The Ultimate Guide to the Holidays in Snohomish County (2026)
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
What are the best holiday events in Snohomish County in 2026? Tulalip Lights & Ice (Nov 21 to Jan 10), the Edmonds Tree Lighting (Nov 28), and the Mill Creek Santa Parade and Bothell's lighting of Lucky (both Dec 5) top the list.
Every December, the same thing happens. You hear about the tree lighting the morning after it happened, the Nutcracker sells out while you're still deciding which weekend works, and the u-cut farm you meant to visit is picked down to the Charlie Brown specials.
This year, you get a head start. I put together a free guide to the holidays in Snohomish County, from Mill Creek and Bothell to Edmonds, Snohomish and Everett. It's the list I'd hand a friend who just moved here, or a longtime local who wants to do more than drive past the same lights again.
Below are the dates worth circling now. The full guide has the rest: a holiday bucket list, where to cut your own tree, where to shop and eat locally, and a few easy getaways.
These are the events people ask me about every year. The ticketed ones go fast, so plan early.
Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
Nov 21 to Jan 10 | Tulalip Amphitheatre, Quil Ceda Village | |
Nov 27, 2 to 8 PM | Downtown Everett | |
Nov 27 to Dec 28 | Warm Beach Camp, Stanwood | |
Nov 27 to Dec 24, 7 PM nightly | The Bellevue Collection, Bellevue | |
Nov 28, 3 to 5 PM | Centennial Plaza, Edmonds | |
Nov 29, 3 PM | Everett Civic Auditorium | |
Dec 5, 4 PM | Mill Creek Town Center | |
Dec 5, 5 PM | Main St, Downtown Bothell | |
Dec 11 to 13 | Olympic Ballet Theatre | |
Dec 13 & 14 | Edmonds Center for the Arts | |
Dec 17 to 22 | The Nutcracker, Olympic Ballet | Edmonds Center for the Arts |
Check Edmonds Center for the Arts for Nutcracker tickets, and the City of Mill Creek for parade details as the day gets closer.
Snohomish County does lights well. Here are three worth a cold evening.
More than 10 million lights, and it's free to stroll. Quil Ceda Village lists light viewing from 4 to 10 PM daily, Nov 21 through Jan 10. Skating and food are paid separately. Leashed, well-behaved dogs are welcome, so bring the pup and a thermos.
Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood is in year 30, with a new walking format, over a million lights, a Christmas market and costumed characters. Tickets must be bought in advance, so book before you load up the car.
This grand fir has anchored Bothell's holidays since the early 1930s and survived two downtown fires. Santa arrives by fire truck to light him on Dec 5, and he stays lit nightly through New Year's. Pair him with dinner on Main Street.
Up for a short road trip? Snowflake Lane at The Bellevue Collection kicks off Nov 27 and runs nightly at 7 PM through Dec 24. It's a free holiday parade of floats, and parking in The Bellevue Collection garages is free too. Plan on about 30 minutes from Mill Creek, depending on how I-405 is feeling that night.
If your idea of a real tree involves a handsaw and a little mud, Snohomish County has you covered. The guide includes opening dates, addresses and a pro tip for each of these four farms:
Rather skip the saw? Donna's Trees has sold precut trees from its Bothell lot for years, right across the street from Burgermaster on the Bothell Everett Highway. The business has been family owned since 1970. This year's dates aren't posted yet, so stay tuned to their website.
Before you go, measure your ceiling and subtract a foot for the stand and the star. Bring gloves, a tarp and rope, and give the trunk a fresh cut before it goes in water.
If you have little ones, or a dog who considers himself one, these are the outings that tend to become traditions:
For the four-legged crowd, Tulalip Lights & Ice welcomes leashed dogs, and Christmas at the Farm in Snohomish is dog friendly with free admission.
The blog covers the headline dates. The guide is where the good stuff lives:
Download the free Snohomish County Holiday Guide
Is Tulalip Lights & Ice free? Yes. Walking the lights at Quil Ceda Village is free. Ice skating and food are paid separately, and lights run daily from Nov 21 through Jan 10.
When is the Mill Creek tree lighting in 2026? Mill Creek's Santa Parade starts at 4 PM on Saturday, Dec 5, with the tree lighting following at Mill Creek Town Center. Bothell lights Lucky the same evening at 5 PM, so you can catch one and possibly both.
Where can I cut my own Christmas tree near Mill Creek? The closest u-cut farms are in the Snohomish River valley, about a 20-minute drive. Christmas at the Farm Dairyland, Long's Christmas Trees and Stocker Farms are all in Snohomish, and Farmer Brown's is in Arlington. Prefer precut? Donna's Trees sets up its lot in Bothell on the Bothell Everett Highway.
Whether you've lived in Snohomish County for 30 years or 30 days, there's something on this list you haven't done yet. Grab the free guide, pick a weekend, and go make a memory or two.
And if your holiday plans include thinking about a move in the new year, I'm happy to talk it through. You don't have to be ready to buy or sell to reach out. Call or text me at 206.920.6500.
Becca Locke is a Real Estate Advisor serving Mill Creek, Bothell, Edmonds, and Snohomish County with over 20 years of experience and 500+ closed transactions. Specializing in first-time purchases, downsizing and rightsizing transactions, and cross-country relocations to the Mill Creek and Bothell area. Locke Real Estate at Real Broker LLC. Washington license #23740. Top 2% of NWMLS agents. beccalocke.com | 206.920.6500
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Whether you're buying your first home, selling the one you've outgrown, or relocating to the Snohomish County area, you deserve an advisor who knows this market from the inside out. I've lived in Mill Creek for 13 years, sold 500+ homes across the greater Puget Sound region, and built a practice around one thing: making sure my clients make confident, informed decisions. Whether you're a first-time buyer navigating a competitive Snohomish County market, a homeowner ready to sell and move on, or relocating to the Pacific Northwest and trying to figure out where to land, I bring the same thing to every situation: deep local knowledge, honest guidance, and a process that keeps you informed from start to finish.
