Christmas in Seattle
Christmas in Seattle is a time of great joy and celebration. Wonderful holiday displays put an attractive bow on this already picturesque city by the sea, and there are numerous Christmas shows and events to select from. Among the most popular Seattle Christmas events is the Tree Lighting Celebration & Holiday Parade, and if you want to treat yourself to a Christmas show, taking in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the tantalizing options. When you’re not enjoying these kinds of things during your 2022 Seattle Christmas vacation, there will be plenty of other ways to stay busy. The Emerald City shines in many different ways, and there’s never a lack of things to do regardless of the time of year.
Winterfest and the Tree Lighting Celebration & Holiday Parade are Seattle Christmas events that essentially get the holiday season started. Winterfest opens on the day after Thanksgiving, and this is the same day that the Tree Lighting Celebration & Holiday Parade is held. As far as Winterfest is concerned, it is a Christmas celebration event that lasts until December 31. Seattle Center, near downtown Seattle, is the site for the event, and among the things that visitors can enjoy are free concerts, tasty holiday foods, and a variety of family-friendly activities. The overall atmosphere is festive indeed, and capping the five-week festival off is the spectacular Space Needle fireworks display on New Year’s Eve.
The Tree Lighting Celebration & Holiday Parade is a verifiable Seattle holiday tradition. Held in the downtown district, this merry affair sees a colorful Christmas parade kicking off at 8:45 a.m. Once the parade is over, revelers head to the Westlake Center to see the lighting of both the Holiday Tree and the Macy’s Star. This lighting ceremony starts at at dark and is accentuated by a dazzling fireworks display. Should you be wondering about the parade route, Seventh Avenue is the starting point. From there, the parade members march down Pine Street and University Street before arriving at the Westlake Center and Macy’s.
When celebrating Christmas 2022 in Seattle, another fun event that you might try to include on the itinerary is the Christmas Ship Festival. This three-week festival sees a collection of boats taking to the area waters on a nightly basis. The boats are decorated in a seasonal manner, and leading the flotilla, if you will, is the Argosy Christmas Ship. This large, multi-tiered ship cruises to more to more than 40 waterfront destinations, and onboard choirs sing Christmas carols at the various stopping points. Onshore, people surrounding bonfires can enjoy the show. It is possible to secure a spot on the Argosy Christmas Ship during the Christmas Ship Festival, and you can also try to get tickets for a ride on one of the ships that follow it. Anyone with their own boat can also join in on the fun. The festival starts in late November, and the starting and ending points vary depending on the night. One night sees the Argosy Christmas Ship departing from Kirkland and ending its journey at Gasworks Park.
Some wonderful Seattle holiday shows serve to complement the city’s other fun holiday events. In addition to seeing the Pacific Northwest Ballet perform The Nutcracker, area residents and visitors can take in a performance of A Christmas Carol at the ACT Theatre. More original Seattle holiday shows are put on by the Book-It Repertory Theatre and the Taproot Theatre Company, and if you want to switch things up, you can grab some tickets for a Seattle Symphony holiday concert at Benaroya Hall. The arts are definitely alive and well in Seattle, and the Christmas season is as good a time as any other to enjoy performing arts events. Shopping downtown is also a great pursuit as the tree-lined streets are festively lit up with twinkling Christmas lights.
When planning to spend Christmas in Seattle, you don’t have to go it alone. Christmas vacation packages that include time in Seattle and other Washington State destinations are out there. Among the things that these vacation packages can help you arrange are ice skating sessions at the Seattle Center, unique Seattle shopping tours, or even a high-speed catamaran cruise through the scenic Puget Sound. The sky is the limit when it comes to exciting ways to spend your holiday season time in Washington State and its largest city.
