Seattle Center is turning into the city’s holiday living room once again. Holidays at the Center returns November 27 through December 31, 2026, with five weeks of mostly free and affordable events, concerts, markets and family traditions spread across the 74-acre campus in the heart of the city.
The season’s anchor is Winterfest, presented by Symetra. The Armory Food & Event Hall becomes the hub of free holiday fun: the beloved Winter Train & Village runs daily November 27 to December 31 with festive displays and an interactive scavenger hunt; the Armory Stage hosts live entertainment on weekends through December 27; and Symetra Movie Nights screen popular holiday films on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Outdoors, sculptors carve ice live at the Mural Amphitheatre on Saturdays from November 28 to December 19, while the campus glows with daily holiday lighting.
Shoppers get the Winterfest World Bazaar presented by Festál, with handcrafted gifts and global traditions on weekends from November 28 to December 21, plus the Seattle Christmas Market (November 20 to December 27, tickets required) and Urban Craft Uprising (December 5–6). The performing arts shine too: Pacific Northwest Ballet’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker dances at McCaw Hall November 27 to December 27, Seattle Rep stages Peter Pan Goes Wrong (November 27–January 3) and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (December 11–20), and Seattle Children’s Theatre offers Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Holiday Show (November 19–January 3).
The celebration closes with New Year’s Eve at the Center, presented by Alaska Airlines, on December 31. Most Winterfest events are free and open to all ages. Full schedules and details are at seattlecenter.com/holidays.
Photo: Seattle Center
