There are precious few daylight hours this time of year, but that doesn't mean you have to amble around in the dark. Below, we've compiled all the places to see sparkling light displays around town, from a garden of luminarias at SAM Lights to the Naked City Tree Lighting, and from a giant outdoor menorah lighting at Light Up the Night: Burger Fest to a cavalcade of twinkling vessels at the Christmas Ship Parade of Boats Night. For more festive options this month, check out our complete winter holidays calendar.
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DECEMBER 7
Naked City Tree Lighting
The brewery will illuminate its 20-foot tree with 10,000 lights, release a special cask of its Bing spiced cherry ale (which blends Naked City's The Knowledge beer with Bing and Tart Montmorency cherries and cinnamon), and offer photos with "Brew Santa" to kick off the holidays.
DECEMBER 9
Green Lake Pathway of Lights
Thousands of candles will light up the pathway along the water in Green Lake Park. Stroll along, enjoy complimentary refreshments, and hear holiday music. There may even be some hot air balloons this year.
DECEMBER 9-17
Leavenworth Christmas Lighting Festival
At this annual festival, the Bavarian town transforms into a twinkly holiday village of lights. Enjoy live holiday music and performances in the streets, an appearance from Old Saint Nick in front of the gazebo, roasted chestnuts, a traditional Gluhwein Tent selling hot spiced wine and cider, and much more.
DECEMBER 14
Light Up the Night: Burger Fest
This Hanukkah celebration will feature a gigantic outdoor menorah lighting, gourmet burgers and hot latkes, a mitzvah tank, music, hot drinks, and a holiday market.
SAM Lights
Fight darkness and gloom in SAM's garden of luminarias and other installations while you make your own art, drink something hot, and listen to live performances.
THROUGH DECEMBER 23
Christmas Ship Festival
This "ship-to-shore" holiday celebration has been a Northwest tradition since 1949. The Spirit of Seattle is decorated with twinkly white lights and sails to 65 Puget Sound waterfronts, where an onboard choir serenades passengers and shore-dwellers alike. On December 15, check out the Christmas Ship Parade of Boats Night.
THROUGH DECEMBER 24
Snowflake Lane
Get photos with Santa, then experience beautiful lights, "toy soldier drummers," animatronic characters, and pretty music in artificial snow at 7 pm every night.
THROUGH DECEMBER 30
The Lights of Christmas
Over one million lights will be spread across Warm Beach Camp's 15 acres, accompanied by entertainment, children's activities, food, holiday shopping, and more.
THROUGH DECEMBER 31
Garden d’Lights
Garden d’Lights features over half a million sparkling lights formed into the whimsical shapes of plants, flowers, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls set amid the natural beauty of the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
THROUGH JANUARY 1
Candy Cane Lane
A local holiday tradition since 1949, a row of 1920s-era Tudor homes in Ravenna are lit up like life-sized gingerbread houses. Sleighs, reindeer, blow up candy canes, and more await your wondrous stares.
Ivar's Clam Lights
Every night, Ivar's powers up the park with thousands of Christmas lights depicting various clammy characters. Is this where clams go to heaven after you eat them at Ivar's?
Point Defiance Zoolights
See hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, carnivorous plants and their insect prey, a 30-foot-wide underwater landscape, a majestic polar bear family, and a giant Pacific octopus in light form. You can also: Ride a camel (!), enjoy tasty treats, spin around on the carousel, visit select animal exhibits, and shop for holiday gifts in the shop.
WildLights
See the zoo in a new light—500,000 energy-efficient LEDs, in fact! See luminous animal-themed designs, have an indoor snowball fight, meet Santa and his very real reindeer and some nocturnal animals, listen to carolers, and enjoy the holiday beer garden.
THROUGH JANUARY 7
Lantern Light Festival
Celebrate a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition by seeing authentic lanterns of various shapes, sizes, and colors set aglow.
