The happiest time of the year is here and the Olympic Peninsula is all a-twinkle and a-jingle, ready for you to make joyful memories and delight in this season's festivities.
We invite you to join us for any of our numerous small-town holiday celebrations as we lay a ring of lights from east to west. Santa makes his rounds in our towns, listening to the children's wishes and casting cheerful greetings wherever he goes. Area theaters are bustling with holiday shows. Our local merchants will warmly welcome you and help you find just the right gift items for your loved ones. At the end of the day, unwind with a libation and enjoy some of our inspired eateries. Tuck in to one of our welcoming accommodations with everything you want for some well-deserved time to recharge.
We wish you a joyful holiday season and invite you to spend part of it with us here on the Olympic Peninsula celebrating with friends and family. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Marsha Massey, Executive Director
Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau
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Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Holiday Lights | Blyn, WA
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Check out what's happening on the Olympic Peninsula this month.
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UNIQUE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES
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Third Beach | Olympic National Park
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Why not celebrate the holidays doing something different this year? Bundle up and go outside to experience nature in its winter beauty. Go for a walk on a trail you've never hiked before. Experience our wild beaches when you have them nearly to yourself. Consider starting a new family tradition by cutting your own Christmas tree on Olympic National Forest lands. Discover winter snow sports in Olympic National Park. Here are a couple of ways to "opt outside" this holiday season:
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Photo courtesy of Ashley Courter Photography
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For that very special holiday tree, consider cutting your own in the Olympic National Forest. A tree permit can be obtained at either the Pacific or the Hood Canal Ranger Districts or the Supervisor's office in Olympia. A permit is $5 per tree, with a five-tree max per household. Permits can be obtained until December 24 from the Hood Canal Ranger District 360.765.2200 or the Pacific Ranger District 360.374.6522 or the Supervisor's Office at 360.956.2401.
If there is a fourth grader in the house, you can get a free tree permit. LEARN MORE
Winter in the Olympic National Forest means that most campgrounds are closed, and trails may have storm debris making hiking more challenging. Before heading out, check with the ranger districts listed above for the latest information.
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Hurricane Ridge
offers opportunities for snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding and tubing, depending on the snowpack. Skiing or snowshoeing lessons are available, as are ranger-guided snowshoe walks. The road to Hurricane Ridge in the winter is scheduled to be open Friday through Sunday and holiday Mondays, weather and road conditions permitting, and closed all other days. All vehicles must carry tire chains during the winter season. Check the road status at the below number. Two webcams are located at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center offering dramatic views of the Olympic Mountains, changing weather conditions and winter snowpack. LEARN MORE
If you're planning to visit Olympic National Park during the holiday season, be sure to check out the current conditions online since weather and conditions can change quickly. Check road, campground and weather info by also calling 360.565.3131. LEARN MORE
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Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center
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light * art * experience
Port Angeles Fine Arts Center
December 5 - January 4
Check out the multi-light outdoor sculptures that transform the park, lighting up the longest nights of the year and creating a magical experience for visitors of all ages. Shop at the Holiday Maker's Market and support local artists and artisans. Take an art-making or personal journaling workshop. Participate in the Wintertide Opening Festivities with the grand lighting of the sculptures. Celebrate the Winter Solstice, including a fiery dramatic finale to the evening. LEARN MORE
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Sequim Civic Center
December 6 - 6 pm
Join in the festive spirit as the holiday tree is lit in Sequim. Each year the tree is decorated by local fourth grade students. This year's theme is "Nature's Creatures: Real or Mythical." While you're in town, take in the beautiful display of holiday lights and enjoy the "Tie One On" exhibit at the Civic Center as part of the First Friday Art Walk.
LEARN MORE
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Shelton Downtown Merchants and the
Kristmas Town Kiwanis invite you to celebrate in Christmastown USA with free holiday merriment and family activities. On Friday join in on the Snow Globe search from 3-8 pm and win prizes from downtown merchants. Families, head over to Shelton Cinema, for a free screening of The Grinch at 4 pm. Things get going at 6 pm with the annual
Tree Lighting at the Post Office Park with carols and choirs as over 250 school children sing and perform a holiday skit. Santa and Mrs. Claus will also be there for a visit as the whole family enjoys bonfires and marshmallow roasting in the street, wagon and kiddie train rides on Railroad Ave and late-night shopping downtown. On Saturday at 5 pm, head back downtown for the annual Christmastown Parade with over 50 spectacular, brilliantly lit floats.
LEARN MORE
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Forks
December 7
Have breakfast with Santa from 8-11 am at the Forks Congregational Church, check out the Festival of Trees from 1-4 pm and 6:30-8:30 pm at the Rainforest Art Center, participate in the Twinkle Light Holiday Parade from 6:30-6:45 pm then watch the Tree Lighting ceremony in the middle of town with Santa. Rain or shine, you'll have lots of fun!
LEARN MORE
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Santa in Downtown Port Townsend | Photo Courtesy Steve Mullensky
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Port Townsend
December 7
There will be caroling in the streets with the Wild Rose Chorale from 1-3 pm and in-store treats with many shops open later. Santa will arrive by the Kiwanis Choo Choo at the Haller Fountain for the annual Tree Lighting and visit with Santa at 4:30 pm. The First Saturday Art Walk is hosted in galleries and business with refreshments from 5:30-8 pm. Find great holiday gift ideas made by local artists and shop for artistic gifts you won't find anywhere else. LEARN MORE
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Chimacum High School
December 7 & 8 - 10 am-4 pm
With over 100 vendors from around Washington State, the Chimacum Arts and Crafts Fair is an iconic holiday shopping tradition and the largest holiday craft fair in Jefferson County. The event features distinctive, hand-crafted artwork, including jewelry, textiles, apparel, ceramics, candles, woodwork, leather works, artisan foods, and much more. The fair showcases the spirit of Jefferson County, while raising money for Chimacum school programs and providing a marketplace for youth and nonprofit programs.
LEARN MORE
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Port Angeles
December 6-23 (on select days)
Get silly this holiday season with a special theater performance like you've never seen-it's a British tradition with an American twist. Written by a local playwright and staged with local actors, you'll want to catch one of the various dates for this hilarious December-only pantomime performance. It's festive fun for all ages! LEARN MORE
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Port Townsend
December 12-29 (on select days)
Don't miss Key City Public Theatre's Spirit of the Yule, a whimsical musical set in Port Townsend in 1889, when the "City of Dreams" was the center for much speculation. Inspired by Charles Dickens. LEARN MORE
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Sequim - Olympic Theatre Arts
December 13-22
This comedically touching musical battle between cynicism and belief will keep you entranced when a seemingly innocent gesture traps a disillusioned social worker with a homeless man claiming to be Santa Claus. LEARN MORE
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Downtown Sequim
January 3, 2020 - 5-8 pm
Visit local businesses and collect clues to solve the Whodunnit Mystery Game. Figure out who committed the crime and enter to win prizes. LEARN MORE
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JANUARY & FEBRUARY EVENTS
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Save these dates for future events in January & February:
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We look forward to welcoming you to the Olympic Peninsula this holiday season!
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Check out what's happening on the Olympic Peninsula this month.
Request your Olympic Peninsula Travel Planner
now.
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| Ruby Beach by @dan_balmer |
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