The Must List: Polar Plunge, Beethoven’s Ninth & More Events
What to do this weekend in Seattle
By Seattle Magazine Staff December 29, 2014
Must Take the Plunge
The Annual Polar Bear Plunge is Here!
Thursday (1/1, 12 p.m.) It’s an age-old tradition that requires a steely resolve—and a warm robe to step into as you emerge from the wintry water. Psych yourself up and jump into Lake Washington at Matthews Beach Park (at noon) or at another favorite splashy spot.
Must Hear
Seattle Symphony Performs Beethoven’s Ninth
(1/2–1/4, times vary) Start the new year with vim and vigor, as the Seattle Symphony and accompanying Chorale perform one of Ludwig’s greatest hits, which includes the irresistible Ode to Joy chorus.
Must Rock
Beat Connection at Neumos
Wednesday (12/31, 8 p.m.) Check out eminently danceable local electronica band Beat Connection, guaranteed to help you ring in the new year right.
Must Make
Three Effervescent New Year’s Eve Drinks
New Year’s Eve is nearly upon us, and if you want your party to shine with a sparkle that dwarfs every other party this year (and even last year), then we suggest you serve up more entertaining Champagne and sparkling wine cocktails.
Must Get Outside
7 Wintertime Activities to Do Now
Ice climbing, dogsledding, showshoeing and more await at these closer-than-you-think locales.
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Seattle’s Big Holiday Arts Guide
A full lineup of seasonal performances across local theaters and venues.
In the words of William Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well.” Local theater and arts organizations are hoping for exactly that. Holiday productions often account for as much as half of their annual ticket sales. A 2018 Dance/USA survey found that The Nutcracker alone represented 48% of yearly revenue for many companies producing the Tchaikovsky…
Outside The Frame
In their first solo museum exhibition in Seattle, artist Camille Trautman uses photography to reclaim history, narrative, and self-expression.
You have probably seen Camille Trautman’s work without even realizing it. A huge photograph—20 feet wide—is currently hanging across the exterior of the Frye Art Museum, visible to passersby driving along Boren Avenue. The image is of a wooded landscape in black and white. Its edges are vacuous, with trees swallowed by darkness, but the…
Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square
A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.
The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…
Chit-Chat Kids
Phone a friend.
Twenty years ago, before everyone walked around with a device in their pocket, kids used to call each other on a landline—often tethered to the kitchen in their home. It was a simpler time, when parents didn’t have to worry (nearly as much) about a potential predator contacting their child. Nowadays, things are different, which…