Christmas in Seattle & the Eastside 2026 guide

This is our local family's guide to Christmas in Seattle and the Eastside in 2026 - the light displays, Santa trains, children's events and ice skating, with dates checked on 5 November 2026 against the organisers' own pages and the official link under each entry. If we've missed your favorite, drop us an email or a text and we will check it out!

Many of these are our own favorites. Christmas here is not one big downtown night - it is the free nightly parade on Bellevue Way, lanterns at the zoo, a real Santa train through the Snoqualmie Valley and six-foot gingerbread masterpieces in a hotel lobby. Bellevue is where our American life started when we moved from the UK with Microsoft.

THE BIG LIGHT DISPLAYS

Snowflake Lane, Bellevue

The free nightly parade with falling snow, toy drummers, dancers and holiday floats, along Bellevue Way between NE 4th and NE 8th, every night at 7pm from 27 November to 24 December. Free parking in The Bellevue Collection garages. This one is personal for us: our first Snowflake Lane - the costumes, the choreography, the excited crowds and the sheer effort behind a free event for the whole community - is still one of our favorite early memories of the Pacific Northwest, and we have been back almost every year since.

Official link: https://bellevuecollection.com/snowflakelane/

Garden d'Lights, Bellevue Botanical Garden

Over half a million lights transform the garden, 28 November to 3 January (closed Christmas Day). Tickets are $10 for ages 11 and up, and children 10 and under are always free. Monday-to-Thursday nights in the first two weeks (30 November-3 December and 7-10 December) are $5. Tuesday 8 December is a sensory-friendly night at half capacity. Tickets are online, date and time specific, and there is a 3/4-mile walking route that takes most families 30-45 minutes.

Official link: https://bellevuebotanical.org/garden-dlights/

WildLanterns, Woodland Park Zoo

Large-scale lantern displays across all seven continents (plus an underwater world) at the zoo, on select nights from 13 November to 17 January, 4pm-9pm. Closed 16-18, 23, 26 and 30 November, 7, 14, 24 and 25 December, and 4-6 and 11-13 January. Low-sensory nights on 15 November, 1 December and 10 January; zoo members get 20% off.

Official link: https://zoo.org/wildlanterns/

Redmond Lights, Redmond

Redmond's city celebration rather than a single tree lighting: the kickoff is Saturday 5 December, 4pm-8pm in Downtown Park, with snowfall every 15 minutes, a silent disco, live music on four stages and a kids' light fashion show. The illuminated art installations then stay up at Downtown Park and Esterra Park until 4 January. Free. Our first home was a rental in Redmond, so this one has fond memories for us.

Official link: https://www.redmond.gov/1139/Redmond-Lights

SANTA AND CHILDREN'S EVENTS

North Pole Limited, Northwest Railway Museum (North Bend)

The Snoqualmie Valley's Christmas train, a tradition since 1969. Board at the North Bend Depot for the two-hour round trip: historic carriages to the Railway History Campus, about an hour in the seasonally decorated Train Shed for cookies, hot chocolate, crafts and exhibits, and a visit with Santa in the restored Chapel Car - every child gets a small gift. Runs Saturdays and Sundays, 28-29 November, 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20 December. $39 per person, everyone age 2 and up needs a ticket, and you must book online in advance - it typically sells out.

Official link: https://trainmuseum.org/upcoming-events/santa/

Yuletide Express, Northwest Railway Museum (Snoqualmie)

The shorter option: a 40-minute round trip from the Snoqualmie Depot past Snoqualmie Falls, with Santa riding aboard and visiting every family, a gift for each child and a peppermint stick at the end. Fridays 4, 11 and 18 December, $30 per person (age 2+). 

Official link: https://trainmuseum.org/upcoming-events/santa/

Is there a Thomas the Tank Engine Christmas train?

No - and we checked, because families ask. Day Out With Thomas at the Northwest Railway Museum is a summer event (it ran in July 2026). The museum's Christmas rides are the two Santa trains above.

Official link: https://trainmuseum.org/upcoming-events/day-out-with-thomas/

Breakfast with Santa, McMenamins Anderson School, Bothell

A sit-down hot breakfast with Santa at your table instead of a mall queue. Sunday 6 December, with seatings at 9am and noon. $265 for a table of 8, including breakfast and non-alcoholic drinks. All ages welcome - bring your camera.

Official link: https://www.mcmenamins.com/events/279271-breakfast-with-santa

Santa brunch, The StoneHouse Cafe, South Seattle

Santa joins brunch at the cafe on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, 10am-2pm - photos with families, friends and even pets (bring your own camera), no reservations needed. The cafe also runs a kids' cookie and ornament decorating event on Sunday 20 December ($10, and Santa stops by).

Official link: https://www.thestonehousecafe.com/events

Santa Saturdays, Old Bellevue

Free photos with Santa on Main Street, plus cookie decorating, letters to the North Pole and hot chocolate, on Saturdays 5, 12 and 19 December, 1pm-3pm. No tickets or reservations.

Official link: https://www.visitoldbellevue.com/events/santa-saturdays-2026

Argosy Christmas Ship Festival, Seattle waterfront and the lakes

The Christmas Ship sails with a live choir each night from 27 November to 23 December, departing from different spots around the waterfront, Lake Union, Kirkland and beyond. The 2pm sailings include Cookies with Santa for kids; the 11th annual Parade of Boats night is Friday 11 December; the Grand Finale is 23 December. Onboard tickets are paid, but listening from shore is free - look for the stops marked with a bonfire or onshore event.

Official link: https://www.argosycruises.com/christmas-ship-festival-schedule/

FREE COMMUNITY EVENTS

Gingerbread Village, Sheraton Grand Seattle

The 32nd annual Gingerbread Village, 19 November to 1 January at the Sheraton Grand Seattle (1400 6th Ave). Local architecture firms design the displays and the Sheraton's chefs bake them - the organiser says the finished pieces stand about six feet tall. Free to wander through, with donations benefiting Breakthrough T1D and type 1 diabetes research. This year's theme is revealed at the opening.

Official link: https://www.breakthrought1d.org/greaternorthwest/2026/10/09/sheraton-grand-seattle-gingerbread-village/

Frosty Fest, Sammamish

Sammamish's free family evening, Friday 11 December at Building 120 (801 228th Ave SE): a family movie in a winter wonderland, ornament crafts, photos with Frozen characters, popcorn and hot cocoa, and food trucks for dinner. Check the city's page for the current event times before you set out.

Official link: https://www.sammamish.us/news/events/events/frosty-fest/frosty-fest-2026-magical-movie-in-a-winter-wonderland/

ICE SKATING

Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink, Bellevue Downtown Park

The region's largest seasonal rink - over 9,000 square feet of real ice under cover - back for its 29th year, open daily from 13 November to 18 January, including Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is $16 Tuesday-Thursday, $22 Friday-Sunday and $24 every day from 18 December-3 January, with new $12 'Cheapskate Mondays' - skate rental is included and non-skaters get in free. Book ahead for December weekends. The rink is two blocks from Snowflake Lane, so you can skate first and catch the 7pm parade in the same evening.

Official link: https://www.bellevueicerink.com/admission

SHOWS

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Pacific Northwest Ballet at McCaw Hall

The PNW holiday classic, 27 November to 27 December at McCaw Hall, with the PNB Orchestra. About two hours including one intermission - a lovely first ballet for children.

Official link: https://www.mccawhall.com/events/detail/the-nutcracker-2026

YOUR CHRISTMAS IN SEATTLE AND THE EASTSIDE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is there to do in Seattle and the Eastside at Christmas 2026 with children?

Plenty. Ride a real Santa train through the Snoqualmie Valley, meet Santa at Old Bellevue's free Santa Saturdays or over brunch in South Seattle, see the lanterns at Woodland Park Zoo, skate at Bellevue Downtown Park, and end a Bellevue evening with the free 7pm Snowflake Lane parade.

Are there free Christmas events in Seattle and the Eastside in 2026?

Yes. Snowflake Lane, Santa Saturdays in Old Bellevue, Redmond Lights, Sammamish's Frosty Fest and the Sheraton Gingerbread Village are all free, and listening to the Argosy Christmas Ship from shore costs nothing. Garden d'Lights is $10 (free for children 10 and under), and non-skaters watch free at the Bellevue ice rink.

When do Seattle and Eastside Christmas events start in 2026?

Mid-November. WildLanterns and the Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink open on 13 November, the Gingerbread Village opens 19 November, and Snowflake Lane, the Argosy Christmas Ship and The Nutcracker all begin over Thanksgiving weekend, 27-28 November.

Where can children see Santa in Seattle and the Eastside in 2026?

On the North Pole Limited train from North Bend (weekends to 20 December), at free Santa Saturdays in Old Bellevue (5, 12 and 19 December), over breakfast at McMenamins Anderson School in Bothell (6 December) or brunch at The StoneHouse Cafe (12-13 December), and on the 2pm Argosy Christmas Ship sailings, which include Cookies with Santa.

Is Enchant coming to Seattle this year?

Enchant's light maze skipped T-Mobile Park last season, and no Seattle event has been announced for 2026 - the confirmed cities on Enchant's own site are Las Vegas, Los Angeles (Arcadia), St. Pete and Washington DC. If an older guide or a social post tells you otherwise, it is out of date. Official link: https://www.enchantchristmas.com/

MAKE A DAY OF IT IN SNOQUALMIE

If you are heading out for one of the Santa trains, leave time for the rest of the valley. The Yuletide Express boards at the historic Snoqualmie Depot in downtown Snoqualmie, and the North Pole Limited at the North Bend Depot behind the Shell station off North Bend Way - both towns have shops and places to eat within walking distance, and Snoqualmie Falls is minutes away. The museum asks you to arrive 25 minutes before your departure; dress for the weather, as boarding lines are outside.

Official links: https://trainmuseum.org/upcoming-events/santa/ and https://trainmuseum.org/visit/historic-snoqualmie-depot/

Heading to Las Vegas for the holidays? Check out our Christmas in Las Vegas 2026 Guide.

THINKING OF MAKING A MOVE?

Thinking about a move across town or across state lines, or wondering what your home is worth? Call us on (425) 623-3958, or start with our Seattle page: https://lakhaniteamre.com/seattle. We are a family team, dual licensed in Washington and Nevada - no pressure, no rush, just honest advice so you can make an informed decision. 

Wishing you a safe, fun and happy holiday season!

Manesh & Tania

Lakhani Team Real Estate | Serving Seattle's Eastside: (425) 623-3958

Explore all our Seattle Eastside area guides.

Reviewed and checked 5 November 2026.