Here's yet another blog about how things are different this year, but we have to make the best of it. How many times have we said that in the year 2020?
Anyway. Our subject this morning is Christmas lights (and the festivities that they inspire.)
Since we've been in a festive holiday mood around here since the beginning of November, we're more than ready to see some spectacular Christmas lights, and even though all the rules are different this year, there are still places you can take your family to see beautiful, giant, breathtaking displays of lights.
When I lived in West Seattle, the go-to local spot was the Menashe Family Lights on Beach Drive. I don't have a firm yes or no on that one yet, or on Candy Cane Lane in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood -- another long time tradition that may or may not survive the pandemic.
What I do know is that there are still lots of places to check out Christmas light displays in Seattle and around the Sound, and in many cases enjoy some additional holiday fun while you're at it.
For starters, after making it possible for us to enjoy fair food even though there was no fair this fall, those creative, resourceful people at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup have come up with another brilliant concept: Holiday Magic at the Fair.
Starting December 4, you'll be able to take the family on a drive-through experience that ticks pretty much all the holiday boxes: Festive holiday lights, a hot cocoa bar on Candy Cane Lane, your favorite fair foods, a scavenger hunt you can do from your car . . . and all you need to do is reserve a spot on their website. (They charge by the car, so the more the merrier.)
Two good places to start are the two major zoos around Puget Sound. The Woodland Park Zoo's WildLanterns updates their long-time WildLights show with 300 lanterns creating more than 60 scenes portraying wild animals in their habitats.
Meanwhile, down in the South Sound, there's Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. This one doesn't start until after Thanksgiving, but when it gets going, you'll see fantastic displays created from 700,000 LED lights.
Both zoos are limiting the number of people on the grounds at any given time, so click through to their websites for all the specifics.
Way up north in Stanwood, there's a drive-though option in Snohomish County that's made for these pandemic times: The Lights of Christmas will dozzle you with more than a million lights while you and your family listen to Christmas music from the comfort and safety of your car.
If you're just not up for stringing your own lights yet, Bellevue, Spanaway, and downtown Seattle have options for you as well. Just remember that some of these don't start until later in November, so if you really crave those colored lights, you may have to DIY after all.
Stay safe out there, and on your way to these holiday extravaganzas, keep the holiday favorites going with The New 94.1 The Sound of Christmas!