Wild Lanterns, ski deals and tasty bites: Your Seattle area weekend guide

We are rapidly approaching the holiday season, and for those who want to skip the hustle and bustle of prime time? You might want to check out some of these events.

Test drives, tasty bites and handmade holiday inspiration

With the Seahawks on the road this weekend, Lumen Field will be the home of the Seattle International Auto Show. Running today through Sunday, there will be hundreds of cars to see, including electric and hybrid vehicles. You’ll also be able to hop behind the wheel and take cars for test drives, and for those interested in a career in the world of automotive, there will be a career fair to check out as well. You’ll need a ticket to get in, and those are available at seattleautoshow.com

Get some ideas for the holiday cooking season or just try out a ton of tasty bites and do some shopping for your kitchen from over 100 different local vendors. Gobble Up is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Magnuson Park Hangar 30, and this is the perfect event for the foodie in your life. In addition to all the food, there will also be raffles that you can enter to win and plenty of inspiration to help you impress your guests at holiday parties this year.

If you are the type that likes to make your holiday gifts by hand, you might want to head to the Washington State Fair Events Center for the Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival. This will be the perfect place to find all the right fabric and other crafting supplies you’ll need to make all your gifts, and if you are running low on creative ideas, why not check out the workshops and seminars that they have lined up throughout the weekend. The Quilt, Craft and Sewing Festival runs through Saturday.

Wild Lanterns, ski bargains and Romanian films round out the weekend

You might be debating if it is time to get the lights up at your house, but at the Woodland Park Zoo, they are ready to kick off the holiday season with the return of Wild Lanterns. When the sun sets, the Zoo transforms into a whole new experience as lights and displays will take you across all seven continents and beneath the ocean’s surface. In addition to all the lights and paths to explore at the Zoo, there will also be nightly acrobatic performances, food and drinks to enjoy, and special theme nights throughout the holiday season! You can get details at the Woodland Park Zoo’s website.

Hitting the slopes isn’t always the cheapest form of winter fun, but one way you can save and get great deals on all the gear you might need for the season is at the Newport Ski Swap in Bellevue. This consignment sale will feature over 10,000 items and over 500 individuals who will be selling, as well as six stores. You’ll need to pay to get into the Early Entry time, but the rest of the show is free to attend. The Newport Ski Swap runs today and tomorrow at Newport High School.

Spending part of your weekend watching a movie might be the norm, but what about watching movies from another part of the world? SIFF Cinema Uptown will be hosting the Romanian Film Festival throughout the weekend, and the theme of the 13th edition of the festival is Beyond Borders. There will be a variety of films to check out, and all films will have English subtitles.

How are you getting ready for the holidays? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.