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Holidays 2535 results

NEW YEAR’S EVE: West Seattle band THEM to play at the city’s biggest party
December 18, 2023 3:19 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(Photo courtesy THEM)

There is no more-iconic place to spend New Year’s Eve in Seattle than the Space Needle – and that’s exactly where the West Seattle band THEM will be on Sunday night, December 31. Ellie from THEM emailed us with the news that they’ll be featured on the KING 5 “New Year’s at the Needle” broadcast: “We would just love to get as many people watching the broadcast as possible! It sounds like we will be playing a few songs, right around 11:45 pm, when the fireworks/drone show start. We will be performing on the revolving glass floor right at the top of the Needle!” THEM has been ascending since debuting two years ago after forming at Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor), when Ellie and bandmates Hudson, Maia, and Thompson were all still teenagers. If you haven’t seen/heard THEM, you can sample their music via channels including YouTube.

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HOLIDAY BIZNOTE: Discount trees
December 18, 2023 1:53 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

Still need a Christmas tree but missed Holy Rosary‘s half-price sale on Saturday? They’re closed for the season now (as is Trees by the Sea on Alki) but a few other places still have trees, including West Seattle Nursery (California/Brandon), which just sent word that they’ve cut prices on their trees by 30 percent. We’ve been keeping the tree-lot list updated in our Holiday Guide all season, so we’ll be checking on other sellers’ status later in the week.

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VIDEO: Perfect night for West Seattle Runner’s 2023 Christmas Light Run
December 17, 2023 9:31 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS & Sports

No rain, no snow, no sub-freezing temperatures – perfect weather as the group above headed out on the annual Christmas Light Run coordinated by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor):

WSR proprietors Lori and Tim McConnell mapped the run along a route they said would take runners past everything from a yard with more than a dozen inflatable Santas to the Gai Family‘s Madonna.

The shop offers multiple free events every month, including group runs every week. (Last one of the year will be an early New Year’s celebration, 8 am Saturday, December 30th, with champagne and sparkling cider toasts afterward.) In the New Year, WSR also will start another free Get Fit “couch to half-marathon” training series, beginning with an info night at 6:30 pm January 3rd – email lori@westseattlerunner.com with questions.

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FREE: Need a tree? Holy Rosary’s leftovers up for grabs
December 17, 2023 3:41 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

Sent by Holy Rosary School:

The Holy Rosary tree lot is closed for the season. About a dozen trees have been leaned against the retaining wall on the Holy Rosary playground. These are free trees that need to find a home.

You’ll find them on the north side of the school, off 42nd SW between Genesee and Dakota.

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WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Holiday Makers’ Market in North Delridge
December 17, 2023 12:46 pm
|    Comments Off on WEST SEATTLE SCENE: Holiday Makers’ Market in North Delridge
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Inside a vintage commercial building that is currently home to a photography studio, you’ll find the first Sweet Reel Makers’ Market until 4 pm. Your host at 5001 Delridge Way SW is photographer Angie Norwood Browne:

The cozy space is hosting 11 makers and artists – the needle-felted animals by Paula Wittmann caught our eye, including ornaments:

The West Seattle Art Walk‘s former longtime coordinator, artist Reeve Washburn, is there with her work too:

The listing for the market also promised “trinkets” – we noticed vintage china and jewelry:

(The building is vintage too – we mentioned it in 2021, when renovations briefly uncovered a “ghost sign.”) For more info on the market, including the list of artists/makers participating, see our calendar listing.

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SUNDAY: West Seattle Runner’s Christmas Light Run (updated with route)
December 16, 2023 9:19 pm
|    Comments Off on SUNDAY: West Seattle Runner’s Christmas Light Run (updated with route)
 |   Holidays | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)(WSB photo – 2022’s Christmas Light Run participants. Will you be in this year’s photo?)

9:19 PM: One more Christmas-lights note … tomorrow’s the night you can join West Seattle neighbors and friends on a casual run to go see some brightly lit West Seattle homes: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) presents its annual Christmas Light Run! Gather at the shop (2743 California SW) by 5 pm Sunday (December 17). If you haven’t already seen it in our Event Calendar and Holiday Guide, here’s what it’s all about:

Come for our fun annual tradition! We will map out a 2.5-to 3=mile route that is lit! Wear your reflective gear, head lamps, strands of lights, and festive gear!! Elves, Santas, dogs, kids, walkers and runners welcome. This is an easypaced group run to look at the festive lights. We will gather at the shop afterward for nog, cider, hot chocolate, and cookies. We are hoping someone will lead carols this year finally? We look forward to seeing you. Merry Merry!

11:25 PM: Here’s the route.

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WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: C & P Coffee’s Holiday Craft Fair
December 16, 2023 10:53 am
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

Every holiday season, C & P Coffee (5612 California; WSB sponsor) opens its doors to local artists and crafters to sell their work, and today’s the day. Among this year’s participants is local artist Jennifer Carrasco, participating in the C & P fair one last time:

She’s scaling down what’s been a prolific painting career. Other sights include these wood figures by Josh and Jim from Vashon Island:

And nature-inspired art by Alma from A Wild Braid:

See what treasures you find by visiting the C & P fair before 2 pm.

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UPDATE: No Christmas tree yet? Two things to know
December 16, 2023 3:35 am
|    Comments Off on UPDATE: No Christmas tree yet? Two things to know
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

If you’re planning to tree-shop this weekend, two updates to the lot list in our West Seattle Holiday Guide:

(WSB photo, Holy Rosary lot last month)

HOLY ROSARY TREE LOT: Today (Saturday, December 16) is your last chance to shop this lot on the north side of the Holy Rosary campus (42nd SW between Dakota and Genesee):

Last day for the Holy Rosary tree lot. Still a good selection of fresh trees, wreaths, garland, and Hope Lutheran’s poinsettias. Opens 9 AM and closes when all items have sold. Stop on in and support the West Seattle Food Bank by bringing 5 cans of food and getting $5 off.

A portion of the lot’s proceeds go to nonprofits including WSFB. AFTERNOON UPDATE: As of noon, everything is half-price!

TREES BY THE SEA: The tree lot on Alki sold out earlier this week and is now closed for the season.

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GRATITUDE: Providence Mount St. Vincent gets pre-Christmas gift delivery
December 15, 2023 10:33 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

The photo is from Providence Mount St. Vincent, which welcomed a special pre-Christmas gift delivery today:

The Nucor team is hereby decreed to be THE best Santa’s elves this side of the North Pole as they deliver once again carloads of gifts and support to help make Christmas bright for the residents and caregivers of Providence Mount St. Vincent! This annual tradition yet again showcases the tremendous generosity of Nucor as they help so many in need throughout West Seattle.

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WEEKEND PREVIEW: ‘Festival of Trees,’ with themes from humor to hope
December 15, 2023 3:35 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Fauntleroy | Holidays | West Seattle news

What if Rudolph had the night off? That’s the theme of this tree we admired while visiting the Fauntleroy UCC Festival of Trees on its first public-display night earlier this week.

Another tree that might make you smile … the one with a Costco theme:

And then there’s the tree decked with hopes for peace, in many languages:

The festival doubles as a food drive – bring nonperishable food to donate and leave it under your favorite tree to “vote” for it. During our visit, this tree was the front-runner:

We learned that’s because it’s the entry from Alki UCC and that apparently brought a concentrated voting effort! In addition to the food drive, you can also have fun with a scavenger hunt while you’re there – check the 13 trees in the church Fellowship Hall for certain words or items. It’s open to viewing Saturday night, 6-7 pm, at 9140 California SW – right before the church’s free Christmas concert.

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VIDEO: West Seattle Art Walk, 2023 holiday edition!
December 14, 2023 5:32 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Holidays | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

5:32 PM: Hectic night for Santa Claus as the holiday edition of the West Seattle Art Walk begins. You’ll find him first at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor). It’s one of the official stops on the Art Walk list/map:

WS Realty also is showing the work of artist Brandi Quinn, who works in mixed media/acrylic. In Admiral, two other spots are offering extras tonight – here’s the map and list of Admiral participants:

West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW) is also where you’ll find Sue Quigley, one of the three musicians performing mini-concerts for The Art of Music, 6-7:30 pm, as featured here. We’re headed southbound to The Junction, where starting at 6 pm, the Silver Belles will be singing, the Better As Brass Band will be blowing their horns, and that busy Santa guy will be roaming. More coverage to come.

5:54 PM: Above is Michael Doyle, one of the artists at a Holiday Bazaar inside Easy Street Records (4559 California SW) during the Art Walk. He’s selling “fun whimsical postcards and greeting cards,” plus art prints and original painting.” Jet City Beignet also is in the house. And ESR has tunes, too – “DJs Fishlure and Mike Steve – spinning all your holiday favorites.” … A bit south, Thoa Nguyen is the featured artist at ArtsWest (4711 California SW; WSB sponsor), in the gallery until 7 pm:

Her paintings are on display at ArtsWest until January 8th.

6:30 PM: We found Santa in The Junction, stopping by VAIN West Seattle (4513 California SW):

VAIN is showcasing fragrance tonight – with The Phoenix and The Fool, as well as the Seattle Perfumers Discovery Set (among the participants in that set is WSB sponsor Filigree & Shadow). Like most of tonight’s artist-reception events, this one continues until 8 pm … At CAPERS (4511 California SW), two artists are in the spotlight tonight, including glass artist Melissa Misoda:

We’ve also caught up with the Silver Belles carolers and Better As Brass band – video of both when we get back to HQ.

8:32 PM: Here’s part of an original song that was in the Silver Belles’ repertoire tonight:

And Better As Brass is in our clip with part of a TV-show classic:

BAB is scheduled to be in The Junction again next Thursday night too, for the season’s final Shop Late Thursday.

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VIDEO: Grand Menorah lit at Alki Beach on Hanukkah’s final night
December 14, 2023 4:44 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

(WSB photos)

This is the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, and the second year the Torah Learning Center of West Seattle has lit a 12-foot-high Grand Menorah at Alki Beach. Rabbi Eli Duban climbed a ladder with a tiki torch to set the eight lights – one for each night – ablaze:

He spoke briefly about the light of the Jewish spirit triumphing over antisemitism, and had words of gratitude (update: here’s the video):

The gathering also had a festive note, with songs and treats (jelly donuts and chocolate coins).

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HOLIDAY GIVING: Last call for some West Seattle drives
December 14, 2023 9:54 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

Throughout the season, our <West Seattle Holiday Guide features a list of local donation drives that welcome your help. Some of them are about to wrap up so that the beneficiary organizations have time to get the gifts to recipients, so we’re nudging you in case you’ve been meaning to drop something off. Here are three that are about to conclude:

JOY DRIVE FOR WESTSIDE BABY AT VILLAGE GREEN: Through today, Village Green West Seattle (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) is collecting items for WestSide Baby – see this flyer for the wish list. Bring donations to Building 2 (The Hearthside).

TREEHOUSE DONATION DRIVE AT ALKI BIKE AND BOARD: Tomorrow is the last day for this drive.You can go here to see what Alki Bike and Board (2606 California SW; WSB sponsor) is collecting. One request: “Please make sure all items are NEW or in GREAT used condition.”

ADOPT-A-FAMILY ASSISTANCE: Also concluding tomorrow: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has adopted a family for holiday help – details here.

Some others have later deadlines, and our Holiday Guide list also includes some requests for monetary donations. Any last-minute additions? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

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THURSDAY: Bonus sights and sounds during West Seattle Art Walk’s holiday edition!
December 12, 2023 10:12 pm
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 |   Holidays | West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news

Santa! Carolers! Mini-concerts! And … artists! That’s all in the plan for Thursday night’s holiday edition of the West Seattle Art Walk.

From Alki to Admiral to The Junction to Morgan Junction, dozens of venues will either be featuring artists or food/drink specials, as the list above shows. Beyond that, you’ll find holiday extras – plus three mini-concerts for The Art of Music.

(WSB photo: Santa in The Junction during 2022’s holiday Art Walk)

HOLIDAY EXTRAS IN THE JUNCTION: The Silver Belles caroling, Santa Claus roaming, the Better as Brass band playing at the KeyBank corner, and Shop Late Thursday at participating stores.

HOLIDAY EXTRAS IN ADMIRAL: Hot cocoa and ornament-making at West Seattle Grounds (2141 California SW), Santa Claus meet-and-greet at West Seattle Realty (2715 California SW; WSB sponsor), and an ugly sweater tournament at Soiree (3278 California SW).

THE ART OF MUSIC: All three of these performances are scheduled for 6 pm-7:45 pm:

Sue Quigley at West Seattle Grounds
Rik Wright‘s Fundamental Forces at Great American Diner (4752 California SW)
Matt Cecil at Zeeks Pizza (6459 California SW)

As for the art – scroll through the preview post on the Art Walk website to see who’s showing their work – for example, if you’re going to West Seattle Grounds for the music and/or holiday extras mentioned above, you’ll see orca photos by PNW Orca Pod Squad Photography …. muralist Desmond Hansen will be at John L. Scott West Seattle (4445 California SW) … glass art by Melissa Misoda is part of what’ll be featured at CAPERS (4511 California SW) … browse and buy work by multiple artists at Jet City Labs (4547 California SW) plus gift-wrapping by Clay Cauldron (5-8 pm) … Most artist receptions will be 5-8 pm, but doublecheck with individual venues. Again, this is all happening Thursday (December 14) … see you out along the Art Walk!

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HELPING: WestSide Baby hosts big volunteer turnout for Sip & Sort
December 12, 2023 5:32 pm
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 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news | White Center

West Seattleite-founded, White Center-headquartered WestSide Baby is hosting a big party of sorts right now – more than 90 volunteers RSVP’d for tonight’s Sip and Sort event. The turnout included groups from Holy Rosary and Eastside-based Trupanion.

The sorting involves donated items – WestSide Baby can always use help sorting them for distribution to clients and partners, ultimately helping thousands of local families.

As featured in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide‘s “Giving Opportunities” section, you’re invited to help WS Baby this season too – you can donate diapers, new/gently used children’s clothing, and/or money, or host a “Joy Drive“ of your own! (Or volunteer.)

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HOLIDAY GIVING: Skunk Works Robotics ‘engineers of tomorrow’ need $ today
December 12, 2023 8:32 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

In that short video, you’ll see and hear the students of Skunk Works Robotics 1983, an organization we’ve told you about before, serving youth in West Seattle and beyond. As one of the West Seattle participants, Jonah, explains, “Skunk Works is truly amazing. I have learned or improved so many skills like leadership, computer aided design (CAD), communication/presentation skills and so many more. We also teach programming, fabrication, data analysis, and electrical skills, plus many other soft skills. All this is taught by building a robot in 6 weeks and then competing at multiple competitions across Washington and the United States.” Getting ready for, and going to, those competitions costs money. Skunk Works launched a fundraiser for Giving Tuesday, and while we missed the chance to tell you about it then, they’re keeping it open through the holidays – you can donate here.

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Missed the GLOWS community-art projections? Encore all week!
December 11, 2023 7:13 pm
|    Comments Off on Missed the GLOWS community-art projections? Encore all week!
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

(WSB photo, Saturday night, projected art by B Anthony Nelson)

If you weren’t at Saturday night’s GLOWS (Glorious Lights of West Seattle) festival in The Junction to see the community-created art – you have another chance: All week, the projections continue on the south-facing wall of Alaska House (the apartment building bordering Junction Plaza Park). We don’t have the exact hours but we went through The Junction around 6:30 pm and the projections, with the artists’ name and their creations, were already under way. West Seattle Junction Association executive director Chris Mackay says they’re working on making the art available online, too.

P.S. If you skipped the festival, you also missed an hour of amazing holiday performances by an all-star group of local singers and musicians – we have 10 clips, plus the set list, in this report.

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HOLIDAY HELPING: Last-minute need for volunteers @ holiday party Wednesday
December 11, 2023 5:09 pm
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 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

If you could give a few hours Wednesday afternoon, Neighborhood House asked us to share this last-minute call for holiday-party help:

Volunteer at Neighborhood House
December 13 | 2 – 5 pm

The Winter Wonderland event is Neighborhood House’s winter celebration for children and their families living in the West Seattle High Point area. The event provides a fun space for children and their families to engage outside the preschool classroom.

We’re seeking 20 volunteers to set up the event, help with children activities, serve food, and clean up. Link to sign up: x.gldn.io/e/lQmiqI30hFb

Neighborhood House is at 6400 Sylvan Way SW.

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VIDEO: Kol HaNeshamah’s pop-up Hanukkah gathering in The Junction
December 10, 2023 8:13 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

For a second consecutive night, Junction Plaza Park was the setting for a winter-holiday lighting ceremony – last night a Christmas tree, tonight a Hanukkah menorah. This is the fourth night of the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Despite this being a “time of rising antisemitism around the world,” as Kol HaNeshamah Rabbi Sabine Meyer described it – as a security guard stood watch on the park’s edge – her congregation was there again this year to be “visibly Jewish” and to take a stand for freedom:

Along with candle-lighting, the progressive synagogue offered donuts to any and all in attendance:

Orin Reynolds led Hanukkah songs including these two:

West Seattle has one more public Hanukkah celebration scheduled this year – the Torah Learning Center of West Seattle plans to light its giant menorah on Alki at (updated) 4 pm Thursday, the eighth and final night.

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WEST SEATTLE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Sight to the south
December 10, 2023 4:41 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle Christmas lights | West Seattle news

There’s light at the end of the calendar tunnel … we are now at the earliest sunset point (rounded, 4:17 pm) and next Friday (December 15), it starts getting later (rounded, 4:18 pm). The sunrise, though, doesn’t start getting earlier until January 7th. Meantime, we have holiday lights to keep things bright. The photo above is from Stacey: “We are in White Center and have lots of Christmas lights. I’m not sure if we are too far from WS. 11343 4th Pl SW.” Yes, we do feature lights just outside the city limits a couple times per season! Keep the West Seattle and vicinity tips coming – with or without photos/video – at westseattleblog@gmail.com; scroll through this archive to see what we’ve already shown (and previous years, too).

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WEEKEND SCENE: Toys For Tots drive at West Seattle Fire Station 32
December 10, 2023 11:52 am
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 |   Holidays | How to help | West Seattle news

Another holiday donation drive in The Junction – this one until 1 pm at Seattle Fire Station 32 in The Triangle (38th/Alaska). There you’ll find U.S. Marines on behalf of Toys For Tots, accepting new, unwrapped toys – and, this year for the first time, nonperishable food. In our photo are Lance Corporal Boze, Private First Class Camacho, and Lance Corporal Nguyen.

P.S. If you can’t get to this collection point, other drives with at least a few days left are listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – scroll down to Giving Opportunities!

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WEEKEND SCENE: Holiday giving @ West Seattle Junction Cocoa and Coat Drive
December 10, 2023 11:02 am
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | How to help | Kiwanis Club of West Seattle | West Seattle news

Right now at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, volunteers from the Kiwanis Club await your donations of coats and warm clothing! Until 1:30 this afternoon, their booth at the south end of the market, right past the barricades at California/Alaska, is headquarters for the West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Cocoa and Coat Drive – cocoa for donors! Everything collected goes to the people helped by the West Seattle Food Bank. (Our photo shows all the donations from the first filled barrel being offloaded so there’s room for more!)

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REPORT #3: West Seattle musical All-Stars’ holiday tunes at GLOWS
December 10, 2023 4:03 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

That was a curtain call of sorts for local musicians who were part of a musical showcase during The Junction’s GLOWS festival that could have been an event all its own – an assemblage of “West Seattle All-Stars” led by Jay Cates, performing holiday songs for about an hour right before the tree lighting and projected-art show. For the finale, Ayron Jones – soon to head out on a world tour – with a wistful rendition of “Silent Night“:

Some holiday history, with The Sonics‘ “Santa Claus” performed by Scott Helgason, David Cinnamon, and Zach Rourke here’s a sample:

Tomo Nakayama took on “White Christmas“:

And then there was “Blue Christmas” by BB Jones and Peder Nelson of Sulk:

The inescapable classic “All I Want for Christmas” sung by Z:

Rachael Reis, Billy Joe Huels, and friends with “Santa Baby“:

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” promised Cameron Lavi-Jones of King Youngblood:

B Anthony Nelson and Johnny Nails delivered a bluesy “Run Run Rudolph“:

Cates – who credited Nelson with producing the All-Star assemblage – contributed “Winter Wonderland”:

And our last clip features Cates and “Voice of the Mariners” Tom Hutyler dueting on “Little Drummer Boy“:

That’s not even the entirety of the show – but enough to give you an idea of what an epic holiday concert it turned out to be. (Asterisks mark a few performers whose names we didn’t catch – we hope to fix that by obtaining a list ASAP.)

MONDAY UPDATE: We’ve replaced those asterisks with names – here’s the set list; here’s the slide deck of performer names with QR codes you can use to find out more about them.

Earlier coverage: Festival’s first two hours – including video of Endolyne Children’s Choir, West Seattle School of Rock, and ArtsWest‘s “Snowed In” cast – covered here; the tree lighting and art projection, here.

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