Seeking: Holiday round-up 🎄
36+ ideas and things to do this season
Hey y’all! Apologies for the disappearing act. I was in Mexico City for Dia de los Muertos (incredible, can’t recommend enough) and then flew straight from there to Tennessee to visit my mom, where I rode out the election results 😑
Let’s just say that the seasonal depression arrived earlier this year!
Things continue to be busy on my end — I’m helping RealRoots launch in three new areas near Seattle (reach out if you’re a local business in Ballard or Tacoma and would like to host groups of women!), supporting
launch something exciting in the new year, and balancing hibernation with exploration so I can continue to collect fun things to share here with you.You probably won’t hear from me again until January, unless I feel inspired over the holiday break. I have many fun ideas for this newsletter and hope I can carve out more time for them in 2025!
Until then, please enjoy this round-up of holiday events and experiences and tell me about any fun traditions (new or old) that you like to do during this season. I’m personally looking for new ideas and putting more of an emphasis on the solstice this year.
Thanks for being here, I hope you have a lovely winter break! ❄️
This email is jam-packed with stuff so you might need to expand it in your email in case it gets cut off!
Holiday-themed bars 🍹
Miracle on 2nd & Sippin’ Santa | Belltown | These are two of the most well-known holiday bars in the city and because of that, they are often very packed and pricey (cocktails range from $17-24)! If you must go, I recommend going on a weekday and/or right when they open to secure a spot. Hot tip: You can make a reservation at Sippin’ Santa for groups of 12-20 people between 4-5 pm each day.
Christmas Dive Bar | Capitol Hill | Now that The Woods has turned into a rotating themed bar space, they of course have a holiday offering. The drinks are more reasonable here ($14-16), and while they don’t take reservations, it seems like it won’t be quite as busy as the Belltown bars. This is the one I’m most interested in checking out!
Rosebay Chalet at Hotel 1000 | Downtown | I got a PR email about this new holiday bar, which has a Swiss après-ski vibe. They serve fondue ($49 for 3-4), cozy chalet drinks ($16-21), and host themed nights every week (Weds/Fri are board games, Thurs is an ugly sweater night, and Sat is an après-ski night). The space looks beautiful and would be a good reason to go downtown. I think they take reservations as well.
Holiday Afternoon Tea at Cafe Flora | Madison Valley | For those seeking an NA experience, Cafe Flora is hosting a high tea experience complete with a tiered tray of goodies from Flora Bakehouse. $55 for adults and $25 for kids.
Honorable mentions: Kamp (Madison Valley), Olympic Bar (Downtown), Wooden City Tavern (Green Lake), Dreamland (Fremont), The Sitting Room (Uptown), Otter on the Rocks (West Seattle)
Shows 🎭
A Very Die Hard Christmas | now - 12/22 | Green Lake | Tickets are already sold out, but you can sign up to get $20 rush tickets for the day of.
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker | now - 12/28 | Uptown | $29-238 | A holiday classic for a reason.
Happy Christmas, Jeeves | now - 12/31 | Greenwood | $25-59 | Ever since I saw a show here earlier this year, I’ve been itching to get back — this one looks like a new kind of holiday story.
Can Can's Wonderland | now - 1/5 | Downtown | $59+ | I haven’t seen Wonderland yet, but after catching Dolly this summer it’s on my list,
Cirque Dreams - Holidaze | 12/6 - 12/7 | Downtown | $39+
Medieval Women's Choir: Tenebris ad Lucem | 12/7 | First Hill | $0-30
The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition | 12/7 | Downtown | Free
Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker | 12/11 - 12/29 | Downtown | $65-99 | I went last year with my family (is that weird?) and it was SO fun. Can’t recommend enough if you haven’t been yet.
Jingle All The Gay | 12/13 - 12/15 | University District | $40-70
Matt Rogers: The Prince of Christmas Tour | 12/19 | Downtown | $42.50 | Now a holiday tradition for me, this will be my 2nd year attending!
David Benoit Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown | 12/19 - 12/22 | Belltown | $55.50 | How cozy does a jazzy Peanuts-inspired evening sound?
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show | 12/21 - 12/24 | Downtown | $30+
Festivals 🎄
Pathway of Lights | 12/14 | Green Lake | Free | The winter version of Luminata, volunteers light thousands of luminaries along the path around the lake.
Arboretum Winter Solstice Walk | 12/20 -12/21 | Arboretum | $30 | Celebrate the solstice with a luminary forest walk that includes two festive alcoholic beverages.
WildLanterns | now - 1/19 | Phinney Ridge | $29-39
Christmas Ship Festival | now - 12/23 | Various locations | $54-76 | It costs money to ride the ship, but you can see the boats for free from the shore (biggest nights will be the annual parade of boats on 12/13 and the grand finale on 12/23).
Winterfest | now - 12/29 | Uptown | Free | There’s something festive going on almost every day in Seattle Center including a winter train, world bazaar, and live entertainment.
Garden d’Lights | now - 12/31 | Bellevue | $8 ($5 nights 12/9 - 12/12) | This one’s nostalgic for me, I used to go every year as a kid and I still love making the trek over to walk through with hot cocoa. Cheaper alternative to WildLanterns!
Sheraton Grand Seattle Gingerbread Village | now - 12/31 | Downtown | Free | Worth popping into if you’re already downtown or pairing with a festive drink before/after.
Markets 🛍
Seattle Christmas Market | now - 12/24 | Uptown | $20 | Love the concept, but I’ve heard it’s kind of a rip-off since most Christmas markets in Europe and elsewhere in the US are usually free to enter! Plus, the food/drinks are not cheap once you get inside. But it is cheaper than a ticket to Nuremberg, so it’s maybe worth a shot.
STÖR | now - 1/10 | Downtown | $15 | Different from the usual holiday market, STÖR is an Ikea parody installation that you can explore and shop. I visited this space when it first opened as Ghosts of Belltown and it was really cool!
PhinneyWood Winter Festival | 12/7 - 12/8 | PhinneyWood | $6
Urban Craft Uprising Winter Show | 12/7 - 12/8 | Uptown | Free | Double up with Winterfest or the Seattle Christmas Market while you’re in the area.
Barter Fair & Holiday Party | 12/8 | Ballard | $5 donation | Haven’t seen anything like this before in Seattle, a very community-oriented way to give and receive! There will also be a game + puzzle swap.
Occidental Square Holiday Bazaar + Ice Skating Rink | 12/13 - 12/15 | Pioneer Square | Free
Holiday Bazaar | 12/14 - 12/15 | Vashon Island | Free | I’ve been twice over the past few years and it’s a fun excuse to get out to the island (use my Vashon guide if you go!)
Beacon Ave Holiday Markets | 12/15 | Beacon Hill | Free | All my favorite neighborhood businesses are partnering up to host holiday markets! You can find them at Homer and Bar del Corso.
United Indians Native Art Market | 12/21 - 12/22 | Discovery Park | Free
👀 On my radar (quick hits version)
Picklewood Courts and Kitchen | SODO | This is old but very important news to me — we’re finally getting a pickleball complex next summer complete with food, booze, and bagels. A local entrepreneur and Ethan Stowell are collaborating on the project which will house ELEVEN indoor and outdoor courts. Hallelujah. Let’s see if we can afford to play there 😬
Café Calaveras | Downtown | A local coffee stand I featured in my last holiday round-up newsletter now has a new pop-up home at Pier 62. I spotted it when I was at the overlook this past weekend and can’t wait to get a hot cafe de olla next time I’m down there.
Jackie Love’s Body Shop | Fremont | I stumbled across this during my holiday bar research and found that Stampede is now hosting an “underground radio broadcast hub by day and “dance haven by night” somewhere behind their bar? I’m intrigued, I’ll have to send my Gen-Z brother to scope it out.
🚨 ICYMI
Closures: Unfortunately, we’re probably going to be hearing about a lot of closures as we get towards the end of the year and into 2025 when the minimum wage increase goes into effect. Elysian Brewing permanently closed its Georgetown taproom last week and its production facility will also close on 12/31. Just 5 months after it opened, Darkalino’s is closing its new Green Lake location. Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle is closing at the end of December after a decade in business (but they will be turning the space into an event venue!). Century Ballroom is closing in March (maybe?).
Openings: Cheers! Hong Kong opened on Capitol Hill and it has a cute vibe. Also on Capitol Hill, Stitch Cafe opened and it’s a great place to spend the afternoon. One of my faves, Umami Kushi, now has a pop-up location in the Madrona Molly Moon’s until April 1st. Move over Retreat, there’s a new health + wellness cafe in Green Lake called Pacha (prices look surprisingly reasonable!)