The Emerald Palate

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Seasonal Activities, Things to Do ·

20 Best Things to Do in Seattle in December

woman cozy in a blanket during winter with coffee, one of the best things to do in Seattle in December

I thoroughly enjoyed coming up with the best things to do in Seattle in December because there’s so much going on. Granted the days are shorter, with sunset around 4:30 PM, and the weather is chilly, averaging 46°F, but the Christmas spirit and festivities more than make up for it.

With the holidays in full swing, local shops are hosting craft fairs to encourage shopping small, and there are holiday festivals happening all over the city. There are also a bunch of wintry activities just outside the city. So whether you’re a local or a first time visitor, here’s a list of the best things to do in December in Seattle!

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Best Things to Do in Seattle in December

Save this list to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it every year with all the best activities in Seattle in December! For more December events, check out my Seattle events calendar.

Attend a holiday craft fair

Let’s face it: most of us wait until December to go holiday shopping, and why shouldn’t we? Seattle is teeming with markets celebrating all types of makers and wares. I curated a list of my favorite Seattle holiday markets. It has at least 100 markets, so here’s just a teaser of some of my favorites:

3 marbled Christmas ornaments

Wine and dine at a food & drink event

December is the best time of year to experience food and drink festivals. Here are some that you can’t miss:

Enjoy a restaurant-quality Christmas meal 

One of the best things to do in Seattle in December is to take a break from cooking and let the pros do the work. Many Seattle restaurants offer take-home or dine-in options for Christmas and Chanukah dinner so you don’t have to stress about cooking. Chanukah kicks off on Christmas Day this year, so there are double the reasons to celebrate.

Restaurants open Christmas Eve & Day for dine-in

Here are restaurants open for dine-in on both Christmas and Christmas Eve unless otherwise noted. Remember, these are spots doing classic holiday meals. Most of the best Chinese restaurants in Seattle are open per usual.

No prices below means the menu is a la carte.

  • 13 Coins (Pioneer Square & Bellevue) – Steak-focused menu
  • Andare (Downtown) – Italian meal featuring lasagna
  • Ben Paris (Downtown) – $75pp for 3-course surf ‘n turf or $29pp Christmas Day breakfast
  • Carrello (Capitol Hill) – $125pp Feast of the 7 Fishes Christmas Eve only
  • Cedar & Elm (Kenmore) – $125pp for 5 courses
  • Cedarbrook Lodge (Tukwila) – $125pp for 5 courses
  • Ethan Stowell Restaurants (various) – A la carte or $65-$95 pre-fixe Christmas Eve only
  • The George (Downtown) – $85/adult, $50/kid 5-12 for 3 course family-style meal
  • Goldfinch Tavern (Downtown) – $165/adult, $70/kid 5-12 for Christmas Eve buffet
  • Hearth (Kirkland) – $80/adult, $35/kid for 3 courses
  • Il Bistro (Downtown) – $89pp for 3 courses Christmas Eve only
  • JarrBar (Downtown) – Christmas Day family-style dinner, festive drinks, and movies
  • The Lakehouse (Bellevue) – $95/adult, $35/kid under 10 for 4 courses
  • The Lobster Shop (Tacoma) – $135pp for 4 courses
  • Maximilien (Downtown) – $120pp for 6-course meal Christmas Eve only (SOLD OUT)
  • Metropolitan Grill (Downtown) – Christmas Eve only
  • Palisades (Magnolia) – $75pp for 3 courses
  • Paju (SLU) – $190pp for 7-course meal through New Years (not Christmas Day)
  • Piatti (U-District) – $75pp for Feast of the 7 Fishes menu through Dec 31
  • Ray’s (Ballard) – $75pp for 3 courses or a la carte
  • Salish Lodge & Spa (Snoqualmie) – $125/adult, $35/kid under 10 for 3 courses
  • Six Seven (Downtown) – $150/adult, $60/kid Christmas buffet
  • Shuckers Oyster Bar (Downtown) – $95/adult, $50/kid 5-12 for 4 courses
  • STELLA (First Hill) – $105pp Christmas Eve dinner or $60pp Christmas Day brunch
  • Tidal+ (Downtown) – Surf ‘n turf Steak Oscar special
  • Water’s Table (Renton) – $95pp pre fixe dinner or a la carte brunch
Cedar and Elm
Restaurants offering take-home meal preorders

Here are the spots offering take-home meals for Christmas and Chanukah (no prices means a la carte):

Other holiday meals throughout December

If you want to experience a fun meal, but aren’t married to it being on Christmas Day, here are some options:

  • Santa Brunch (Dec 1) – Water’s Table is hosting Santa for pics and a meal with a view
  • Breakfast with Santa (Dec 7, 14, 21) – Beardslee Public House will host Santa for pics and breakfast

Immerse yourself in Astra Lumina

website | neighborhood: West Seattle (get directions) | dates: through January | price: ~$21-25pp | best for: enchanted night walk

If you’ve ever wanted to go on an enchanted night walk, now’s your chance. The Seattle Chinese Garden is hosting a multimedia night walk where visitors will set off across the gardens to observe beautifully crafted light installations with celestial bodies that appear to float through the air. I went last year and thought it was so cool how they time the lights to music and truly immerse all your senses.

woman holding a child standing in front of a huge light installation
Image courtesy of Astra Lumina

Partake in one of the many Christmas activities 

With the holidays comes quintessential Christmas activities, and Seattle has more than its fair share. I have a whole article dedicated to the best Seattle Christmas activities (spoiler: it’s LONG). Here are some of the most popular:

Savor an orchestra concert by candlelight 

Pair the romance of a candlelight performance with the love of your favorite bands. Fever’s Candlelight Concert Series offers enchanting covers of some of the most recognizable scores. In December, there’s:

pianist surrounded by candles on a stage
Image courtesy of Fever

See a performance

Break out of your comfort zone with a live performance this holiday season. On December 28-29, The Amazing Bubble Man will be performing spectacular bubble-blowing tricks in Kirkland ($24-34 pp).

On December 6-7, Cirque Dreams Holidaze will entertain with whimsical, family-friendly tricks centered around holiday storybook characters ($39 pp).

If you’re looking for a musical, here are some options:

Catch a band

Many performers swing by Seattle while they’re on tour. Here are some happening in December that caught my eye:

Best Seattle Christmas activities

Go hunting for Christmas lights 

One of the best things to do in Seattle in December is to walk the neighborhoods and look at the Christmas lights. Come December, here’s where to get your fix.

Neighborhoods known for lights
Neighborhood tree lighting festivals

For neighborhood tree lighting festivals, here are some options:

Large light installations

If you want to see thousands of lights in one go, attend one of these holiday light events that spend big bucks on creating hypnotizing displays:

If you want to get near the water, the Christmas Ship Festival runs every weekend until Christmas. You can watch for free at one of their departure locations or hop aboard for $54pp.

peacock Christmas light installation, one of the best things to do in Seattle in December
Image courtesy of WildLanterns

Catch a game 

If you’re a sports fiend, you’re probably willing to brace the cold to catch a game. In December, you can watch the Seahawks, Huskies college football, or the Kraken hockey league, so layer up and show your support!

Go on a food crawl 

Seattle is known for its thriving food scene, and one of the best ways to take advantage is to go on a food crawl. My self-guided food tours include a curated tour across multiple foodie neighborhoods. In each tour, I cover tips on when to visit, what to order, and a few honorable mentions so you can customize your tour.

Self-guided Seattle food tour of the Ballard neighborhood
Ballard Tour
Fremont Seattle Food Tour
FREMONT TOUR
person diving fork into colorful layered cake from a restaurant on The Emerald Palate's self-guided Seattle food tour of the Georgetown neighborhood
Georgetown Tour

Or, you can take advantage of one of these in-person guided tours:

Embark on a wine tasting or brewery crawl

People tend to congregate in wineries and bars come winter, and Seattle is no exception, though we’re lucky to have options. Whether you’re looking for Seattle’s best craft breweries or urban wineries, there’s something for everyone. Or, take a quick drive to sample Woodinville’s best tasting rooms.

Christmas dive bar
Image courtesy of Christmas Dive Bar

Sip a cocktail at a holiday pop-up bar

Prefer cocktails over wine or beer? There are a bunch of holiday cocktail bar pop-ups that offer one the best things to do in Seattle in December:

Some restaurants known for good cocktails also go all out during the holidays. Don’t miss the festive libations and decor at places like Kamp Social House (who’s having a ton of holiday events) and Wooden City.

Visit a museum on their free days

One of the best free things to do in Seattle is to take advantage of the many museums that offer free days. They’re known as “First Thursdays” and offer visitors and locals a chance to experience a dose of culture on the first Thursday of every month (Dec 5). Here are the museums that participate:

These museums offer free admission every day:

a bunch of planes hanging in the Museum of Flight
Image courtesy of the Museum of Flight

Shop small at local stores

The holidays are the perfect time to duck into shops you’ve never explored and possibly walk away with unique gifts or wares you won’t find anywhere else. Of all the Seattle shopping neighborhoods, I’m partial to Ballard because I live there and because it’s home to countless independent shops. Capitol Hill is a winner if you’re into thrifting, while the U-District is also good for thrifting and mainstream brands like Banana Republic and H&M.

If you’re looking for specifically gift shops in Seattle, here are a few of my tried-and-true favorites:

Attend a New Year’s Eve party

As the year draws to close you’ll find plenty of ticketed parties to ring in the new year. Here are some that caught my eye:

You can also attend New Year’s Eve at the Space Needle for free to watch an epic light show as the clock strikes midnight.

platter of raw oysters
Fancy New Year’s meals

Just prefer a fancy meal out? Here are restaurants offering something special on New Year’s Eve or Day:

Take a holiday craft class 

One of the more wholesome things I enjoy doing over the holidays is signing me and my family up for a craft class. Here are a few I’m considering:

  • Athina (Dec 1 & 15, $65pp) – Learn how to make a wreath from a florist
  • The Lodge at St. Edward (Dec 2 & 18, $95pp) – High-end wreath making
  • Field Trip Society (Dec 7-8 and 14, $125pp) – Florist-led wreath making
  • Dabble (Dec 3, $140pp) – Ocean resin art serving tray workshop
  • Friday Afternoon (Dec 2, $50pp) – Tea blending workshop
  • The Works (various dates, $88-128pp) – Wreaths, pie art, holiday charcuterie boards, and more
holiday wreath being assembled

Learn at the Children’s Business Fair

website | neighborhood: Renton (get directions) | dates: Dec 7 | price: free | best for: educational kids activity

Citizens Academy is hosting the Children’s Business Fair, a chance for kids to learn the ins and outs of running their own business. They’ll have the chance to develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and finally open for customers at the one-day marketplace.

Peruse the Model Train Festival

website | neighborhood: Tacoma (get directions) | dates: Dec 22-Jan 1 | price: ~$14pp | best for: model train lovers

Kiddos and model Train aficionados will want to head to the Washington State History Museum to experience the Model Train Convention. Railroad clubs from around the Puget Sound will show off their room-sized layouts on every floor of the museum. There will even be the largest permanent model train on display, and train operators will be on hand to chat and answer questions.

Seek out snow

Seattle is deceptively close to some of the best snowshoeing and Nordic skiing in the Pacific Northwest, and I should know. My family and I head out on the trails every winter for the best cross-country skiing in Washington. So seeking snow is one of the best things to do in Seattle in December.

If you only have time for a winter day trip from Seattle, drive to Snoqualmie’s Summit Nordic Center for intermediate and advanced trails. Beginners will have luck at the White Pass Nordic Center closer to Mt. Rainier.

For a weekend getaway, I’m partial to Methow Valley Trails because they have the longest network of groomed cross-country trails in North America, and there’s plenty to do in Winthrop in winter. However, Winthrop is about 4.5 hours away from Seattle, so Leavenworth in Winter is another great option only about 2.5 hours away. It’s near Lake Chelan, another dreamy destination for winter.

list of the best Things to do in Leavenworth WA in Winter

More wintery activities around Seattle

After you check off activities on this list of best things to do in Seattle in December, check out my other guides for more winter fun.

Join the club

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