Community Calendar

Childhood's End Gallery presents "Animal Dreams", a solo exhibition of Olympia artist Kristen Etmund. Known for her work bridging the precision of traditional relief printmaking with the organic textures of nature, Kristen draws her inspiration from the flora, fauna, and shifting atmospheres of the Puget Sound region.

November 21, 2025 – January 11, 2026
Artist Reception: November 22, 2026 3-5pm

childhoods-end-gallery.com

Childhood’s End Gallery
222 4th Ave W
Olympia WA 98501

FREE

Climb aboard the Imagination Express for train-themed fun December 20th through January 4th! Young engineers can go full steam ahead with hands-on engineering, art, and dream building. Each stop brings brand-new adventures. Go full STEAM ahead in the MakeSpace, get crafty in Art Studio Junction, and visit the Tinker Toyland at East Bay Depot. From crafty conductors to future inventors, everyone’s ticket includes imagination and discovery! 

• Craft heartfelt, handmade gifts for loved ones
• Explore how trains move people, goods, and ideas
• Meet costumed characters, The Grinch & Cindy Lou Who (Dec. 20)
• Meet unicorns with PNW Unicorns (Dec. 27)

We close at 3 pm on Christmas Eve
Closed on Christmas

https://bit.ly/HOCMNoonYears

Connect to a world of sparkling lights, amusements and spirited entertainment at Seattle Center Winterfest, presented by Symetra, Nov. 28 – Dec. 31, 2025 happening in-person on our grounds. Throughout the five weeks of Winterfest, those in search of uplifting seasonal spirit or delightful diversion will find seasonal decor, ice sculpting, our Winter Train & Village, weekend entertainment on the Armory Stage, and a New Year's Eve Celebration.

Seattle Christmas Market
From November 20 to December 24 the Fisher Pavilion and South Fountain Lawn at Seattle Center will be transformed into a European-inspired outdoor Christmas village and community marketplace. A true feast for the senses with festive decorations, daily live entertainment, sweet and savory treats, hot chocolate and Glühwein (hot mulled wine), and beautifully handcrafted gifts at over 60 local and international vendors, the Seattle Christmas Market is the perfect place to celebrate the magic of the holiday season.

Winter Train & Village
Delight in viewing a late 19th-century model train and village display, installed inside the Armory Food & Event Hall. This annual tradition has been on display for nearly 50 years! The public is invited to take a turn operating the train, or interact by participating in our Scavenger Hunt. Pick up your entry sheet at the Train Station, and see how many clues you can spot. The train operates 10am to 6pm daily from November 28th through December 31st. Visitors are invited to operate the train between 10:30am and 5:30pm. Donations accepted to keep the train operating. Audio description and accessible transcripts for the display available from the Yard Boss at the Train Station.

Winterfest World Bazaar presented by Festál
Shop for your holiday gifts at this special World Bazaar, offering goods created by local BIPOC artists, and curated by community partners. Browse a rotating roster of vendors on weekends, noon to 6pm between November 28th and December 21st. Check out our event calendar for list of vendors on each day.

Symetra Ice Spectacle
Our weekly Ice Sculpting series is back! Watch as acclaimed carvers create original sculptures made of ice each Saturday during Winterfest starting at 12pm at Mural Amphitheatre. Artists include Chan Kitburi, Janson Iwakami and James Royal.

More information at: https://www.seattlecenter.com/events/featured-events/winterfest

The Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink presented by Symetra returns for its 28th year! The region’s largest ice-skating experience boasts over 9,000 square feet of real ice in a fully covered, open-air venue at Bellevue Downtown Park. Join for a season of festive fun featuring free skate lessons courtesy of Microsoft, themed skate nights, on-site concessions, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned skater or a novice eager to learn, get ready to bundle up for an unforgettable time on the ice.

Garden d’Lights is a dazzling holiday tradition that transforms the Bellevue Botanical Garden into a magical wonderland of over half a million sparkling lights in whimsical shapes of plants, flowers, birds, animals, and cascading waterfalls, all set amid the Garden’s natural beauty. Now celebrating its 31st year, this beloved family event continues to enchant visitors with festive charm and imaginative displays.

Join us for CASINO de SALSA with the incredible Takechi Ruiz, Wednesdays at 6 PM! No partner? No problem. Just bring your energy and we’ll bring the rhythm. 💥

Let’s make some 🔥 moves together.

Location: Tacoma - 1105 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, WA
Day: Every Wednesday
Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Ages: Ages 12+
Registration Link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=532322&preLoadClassID=20477009

Contact: 253-327-1873

This New Year's Eve, leave basic behind and step into a night of unapologetic queer extravagance. EAT THE RICH is not just a party—it's a revolutionary toast to queer joy, chosen family, and the fabulous future we demand.

Sink your teeth into a full-course experience featuring:
A decadent dinner
Dazzling drag performances
Gut-busting queer comedy
A live band to heat things up
A DJ spinning until you forget capitalism
A midnight burlesque spectacular that'll make your jaw drop
Dress like the elite we’re feasting on—opulence, rebellion, and unrepentant glam encouraged. This isn’t just NYE, darling. It’s a riot in heels.

Come hungry. Leave legendary.

AfroCuban Dance is HERE and you’re invited!

Experience the roots, rhythms, and soul of AfroCuban dance with the phenomenal Takechi Ruiz every Wednesday at 7:15 PM.

This is more than a class, it’s a celebration of culture, community, and movement. Perfect for all levels. Let’s move!

Location: Tacoma -1105 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Day: Wednesdays
Timed: 7:15 – 8:15 PM
Age: Ages 12+
Contact: 253-327-1783

Registration Link: https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/regv2.asp?id=532322&preLoadClassID=20477009

Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.

His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”