Honestly, I’m staying close to home on Saturday. It’s the first day of Christmas and holiday shindigs are popping up everywhere and this Scrooge hates traffic. But if you’re Buddy the Elf, then this weekend has a shiny gift tag with your name on it. And with artsy festivals, nature events and Hanukkah starting on Sunday, there’s literally free fun everywhere for everyone.
Prepare for crowds and go get your holiday on. Bah humbug … I mean, ho ho ho!
All Weekend
Winter festivals, light shows, Santa visits and tons more festivities are happening all month long. Check our list of ongoing holiday events to see what sparks your family’s interest. Many events are free.
SEATTLE AREA
Saturday
Make your own gift bags and cards and shop for gifts that give back. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gates Foundation Discovery Center.
Watch the salmon return to Piper’s Creek, and learn about their journey from a park ranger. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., today and Sunday. Carkeek Park.
Make art alongside indigenous artists and watch a film screening about Native Americans in modern music. 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Seattle Public Library.
See a puppet show about a gingerbread man who escapes Granny’s kitchen. 2 to 3 p.m. Mercer Island Library.
Dance to the Not-Its! and welcome Christmas with a tree lighting, Santa visit and more at Hometown Holidays. 3 to 6 p.m. Junction Park Plaza, West Seattle.
Watch the Holiday Express Train’s winding journey through a pretty poinsettia display. Free admission today. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Volunteer Park Conservatory.
Sunday
Enjoy a lighted boat parade, take a guided stroll through Seward Park and celebrate winter with craft-making and sweet treats. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Seward Park Audubon Center.
Make your own menorah and frost Hanukkah cookies. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Northgate Mall.
EASTSIDE
Saturday
Go sledding and warm up around a bonfire at Kirkland’s Winterfest. 3 to 6 p.m. Marina Park, Kirkland.
Ride in a horse-drawn carriage while marveling at twinkling lights, sip hot cocoa and shop a winter market. 5 to 8 p.m. Railway Community Park, Issaquah
Take a luminaria walk with entertainment and light displays along the Redmond Connector Trail. Then watch ice sculpting and make holiday crafts. 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. City Hall Plaza, Redmond.
Sunday
Celebrate the first day of Hanukkah with arts, crafts, treats and more. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Crossroads Mall, Bellevue.
Learn why bears hibernate and which species might be snoozing nearby. 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Lewis Creek Visitors Center, Bellevue.
NORTH SOUND
Saturday
Watch a parade welcoming Santa to town. Train rides and a tree lighting, too. 1 to 4 p.m. Mill Creek Town Center.
Enjoy a Holiday on the Bay with cookie decorating, crafts, live music and fire truck rides. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Waterfront Center, Everett.
SOUTH SOUND
Saturday
Santa arrives via fire engine at this lighted holiday parade. 5 p.m. Downtown Puyallup.
A living nativity, petting zoo and live reindeer Willow and Jingle Belle make for some realistic holiday magic. 3 to 6 p.m. Sunrise Village, Puyallup.
Sunday
Hear patriotic holiday music at the Red White and Blue Holiday Concert. Free; advanced ticket required and food donations welcome. 2 p.m. Auburn Performing Arts Center.
Want more? Check out our Family Events Calendar, searchable by age, location and cost.
