Embrace the Holiday Season With These Festive Seattle Events

MUST TROT
Seattle Turkey Trot
(11/23) Support a good cause in a festive community atmosphere at the 11th Seattle Turkey Trot. Sweat it out the morning before the big Thanksgiving meal, with all proceeds benefiting the Ballard Food Bank. Walk, jog or run the 5K, which starts in the Sunset Hill neighborhood, looping south and then north, to end at Golden Gardens Park. 9 a.m., 85th Street and 32nd Avenue Northwest, seattleturkeytrot.org -Caroline Craghead

MUST AHHH
Macy’s Parade and Holiday Star Lighting
(11/24) Catch Santa and his reindeer one month early at Macy’s 27th annual Holiday Parade. Keep the festivities going into the evening and watch downtown dazzle at the annual lighting of the Westlake Center tree followed by the lighting of the iconic Macy’s holiday star, which has been illuminating the shopping district for 61 years. Parade at 9 a.m. Holiday star lighting at 5 p.m. Free. Downtown, Westlake Park, 401 Pine St.; 206.684.4075; downtownseattle.org -C.C.

MUST LOVE THE LANE
Snowflake Lane
(11/24-12/24) The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without a lane of some kind. There’s Candy Cane Lane, Santa Claus Lane, and in this case, Snowflake Lane. Get in the holiday spirit with this magical walk down Bellevue Way, complete with falling snow, twinkling lights, holiday music and some of your favorite Christmas characters–snowmen and reindeer alike. And for the first time this year, Santa will be making an appearance at the end of the parade. Don’t miss his opening night when he will light the 30-foot Christmas tree. Free. 7 p.m. nightly. 575 Bellevue Square, Bellevue. snowflakelane.com -Megan Lamb

MUST CELEBRATE
Seattle Center Winterfest
(11/24-12/31) Seattle Center makes our dreary Seattle season bright with its annual Winterfest, kicking off this Friday with holiday fun way less stressful than swimming through Black Friday crowds. Embrace the merriment of fairy lights, ice skating, ice carving and Dickens-style carolers during the next month or check out the Winterfest Events Guide for specific upcoming events. The various bands, magicians and comedians will leave you laughing all the way to the closing New Year’s Eve bash. Free, times vary; downtown, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; 206.684.7200; seattlecenter.com -Megan Toal

MUST SHOP
Gobble Up
(11/25) Stock up on unique ingredients for the upcoming holiday season or get the perfect gift for your foodie friend at Urban Craft Uprising’s inaugural craft food and beverage fair, one of many awesome holiday pop-ups this year. Emphasizing quality ingredients, this fair will feature more than 75 Pacific Northwest food and beverage companies and kitchenware vendors. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Free. Bellevue, Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE Sixth St.; 425.637.1020; urbancraftuprising.com -C.C.