SMASHING PINEAPPLES - YOUR DECEMBER LOCAL CONCERTS & EVENTS CALENDAR
Still have energy left over after all the Thanksgiving celebrations in November?
Great! Because the fun keeps going in December with parades, tree lightings, and seasonal markets as the holidays approach. If one of the events we’ve highlighted happens to speak to you, check into the nearest Staypineapple hotel, we’d love to welcome you at a great price!
Seattle
Winter at Seattle Center (Dec 1-31): Free
Enjoy holiday lights, skating at Fisher Pavilion (cost), folk dancers, carolers, dancers, ice sculptors, model trains, and professional entertainment during Winterfest at the Seattle Center. See schedule. No events on Dec. 25.
Enchant Seattle (Nov 22-Dec 29) $20+
Escape into a winter wonderland of lights and ice skating at T-Mobile Park. Live near Seattle? Make it a Staypineapple Staycation and save up to 15% on your stay at either Hotel FIVE or The Maxwell - 2 hotels within snowball throwing distance of Enchant.
Gingerbread Village (Nov 26-Jan 1): Free
See elaborate displays made mostly of food at the Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. The lines can be long on peak days.
Christmas Lights-- Seattle Zoo (Dec 1-Jan 5): $11+
WildLights has 800,000 lights in animal shapes, plus animal encounters, fire pits, snowball fights, a lighted carousel, hot chocolate, and adult beverages at Woodland Park Zoo from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Closed Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10, 24, 25. Free parking.
Portland
Christmas Ships (Dec 5-22): Free
Watch from Hotel Rose as the Christmas Ships pass by with carolers. There will also be a meet and greet, where you can see the ships up close and meet the carolers onboard. The ships will pass in front of Hotel Rose at 7 p.m. on the following nights: 12/10, 12/12, 12/17, and 12/19. See the Christmas ships website for more information on the schedule and the Meet and Greets.
Craft Market (Dec 21-22): Free
Renegade Craft Fair has 100 indie craft makers, food trucks, and DJ music outside Pure Space.
ZooLights (Nov 29-Jan 6): $13+
ZooLights uses 1.5 million LED lights to transform the Oregon Zoo into a winter wonderland of lighted trees, animal silhouettes, and moving sculptures. Closed Dec. 24 & 25.
San Francisco
Illuminate San Francisco Festival of Light (Nov 28 - Dec 31) Free
Experience San Francisco as a shining gallery of light during the seventh annual Illuminate SF Festival of Light, from Thanksgiving 2019 through New Year’s Day 2020. This year's annual event celebrates 44 dramatic, eco-friendly light art installations – including new iconic works in the Mission Bay and Civic Center neighborhoods. Visitors may experience free neighborhood light art tours and more interactive experiences during Illuminate SF.
Family Theater (Dec 1-8): $20+
The Velveteen Rabbit “keeps kindergarteners on the edge of their seats while moving some parents to tears” [S.F. Chronicle] with its compelling narration, charming music, and modern dance at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
A Christmas Carol (Dec 1-24): $25+
A Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens’ holiday classic about the transformation of miserly Scrooge at ACT’s Geary Theater.
Holiday Market (Dec 14-15): Free
Shop from 90 art and food vendors at Sunset Holiday Mercantile, which also has beer and wine tasting, kids’ activities, and entertainment at the San Francisco County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park.
San Diego
How The Grinch Stole Christmas Viewing (Dec 5): $17+
On the outskirts of Whoville, there lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch who plans on ruining the Christmas holiday for all of the citizens of the town. Viewing at Rooftop Cinema Club.
Balboa Park December Nights (Dec 6-7): Free
Balboa Park December Nights brings families and friends together to spread holiday joy and kick-off the “most wonderful time of the year” with lights and more! Friends, families, and the community are invited to come together for festive fun, food and attractions throughout the park, including complimentary admission to Balboa Park museums from 5:00 to 9:00 PM.
Disney in Concert: Mary Poppins (Dec 13): $20+
Five-time Academy Award-winning Disney film-- Mary Poppins-- unfolds on the big screen with the San Diego Symphony orchestra performing The Sherman Brothers’ charming and delightful Oscar-winning musical score. Featuring unforgettable performances by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, hum along to family favorites like Best Original Song winner “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “A Spoonful of Sugar” and “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Chicago
Cirque du Soleil (Dec 4-5): $103+
A girl jaded by the hoopla surrounding Christmas is “whisked away to an upside-down, inside-out world where she meets characters inspired by the original timeless poem” in ‘Twas the Night Before at the Chicago Theatre.
Harry Potter Parody (Nov 28): $36+
Potted Potter is a live show with minimal props that crams all 7 Harry Potter books into 70 goofy minutes at Broadway Playhouse.
Christmas Lights-- Lincoln Park Zoo (Nov 29- Jan 5): Free
ZooLights at the Lincoln Park Zoo features millions of holiday lights, ice carving, music, carousel & train rides, food, and gift shopping (plus photos with Santa some days). Closed Dec. 24 & 25.
Boston
Holiday Light Show (Dec 3-Jan 1): Free
See “the largest tree in the northeast” decorated with lights synchronized to music to Blink Light & Sound Show at Faneuil Hall every half hour from 4:30 to 10 p.m.
Holiday Bike Ride (Dec 15): Free
Wear festive clothes and sing carols on the leisurely paced 22-mile Jingle Ride from Arlington to Boston roundtrip, with cookies and cocoa in Harvard Square.
Disney on Ice (Dec 20-29): $10+
Disney on Ice: Worlds of Enchantment features disney characters skating in familiar movie settings, like Ariel’s undersea kingdom and the racetrack of Cars at Agganis Arena.
New York
Hello Panda Festival (Dec 6 - Jan 26) $25+
The Hello Panda Festival™ is a winter festival that celebrates the holiday season with a lantern park, diverse entertainment, food, modern art exhibitions, interactive games, cultural handcrafts, cultural heritage experiences, and live stage performances.
Rockefeller Plaza Christmas Tree (Dec 4th - January 17th) Free
A NYC classic, the iconic seasonal tree will be lit for the first time on Wednesday, December 4 on Rockefeller Plaza. The tree will remain lit and on display on the plaza between West 48th and 51st Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues through Friday, January 17, 2020.
Harry Potter Live (Dec 4-22): $40+
Based on a new story by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features the grown up versions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione who must “grapple with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs” with illusions and magic at the Lyric Theatre.
Nutcracker set in New York (Dec 13-15): $60+
The Yorkville Nutcracker is a ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s music with familiar “Old New York” backgrounds like Central Park at Kaye Playhouse.
Street Music Festival (Dec 21): Free
Make Music Winter is a dozen musical parades on the streets and sidewalks on the first day of winter. Come watch, or join in as described for each event.
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