Teddy Bears greet young visitors to the Fairmont Olympic's Teddy Bear Suite.
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Free Holiday Events – Not for Charity, Just for Fun
Toyland Village Lighted Holiday Displays
After visiting the carousel at Westlake Center, families can take a stroll down to Waterfront Park to enjoy the lighted Toyland Village Holiday Display.
IF YOU GO Where: Waterfront Park, 1301 Alaskan Way, downtown Seattle When: Nov. 27 - Jan. 3, 6 to 9 p.m. Admission: Free Contact:www.downtownholidays.com/
Snowflake Lane/Celebration Lane – Bellevue
Every evening at 7 p.m. snow falls and toy soldiers come to life and drum along with holiday tunes on Bellevue's Snowflake Lane. Strolling carolers and snowmen spread holiday cheer.
This year the Bellevue Collection is offering a limited edition collectible Snowflake Ornament. Half of all sales benefit Overlake Service League. (Ornaments are available at Guest Services in Bellevue Square's Center Court.)
IF YOU GO Where: The sidewalks of Bellevue Way and N.E. 8th at The Bellevue Collection When: Snowflake Lane – Nightly, starting at 7 p.m. (lasts about 20 minutes) Nov. 27 - Dec. 24. Celebration Lane – 7 p.m., Dec. 25-31. Admission: Free Contact: 425-454-8096; www.magicseason.com/events/stars.html
Bothell Country Village Festival of Lights
Share a cookie and a story with Mrs. Claus. Collect the Country Village Shop owner's favorite cookie recipes and stay to enjoy the lights including a fiddling pig, sea serpent, flapping dragonfly, and marching ducks.
IF YOU GO Where: Country Village, 23718 Bothell Everett Hwy., Bothell When: Dec. 12 & 13; cookies at Susan's Sweets 12 to 3 p.m. Admission: Free Contact: 425-483-2250; www.countryvillagebothell.com/
Not Free – But for a Good Cause
Seattle Winterfest
Seattle Center will be home to free fun-filled family holiday activities going on throughout December. Enjoy the Winter Train, ice sculpting, music, improv comedy, movies, a black nativity, magic and much more.
Be sure to check out the Sharing Gift Box program display at the north end of the Center House Food Court while you are enjoying the festivities. This program offers a rewarding way to fulfill the grateful wishes and needs of low-income children, senior citizens, and disadvantaged teens. Each individual's wish and need costs approximately $75. Go to www.sharinggiftbox.org. You can browse through and select an individual Wish Card and fill those wishes and needs, or you can donate online.
IF YOU GO Where: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle When: Nov. 27 - Dec. 31 Admission: Free. (There is a small fee for the ice rink and carousel.) Contact: 206-684-7200; www.seattlecenter.com, www.sharinggiftbox.org
It may be jingle bells season, but with the economy limping along, many families have less spare change jingling in their pockets. Charities are feeling the pinch as well. Fortunately, some family-friendly holiday outings promise to lift your holiday spirits and ask for nothing in return but a donation to a worthy charity.
Gingerbread Village “A Reel Christmas”
Lights! Camera! Gingerbread! For the 17th year, the culinary staff at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel has teamed up with top architecture firms and trade associations to design, bake and build eight spectacular gingerbread creations, inspired this year by classic Christmas movies.
The Sheraton hotel staff donates more than 2,500 volunteer hours to host this event. Sheraton chefs and architecture firms chip in about 400 volunteer hours to build their masterpieces, using 1,200 pounds of dough, 800 pounds of icing, 200 pounds of white chocolate, 600 pounds of dark chocolate, 200 pounds of milk chocolate, 250 pounds of almond paste and 100 pounds of candy!
The event is free to the public, with donations collected for the duration of the display benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Last year, the event raised $40,000 (down from $55,000 the year before). The goal this year is $65,000. Go see the houses, vote for your favorite, and make a donation. For those who can't make it in person, they're launching a new Web site: www.gingerbreadvillage.org, where you can vote and donate online.
IF YOU GO
Where: Sheraton Seattle Lobby, 1400 Sixth Ave., downtown Seattle When: Tuesday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Jan. 3 Admission: Free. Donations are accepted on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Contact: 206-621-9000; www.gingerbreadvillage.org
The Teddy Bear Suite
For more than 25 years, teddy bears have taken over a suite at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel to spread some warm, fuzzy holiday cheer. The suite is brimming with dozens of fluffy bears. The Fairmont invites visitors to take holiday pictures with these cuddly toys, read a teddy-bear themed story, and enter a drawing to win a tea at the Olympic's Georgian Restaurant.
A visit to the suite is free, and donations are accepted on behalf of uncompensated care at Seattle Children's Hospital, which provides high-quality medical care to all children in our region regardless of a family's ability to pay. Last year, the suite raised about $5,800. In 2009, need for uncompensated care is expected to reach $100 million.
If you visit Dec. 1 to 18 around noon until 1 p.m., you can also enjoy the beautiful voices of local schools and youth choirs as they gather in the main lobby to spread holiday cheer. Be sure to check out Executive Pastry Chef Artis Kalson's gingerbread house creation while you are there. Last year, Kalson paid homage to Seattle's International District, complete with detailed engravings of Asian inspired art.
On Dec. 4, 11, and 18 (weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) you can also buy a cone of roasted chestnuts for $5. Proceeds benefit YWCA's Angeline's Day Center for Homeless Women. The Olympic raised almost $3,600 last year through chestnut sales.
IF YOU GO
Where: The Fairmont Olympic Hotel (third floor, rooms 342 and 344), 411 University St., Seattle When: Teddy Bear Suite is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Dec. 26. Admission: Free. Donations are accepted on behalf of Seattle Children's Hospital. Contact: 206-621-1700; www.fairmont.com
KING 5 Wonderland and the Holiday Carousel
For a suggested donation of $2, kids and adults can enjoy a turn on the magical downtown Holiday Carousel. Last year, the carousel raised more than $10,000 for Treehouse, a local nonprofit that strives to “give foster children a real childhood as well as hope for the future.” Donations have dropped during the economic downturn, while the needs of foster kids have risen. Treehouse had 18 percent more visits to their Wearhouse (a free clothing and toy store for foster kids) this year. Donations for the Wearhouse will be accepted at the Carousel.
IF YOU GO
Where: Westlake Park, 401 Pine St., downtown Seattle When: Now through Jan. 3. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. Special holiday hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Year's Eve. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Admission: Suggested $2 donation benefitting Treehouse. Contact: 206-684-4075; www.downtownholidays.com
The Bellevue Botanical Garden's Garden d'Lights
Bellevue Botanical Garden's garden of lights may not have a fragrant smell, but it will make your eyes pop. Seven thousand volunteer man hours (much of it in the cold and rain) go into creating this incredible display of Christmas lights. It took 140 hours just to get the lights out of storage in October. Some of this year's new creations include a Poinsettia tree done in LED lights, a purple clematis arbor, and an eight-legged occupant in the Visitor's Center aquarium in lights. Children love hunting for lit-up critters like Charlotte the spider and Willie the slug. They will also find illuminated butterflies, monkeys, frogs, alligators, and peacocks in the garden. Donations help to keep Garden d'Lights plugged in and available for the enjoyment of the community. To avoid crowds, visit during the middle of the week and arrive early.
IF YOU GO
Where: Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue When: Nov. 28 to Jan. 2, 5 to10 p.m. every evening including holidays.
Admission: Suggested donation of $1 per person or $5 per family. Parking is available in the Botanical Garden parking lot for $5 (parking fees support Garden d'Lights). Free parking is available to the east at Wilburton Hill Park. Contact: 425-451-3755; www.bellevuebotanical.org/events/fmevents_gardendlights.htm
Candy Cane Lane
Creative locals put up impressive holiday light displays at their homes. Those who come to marvel at their Griswoldian dedication to holiday decorating are encouraged to donate to the homeowner's charity of choice. The light display on Ravenna's Candy Cane Lane is one that has been dazzling visitors since the 40s. A stroll along this usually quiet street when it is aglow with neighborly holiday spirit is a homey way to celebrate the season. This neighborhood collects donations for Northwest Harvest, which collects and distributes food to more than 300 food banks across the state.
IF YOU GO
Where: Northeast Park Road off Ravenna Boulevard near Ravenna Park, Seattle When: A sign is posted at the beginning of the month announcing the date the lights will go up. Admission: Free. Donations benefit Northwest Harvest.
Laura Spruce Wight is a Seattle-area freelance writer and mother of two.
