From late November to the end of December, Seattle Center transforms into a winter wonderland. With beautiful Christmas lights, ice skating, a toy train, special performances, and much more, Seattle Center Winterfest provides FREE and affordable, can’t miss holiday fun in the Emerald City!
NEW: Seattle Center Winterfest introduced the Seattle Christmas Market in 2023. Modeled after a European-style Christmas market, the Seattle Christmas Market boasts holiday decorations, live entertainment, food and drink, and much more on the Seattle Center grounds. Reservations are required and there is a cost to enter.
There’s no greater beacon of the Christmas spirit in Seattle than the Space Needle. With Christmas lights glowing 605-feet above the Emerald City, and a creative, circular (for lack of a better description) Christmas tree out front, the Space Needle is a perfect centerpiece to Seattle Center Winterfest. On top of the lights on the Space Needle, there are also Christmas lights on many of the trees around Seattle Center. It’s a perfect place for a holiday stroll.
What are the holidays without some ice skating? They’re not the holidays at all! Take care of your ice skating itch at Seattle Center Winterfest. Fisher Pavilion transforms into a fun ice rink for all ages. This is the only part of Seattle Center Winterfest that isn’t free. Admission, which includes skate rentals, is $8 for adults, $6 for children 6-12, and $2 for kids 5-and-under. Click here for rink hours. Please note: due to the addition of the Seattle Christmas Market, ice skating is no longer taking place at Fisher Pavilion or Seattle Center Winterfest.
If that’s not enough ice for you, there’s also ice sculpting every Saturday at Seattle Center Winterfest. You can watch “internationally acclaimed, award-winning artists” as they create seasonal sculptures. It happens outside Fisher Pavilion from 12pm-2pm. On top of that, there are numerous free performances by choirs, bands, jump rope teams, break dancers and much more. Click here for a full list of entertainment and events.
If you thought Fisher Pavilion was the place to be at Seattle Center Winterfest, don’t miss the Seattle Center Armory. It gets all dressed up for the holiday season, with lights, a huge Christmas tree, and the ever popular Winter Train & Village. This miniature “turn-of-the-century village” features homes and buildings, snowy streets and a moving model train. The best part is — you can take your turn controlling the model train everyday at 10:30am-12pm, 1pm-2:30pm, and 3:30pm-5:30pm. It’s a free activity, but there’s a suggested $2 donation.
Seattle Center Winterfest is a “can’t miss” during the holiday season, especially if you have kids. You don’t have to spend more than five seconds in the Armory to see a child’s face light up with wonder as they stare at the Winter Train & Village, or ten seconds at Fisher Pavilion to hear their laughs echo inside the ice rink. With different performances and events every day, it’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the holiday season.
Have you ever checked out Seattle Center Winterfest? What’s your favorite part? We’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Don’t forget to also stop by Seattle Bloggers for more fun activities during the holiday season!
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Updating information on Ice Skating:
Rates are actually $8 for adults, $6 children ages 6-12, $2 children ages 5 and under, includes skate rental.
And cash and credit cards are accepted!
Thanks for the information, Pete. We’ve updated the story to reflect the new rates and payment options. Happy holidays!!!