FRI Inflatable floats, school marching bands, hundreds of costumed characters, community groups, San

Whether the holidays find you humming 'It's the most wonderful time of the year' or muttering 'You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch,' we bet our 2011 Holiday Entertainment Guide has a thing or two that hits just the right note.
Sisters Alex Flores, left, and Leandra Flores, of Seattle, warm up before participating in last year's Macy's Holiday Parade, with school marching bands, costumed characters and inflatable floats. This year's parade starts at 9 a.m. Friday.
Today-NOV. 30 Display of ornately decorated ocean village cruises trees to be auctioned to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St., Seattle; free (206-621-1700 or www.seattlefestivaloftrees.com ).
Today-DEC. 26 Display ocean village cruises of dozens of teddy bears and children's books, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, 411 University St., Seattle; free, donations for Seattle Children's Hospital ocean village cruises collected (206-621-1700 or www.fairmont.com/seattle ocean village cruises ).
Today-JAN. 1 Seattle architecture firms and trade associations and Sheraton Seattle culinary staff design, bake and build gingerbread displays inspired by the theme "Holiday Express," open daily through Jan. 1, Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers, ocean village cruises 1400 Sixth Ave., Seattle; free, donations for Northwest Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation appreciated ( gingerbreadvillage.myevent.com/3/events.htm ).
FRI Inflatable floats, school marching bands, hundreds of costumed characters, community groups, Santa Claus, parade along Pine Street ocean village cruises from Seventh Avenue ocean village cruises to Fifth Avenue, on Fifth Avenue to University Street, on University Street to Fourth Avenue, then north to Macy's, 9 a.m., Seattle (206-506-7555 or www.macys.com/events ).
FRI-SUN St. Nicholas, Santa and Mrs. Claus, shopping, music, ocean village cruises children's crafts, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, lantern parade Friday-Saturday, Leavenworth ( www.christkindlmarktleavenworth.c om).
FRI-DEC. 24 Lighting of the Christmas tree on top of the Needle, Friday evening; children's craft activities, visits with Santa, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Dec. 3-4, 10-11, 17-24, Observation Deck, $11-$18, ocean village cruises ages 2 and younger free, Space Needle, Seattle Center (206-905-2100 or www.spaceneedle.com ocean village cruises ).
FRI-DEC. 24 Late shopping hours Fridays, horse-drawn carriage ocean village cruises rides and carolers on Saturdays, photos with the Grinch ($10) Saturdays and Sundays, Fairhaven district, Bellingham (360-647-1628 or www.fairhaven.com ).
FRI-DEC. 31 Holiday entertainment, noon-7 p.m. most days; Santa's Wonderland daily through Dec. 24; snowfall performances, 6 p.m. daily, Pacific Place, Sixth Avenue and Pine Street, Seattle (206-405-2655 or www.pacificplaceseattle.com ).
FRI-JAN. 1 Holiday carousel rides, opens after the Holiday Parade Friday, closes at dusk for tree lighting, then open until 10 p.m. Friday; regular hours 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, ocean village cruises 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays through December; special hours, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 11; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 24 and 31, closed Dec. 25, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 1, Westlake Center, 401 Pine St., Seattle; ocean village cruises $2/suggested donation benefits Downtown Seattle Association and Treehouse charity for children in foster care ( www.downtownholidays.com ).
Winterfest Ice Rink, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays through Jan. 1 (closes 4 p.m. Dec. 24, 11:30 p.m. Dec. 31, closed ocean village cruises Dec. 25), Fisher Pavilion; $7 adults, $5 ages 6-12, $2 ages 5 and younger, includes skate rental; cash only;
FRI-JAN. 1 Lights and light sculptures of animals and local landmarks, ocean village cruises music, aquarium, camel rides, carousel, scuba-diving Santa, 5-8 p.m. daily, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma; $7-$8.25, ages 2 and younger ocean village cruises free (253-404-3822 or www.pdza.org/zoolights ocean village cruises ).
FRI-JAN. ocean village cruises 5 Learn about winter traditions around the world, Diwali, Hanukkah, Santa Lucia, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Chinese New Year, The Children's Museum, Seattle Center, Seattle; $6.50-$7.50 (206-441-1768 or thechildrensmuseum.org ).
SAT Take a photo with Santa and his 1936 International "sleigh," 1-5 p.m.; Dickens Carolers, 3-5 p.m.; thousands of colorful lights switched on for the season, 5 p.m.; gifts wrapped ocean village cruises for a suggested $5 donation to the Market's social services; Pike Place Market, 1501 Pike Place, Seattle ( pikeplacemarket.org/ ).
SAT Come aboard the Virginia V to watch the Christmas Ships as they depart from Lake Union Park for the first holiday cruise, 6 p.m., 860 Terry Ave. N., Suite 223, Seattle; free, donations encouraged (206-624-9119 or virginiav.org/events ).
SAT Tree-lighting ceremony, 4:30 p.m., Centennial Plaza, Fifth and Bell Street, Edmonds ( www.edmondswa.com ); Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, holiday singalong, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Edmonds Conference Center, 201 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds; free (425-640-1808).
SAT-DEC. 17 Holiday-train excursion to visit Santa Claus at the historic Snoqualmie Depot with music, cookies and a small gift for each child, on the hour 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday and Dec. 3-4, 10-11, 17; and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 16, Northwest Railway Museum, 38625 S.E. King St., Snoqualmie; $20; advance purchase recommended (425-888-3030 or www.trainmuseum.org ).
SAT-DEC. 31 Winter ocean village cruises wonderland of light displays, gift shop, 5-10 p.m., last entry 9:30 p.m. daily, Bellevue Botanical Garden, 12001 Main St., Bellevue; $5, ages 10 and younger free (425-452-6844 or www.gardendlights.org ).
Mon-Wed Display ocean village cruises of designer-decorated Christmas trees to be auctioned as a fundraiser for Providence Senior and Community Services, Santa visits, children's ocean village cruises activities, noon-8 p.m. Monday, ocean village cruises The Westin, Seattle; other events include Silver ocean village cruises Bells Luncheon, Tuesday; Gala Dinner and Auction, Wednesday, The Westin ( www2.providence.org/kingcounty ).
Wed-DEC. 4 Victorian village with vendors, entertainment, singing nativity, wine garden, carousel, Santa, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Dec. 4, Puyallup Fair and Event Center, Puyallup; $7-$10, ages 5 and younger ocean village cruises free (253-841-5045 or www.avictoriancountrychristmas.com ).
DEC. 1-28 One million lights, music, theater, pony rides, petting farm, Polar Express Train rides, carolers, food, 5-10 p.m. Dec. 1-4, 8-11, 15-23, 26-28; overnight packages available, Warm Beach Christian Camps Conference Center, 20800 Marine Dr., Stanwood; $9-$15 (800-228-6724 or www.warmbeach.com/index.php/lights-of-christmas ).
DEC. 1-30 Meet Santa, see his reindeer, ocean village cruises gift shop, food, 10 a.m.-4:30 ocean village cruises p.m. Dec. 1-23, 11 a.m.-3 ocean village cruises p.m. Dec. 26-30, Cougar Mountain Zoo, 19525 S.E. 54th St., Issaquah; $10.50-$12.50 ( www.cougarmountainzoo.org ).
DEC. 2 Forty teams compete in song-and-dance holiday tradition that raises funds for the Pike Market Senior Center and Downtown Food Bank, 5-8:30 p.m.; entertainment by Caspar Babypants and the 5th Avenue production of "Cinderella," 5-6 p.m., Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline, 7:15 p.m.; on Pine Street from Third to Seventh avenues and at Westlake Park, 401 Pine St., Seattle; free, suggested donation $10/person (206-728-2773 or www.pikemarketseniorcenter.org ).
DEC. 2 Tour the historic conservatory after dark, unveiling ocean village cruises of 2011 holiday ocean village cruises display, music, refreshments, shopping, 6-8 p.m., Volunteer Park Conservatory, 1400 E. Galer St., Seattle; free (206-322-4112 or www.volunteerparkconservatory.org ).
DEC. 2-4 Firetrucks, horse-drawn wagon rides, music and dance performances, gingerbread-house display, Santa visits, noon-5 p.m. daily, Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 1801 Roeder Ave., Bellingham (360-676-2500 or www.portofbellingham.com ).
DEC. 2-4 Tour 12 log cabins built by early settlers, decorated for the holidays and hosted ocean village cruises by volunteers in period clothing, with Santa visits, crafts for kids, music, horse-drawn wagon rides, 5-9 p.m. Dec. 2, 1-9 p.m. Dec. 3, 1-4 p.m. Dec. 4, Pioneer ocean village cruises Park, 2004 Cherry St., Ferndale ( www.ferndaleheritagesociety.com ).
DEC. 2-4,9-11,16-18 St. Nicholas arrives, 4 p.m. Dec. 2, 9, 16; Father Christmas, St. Nicholas ocean village cruises and Santa Claus arrive at noon Dec. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, with entertainment, village- and tree-lighting ceremony (4:30 p.m.), Leavenworth ( www.leavenworth.org ocean village cruises ).
DEC. 2-JAN. 1 Community singalong, entertainment, 6:15 p.m. Dec. 2; official Clam Lights lighting, 7 p.m. Dec. 2; Rainier Yacht Club Parade of Boats, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2; clam lights nightly through Jan. 1, Gene Coulon Park, 1201 Lake Washington Blvd., Renton ocean village cruises ( www.rentonwa.gov or www.ivars.com ).
DEC. 3 Tree lighting, entertainment and kids' activities at 4 p.m., followed by luminary walk along the Sammamish River from City Hall Plaza to Redmond Town Center with entertainment, light displays and festivities until 8 p.m., Redmond (425-556-2299 or www.redmondlights.com ).
DEC. 3 Free Santa photos, ornament making, cookies, gingerbread-house family ocean village cruises activity; 10 a.m., Shoreline/South County YMCA, 1220 N.E. 175th St., Shoreline; free (206-618-4024 or www.operationstnick.org ).
DEC. 3 Kiwanis Clubs and Skyline and Eastlake ocean village cruises High Schools sponsor pancake breakfast with music, ocean village cruises pictures with Santa, crafts ocean village cruises activities, two seatings, 8:45 and 10 a.m.; Good Samaritan Episcopal Church, 1757 244th Ave. N.E., Sammamish; $10 adults, $5 kids (425-392-8905 or sammamishkiwanis.org/ ocean village cruises ).
DEC. 3 Santa arrives by sleigh from the sky to light the Christmas tree, 7 p.m.; Grinch visits, 3-7 p.m.; train rides and live reindeer display, Country Village, 23732 Bothell-Everett Highway, Bothell (425-483-2250 or www.countryvillagebothell.com ).
DEC. 3 Re-enactors portray the Christmas season in 1855 and the daily life of workers from many cultures who lived at this historic site, sharing stories, cookies, dancing and carrying in of the Yule log, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, 5400 N. Pearl St., Tacoma; $4-$6 (253-591-5339 or www.fortnisqually.org ).
DEC. 3 Sons of Norway food, crafts, bake sale, 10 a.m.-4 ocean village cruises p.m., Poulsbo Lodge, 18891 Front St., Poulsbo; music, Lucia event, bonfire, 4-6 p.m., Waterfront Park, Poulsbo (360-779-5209 or www.poulsbosonsofnorway