It’s the ultimate Santa photo opportunity – tonight’s the one night every season Santa Claus makes an early visit to the Menashe Family‘s legendary Christmas-lights display, so kids can get those special seasonal photos with him. He brought reindeer too, and Mrs. Claus! They’re at 5605 Beach Drive SW until about 9:30 pm; bring a nonperishable donation for theWest Seattle Food Bank.
Tonight’s West Seattle Christmas-lights spotlight is a location we showed last year – with a completely different look. Last year the fence at 34th SW and SW Cambridge had big snowflake shapes; this year, it’s lights in light, as shown above. The photo is from Stephanie, who happened onto the display, and sent this photo from the same area:
If you’ve seen particularly lively lights – or have your own – tips welcome, with or without photos, at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! Scroll this WSB archive section to see what we’ve already shown.
Tonight’s spotlight falls on an example of the Halloween/Christmas decoration fusion that seems to become a bit more common each year. Scouting light sites for WSB, Cindi spotted this at 46th and Admiral, nicknaming it the ‘Gruesome Twosome.” Tomorrow, it’s back to Christmas characters, as we dig back into the stack of reader contributions – thanks to everybody who keeps sending those to westseattleblog@gmail.com!
Thanks to Don Rice for the photo of his famous West Seattle holiday display at 2128 47th SW [map], a tribute to “Charlie Brown Christmas.” Don notes, “Charlie Brown and his good friends…… they’re back. Charlie Brown’s first comic strip was 75 years ago this last October.” That strip, of course, is “Peanuts” by Charles Schulz. Don’s display has hit a milestone too, according to our records – this is the 50th year!
(Seen lights? Got lights? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thanks to everyone who’s been contributing!)
Thanks to Brian for tonight’s lights – they’re at 7130 Wright Avenue SW. Here’s a closer look:
More and more lights are popping up with sunbreaks between the storms – so we’re happy to keep getting tips, with or without photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com – go here to see what we’ve already shown.
Tonight’s Christmas lights spotlight: Eric‘s display at 5629 34th Avenue SW, which has become a tradition … evoking Christmas spirit a la “Miracle on 34th Street” even though here in West Seattle the numbered streets are Avenue. He also added the greeting to the image he’s sharing this year. Thanks to everyone who’s sending photos and/or tips – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Returning to our Christmas-light spotlights tonight after a weekend of tree lightings, the brightest balcony in West Seattle is aglow again! We’ve shown this North Admiral balcony on the west side of California near SW Atlantic before, but the decorators change things up, so it’s not a rerun (here’s another reader’s 2022 photo, for example, and a sparser-but-merry look in 2019). Thanks to Cindi for the photo; through Christmas, photos and/or tips are appreciated at westseattleblog@gmail.com, or texted to 206-293-6302 – thank you! (See past spotlights by scrolling through this WSB archive.)
That’s a one-minute preview of Derick‘s music-synched show, tonight’s holiday-season lights spotlight. Here’s his announcement:
Our annual holiday light show is now up and running – we’re located on the corner of 37th & Graham street [map]. As always, we’ve added more lights, new songs, and now viewers have the ability to control what song plays next – just scan the QR code by the Tune-To sign out front.
This year we’re also supporting a local West Seattle charity for kids – Fauntleroy Children’s Center. They’re in need of a school bus to transport kids around and we wanted to try to make that happen for them this holiday season. If you have the means, please consider donating to them – the kids/families they help are part of our West Seattle community. They’re a registered 501(c)(3) charity and all proceeds go directly to them – you can donate by visiting their PayPal.
Our show will run daily from sunset to 9pm through Dec 26th. If you have any questions you can visit our website: SeattleLightShow.com
The show is currently ~12 minutes long played straight through, but I have a couple of songs I’m still editing and will add later in the month.
If you have lights to recommend – whether your own, or someone else’s – please let us know at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thanks!
This time of year, Fauntlee Hills is one of West Seattle’s most-sparkling neighborhoods. While it’s early in the season, and you’ll probably see more displays once we’ve had another burst of clearer weather, we noticed some nice displays there already – the one above is near 41st SW and SW Trenton, while the one below is near 40th SW and SW Henderson:
The best access to Fauntlee Hills’ steep streets is turning northbound onto 40th or 41st off SW Barton, across from Fauntleroy Park [vicinity map]. Meantime, we’re amassing reader tips about lights to check out – if you have a suggestion, please email westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Out scouting Christmas lights again tonight, we wandered over to the Charlestown Standpipe (aka “water tower”) vicinity, where you’ll usually find several densely lit homes. A little early, maybe, as the only one we found in full force was this one on the west side of 40th just north of Charlestown.
We’ll visit again later in the season. Meantime, tips welcome if you have, or see, festive lights – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
Feliz Navidad – Happy Christmas – says one of the illuminated decorations at this house on the west side of 42nd SW, north of SW Graham. We noticed the yard’s many holiday characters all lit up earlier this week, before weather like today’s sunshine gave more people a chance to decorate. At this house, both sides of the front yard are filled with happiness:
We’re featuring local lights every night through Christmas – so if you have a display the community should see, and/or when you notice one, please let us know – photos appreciated but not necessary – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
… many a Christmas story is told in the Menashe Family‘s front yard at 5605 Beach Drive SW, which at this time of year offers up West Seattle’s brightest Christmas lights, from the tree tops to the sidewalk:
They’ve been switching to LEDs over the years so it’s not as energy-consuming as you might suspect. But it’s still enough to widen the eyes of kids – and grownups – who stop by to look. One particularly special night to visit will be Saturday, December 13, when Santa and reindeer will be there, starting at 6 pm. … In the meantime, we’ll be featuring holiday lights nightly through Christmas, so if you have one to recommend, please let us know – with or without pics – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
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Tomorrow is not only Thanksgiving, but also exactly four weeks until Christmas, which means time for nightly photos of West Seattle’s holiday lights here on WSB. We love showing photos of West Seattle’s best and brightest, whether you’re aiming for Menashe Family-level density (above is a photo sent by Cindi while they were starting setup earlier this week) or something a little subtler. With a rainless afternoon, we suspect more lights might have gone up today, so we’ll go scouting later this week, but we also welcome your photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com. You don’t have to include the exact address – just the block is fine (xx00 block of xx SW, for example) – as long as that’s enough info for light-sightseers to find it. (Scroll through this archive to see what we’ve featured in past years!)
We showed you dozens of Christmas-light displays this year, but one was missing – the “4040 House” was out of commission after major damage in the “bomb cyclone” storm; the photo above is from its 2023 show. The 4040 House’s owners asked us to share this message:
A heartfelt update from 4040 House:
We’ve been truly humbled by the amazing support from everyone in the community. Your kind words and offers of help have helped us cope with the shock and sadness caused by the bomb cyclone’s damage.
To everyone who donated to our GoFundMe — thank you! We’ve already reached over 50% of our goal and will officially close the campaign on January 2 (today – closed now).
Your generosity is making a real difference, allowing us to lock in discounts from our vendors and start rebuilding for 2025. Some of the replacement equipment has already arrived!
We can’t wait to return in October 2025 with our much-loved Halloween display, bigger and greater than ever.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you again, and here’s to a wonderful 2025 for us all!
One last Christmas-lights photo to spotlight, received tonight from roving photographer Theresa Arbow-O’Connor, a sighting in North Admiral. It joins our other spotlights in this WSB archive (where you can scroll through previous years’ lights too). Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
On this Christmas Eve, a decoration display that evokes the Christmas wish for “peace on Earth”:
This winter scene at the “Candy Cane Pole” will breathe a sense of stillness into your soul. With its crisp white forest and Deer a-grazing, you will be taken back to a simpler time. Can you spy Santa peeking out the window?
Stop and pause awhile at 6303 45th Ave SW
Mr and Mrs Winter Merriment
To see what we’ve shown previously, scroll through this WSB archive!
Thanks to Jeff for the Christmas Eve-Eve lights spotlight photo! He emailed to say: “For the young and young at heart. Merry Christmas, Mom!” This display is at 5420 40th SW and if you zoom in on the photo, you’ll see many familiar Christmas-character faces … Santa, Rudolph, “Bumble,” Frosty, Grinch, Snoopy, among others. We still have a few more in queue, so check in on Christmas Eve, Day, maybe beyond … and scroll through this archive to see what we’ve already shown!
A little rain doesn’t stop dedicated runners … like the ones in our photo, who showed up at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) tonight for a beloved tradition – the annual Christmas Lights Run. It’s one of countless running events that proprietors Tim and Lori McConnell – whose store will celebrate its 15th anniversary next spring – presented this year, including the Float Dodger 5K, the first-ever Halloween Lights Run, and Thanksgiving morning’s Gobble Gobble Run and food drive.
After a safety talk (and a moment to remember WSB co-founder Patrick Sand, who has been there to take the group photo at the start of so many previous Christmas Lights Runs), everyone headed out on a route the McConnells had planned:
P.S. Looking into 2025, West Seattle Runner’s free fitness programs get going right after New Year’s – Get Fit (January 2 info night), Full Fit (also January 2 info night), and Got Fit (January 8 info night).
Tonight’s Christmas-lights photos were sent by Deb, showing not one house, but several in the same block – 1900 block of Sunset Avenue in North Admiral. What they have in common: Trees with light-encrusted branches and/or trunks.
Still at least three showcase spots through Christmas, so we’re still welcoming photos/location suggestions – westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! (And scroll through our archive to see what we’ve shown already.)
Thanks to Yvonne for sending the photo! Here’s how she describes tonight’s featured lights, as seen on her walking route: “Here is a Santa sled taking off northbound from a snowy rooftop and there is a southbound holiday train on the front of the house complete with engine and caboose with festive laden cars inbetween. A fun display with 2 modes of transportation! Located on 32nd Ave. SW between SW Elmgrove and SW Kenyon Streets.” Still at least four more nights to showcase Christmas lights, so you still have time to suggest a location (with or without photo), westseattleblog@gmail.com or text 206-293-6302 – thank you! (See every display we’ve shown already by scrolling through this WSB archive.)
Though most of the decorated homes whose Christmas lights we show are houses, multifamily buildings can go all-out too. Every year we enjoy checking out the buildings on Alki Avenue; this week, this one in the 1500 block caught our attention. Others are well-lit too, so if you’re heading out to drive, ride, or walk to see the lights, consider Alki Avenue. (We still have a few showcase nights remaining until Christmas – send your suggestion, with or without a photo, to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!)
Pardon the paraphrase of the famous line from this display’s inspiration … actually, it’s a GREAT display as always:
Since no one had yet nominated West Seattle’s “Charlie Brown Christmas” display for this year’s WSB spotlights, we traveled to North Admiral tonight to check to see if it’s up again this year. And it is! The characters from the TV classic are once again mingled with lights.
You can see it firsthand in the 2100 block of 47th SW. When last we heard directly from the display’s creator, Don Rice, two years ago, he said that was its 47th year, so this year would be its 49th! (Got a display to suggest? With or without photos, email us at westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you! See what we’ve shown by scrolling through this WSB archive.)
These are reader-contributed daylight photos, but the sight’s a delight at night, at this house and others along the 4000 block stub of Fauntleroy Way SW that parallels the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge [vicinity map].
Multiple houses on the block are well-lit, many with characters and/or animations.
It’s one week until Christmas Eve – we’ll continue showing decorated homes nightly (balconies too if you’ve seen festively decked ones) – please send photos and/or locations to westseattleblog@gmail.com – and scroll through this archive to see what we’ve shown already – thank you!
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