Seattle Center has been transformed into a European Christmas Village called the Seattle Christmas Market.
My family and I braved the rain and checked it out on a Saturday afternoon. We had family visiting from out of town and thought it would be a great way to experience Seattle during the holiday season.
Photo credit: Janet Kim
Booking the Seattle Christmas Market
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. It’s a timed entry, which helps with crowd control. You must arrive within a half hour of your timeslot, but once you’re in, you can stay as long as you like. Tickets are $21.99 for adults, $13.38 for kids seven and up, and free entry for kids six and under.
Families have a choice to experience the market during the day or night. If you’d like to see the brilliant light displays, make an appointment for an evening walk to make the experience even more special. We opted for the day and could still see the lights, and didn’t feel like we missed anything.
Here’s a venue map of the more than 60 vendors. Come with an idea of your budget, as things can begin adding up quickly, with drinks and food items hovering around $10 each.
Photo credit: Janet Kim
Getting there: Train or car ride away
Located at South Fountain Lawn and Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center (305 Harrison St.), there are various transportation options for getting to the market.
You could take the Seattle Monorail from Westlake Center to the Seattle Christmas Market, which could be a fun experience for the kids. For us, we drove into the city and found parking in a private lot for under $5 for 2 hours. Street parking is available but limited. Luckily, we came earlier in the day to snag $5 parking. Otherwise, with the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena that night, the parking fees would run $30 and up.
Photo credit: Janet Kim
Ideas for kids
The Nordstrom Very Merry-Go-Round was the main attraction for my kids. It’s free with entry and a great way to get a 360 market view. Just note that children must be at least two years old and 46 inches tall to ride the carousel alone or 36 inches tall with an adult accompanying them.
Because the rest of the experience is focused on exploring the market, there aren’t many more kid-focused activities. If you’ve got children like I do, who don’t particularly enjoy shopping or waiting in line–for, well, anything–come prepared with other ideas to make it fun.
Tips to make the outing easier for parents with kids in tow
• Strollers were really key to have with young kids as it gets crowded. There is enough space to maneuver the stroller. Plus, there is stroller parking inside but no attendant.
• Umbrellas or ponchos will come in handy if it rains as there are not many covered spaces. There is a heated dining hall at the “Alpen Haus”, but it can be full around meal times.
• While outside food and drink are not permitted, you can bring a water bottle.
Photo credit: Janet Kim
Creative idea to make it fun for the kids
Feeling like this venue may not have a lot of options to occupy my kids, we came prepared with a scavenger hunt that we created on our own. I asked my 7-year-old to help us spot a few vendors we were interested in finding. We were on the hunt for a pretzel and some Christmas ornaments. Having him help me find those booths gave him purpose. There were some vendors set up to do a few interactive things for kids, like a spinning wheel with prizes, but they were few and far between.
Photo credit: Janet Kim
Things to do nearby
After visiting the Seattle Christmas Market, we headed over to thaw at the Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall to check out Winterfest, Seattle’s annual winter extravaganza. We were met with live music and festive seasonal decor. My 4-year-old was especially into the winter train and village display.
If you didn’t get enough to eat at the market, there are various affordable options at the Armory. You could also pop into the Seattle Children’s Museum, where you’ll experience the Seattle Children’s Winter Market.
The Seattle Market is great for parents who are ready to shop ’til you drop for unique holiday gifts and festive items or if you are looking for a shopping experience with a European Market flair. If little kids are with you, plan on getting creative with lots of distractions and making the market outing only a part of your day, while exploring other kid-friendly festivities in Seattle.
Know before you go
- Purchase timed tickets in advance
- It’s helpful to have a stroller to maneuver through the crowds
- Umbrellas and ponchos will come in handy on drizzly days
- Don’t forget to bring a water bottle, outside food and drink is not permitted
- Make a day of it and head to the Armory for Winterfest or to Seattle Children’s Museum for Winter Market, a seasonal exhibit for kids
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