JAKE AND SPIKE

Marysville’s Tulalip Christmas lights dazzle with 7.8 million bulbs

Dec 6, 2024, 4:26 PM

Norman Vincent Peale once said, “Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” If that’s true, the new and improved Tulalip Christmas lights display embodies the holiday spirit in the Pacific Northwest. Best of all, it is free.

The Tulalip Lights, located at 10400 34th Avenue Northeast, also have an ice-skating rink and appearances by Santa. Tickets for one-hour skating sessions (with skate rentals included) are $15 for adults and $12 for children (12 years old and under) and can be purchased at the rink or in advance.

Teresa Meece, Operations Director for Quil Ceda Village that runs the display told “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio the lights start going up on September 9.

“There is an army of people this year,” she said. “They work seven days a week. They’re ready for it.”

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Tulalip started the lights in 2022, right after COVID-19 hit.

“We just wanted to bring joy to everybody,” Meece said. “And that’s why we brought the lights for the community, for our tribal members, for everybody. It’s really fun.”

Meece said in front of the casino, there are ponds and trees lit up everywhere.

“Then, when you walk over to the amphitheater, the trees there are mature,” she said. “They’re 20 years old, so they’re very large.”

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That is where she said visitors will find food vendors.

“We have 17 tribal food vendors there, serving everything from barbecue, Hawaiian food to Mexican food to pancakes,” Meece shared. “Everything is there.”

“Tulalip Ice,” is a 40’x 80′ outdoor ice rink at the Tulalip Amphitheatre surrounded by a display of more than 1.3 million lights. The rink will be open to the public. Tickets for one-hour skating sessions (with skate rentals included) are $15 for adults and $12 for children (12 years old and under) and can be purchased at the rink or in advance.

“We start talking about next year as soon as we turn on the lights,” Meece said.

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here. 

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Marysville’s Tulalip Christmas lights dazzle with 7.8 million bulbs