Best Holiday Light Displays Around Seattle, the Eastside and South Sound

Lights Up at the J: Celebrate the Festival of Lights with a beautiful light display. Stop by the Stroum Jewish Community Center to enjoy the display any evening Dec. 1–31.
Find it: Stroum Jewish Community Center

Evergreen Church Light Show, Bothell: Now a Bothell tradition, the annual light show at this community church is back and showing nightly from Dec. 1–24, 6–9 p.m. There also are free concerts on select nights; check the website for details.
Find it: Evergreen Church, Bothell.

Candy Cane Lane, Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood: An old-school neighborhood light display, Candy Cane Lane lights up Northeast Park Road off of 21st Avenue Northeast and Ravenna Boulevard. Crowds form every year to view these homes that residents have been decorating since the 1940s. Drive through, or park and walk to avoid a wait. Candy Cane Lane is typically open from early December through Dec. 31. Free.
Find it: Northeast Ravenna Boulevard and 21st Avenue Northeast, Seattle.

Seattle Center Winterfest Lights: Seattle Center plans to once again light its campus with holiday lights for community enjoyment during Winterfest 2023 activities, including the Train & Village Display, ice sculpting and free performances in the Armory.

Downtown Holiday Lights & Delights: The Downtown Seattle Association hosts this long-running festival with holiday haps taking place in several downtown Seattle locations. Find family-friendly entertainment and lights at Westlake Park and Occidental Square — there’s even a free pop-up ice skating rink on one special weekend!

Google Lights: Google and SRM Development together present thousands of colored lights on display. This nightly celebration includes food for purchase, a petting zoo, carolers and more. Check back for 2023 info to be posted on the website.
Find it: Google Building C, along the Cross Kirkland Corridor. 747 6th St. S., Building C, Kirkland.

Olympic Manor, just north of Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood: Midcentury architecture and lots of holiday spirit draw huge crowds to the annual holiday light display in Olympic Manor, a neighborhood of gently curving streets in northwest Seattle. Drive carefully — cars are creeping along and drivers are sometimes looking at the lights rather than the road — better to park and walk through the neighborhood.
Find it: Entrance at Northwest 85th Street and 23rd Avenue Northwest, Seattle.

Tulalip Lights & Ice: Head to Quil Ceda Village for Tulalip Lights & Ice. More than 6 million lights will decorate the village, Nov. 22, 2023–Jan. 15, 2024. You’ll also find family-friendly activities, including ice skating, to help you get into the holiday spirit.
Find it: Quil Ceda Village Map

Timberline neighborhood, Sammamish: Another neighborhood that gets a lot of buzz each year is Timberline in Sammamish. Residents deck out their homes in light displays, and past years have included a Grinch House and the Polar Express Station.
Find it: Northeast 42nd Street and 204th Avenue Northeast, Sammamish.

The Very Merry Christmas House, Kent: It’s cool when someone goes completely over the top for something and we all get to enjoy it. The Very Merry Christmas House is just such an over-the-top display. Word is, the lights are synchronized to music: fantastic!
Find it: 30211 176th Ave. S.E., Kent.

Keener’s Christmas: This home in Bothell puts together a huge light display and collects donations for charity. Enjoy the sparkling lights and decorations from the comfort of your car. Check the Facebook page for details and location. The lights will light up Dec. 1!

Kerry Park Viewpoint, Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill neighborhood: A driving tour through the picturesque, historic homes of the Queen Anne neighborhood is always a treat, but it is particularly striking when the holiday lights are on display. Residents put on some spectacularly sparkly shows. Top it off with a stop at the Kerry Park Viewpoint for an iconic view of downtown.
Find it: 211 W. Highland Dr., Seattle.

Tacoma Light Trail: This free winter festival in downtown Tacoma includes outdoor performances and other special events. The best thing about this light show is that its sparkle carries you well into January while some light shows go dark by the end of the year. You’ll find light art displayed around downtown Tacoma every night Dec. 31, 2023–Jan. 14, 2024, 5–9 p.m.
Find it: Tollefson Plaza, Tacoma.

Editor’s note: Elisa Murray contributed to this article, which was originally published many years ago and is updated every year, most recently for 2023.