Kick off the holiday season with a busy weekend of festivities

Here we go folks, the holiday season is now in full swing, and there are so many things to do this weekend to get into the spirit and to get your holiday shopping underway.

Let’s start with the Christmas tree lightings that are going on through the weekend.

Friday, there will be tree lightings at Bellevue Place in Bellevue, in Everett at the Everett Theatre, the intersection of Colby and Hewitt, and in Seattle at Westlake Park.

Saturday, you can catch lighting ceremonies at Legion Park in Arlington, Centennial Plaza in Edmonds, Peter Kirk Park in Kirkland, and a big party at Pike Place Market Saturday night for Magic in the Market. Each one of these events is a lot more than just a tree lighting ceremony. Santa will be visiting, there will be activities for you and the kids, choirs, dancing, and plenty more! These aren’t the only lightings happening throughout the weekend; if you don’t see one listed here, a quick search for tree lightings near you will help!

Winterfest has begun in the Seattle Center, and inside the Seattle Armory you will find an impressive Winter Train and Village, a tradition that has been going on for nearly 50 years. Also inside, there will be the Winterfest World Bazaar, perfect for those looking to do a little holiday shopping.

There will also be an ice sculpting series running throughout the season, and select holiday films will be shown on Friday nights, with The Polar Express kicking things off tonight. The Muppet’s Christmas Carol is next week, and if you haven’t seen that one, I highly recommend it; it’s my favorite holiday movie! Winterfest is free to attend, but a reminder, this is separate from the Christmas Market.

Multiple holiday markets across WA this weekend

At Magnuson Park in Hangar 30, you will find the GeekCraft Expo Seattle Holiday market, and they advertise by saying this is the perfect spot to find gifts for the geeks on your list. More than 100 vendors will be selling goods throughout the weekend.

At the Duwamish Longhouse, there will be native art, crafts, jewelry, smoked salmon, and more at the Native Art Market, which is free to attend.

In Snohomish, there will be 120 vendors, food trucks, and a visit from Santa during the Holly Jolly Holiday Market! This will be at the Thomas Family Farm and is free to attend.

All three of these are perfect ways to find creative, handmade gifts for the holiday while also supporting local vendors!

A heads up for those working their way through downtown for the weekend, the Seattle Marathon is this weekend and will be bringing tens of thousands of runners into the city for two days of events. The kids’ marathon will be Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., and on Sunday, the action gets started at 7 a.m.

It’s also a busy weekend for sports fans this weekend. The University of Washington Huskies take on the Oregon Ducks as part of Rivalry Week across College Football. Kickoff is Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Husky Stadium.

The Seattle Kraken will face off against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers Saturday at 1 p.m. at Climate Pledge Arena, and the Seattle Seahawks are back home at Lumen Field taking on the Minnesota Vikings Sunday at 1:05 p.m. It’s a revenge game for Sam Darnold, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been the best receiver in football. Will that continue in front of the 12s?

How are you getting into the holiday spirit, and how was Thanksgiving dinner last night? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com