2026 Holiday Happenings:
The excitement of the holiday season arrives in different ways to every corner of the Olympic Peninsula. One weekend might offer a market of handmade products in Sequim. The next could be a waterfront tree lighting in Port Angeles. Maybe a glowing parade on the coast, or live music in Port Townsend. From mid-November through New Year’s Eve, discover the magic of winter wonders across the Olympic Peninsula with charming getaways and festive celebrations.
Choose your home base and let the weekend unfold nearby. On the east side of the Olympic Peninsula, Port Townsend and Port Ludlow pair waterfront traditions with small-town shopping and a vibrant arts scene. Across the north Olympic Peninsula from Blyn to Port Angeles, enjoy outdoor recreation, vivid light displays and a vast array of holiday entertainment. Along the southern side of the Olympic Peninsula, from Shelton to Montesano to Lake Quinault, check out unique local seasonal celebrations including Christmas bazaars, holiday parades and cozy holiday dining.
Be sure to book your overnight reservations HERE because you can’t have this much fun in just a day! From lodges and cabins to city center hotels to B&Bs and vacation rentals, you’ll find just the thing that suits your holiday celebration style.
Here are six weekend roundups to jump start your planning. Some events are date specific, but others run throughout the holiday season.
• November 20 – 22: Holiday Kick Off
• November 26 – 29: Thanksgiving Weekend
• December 4 – 6: Mega Holiday Merriment
• December 9 – 13: Holiday Performances Abound
• December 18 – 20: Last Minute Shopping and Lights
• Christmas and New Year’s Day
November 20 – 22
Holiday Kick Off
Dive into the holiday season with local makers and small-town shopping. In Sequim, browse the Winter Market at the Civic Center Plaza on Saturday, November 21, then visit Nature Mart at Dungeness River Nature Center’s Railroad Bridge Park that weekend. Nature Mart continues Sunday, November 22, with a shorter afternoon schedule. Prefer a bigger market day? The Country Christmas Bazaar fills Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma with more than 260 artisan booths on November 21 and 22.
Experience the magic of the 7 Cedars Holiday Lighting Ceremony in Blyn on Saturday, November 21. The ceremony is from 5–7 pm on the 7 Cedars Hotel Patio. Guests of all ages are invited to experience the spectacular moment when thousands of holiday lights come to life across the property precisely at 6 pm, officially kicking off the holiday season. This free, family-friendly celebration will feature live music, festive carolers, photos with Santa, and plenty of holiday surprises.
November 26 – 29
Thanksgiving Weekend
Kick off your Thanksgiving weekend on the move with the Clallam County Turkey Trot on Thursday morning along the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Angeles. From Friday through Sunday, the Port Angeles Waterfront District invites visitors to shop small. Port Angeles’ beloved Winter Ice Village opens for the season November 20, offering skating and a festive downtown stop. It will be open daily from noon to 9 pm daily, including holidays, until January 4, 2027. The Wintertide Light Art Experience and Wintertide Makers Market open for the season at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
Looking for family-friendly small-town holiday celebrations (and maybe Santa!)? On Saturday, November 28, choose between Port Angeles’ downtown tree-lighting celebration, including a visit from Santa, and Sequim’s Hometown Holidays, with Santa, live music, warm drinks, the community tree-lighting and topped off with the Lighted Tractor Cruise.
You won’t want to miss the spectacular holiday light display in Blyn and Sequim, sponsored by the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe. Over 3 million LED lights light up the night across the Jamestown S’Klallam campus, 7 Cedars and Railroad Bridge Park. Holiday light tours begin Thanksgiving Day and run through December 30. Get your tickets early, as space is limited.
For those seeking a coastal getaway, Seabrook’s Jolly Days begins Friday, November 27, with a tree lighting and continues with family activities, carolers, and seasonal shopping through December 19. The Winter Glass Float Find also starts that day: this free daily treasure hunt runs through January 1, with clues released each morning at 9:30 am.
December 4 – 6
Mega Holiday Merriment
Choose a North Olympic Peninsula weekend or a Hood Canal celebration. Port Townsend invites you to make Saturday, December 5, a full day of Mega Holiday Merriment: the Salish Sea Makers Market, Santa visits, community tree lighting, and the First Saturday Art Walk all bring holiday cheer to downtown.
Head down Hood Canal for Shelton’s Festival of the Firs, including a downtown tree lighting and caroling on Friday, December 4, followed by the Santa Claus Parade on Saturday. Historically a timber town, Shelton is serious about their Christmas tree roots and welcomes holiday visitors with their beloved 32-foot Santa!
December 9 – 13
Holiday Performances Abound
Port Angeles makes a good base for a mid-December arts weekend. Field Arts & Events Hall offers something for all ages and interests, including a winter storytime followed by The Muppet Christmas Carol movie on December 9, an ABBA Christmas with ABRA Cadabra on December 11, and Geoffrey Castle’s Celtic Christmas on December 12. For an interactive experience, check out the Wintertide Festival of Lights, also on December 12, at the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center, featuring illuminated forest trails, interactive light displays and live performances. The Light Art Experience remains open nightly, and the Makers Market runs Thursday through Sunday. On Sunday, December 13, Music on the Strait presents Holiday Baroque: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, featuring baroque ensemble Twelfth Night.
For food-forward fun, enjoy Port Townsend’s Holiday Extravaganza and Holiday Bake Off on December 12 while you take in the holiday lights of the historic districts. You can find more holiday lights in the charming town of Montesano with their Festival of Lights Parade, bringing illuminated floats downtown Saturday evening.
December 18 – 20
Last Minute Shopping and Lights
The final full weekend before Christmas offers uniquely Northwest holiday happenings all around the peninsula. On Friday, December 18, Port Ludlow invites you for cookies and hot chocolate as you await Santa’s arrival, followed by their Lighted Boat Parade. In Sequim, browse the Winter Market on Saturday for last-minute gifts. In Port Angeles, check out Sequim City Band’s Tuba Christmas, or Amanda Bacon’s Tinsel & Twang at Field Arts & Events Hall.
Outdoor enthusiasts can take a guided Hurricane Ridge snowshoe tour, which begins its weekend season on December 19.
On the coast, Seabrook’s illuminated holiday parade is scheduled for Saturday, December 19, and Hoquiam’s Historic 7th Street Theatre screens White Christmas Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Christmas and New Year’s Day
Looking for a quieter holiday celebration? Lake Quinault Lodge offers Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners in its historic Roosevelt Dining Room, with service beginning at 5 pm. At the end of the month, the lodge’s New Year’s Eve Prohibition Party offers live music, food, a toast, and a New York countdown in the ballroom.
Over on the coast, Seabrook continues the free Winter Glass Float Find through January 1. A new float is hidden each day, and clues are released daily at 9:30 am. What a great incentive for a winter beach walk!
On December 31, Port Townsend’s all-ages First Night celebration is a feast for the senses, as you welcome 2027, with live music, circus arts, stargazing, interactive art, fireworks and more.
Let the magic of the season lead you to the Olympic Peninsula. From mid-November through New Year’s Eve, discover twinkling holiday lights, charming towns, misty shorelines, and special places to slow down and savor winter. Discover the winter wonders across the Olympic Peninsula this year. We can’t wait to see you!
Check back for our “Winter Wonders Across the Olympic Peninsula – But Wait! There’s More!” version, which will post on our website by November 16. Keep a lookout for it!
Header photo courtesy of Port Townsend Main Street
