Holiday hours may vary and venues may have health guidelines in place—we advise directly checking event websites before heading out.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22
FILM
The Snow Queen
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Fans of Labyrinth and Valerie and Her Week of Wonders will dig this frosty adaptation of a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Päivi Hartzell's The Snow Queen is a surreal journey that follows a nightmarish queen in an icy baroque realm. The film's extravagant costumes and set design heighten its strange, fantastical effect.
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)
FOOD & DRINK
Chanukah Happy Hour
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Sip beer, snack on latkes and sufganiyot, play with dreidels, and witness a menorah lighting at this laidback happy hour hosted by Chabad of Capitol Hill and the Central District.
(Optimism Brewing, Capitol Hill, free)
Drinking Chocolate Celebration
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Cozy up with a rich mug of drinking chocolate from Fremont's resident chocolate factory for just $4, along with a complimentary handmade chocolate-covered marshmallow. While you're at it, pick up some treats for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers.
(Theo Chocolate, Fremont)
LIVE MUSIC
Christmas Unplugged: Lake Stovall, Manisha, Tomi Jo, and Conji
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Local electronic artists Lake Stovall, Manisha, Tomi Jo, and Conji will trade their laptops and synths for acoustic instruments during this evening of homespun jams just in time for cozy season.
(Sunset Tavern, Ballard, $10)
Holiday Special Ugly Sweater Shindig ft. Carl Christensen, Only Hearts, Kyle Nicholas, and Erick Irons
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Throw on your gaudiest holiday sweater for a festive concert featuring performances from local singer-songwriters including Carl Christensen, Only Hearts, Kyle Nicholas, and Erick Irons.
(Conor Byrne, Ballard, $10-$12)
South Hudson Music Project Presents: The Music of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”
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Local jazz pianists Ryan Burns, Darrius Willrich, and Jose Gonzales will perform Vince Guaraldi's beloved 1965 soundtrack front-to-back, because that's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown!
(The Royal Room, Columbia City, free)
Star Wars Holiday Special...The Concert
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Space-funk Jedi Andy Coe and Joe Doria will reimagine the iconic music of Star Wars with a special holiday concert inspired by the universally abhorred 1978 TV special.
(Nectar, Fremont, $12)
READINGS & TALKS
Paul Bannick: Great Gray Owl
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International Conservation Photography Award winner, Bellevue native, and bird lover Paul Bannick has snapped stellar images of birds from South America to the Arctic. He'll head to The Royal Room to share his new book, Great Gray Owl: A Visual Natural History, which looks closely at the lives of one of the world's largest owl species, emphasizing the unique challenges they face and the latest research on the imposing creatures. Outdoors NW described the book as a "showy coffee table tome for owl lovers," with "stunning photos feature[ing] behaviors that have rarely, if ever, been captured by cameras."
(The Royal Room, Columbia City, free)
VISUAL ART
Scott Fife: Cardboard Kingdom
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Scott Fife's Cardboard Kingdom brings mythical beasts and folkloric creatures to life in large-scale portraiture. The artist's ultra-tactile cardboard-and-glue creations, created in his Vashon Island studio, give thought to the complicated roles of predator and prey in the animal world.
(Traver Gallery, Downtown, free; closing)
WINTER HOLIDAYS
Ballard Chanukah Village
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Ballard Avenue will transform into the Ballard Chanukah Village for this family-friendly stroll, which will include a scavenger hunt at local businesses, jelly donuts, latkes, and live music. Don't miss the ceremonial menorah lighting and "gelt drop" at 5 pm—chocolate coins will cascade from a fire truck parked at Bergen Place, and visitors are free to amass as much as they can.
(Bergen Place, Ballard, free)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
FILM
Cross-Faded Cinema
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You might've heard the urban legend of a strange synchronicity between The Wizard of Oz and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon from some cool stoner kid growing up. Inspired by the idea, Cross-Faded Cinema (curated by Seattle's own DJ Nicfit) twists the soundtracks of cult films, giving them a spin that the Seattle International Film Festival describes as "mesmerizing." The film screened for this showing hasn't been announced, but it promises a trippy, ultra-sensory time.
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, $10)
FOOD & DRINK
Victrola Home Brewing and Tasting Class
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Brush up on your coffee brewing skills with the help of Victrola's staff, who will give you pointers on how to finesse your daily cup of joe. You'll also get to taste samples.
(Victrola Coffee, Capitol Hill, free)
LIVE MUSIC
Warren Dunes: The Night Before Christmas
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It's a Christmas miracle! Indie-pop outfit Warren Dunes will give the gift of a free in-store performance of festive holiday tunes followed by a reading of The Night Before Christmas, courtesy of frontwoman Julia Massey.
(Easy Street Records, Junction, free)
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
Thank God It's Christmas
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Don your gayest apparel (they recommend "ugly sweaters, beautiful sweaters, shirtless harnessed reindeer, bad Santa, and good elves") for a Christmas rave touting vocal house bops, drag performances, costumed go-go dancers, and live DJs.
(Supernova Seattle, SoDo, $0 - $10)
PERFORMANCE
The Saddest of All Keys - An Anti-Holiday-Holiday Show
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Marimbist Erin Jorgensen will join forces with poet Rachel Kessler and punk vocalist Richard Lefebvre for an anti-holiday-holiday show featuring solemn musings on "kicking drugs, seasonal depression, and spiders" along with melancholy acoustic marimba tunes.
(The Odd Sea, Ballard, $10)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24
FILM
Christmas Evil
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Slasher Santas sleighed on screen throughout the '80s—flicks like Silent Night, Deadly Night enticed audiences with a sackful of nasty horror. What makes this one special? Well, for starters, Fiona Apple's dad is in it. Christmas Evil, which follows a misguided toy factory worker whose tenuous grip on reality leads to a yuletide murder spree, was also a favorite of John Waters (seems fitting).
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)
FOOD & DRINK
Christmas Eve Potluck
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No Christmas plans? Bring your signature family-recipe casserole (or other favorite dish to share) along with a game or puzzle and join the merriment at this welcoming potluck, no reservations required. The cozy evening will include plenty of food (including "Robert’s famous lasagna"), wine, beer, hot cider, hot sangria, and "maybe a few surprise bottle pours."
(Domanico Cellars, West Woodland)
Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
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Locust Cider summons you to don your most heinous knitwear and join them for a Christmas weekend kickoff party. Festivities include carols, a classic holiday movie marathon, and $1 off pints.
(Locust Cider & Brewing Co. West Seattle, Alki)
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25
COMEDY
Special Improv Holiday Happy Hour
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Once the presents have been unwrapped, Christmas Day sometimes leaves us thinking, "Hmm...now what?" If you can relate, Unexpected Productions has you covered. For this performance, skilled improvisers will share their unscripted antics based on the audience's suggestions. They'll keep the Christmas cheer going into the evening with a stocking full of spontaneous wisecracks.
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market, $10)
FILM
Meet Me in St. Louis
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Widely regarded as one of the greatest films in the American movie musical genre, Meet Me in St. Louis blended Judy Garland's serious song-and-dance skills with Vincente Minnelli's Technicolor fantasia to massive commercial success. The nostalgia-inducing flick revolves around the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, and it's the perfect holiday watch, even including a dreamy rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
11th Annual Miracle on Eastlake Ave
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Partake in some holiday cheer with Flammable DJs Riz Rollins (KEXP), Dane Garfield, Hyasynth, and Copeland, who will soundtrack the 11th annual Miracle on Eastlake Ave holiday dance party.
(LoFi, South Lake Union, free)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
High F@ggottry - A Variety Show
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Hosted by Seattle drag legend Betty Wetter this month, High F@ggotry's recurring variety eleganza will deliver holiday gaiety with a burlesque performance by Saccharine, live music by darkwave performance art duo L80, and a hefty dose of "good old-fashioned quality queerness."
(Unicorn, Capitol Hill, $10)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29
FILM
TV PARTY: Union Time
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It wouldn't be the holidays without the horrors of capitalism, and if you find yourself meditating on organized greed this year, try this class-conscious edition of The Beacon's ongoing TV PARTY series. They'll screen episodes of beloved television shows that focus on unions and the working class. What's better than sitcom bozos finally learning that power lies in the hands of the workers?
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $5)
LIVE MUSIC
Home for the Holidays
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Join South Hudson Music Project and The Royal Room as they co-present their annual holiday celebration which features Seattle-born jazz musicians who are back home for the holidays. This year, enjoy performances from Bell Thompson Quintet, Grace Kaste Trio, and Preston Lee Trio.
(The Royal Room, Columbia City, $12-$15)
WINTER HOLIDAYS
2022 Kwanzaa Celebration
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The Northwest African American Museum invites families to celebrate Kwanzaa in style at this colorful free gathering, which will feature live music, spoken word sessions, and more. Taking place on the fourth night of Kwanzaa, the celebration will focus on the holiday's principle of ujamaa, a Swahili word that asserts the importance of brotherhood and community.
(Washington Hall, Squire Park, free)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30
FOOD & DRINK
Shift Drink™️ SEATTLE
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Shift Drink, a monthly pop-up at Counter Culture Coffee's Pioneer Square headquarters, aims to raise awareness and funds for local nonprofit organizations. For this edition, each cup of coffee sold will benefit Afiya Center, a "reproductive justice organization in North Texas founded and directed by black womxn that transforms the lives, health, and overall well-being of Black womxn and girls by providing refuge, education, and resources."
(Counter Culture Coffee, Pioneer Square, free)
LIVE MUSIC
NYE Pre-FUNK - Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme with Extra Thick
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Thirteen-piece funk juggernaut Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme will help you get warmed up for New Year's Eve partying with a night of danceable beats and smooth basslines. They will be joined in this endeavor by like-minded groovers Extra Thick.
(Tractor Tavern, Ballard, $15)
SUNDAY, JANUARY 1
FILM
Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
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If you've come across the nameJeanne Dielman on your Twitter feed recently, it's for good reason—Chantal Akerman's 1975 drama was just awarded the number one slot on Sight & Sound's 2022 critics' poll of the greatest films of all time. Conquering both Vertigo and Citizen Kane for the first time in 60 years, Jeanne Dielman 23, Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is the only film directed by a woman to ever reach a top ten position in the poll. What better way to ring in the new year than by watching the three-and-a-half-hour film in all its avant-garde, fiercely feminist glory?
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)
SPORTS & RECREATION
Seattle Polar Bear Plunge 2023
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Earn the ultimate bragging rights (and a commemorative badge of courage) at this frigid plunge, where cold-blooded participants will wade neck-deep into the icy waters at Matthews Beach. Because who needs body heat?! If you prefer to start 2023 with warm refreshments, food trucks, and photo booths, you're in luck—attendees are welcome to stay on shore and watch people shiver.
(Matthews Beach, Northeast Seattle, free)
MULTI-DAY
FESTIVALS
26th Annual Model Train Festival
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In our opinion, trains represent all things wintry and magical–maybe it's their soothing chugga-chugga sounds, their plumes of smoke, or the romantic notion of snuggling up in a vintage train car à la Hercule Poirot. (Just us?) Indulge in some train magic at this model train festival, where regional railroad clubs will share their intricate room-sized layouts throughout the Washington State History Museum.
(Washington State History Museum, Tacoma, $0-$14, Dec 22-Jan 1)
FILM
Babylon
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Damien Chazelle's glittery tale of '20s Los Angeles decadence features an ensemble cast of Hollywood heavy hitters like Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Olivia Wilde. The cacophonous, epic tale channels the glamour and excess of the era, and critics are torn—some refer to the film as "phenomenal filmmaking" (Variety), while other outlets describe the film as "a bloated mess" (Paste Magazine). See for yourself!
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, $11-$14, Dec 22-29)
It's a Wonderful Life
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In need of some Christmas cheer? Head to the historic Grand Illusion for their 52nd annual screening of holiday classic It's A Wonderful Life, screened in lush 35mm for a truly vintage experience.
(Grand Illusion, University District, $5-$11, Dec 22-29)
Tarantino Week
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Because nothing's more festive than gratuitous violence, Central Cinema will screen five Tarantino faves in a row, plus a bonus flick by fellow gore hound and collaborator Robert Rodriguez. The series screeches to life with 2009's gleefully profane Inglorious Basterds, followed by Jackie Brown, Django Unchained, and PulpFiction, then wraps with a Grindhouse double feature. (PS—Tarantino fans, why not get yourself a little Christmas present?)
(Central Cinema, Central District, $12, Dec 26-30)
The Whale
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True to his provocateur style, Darren Aronofsky's latest flick has already generated a polarizing response. Roxane Gay described The Whale, which follows a withdrawn English teacher's endeavors to reconnect with his estranged daughter, as "a gratuitous, self-aggrandizing fiction at best" with "a demeaning portrayal of a fat man." The Daily Telegraph disagreed, giving the film a perfect rating and praising Brendan Fraser as "seal[ing] his comeback in a sensational film of rare compassion."
(SIFF Cinema Uptown, Uptown, $11-$14, Dec 22-29)
VISUAL ART
Ginny Ruffner: What if?
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Seattle-based artist Ginny Ruffner's work is perfect for this time of year—it's colorful, tactile, and nature-inspired, imparting a sense of hope in the viewer. This retrospective of Ruffner's work will debut her two-story light show inspired by the Northern Lights and include works from across her prolific career, including painted glass sculptures, installations, public art projects, and more.
(Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Winslow, free, Dec 22-Jan 2)
Holiday Exhibition and Northwest Pastel Society Member Show
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If you're anything like us, you put off holiday shopping for as long as possible, but you're not into dull Amazon gift options, either. Schack Art Center's holiday exhibition has you covered. The show features distinctive glass, ceramic, wood, and jewelry works available to purchase from over 250 regional artists, so you're bound to leave with a present or two. While you're there, don't miss the member show by the Northwest Pastel Society.
(Schack Art Center, Port Gardner, free, Dec 22-Jan 2)
Makers of A New World: The American and European Avant Garde, 1915-1965
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This carefully curated show of 16 avant-garde artists is all about Art with a capital A—think huge names like Picasso, Calder, Miro, and Dalí alongside Rudolf Bauer, Rolph Scarlett, and Jimmy Ernst. It's an art history lesson disguised as an exhibition; Makers of A New World deftly illustrates the progression of modernist art in the first half of the 20th century, including key works from non-objective, surrealist, cubist, futurist, expressionist, and post-war movements.
(Frederick Holmes and Company, Pioneer Square, free, Dec 22-31; closing)
Mia Farrington: Refrain
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Portland painter Mia Farrington's raw linen canvases radiate with bold geometric shapes inspired by central Oregon's arid desert landscape. With rock-like forms and calming compositions, Farrington's paintings evoke two-dimensional cairns—both meditative and stoic, Refrain alsodoesn't shy away from delicate imperfections.
(Winston Wächter Fine Art, South Lake Union, free, Dec 22-23; closing)
Scott Coffey: Self Portraits and Other Stories and Emma Jane Royer: Sky Quilts
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In this pair of solo exhibitions, Scott Coffey constructs a "surrealist autobiography" of acrylic self-portraits inspired by genre fiction, while Emma Jane Royer presents a dreamy cyanotype-printed quilt that visually charts the sunlight on a Norwegian summer day and attempts to express "the embodied experience of the sublime."
(Shift Gallery, Pioneer Square, free, Dec 23-30; closing)
WINTER HOLIDAYS
Garden d’Lights 2022
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Whimsical flora and fauna, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls get the holiday light treatment at Bellevue Botanical Garden's annual display. (To be clear, actual birds and animals will not be strung with lights.) Wander the grounds and take photos among all the bulbs.
(Bellevue Botanical Garden, Wilburton, $8, Dec 22-31)
Snowflake Lane 2022
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Celebrate the holidays over and over again at this very festive parade, with floats cruising through downtown Bellevue every night for a month. (Fake) snow will fall, Yuletide tunes will echo in the air, and lights will flicker each night until Christmas Eve.
(Bellevue Collection, Bellevue, free, Dec 22-24)