Art Participation: Art Jam, Dec 4th, $10. As a kid, ever doodle in your notebook as your mind drifts during a boring section in class? If that's the last time you drew a picture, then get reacquainted with drawing at this event. The Seattle Academy of Fine Arts provides everything for people of all skill levels: paper, pencil, and plenty of drawing subjects at this festival. Music, family activities for the tots, and food accompanies.
Children's Activity: Doll Making Class, Dec 4th, free, at the Longhouse Museum. Go back to the Little House on the Prairie days and craft your own doll just like the pioneers. Take that Barbie!
Christmas Party: Bravo Party, Dec 7th, $20, by the Bravo Club of Seattle Opera. One of the hippest organizations in town delivers the double whammy of a cool party at a cool venue, a fashion event at the Triple Door. If the opera really isn't your thing, don't sweat it. The party is definitely more about having a good time than hashing opera themes.
Food: Naked Sushi at Club Contour, Dec 3rd. For better or worse, a lot of fads come from Japan. Eat sushi off the palette of the human body. As payback, do the questionable fads in the US migrate over to Japan as well?
Party: Snow Day, Bloody Snow Day, Dec 3rd, $10. A fundraiser to finance an indie film. In the movie, an unexpected snowstorm strikes Seattle and the dead rise from their graves to prey on helpless citizens. If you're not a zombie hunter, then you still be a hero by contributing to financing this film by going to the party.
Show: A burlesque show at the Catwalk, Dec 2nd, $10, benefiting PAWS, or as they say, Titties for Kitties. A fun show by Burly Q that's really more cheesecake than skin, but still a lot of laughs.
Night Spot: Metropolitan Night at Impromptu Wine Bar, Dec 4th, 10 PM. There's only so many times you can do Belltown before the bad parking, crowds, and the overly loud music starts to feel as ridiculous as it really is. Upgrade your environment.
Art Walk: With the new month coming up, a lot of galleries hold their monthly parties. Gasworks Gallery holds its first of the month party on Dec 3rd. This is a large new gallery in town, so go see some new talent. 911 Media Center celebrates the grand opening of its new facilities on Dec 2cd. Digital artist Gary Hill anchors the event, along with other works, cocktails, music, and video. The Henry Art Gallery opens a new exhibit from Axel Lieber. Steven Fey Photograph Gallery presents a Celebration of Light, with a holiday reception on Dec 2nd.
Fairs: The Freemont Public Association has a big open house, Dec 3rd - 5th, free. Cook book authors, trunk shows, cookie decorating, something for everyone and every taste bud. Phinney Neighborhood Winter Festival, Dec 4th - Dec 5th, $4 plus food donation. Phinney's big one: two buildings with 115 booths, live entertainment, a bake sale, and more. On the hill is the Queen Anne Fine Crafts tour, Dec 4th - Dec 5th, presenting the first time these artists have come together.
Music: Kobo in Seattle hosts a traditional Japanese drum group and a Celtic harpist starting at noon at its store on Dec 4th, free. This is a 3,600-square-foot shop at the former Higo Variety Store, featuring Japanese and Northwest fine crafts.
Organization: Paddle Trails Canoe Club. Going out on the water is probably not top-of-mind this time of year, but there's some good stuff to see from the vantage point of the water, including Christmas light displays and eagles. Even if you don't own a canoe, you can still enjoy this club. As long as you have the right clothing, going out on a canoe in winter can actually be fun.
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Christmas lights
Some of the best things about the holidays are the little festive
outings. Take a breather from your holiday to-do list and make some time
to stop and “smell” the Christmas lights. Grab the kids, your sweetie or
your friends, get a hot chocolate and gingerbread cookie, and take a crisp walk through one of these fantastic Christmas spots.
Bellevue’s Botanical Garden D’Lights, Free. Open from 5-9:30 PM., Nov 27th -Dec 31st. You won’t find four foot Santas or Snowmen here. Instead, the Bellevue Botanical Garden recreates a spectacular variety of 3-D flora and fauna found in Northwest gardens, out of thousands of strings of Christmas lights. Walking through this luminescent garden is as enchanting as a trip to Wonderland.
Ravenna’s Candy Cane Lane, Park Road NE (access from Ravenna Avenue NE) Every major city has that one neighborhood known as “Candy Cane Lane,” during the holiday season, where the neighbors come together and put on a big light display. In Seattle, our Candy Cane Lane is located in Ravenna. These folks have been re-creating “the North Pole” every winter for over 50 years, so they know how to do Christmas almost as well as that fat bearded guy.
Argosy Christmas Ship Festival, A local Northwest tradition for over 55 years, the Christmas Ship Festival runs nightly Dec 1st - 23rd. Watch the light bejeweled Spirit of Seattle lead other decorated boats in the world’s largest floating holiday light show. Join the festivities either onboard the Spirit of Seattle, singing along to Christmas carols performed by a variety of Northwest choirs, or gather your family around a bonfire on the beach and watch this magical maritime parade.
