[ONLINE EXCLUSIVE]
Every year, the last week of November serves as the first week-long break of the year for students. And this year, Seattle is featuring various activities during this Thanksgiving season.
Winterfest will have its twenty-third year in 2010 and will take place Nov. 26 – Dec. 31. This holiday festival always begins the day after Thanksgiving and culminates with a fireworks show by the Space Needle. Features of this festival include classic holiday foods, family activities, free concerts, holiday-themed exhibits and seasonal décor.
The Tree Lighting Celebration and Holiday Parade will take place this year on Nov. 26 at the Westlake Center in downtown Seattle. This annual tradition features a full day of activities. The Downtown Holiday Parade begins at 8:45 a.m. on 7th Ave. and ends at Macy’s for the official tree lighting celebration as well as the lighting of the Macy’s Star at 5:00 p.m. Fireworks will wrap up this exciting holiday occasion.
Seattle’s Marathon and Half-Marathon will be run on Nov. 26 and has become one of the top twenty-five races in the country. Both races start at 5th Ave. and Mercer Street near Seattle Center and go through downtown Seattle, ending at Memorial Stadium. The Seattle Marathon begins at 8:15 a.m. and the Half Marathon begins at 7:30 a.m. The 5k Race is on Nov. 27 and will start at 5th and Harrison at Seattle Center at 8:30 a.m.
The Green Lake Gobble and Mashed Potato Munch-Off is scheduled for Nov. 21 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at Green Lake Park. This will be a Thanksgiving-themed 5k run featuring a free kid’s dash. After the race, there will be an eight-person Mashed Potato Munch-Off competitive eating contest
A Thanksgiving Feast Tribute to Native Americans will be held at New Freeway Hall in Seattle on Nov. 25 at 2:00 p.m. This event will feature home-roast turkey, new world foods, table games and DVDs. Also, the Duwamish Tribe is holding a Native Holiday Gift Fair at the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center on Nov. 26 at 10:00 a.m. The gift fair will include fine art, native crafts, regalia, cards, jewelry, t-shirts, coffee, fry-bread, Indian Tacos, baked goods and more. Through this fair, patrons can buy directly from native artists and craft-persons.
KMTT 103.7 The Mountain and the Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley are holding their annual Thanksgiving engagement with the Taj Mahal Trio, performing Nov. 19 – 28. Multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal is a two-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century.
Wassa Dance is planning a fundraiser to be held on Thanksgiving Day from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at ARC School of Ballet in North Ballard. Funds raised at the event will help provide the seed money for a pilot project with Seattle-based non-profit Village Volunteers to benefit rural villagers living on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya.
Also, various restaurants will be offering Thanksgiving feasts this year including Seattle’s Ray’s Boathouse and Tacoma’s Pacific Grill.
These events are open to the public and promise to make a festive start to this holiday season. Happy holidays from The Puget Sound Trail!