Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah — begins at sundown on December 14, 2025, and runs through December 22, 2025. Families across the Seattle area will find dozens of ways to celebrate the Festival of Lights, from Hanukkah events and hands-on crafts to community menorah lightings, music, treats, and more. Below is your guide to Seattle-area Chanukah celebrations for all ages, organized by date to help you plan your holiday season.
2025 Hanukkah Events in Seattle and Beyond
Sunday, November 23
Hands on Hanukkah | Sunday, November 23 | 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Mercer Island Harvest Market | Free | Stop by the SJCC booth for Hanukkah-themed crafts, holiday activities, and plenty of festive fun. Explore the community market, connect with neighbors, and get into the Hanukkah spirit with us!
Saturday, December 6
Hands on Hanukkah at Redmond Lights | Saturday, December 6 | 4-8 p.m. | Redmond Downtown Park | Free | Join us at our booth for Hanukkah-themed crafts, holiday fun, and a warm community glow as we celebrate the Festival of Lights together! The Redmond Lights Kickoff Event features glowing art installations, a festive light promenade, silent discos, live performances, illuminated art, and more.
Sunday, December 7
Hanukkah Light Lab | Sunday, December 7, plus December 12, 14, and 19 | 12-1 p.m. | Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island | Free | Ages Infant-Kindergarten | Through a series of micro-explorations and provocations, children will investigate light through multiple disciplines such as science, literacy, numeracy, and art. Beyond its educational value, the Light Lab will also act as a bridge to the community. This program offers a unique opportunity to invite families and visitors to witness the richness of our philosophy in action. It will serve as a visible expression of our identity.
Festival of Laser Lights Family Hanukkah Show | Sunday, December 7 | 1-3 p.m. | Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island | $17-$27, buy tickets here | Family friendly, but best for ages 3 + | You’ve never seen a laser light show quite like this! Celebrate Hanukkah with a dazzling festival of laser lights, fog, light projections, and a dance-party, holiday soundtrack that brings the Hanukkah story, music, miracles, and the science of laser light to life for all ages.
Friday, December 12
Hanukkah Tot Shabbat- Hannukah | Friday, December 12 and Friday, December 19 | 9:45-10:30 a.m. | Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island | Color dreidels and taste gelt at these Hanukkah celebrations for little ones.
Sunday, December 14
Hannukah Cookie plus Dreidel Decoration | Sunday, December 14 | 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island | All ages | Registration required, $15 members, $20 nonmembers, price is per family. Register here | Join the J for the third annual Hanukkah cookie decorating event! This year, we’re adding ceramic dreidels to color. We’ll decorate our cookies with colorful frosting and toppings before we enjoy our Hanukkah treats. This event is open to all ages, so bring the whole family and start a delicious new holiday tradition. Each registered child will receive one ceramic dreidel to decorate.
Tuesday, December 16
It’s a Chanukah Party! | Tuesday, December 16 | 6-7 p.m. | Maple Valley Library | Free, but requires registration | Ages 3-12 | Join us for an interactive story walk, Hanukkah games, and decorate your own donut! Learn more about this lovely festival of lights.
Friday, December 17
DIY Dreidel Making Craft Night | Wednesday, December 17 | 5:30-7 p.m. | Newcastle Library | Free | In this program, you’ll learn about the history of the dreidel, learn how to play the game, and finally, decorate and take home your own wooden dreidel!
Thursday, December 18
Chanukah Village in Phinney Ridge | Thursday, December 18 | 5 p.m. | Phinney Center, Seattle | Free to attend, but first 25 to sign up here will receive Chanukah merch | This year’s Chanukah Village will be bigger and brighter than ever. Enjoy a fun-filled scavenger hunt, delicious latkes and doughnuts, hands-on activity stations, and a talented balloon twister creating festive masterpieces all afternoon. And we’re thrilled to feature Alex Zerbe The Zaniac!
Friday, December 19
Family Hanukkah Celebration | Friday, December 19 | 5:30 p.m. | Stroum Jewish Community Center, Mercer Island | Cost $18-$45, children under 2 are free, prices go up after November 24. Purchase tickets here | All ages | Pizza and salad dinner, latke station, sufganiyot station, community menorah lighting, Hanukkah and Shabbat blessings and songs, complimentary drink tickets for each adult over 21, make your own candle and dreidel stations, plus a bouncy house for children 5 and under.
December 21
Chanukah on Ice | Sunday, December 21 | 4- 6 p.m. | Sno-King Ice Arena, Snoqualmie | Cost ages 4+ $20 | Waiver required, sign here | Skate the evening away at this annual Chanukah on Ice celebration at Sno-King Ice Center. The event will feature Hanukkah music, an Ice Menorah, lighting of the candles, refreshments, and arts and crafts.
Chanukah at the Kraken | Sunday, December 21 | 2:45 p.m. | Kraken Community Iceplex, Seattle | ages 3 and under are free, over age 3, $20 per person, which includes skates | Join us in celebrating Hanukkah in the warm company of community, at the beautiful Kraken Community Iceplex, complete with all your favorite food and holiday traditions. Bring the kids, bring your friends, and be there for a memorable Hanukkah experience! Tickets go on sale after Thanksgiving.
Community Menorah Lightings Around Seattle
Chabad of Central Cascades Menorah Lighting | Sunday, December 14 | 6 p.m. | Downtown Issaquah Corner of Front Street and Dogwood | Free | You’re invited to an outdoor menorah lighting in downtown Issaquah, where there will be latkes, donuts & gelt, music, and arts and crafts.
Grand Menorah Lighting Kirkland | Sunday, December 14 | 4:15 p.m. | Kirkland Marina Park, Kirkland | Free, but RSVP here | Join the North – Eastside Jewish community as we welcome the holiday of Hanukkah with kindling the first light on the grand Menorah together!
Public Menorah Lighting & Chanukah Carnival | Sunday, December 14 | Time TBD | Queen Anne, at the corner of Crockett St and Queen Anne Ave, Seattle | Free | Featuring a giant Menorah lighting, Driedel on stilts performance, music, fire show, Latkes, jelly donuts, cotton candy, dreidels, glow in the dark Menorah necklaces, and raffles for some amazing Hanukkah gifts!
Grand Menorah lighting at Bellevue Arts Museum |Â | Sunday, December 14 | 5 p.m. | Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue | Free, but please register here | All ages | On the first night of Hanukkah, join together as we gather in unity to light the menorah! Enjoy Hanukkah swag, hot drinks, songs, and more!
Ballard Menorah Lighting | Sunday, December 14 | 4:30 p.m. | Bergen Place Park, Ballard | Free, no registration required, but the first 25 who register will get free swag. Register here | This beloved event has been well attended in the past, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another joyous celebration. Enjoy latkes, donuts, music, a gelt drop, and a balloon twister, fun for all ages!
Chabad of Central Cascades Menorah Lighting | Monday, December 15 | 6 p.m. | Grand Ridge Plaza Issaquah Highlands (next to Ulta), Issaquah | Free | You’re invited to an outdoor menorah lighting. There will be latkes, donuts, gelt, music, arts and crafts.
Chanukah Celebration at Green Lake Public Menorah Lighting | Tuesday, December 16 | 5 p.m. | Green Lake Park, Seattle, by the arch outside the community center | Free, no registration required, but those who do will get free Hanukkah swag. Celebrate the 3rd night with us as we light the Menorah. There will be latkes, donuts, and music.
Menorah Lighting on Alki Beach | Sunday, December 21 | 5-6 p.m. | Alki Beach Park, Seattle | Free | Join us on Alki Beach for our 4th annual grand Menorah lighting on the eighth night of Hanukkah!
Grand Menorah Lighting at Shoreline City Hall | Sunday, December 21 | 4:30 p.m. | Shoreline City Hall, Shoreline | Free | Menorah lighting, Klezmer music, Grand Gelt drop, traditional treats, prizes, and swag.
Pop-up Chanukah in the Junction | Sunday, December 21 | 5 p.m. | Junction Plaza Park, Seattle | Free | Join us for our annual celebration of culture, community, and connection at our Menorah Lighting event at Junction Plaza Park. Come for the community, stay for the donuts!
Secular Jewish Circle Hanukkah Celebration | Sunday, December 21 | 4-6 p.m. | RSVP for the exact location (Northlake Neighborhood) | Cost: suggested donation $45/adult | Secular Jewish Circle will hold its annual celebration. Gather together for a potluck, songs, stories, and more.
If your family is looking for more ways to celebrate, cook, and connect during the Festival of Lights, these Chanukah-inspired pieces offer fresh ideas and heartfelt storytelling:
- ‘MasterChef Junior’ star shares her family’s Hanukkah doughnut recipe — A sweet tradition you can try at home.
- On Giving: Gifts of light and service during Chanukah — A Seattle rabbi explains how her family makes the holiday about community, gratitude, and purpose.
- Meet Menorasaurus Rex — The charming tale of one family’s dino-themed menorah and how it became a treasured tradition.
