Find a complete list of festivals in Seattle this winter on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics’ picks from Seattle Art and Performance.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
Through Dec 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.
Leavenworth Festhalle
Through Dec 23
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.
Various locations
Through Dec 24
The nursery will be disguised as a winter wonderland this season for families to enjoy. Do some holiday shopping, pick up a Christmas tree, visit the model train village, hang out with Santa’s reindeer, and more.
Swansons Nursery
Get photos with Santa, then experience beautiful lights, “toy soldier drummers,” animatronic characters, and pretty music in artificial snow.
Bellevue Collection
Through Dec 31
Garden d’Lights features over half a million sparkling lights formed into the whimsical shapes of plants, flowers, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls.
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Through Jan 1
This gingerbread village is no joke: Every year, Seattle architecture firms, master builders, and Sheraton Seattle culinary teams come together to build a meticulously planned candy wonderland. The theme of this year’s village is “25 Years of Cheer: A Celebration of Seattle.” See elements of the city’s past and its imagined future in candy form, from skyscrapers to underground tunnels.
City Centre
Myriad holiday activities await you on the Eastside at Redmond Town Center’s holiday extravaganza. Hop on the Hyatt House carousel, ride the holiday train, twirl around in a synthetic skating rink, visit Santa in his workshop, and more.
Redmond Town Center
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, listen to carolers, and enjoy the holiday beer garden.
Woodland Park Zoo
Go ice skating, visit the winter train village, see professional ice sculptures, watch performances, and more.
Seattle Center
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.
Port Defiance Zoo
Through Jan 7
Celebrate a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition by seeing authentic lanterns of various shapes, sizes, and colors set aglow.
Washington State Fair Events Center
Dec 8–10
Fans of tacky monsters, sinister alien conspiracies, and impish Timelords join other Whovians and TARDIS appreciators for this convention that will feature celebrity guests, panels, a cosplay contest, trivia olympics, a masquerade ball, exhibits of props and costumes, and special guests: Peter Davison, the Fifth Doctor, and Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor.
DoubleTree Hotel
Dec 9
Meet Ebenezer Scrooge, the Artful Dodger, Nicholas Nickleby, and other Dickensians in person as they perform in the Piccadilly Circus-themed festival grounds. You’re invited to dress up Victorian-style and buy food and drink or trinkets from local vendors.
Stadium, Tacoma
Dec 10
Witness the many shades of Baltic splendor with this mini-fest of colorful song and dance composed and performed by Lithuanian artists like Vakarai, a Lithuanian choir, and Lietutis & Lankas, lively Lithuanian folk dance groups.
Central Library
Dec 13
Get deep into the rural side of the Seattle metro area with this country music holiday showdown, featuring live sets from big names like Dustin Lynch, Big & Rich, Chris Janson, Michael Ray, and Midland.
ShoWare Center
Dec 21
Join the Fremont Arts Council on the longest night of the year to celebrate the season with shared dishes, colorful costumes (the suggestions span from “dance floor royalty” to “high animal spirits,” so don’t be shy), art, and live music.
Fremont
Dec 22–Jan 1
Wander among dozens of tiny trains and intricate model railroad layouts throughout the museum (featuring train-related artifacts from the Northwest) while learning about how railroads influenced the growth and development of Washington State.
Washington State Historical Society
Dec 29
A gargantuan EDM bash as 2017 kicks the bucket, with world class festival-style electronica acts to keep you dancing through the night like Alesso,
Duke Dumont, Feed Me, Ferry Corsten, Gorgon City, Madeon, Nero, NGHTMRE, ARMNHMR, BlackGummy, Crizzly, Destructo, Dubloadz, Figure, Ghastly, Ilan Bluestone, K?D, and LAXX. VIP tickets (21+) include a gift bag, private lounges and viewing areas, and meet-and-greets.
WaMu Theater
Dec 31
Kick off the year in Seattle’s smaller, more manageable neighbor town. A really short parade will start the festivities, followed by dancing, music, and other performances on “over a dozen” stages. The evening will wind up with fireworks.
Tacoma
At “Seattle’s biggest New Year’s Eve bash,” you can explore MoPOP, check out a comedy stage, get drunk, and even hear music by Hairstorm and Brand X. If you haven’t brought anybody to smooch, check out the Singles Mingle and you may be mashing lips by midnight.
MoPOP
SPECTRA: New Year’s Eve Under the Arches
Hang out in the Pacific Science Center’s exhibits, planetarium, and Laser Dome while you sip drinks and dance to KEXP DJs. At midnight, watch the fireworks in their nifty be-sculptured courtyard. VIPs get access to an open bar, snacks and desserts, a private lounge, champagne, and more.
Pacific Science Center
Jan 12–14
A science fiction and fantasy convention that spans writing, science, art, costuming, and gaming. Look forward to panels, classes, multiple dances, a masquerade, concerts, casinos, and special guests like Annie Bellet, Jonathan Tweet, Katie Croonenberghs, and North.
Seattle Airport Marriott
Jan 13–14
It’s a holiday tradition for the Bavarian town to transform into a winter wonderland replete with snow sculptures, a snowmobile sled-pull, live ice carving, and many more frosty activities.
Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
This festival invites people of all backgrounds to learn about a broad range of Jewish cultural subjects (including art, music, food, social action, the environment, history, and literature) through hands-on workshops, performances, and panel discussions.
Shoreline Conference Center
Jan 26–27
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Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival
This event in Leavenworth—the infamous German-themed town/tourist attraction nestled in the Cascades—looks like the coziest mid-winter music festival, filled with beardo-magnet amenities like skiing and snowboarding, a hot-toddy garden, wine tastings, and festival-branded flannel shirts. The weekend’s musical offerings are varied, with numerous local and national acts ranging from indie rock to hiphop, including Ra Ra Riot, Cave Singers, the Black Tones, Hobosexual, Y La Bamba, Great Grandpa, Wall of Ears, Bread & Butter, Gifted Gab, Moorea Masa & the Mood, Burying Ground, Debbie Miller, and Jessica Dennison + Jones. BRITTNIE FULLER
Leavenworth Festhalle
Feb 7–11
Northwest Flower and Garden Festival
This huge conference and exhibition gathers landscapers, speakers, vendors, and other garden professionals. See show gardens, learn about subjects such as locavorism, permaculture, and sustainability at special seminars, buy books and meet authors, and generally immerse yourself in a haven of green wholesomeness.
Washington State Convention & Trade Center
Feb 11
Ring in the Year of the Rooster at this massive Lunar New Year celebration that showcases the diversity, richness, and culture of the Asian community. See traditional dragon and lion dances, Japanese Taiko drumming, martial arts, and other cultural performances.
Chinatown-International District
Feb 22–24
Seattle Food and Wine Experience
The Seattle Wine and Food Experience returns with three days of feasting. The newest addition, Comfort, kicks things off at Sodo Park with an evening of cheesy and meaty favorites from local gastropubs and taverns, plus craft beer and cider. On Friday, McCaw Hall hosts the refined POP! Bubbles & Seafood, where guests can choose from over 30 sparkling wines to go with a melange of oysters. The Grand Tasting wraps up the weekend with a showcase of wines from the Northwest and beyond, along with local and regional beer, cider, and spirits.
Various locations
Feb 22–25
Bluegrass artists from near and far will gather to play their twangy, resonant music at this annual festival. The lineup features Del McCoury & David Grisman, the Seldom Scene, Mark O’Connor with the O’Connor Band, and many others.
Hyatt Regency Bellevue
March 1–4
Do we need to tell you what Emerald City Comic Con is? Well, just in case, it’s your chance to meet the artists, actors, and creators who enliven pop culture and comics. They’ve already announced a sizable lineup of guests, including local artist Jen Vaughn (Avery Fatbottom Renaissance Fair Detective), Portland’s Colleen Coover (Bandette), and actors Ricky Whittle and Yetide Badaki (American Gods), Matthew Lewis (Harry Potter), and Mark Sheppard (Supernatural).
Washington State Convention & Trade Center
