Kirkland's first big holiday evening of 2026 is Saturday, November 28, with WinterFest at Kirkland Urban's plaza. The tree lighting follows at Peter Kirk Park that same evening. Nearly three weeks later, on Thursday, December 17, the Kirkland Downtown Association's wine walk brings people to downtown's small shops. In between and around those dates, the events land at Feriton Spur Park, the Kirkland Performance Center and a pair of Santa mailboxes, and those mailboxes split their time between the same two districts.
Kirkland has long had a waterfront core along Lake Street and Kirkland Avenue, and now a newer center of gravity at Kirkland Urban as well. This year's calendar ties the two together. The Kirkland Downtown Association organizes most of it, and most of its events either pair the old core with Kirkland Urban or happen at a stop between them. You can walk the whole season.
November 28 Starts on the Plaza and Ends in the Park
Kirkland Urban calls WinterFest an annual celebration, run in partnership with the Kirkland Downtown Association. It runs from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 28, at 425 Urban Plaza. It's free and open to everyone.
The afternoon is packed:
- Photos with Santa in his sleigh
- Live ice sculpting and snowfall on the promenade
- Holiday kids' crafts
- Carolers from Premier Vocal Entertainment
- Line dancing lessons with the Boot Boogie Babes
- Balloon creations by Hoopla
- Alpacas from Enchanted Farms
- Treats and giveaways, while supplies last
The tree lighting is a separate event, hosted by the KDA at Peter Kirk Park, which Kirkland Urban describes as "just steps away." The lights go on at 6:15 p.m. Since WinterFest runs until 7, the plaza is still going when the tree is lit. One easy plan for families is to spend the afternoon at the plaza, walk over to the park a little after six, and come back before the plaza wraps up.
Kirkland Urban's page adds one house rule for the property: minors must be with an adult at all times.
The Mailboxes Sit at Both Ends
The KDA's Letters to Santa program spells out the two-district setup more plainly than any other event. There are two mailboxes. One stands at the corner of Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street. The other is at Urban Plaza. Both are out from November 19 to December 19.
Families on the waterfront side don't have to drive up to the plaza, and families who shop at Kirkland Urban don't have to cross downtown. The KDA asks that every letter include a return address so Santa's reply can make it back. It will also help set up a Santa letter writing party for groups that ask.
As of publish day, the mailboxes go out in exactly one week, on November 19. That leaves time for a kitchen-table writing session before Thanksgiving.
December 4 Moves South to Feriton Spur
The calendar's second big evening is at the south edge of downtown. The KDA lists Google Lights at Feriton Spur Park, 509 6th Street S, on Friday, December 4, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The KDA calls it a "beloved community tradition." More than 10,000 lights cover the Google campus and the park next to it, with festive music playing.
The details:
- The petting area is set up at the pickleball court, where the KDA says "some of our favorite furry friends" will be waiting.
- The organizers have promised a surprise appearance by a special guest who will "help us to start the holidays right."
- The event lasts two hours. Since it starts at 4 on a Friday in early December, most of it happens after dark, and that's when the lights look their best.
This is the one event on the calendar that happens at a corporate campus. Google provides the setting, and the KDA lists the event alongside WinterFest and the wine walk, so it fits into the same winter program as everything else.
The Performance Center Fills the Weeknights
Between the big free events, the Kirkland Performance Center has a full December. Its ticket calendar and homepage list:
| Date | Show | Times |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, December 5 | Geoffrey Castle's Celtic Christmas | 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday, December 9 | Christmas With The Carpenters | See KPC listing |
| Thursday to Saturday, December 17 to 19 | The Nutcracker: Symphony of Lights | 7:00 p.m. nightly |
| Sunday, December 27 | Amazing Bubble Man | 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. |
Two dates stand out. The Celtic Christmas matinee falls the day after Google Lights, so a family could do two December outings on back-to-back days without leaving downtown. The opening night of The Nutcracker lands on December 17, the same evening as the KDA wine walk. That makes for a crowded Thursday downtown, and anyone who wants both will have to choose. Amazing Bubble Man on December 27 is the one family show after Christmas, while school is still out.
The Walk to KPC Looks the Same This Year
The City of Kirkland's crosswalk improvements project targets the sidewalk many theatergoers already use. The plan upgrades three crosswalks with flashing beacons and rebuilds the Kirkland Avenue sidewalk between the Kirkland Library and the Kirkland Performance Center. The city explains that street trees there are buckling the sidewalk, creating tripping hazards and blocking sight lines.
The original timeline put construction between summer and winter 2026. A city update dated September 8, 2026, says capital program engineers now expect to start in early 2027, and the order of the work hasn't been set. So this December's walk to KPC uses the same sidewalk as last year, uneven spots included. Watch your footing after dark, especially on Nutcracker nights.
December 17 Belongs to Downtown's Small Shops
The KDA's Sips and Sweaters Wine Walk runs Thursday, December 17, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Kirkland, with tickets sold through the KDA winter events page.
Participating stops on the KDA list include Purpose Boutique, Lake Street Diamond, Heyday, Via Lago, Vision Music School, The Remontant, Mermaid Hair Extensions and Moss Bay Hall. As of the KDA's posting, the event map was still marked "coming soon." Take a look at the page closer to the date before you plan a route.
The list is mostly retail and service businesses: a jeweler, a boutique, a music school, a salon. The holiday wine walk works as a December evening out at downtown's small shops.
Where the Rink Fits
The KDA's sponsorship pitch names the Kirkland Ice Rink alongside Winterfest as a winter event its sponsors help make possible. Last season, the City of Kirkland reported that the KDA's real-ice rink ran at Lee Johnson Field, 202 3rd St., from November 26 through January 11, in one-hour skating sessions. Lee Johnson Field is another downtown stop, close to everything above.
The Season at a Glance
- November 19 to December 19: Santa mailboxes at Kirkland Avenue and Lake Street, and at Urban Plaza
- Saturday, November 28: WinterFest at 425 Urban Plaza, 3 to 7 p.m.; tree lighting at Peter Kirk Park, 6:15 p.m.
- Friday, December 4: Google Lights at Feriton Spur Park, 4 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, December 5: Celtic Christmas at KPC, 2 and 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 9: Christmas With The Carpenters at KPC
- Thursday, December 17: Sips and Sweaters Wine Walk, 5 to 8 p.m.; The Nutcracker opens at KPC, 7 p.m.
- Sunday, December 27: Amazing Bubble Man at KPC, 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more than four decades, our family has watched Kirkland's downtown grow from its Lake Street core up to Kirkland Urban, and this December's calendar covers all of it. If you're thinking about what your own corner of the Eastside is worth, or what a move closer to downtown would look like, Whittlesey Properties would be glad to sit down with you this season. Schedule a consultation whenever it suits you.
