Weekend wonders: Holiday shopping, Snowflake Lane, SantaCon and more!

It’s going to be a busy weekend for some as everyone is in the home stretch of the holidays, however, that means lots of fun throughout the region!

Who doesn’t love a cool model train? The 28th annual Model Train Festival has returned and runs through January 1. The show is at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma and according to the event’s website, there will be room-sized layouts throughout the museum, family areas with trains and LEGOS and even some films about toy trains. You can get more information on the Washington State Historical Society’s website.

More lifestyle news: New proposals in WA for transgender high school student-athletes

There will be lots of holiday fun at the Ballard Community Center on Friday. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., it’s the Gingerbread Jubilee! There will be winter-themed crafts, music, a hot chocolate bar and, of course, plenty of gingerbread houses to make in the construction zone and snowballs to throw in the snowball zone. You can get more details and register on Seattle Parks and Recreation’s website.

If you still need to get some holiday shopping done, Fremont will be the place to be Saturday. The Trollstice Holiday Night Market returns and will have plenty of local creators selling their goods, as well as a holiday photo booth, food trucks and so much more. This is happening under the Fremont Bridge from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

You can celebrate the winter solstice in Snohomish. On Saturday, the shortest night of the year, you can walk along the Riverfront Trail for an evening described as “a tranquil evening of reflection and gratitude.” This event is free and there will be lights along the trail to help guide you. More details are available on the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association’s website.

Banel: Seattleites looked to Patrick MacDonald for musical cues for decades

Head over to the Eastside for Snowflake Lane and “experience the wonder of falling snow, dazzling lights, festive music, toy drummers, and dancers in this complimentary nightly parade of holiday floats,” Snowflake Lane’s website reads. Yup, it’s another free Christmas event Western Washington community members can enjoy. You can just head to your favorite spot on the sidewalk between Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square from Northeast 4th Street to Northeast 8th Street every night at 7 p.m. to see the show. Take note that traffic picks up considerably for the weekend performances. The nightly parades continue through Dec. 24.

The final SantaCon of the season is this Saturday! SantaCon is a perfect way to spread holiday cheer while enjoying some holiday spirits. The website describes SantaCon as more than a pub crawl, it’s a parade of holiday cheer with live entertainment, costume contests, professional photography and plenty more. Get tickets and details on Seattle SantaCon’s website.

If you need more ideas for holiday fun, we have a full rundown on MyNorthwest.com.

Paul Holden produces the Seattle weekend events calendar for KIRO Newsradio and a weekly story for MyNorthwest. He also appears regularly on KIRO Newsradio’s “Seattle’s Morning News.” If you know of even more cool things going on in the area, let him know at PaulH@kiroradio.com.