That’s right, the holiday tradition continues in Ballard. Waste Management driver Nic Greer is dressed as Santa — in a costume handmade by his mom — and he’s spreading holiday cheer on his routes around North Seattle. Here he is last week, handing out candy canes: This is Nic’s 11th year as Santa, and he […]
Tag: holidays
Yulefest set for this weekend at Nordic Heritage Museum
The Nordic Heritage Museum (3014 NW 67th St) will host the 39th annual Yulefest this weekend (November 19 and 20) from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Locals can get a head start on their holiday shopping while immersing themselves in some Nordic Christmas traditions over the weekend at Yulefest. The festival […]
Swansons is all decked out for the holidays
There is no doubt when you walk into Swansons Nursery that the holidays are here. Among the ornaments, trees and poinsettias, there are several things for the entire family to enjoy. The Reindeer Festival is underway until Christmas Eve, December 24th and Dasher and Blitzen are always on display. Santa Claus comes to visit on […]
Egg hunts scheduled around the area this weekend
Several places are hosting egg “hunts” this weekend and we put “hunt” in parenthesis for a reason. The hunt last year at Loyal Heights was over and done with in about 30 seconds. Photo of kids preparing to dash for eggs and goodies at the 2009 Loyal Heights egg hunt. The Loyal Heights Community Center […]
God Jul and Happy Holidays!
We wish everyone Merry Christmas (or “God Jul” for all the Scandinavians out there), and happy holidays! You can’t ask for a more beautiful day. The view of the Olympics from a frosty Sunset Hill neighborhood. And from Sunset Hill Park.
Photos of holiday lights around the neighborhood
Updated: Thanks to your help, we’ve assembled a few photos of some incredible holiday light displays in Ballard. Let’s just say that many homeowners are brimming with Christmas spirit (and free time). This home on 8th Ave. and 90th St. wins the prize for the most lights per square foot. Chevy Chase (“Christmas Vacation”) would […]
Taking the pulse of holiday shopping in Ballard
Walking around downtown Ballard on Friday afternoon, holiday shoppers seemed few and far between. Perhaps that’s because the final shopping crunch had yet to come. Or perhaps it had something to do with the time of day. In any case, considering the economy, a number of shops in Ballard are satisfied with how sales are going. Some, such as Blackbird, even say they’re doing well.
“We’re getting a lot more foot traffic than last year,” said Nicole Miller, owner of Blackbird, Inc., adding that, “online sales are growing tremendously.”
That’s great news for the company, which runs Blackbird, Blackbird Candy Shoppe, and The Field House. Since they sell seasonal clothing, among other products, they depend on the holiday shopping season to sell their fall merchandise. (In related news, Blackbird’s women’s store, Birgitta, closed this past weekend. In a press release, Blackbird reported that almost a year after opening Birgitta they, “realized that the other Blackbird businesses were more successful and took far less effort.”)
Ballardites in the holiday spirit
Being the last weekend before Christmas, groups and neighbors decided to get in the holiday spirit. Sean sent us this photo of carolers singing holiday favorites around the Whittier Heights neighborhood Sunday night. And. Eric sent us this photo and says, “Here’s a picture of one of the neighborhood luminaria displays Saturday night. This is […]
Families enjoy hay rides in Old Ballard
Update: Kids and parents alike enjoyed a hay ride down Ballard Ave. Saturday night, singing Christmas carols in the rain. It was all part of the Holidays in Ballard campaign to bring more shoppers to the neighborhood’s retail core. We put together a little video below. Volunteers also placed hundreds of luminaries in Old Ballard, […]
Long lines at the Ballard Post Office
Holiday shoppers are quickly turning into holiday shippers, which isn’t a surprise as December 25th nears. Cynthia Kelly, who writes Skeletons in the Closet blog, sent us this photo that she snapped on Tuesday around 5:45 p.m. She says the lines for both the front counter and automated machine were pretty long. If you’re looking […]
Ballard businesses vying for your holiday dollars
Small businesses are struggling. That’s no secret. The Seattle Channel recently produced a piece on shopping local which focused partly on Ballard. John Sterlin, owner of Romanza, says, “We’ve kind of come to the determination that this is it. We really need to do well this holiday season. We can’t continue that downward trend very […]
Old Ballard lights up with Santa
Holidays in Ballard kicked off in earnest Saturday night with a visit from Santa. Santa Claus sat inside the Old Ballard bell tower at Marvin Gardens Park, listening to wish lists from dozens of kids. Photos were provided by Jay Dotson Photography with the proceeds benefiting the Ballard Food Bank. (By the way, Jay has […]
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