., caroling competition 6-8:30 p.m., at Westlake Center and surrounding downtown streets. 206-728-2773, Ext. 8, or pikemarketseniorcenter.org/figgy-pudding
Nov. 29-Jan. 4: At Woodland Park Zoo’s Wildlights, walk the zoo’s paths and see the wild things — wild animals and wild places — made of thousands of decorative lights. 5:30-8:30 p.m. nightly (closed Dec. 24-25) at Woodland Park Zoo in north Seattle; $6.50-$9.50. For a different kind of light, head to the Green Lake Pathway of Lights at the nearby Green Lake Park at dusk and during the early evening of Dec. 14. The 3-mile round-the-lake path is lined with luminaria. Musicians also perform along the path by the shimmering candlelight. 206-548-2500 or zoo.org and Facebook.com/GreenLakePathwayofLights
Dec. 31: Ring in the New Year at the Needle. Enjoy an all-ages dance at the Seattle Center (in the Armory). At midnight, fireworks blast off from the top of the Space Needle. It’s a free show, with thousands of revelers. 206-684-7200 or seattlecenter.com